“What is that?” I ask, leaning away from it.
“It will be fine. We take certain minerals that create this fine, light pink powder and apply it to our faces. The colors give us a more...lively look.” Lyra begins applying it to my face. I close my eyes tightly, afraid to get it in my eyes.
“Calm down, Elle.” I hear Lyra give a small laugh. The brush feels funny on my face, tickling it. “Done.”
I open my eyes, looking into the mirror and seeing the difference from my pale color to a more flushed look.
“Alright, now this will be applied to your eyelashes to darken them, making them more distinct.” Lyra opens another jar or black liquid. A different form of a brush is used, a more thinner, smaller one. “Are you ready?”
I nod, squinting my eyes as Lyra dips the brush into the black liquid and comes at me. She reaches my lashes, painting them almost with the black. Nothing about it was upsetting to me, besides that I didn’t want the black liquid in my eye. After she is finished with one eye, Lyra does the other.
“There. It wasn’t that bad.” Lyra gives me a comforting smile. “Put this on your lips.”
Lyra hands me a jar that I open, and it’s filled with balm. I dip my finger into it and rub it on my lips.
Lyra looks me up and down, then says, “You are truly very beautiful.”
I smile shyly and look down.
“Look.” She turns me around so that I faced myself.
Framing my delicate, fragile face, hair that other’s couldn’t even compare to. It lay straight down, smooth and soft, every motion causing it flit out. My eyes were even more crystal blue than before, the black lashes making them more distinct on my face. The final touch, my skin glowed in a soft pink. I am what someone would call beautiful.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Try these on.” Lyra hands me a pair of shoes made out of an odd material. They molded to my foot, almost like they were meant for me. Ribbons were tied up my calf.
“Now, we must get to King Alberic. He has been waiting to officially meet you.” Lyra shoos my out of the room and into the living area where Trenton was still waiting.
“Trenton? Can you take her to the King? I mustn’t leave my patients, I’m sure the King would understand.” Lyra hands me over to Trenton. I feel like an object.
Trenton paused before answering, eyeing me with aw. “Yes.”
“Alright, send him my apologies.” Then Lyra was already gone.
“Come.” Trenton hooks his arm through mine and leads me out of the home. We walk on a small path, only large enough for one carriage to pass through. The trees around us were turning golden, leaves littering the ground.
“Soon, we will be on the main road that will reach the castle. The road goes through the city. King Alberic doesn’t want you to be known within the city yet, so you will have to be careful. If anyone asks you your name, say it’s
Willow. Alright?”
This was so familiar to me. Traveling through a forest, with Trenton near me, receiving instructions to keep myself safe. I miss that. It became my home, almost. The trees and wilderness became my home. It is my home. I miss having Trenton by me, making plans for our next move.
“Elle?”
“Yes?” I whip my head to face him. My mind had wandered.
“Were you listening?” Trenton asks.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” I say, picking up a leaf. Flipping it in my palm, a light residue coated my fingertips.
“Alright.”
In the distance, I could hear some form of noise, loud and obnoxious. Something that was somewhat familiar, but not completely. Something I have heard before...
“We are almost there.” Trenton sees my concern.
The sound of a city. That’s what I hear. We get closer, and the woods opens up before us into an odd form of buildings with people filling the street.
“Are you okay?” Trenton asks.
“Yes, I am okay.” I smile for reassurance.
“Come on then.”
The trees thin out slightly, nearly making the city invisible. Abell is built in the middle of the trees, helping with keeping it undisturbed from outside troubles dealing with the war. It’s hid perfectly. The people here seem safe and trusting of their king.
We walk into the bustling of the city, people brushing past me. I keep my head low. A couple times, I feel the tug of Trenton on my arm, leading me a different way. He must have been here enough times to know where to go without getting lost.
We come into an alley which broke us away from the mass amounts of people.
“We can get the castle quicker this way,” Trenton informs, then continues walking.
I lift my dress, careful not to get it wet and dirty. From how much Lyra spent on making me “beautiful”, I didn’t want to ruin it.
Ahead, the alley broke away to show stone walls towering high into the sky. A big gate was in the front. My mouth fell open.
“That’s it.” Trenton had a hint of hate in his voice. Something about his tone makes me worried. “Now, once we get in there, don’t talk to anyone, alright? You are in there to see King Alberic, that’s it.”
I nod, confused further.
The walls come closer and closer, now becoming larger with each step. In front of the gate stood several men wearing intricate armor that showed the beautiful work of elves. The pattern of ivy wove it’s way up and down the armor, the sun shining off of the silver.
“We need to see King Alberic,” Trenton whispers to one of the men.
“What is your business here?” He says with authority, standing tall.
“This is the Mover. She needs to see him, now.” Trenton has a hint of a hiss in his voice.
The men’s eyes grow large and looks me up and down. He signals to the others to open the gate. The gate creak open, allowing us through. The clear opening made of marble welcomes us. Benches made out of a hard stone and flowers line the walls. The main castle was in the middle of the clearing. The castle was made out of the same stone as the wall itself.
Like the front gate, there is guards protecting the main entrance, eyeing us suspiciously. They point arrows at us, ready for an attack.
“We need to see the King.” Trenton holds up his hands.
“What is your reason?” One yells at us.
“This is the Mover. She needs to see him.” Trenton stops in front of them.
“Prove it.” The men don’t lower their arrows.
“Elle, show them your Mark.” Trenton turns to me, irritation in his voice.
Hesitantly, I lift up my right sleeve, revealing the blue. I lift up my arm to show them. Their arrows lower and they look at each other. One nods, letting us pass.
“Once you go in, you will have to wait while we inform the King of your arrival.” The leader of the three says. Past the entrance, Trenton and I are forced to sit and wait. The room where we are left at is magnificent. The patterns and stone used are amazing. On one wall, it shows the history of the elves in carvings in detail. Hallways go down on both sides of me for what seems to be forever. The leader of the three men goes down the one on my right and soon disappears within the hallway. Candles line the room to give light.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I ask, gawking at the inside of the castle.
“Yes, it is.” Trenton does the same.
We stand in aw, completely fascinated.
“You haven’t been in here before?” I ask.
“No, I have only stayed in the clearing while my father talked to the King,” He says.
“Oh.”
The light sound of footsteps come from the hallway, the guard coming into view. He stops at the end, speaking so that we could here him saying, “The King would like to see you.”
If you want to know what will happen next, click on spoiler! If you don't want to know and wait for it as a surprise, then don't click it.(:
Spoiler
Okay, so later on, Lyra will have to wait alone while King Alberic talks to Trenton about him leaving now that his "job" is done. King Alberic dislikes humans, so he wants Trenton gone and doesn't care what happens to him, so he tells Trenton he needs to take care of Jerrard. Then he tells Elle at a festival thing, and she is mad. The next day, Trenton needs to leave, but something happens and he can't. That's all I'm going to say.(:
