I crossed my arms softly as Aldoric in front of me seemed to near be…shutting down a little, he seemed…embarrassed or even, ashamed of what he was about to say.
“I just…really, really love everything and anything Sigian, I have read so many books about Sigia before the siege. I mean; flying cities, airships, all sorts of…impossibly powerful and wonderful magical things that honestly…all of the kingdoms would have killed for. But, everything more recent I’ve heard or read of Sigia after the siege is so…dismal and terrible.”
“If I may speak openly.”
“Go ahead.”
“It is, your brother in charge of my home, everything has gone…to shit for lack of better wording. Your brother has made children be put to work, all of the things that made my kingdom itself, impossibly powerful and incredible…gone.” I said, he nodded softly as he looked towards his feet, “So, I doubt that you asked me here for a reason other than just learning about Sigia or because you find me attractive.”
“Please, Aram…this is…not a conversation to have here.” He said before looking towards me with slightly lowered brows, looking towards his feet, so he was just moving his eyes, “there are eyes…and ears everywhere in the palace.” He said, piecing together words of the arcane language that makes up spells and incantations to form sentences,
“Understood.” I replied,
“But, please…if you would…like to join me for dinner.” He said, before motioning in a beckoning motion towards his right, a woman walked out of the side hall, dressed in a knee length heavy looking velvet dress with a huge belled-skirt with a many layered white tulle and lace petticoat and slip, white tights with black buckled shoes, a jaw high neckline with a white flounce at the end of the skirt, matching ruffle at the jaw and at the end of the long tight sleeves, white ruffs around where the arms met the shoulders, the black dress had a low square neckline with a white underpart with the high collar, black buttons down her front with a large black bow at her throat, a white apron tied over the skirt, gloves on her hands and a matching black bow as a headband. “Please, show Miss…”
“Devilitor.” I said,
“Please, show Miss Devilitor to the bath chambers, have her clothing laundered and cared for, her armor is being repaired and upkept by some guards.”
“Yes, your highness.” She said with a curtsey, but I saw that undeniable “What the fuck” look flash through her eyes as she glanced towards me and noticed both my height and complexion.
I followed alongside the maid through the halls of the palace before my eyes were caught by a painting down a hall, it was of fuckin’ Frodnak with my sister in the painting as well, she was sitting on a throne and not the wheelchair he put her in, she looked obviously healthier and better than she usually does, it was obvious to me that the artist took liberties to make my sister look in far better health than she usually is. I cracked my neck and looked back forward as I followed behind the maid, before I was led through a set of doors that went through the normal processes and things before I walked into an absolutely resplendent bathhouse, there were a few tall narrow windows along the side walls letting huge beams of sunlight into the room, high ceiling painted depicting angelic figures, humans and other races against the day sky, the far wall was adorned with a big façade of multiple stone figures holding various stoneware vessels pouring steaming water pouring into a huge square basin of smooth blue toned stone, I put my things and clothing into the special cubbies in the hall before the actual bath.
I sighed deeply as I sank into the water, I wasn’t privy to bathing in the palace, but I’m not passing up the chance for a bath this good. I washed my hair, my makeup off and my general person. I slid my hand back through my hair with my nails digging into my scalp as I cracked my back and joints, showing off the intense darkness that covered my person. The heat was something I could relish at this moment, its always so…so cold in Lodor. I’m used to tropics. I slid under the water as I laid on the bottom, I don’t need to breathe, so I was folded my arms behind my head and looking towards the constantly rippling surface as the water was cycled and churned as I felt the intense heat of the water radiate over my person and through the stone. I turned onto my hands as I slid across the bottom before I rose up and flicked my mop of hair back. I do try to bathe as often as I can when I’m traveling, however the rivers/streams/lakes/ponds are all glacial runoff from the far northern side of Lodor, so they’re all super, super cold.
As I climbed out, I just went intangible for a few seconds letting all the water fall off me in an instant leaving me bone dry, I just walked back to the little cubby where my things were, my clothing gone, but my bag and things still there, I wrapped my corset back around me before pulling on a pair of short-short styled underwear before reaching into my bag as I stepped into a pair of heavy black socks, wide legged black velvet trousers, before tucking in a dark evergreen silken button-down shirt and fastened it up to my collar before fastening the sleeves and folded them back to my elbows and put my usual accessories and things on, my boots and my makeup as well, my hair being air-dried was in even tighter bouncier curls than before because it was unbrushed which I quickly ran a brush through before pulling on my usual duster coat as I grabbed my bag and walked out of the bathhouse.
As I walked out of the bathhouse, I was soon shown downstairs through the lower levels of the palace, but still not the ground level as I was led into what was probably some kind of spare room or something, but was quickly turned into a very, very small dining room, a near dome shaped sun-room, it was past dusk now, it was about four-five in the afternoon when I got back to the city, another hour and a half to the palace, that conversation plus the bath, it was definitely dinner time now. Inside the sunroom was a larger sized circular table, not huge, but a little big for only being set for two, white table cloth, fine and ornate crystal stemware and silverware, Aldoric currently seated on the right side as I walked across the room before taking the other chair.
“I was wondering when you’d be joining me.”
“Well, I can assure you, I’ve been traveling for a handful of days, so I wished to have some time to properly cleanse myself and get all of the grime of travel off my person.” I said as I crossed my legs and rested my hands on my knee, he sat back a little, his pauldrons and cape were gone and the top buttons of his gown were undone, leaving his neck, collar and a touch of his sternum were visible, however because of the more…visible skin I could see something: all across his body, in nearly the same formation as the darkness covering my body, was pure whiteness covering his entire person, however where the darkness on my body looks like flames, his looked near like clouds or swirls of steam.
“Understandable.” He said as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his palms as he softly rested his fingers against his cheeks, he scooted his chair as close to the table as he could as he looked towards me with such a…strange look in his eyes: there was a strange intrigue in his eyes.
“Forgive me for asking, Aldoric, but…your skin.” I said, he laughed softly as he slowly pulled one of his gloves off by biting the material over one of his fingers and the silk slowly slid off his arm revealing it was completely snow white, he had put all of his rings on the table as I said that, as the material left his hand, sharp pointy, but golden talons adorned his fingers.
“Much like yourself, no?” he asked as he held his hand up showing of the coloration and his shorter, blunter golden talons, but his hands weren’t as extended looking as my own, “Sorcerers like us are…rare, no?”
Comments (0)
See all