The Goddess and The Guardians Boxset: The Complete Romantic Fantasy Quartet
Page 20
Diamond had lost any sense of power over her destiny. With cold hands she gripped the folds of her robe. She had to start mastering her emotions again. She had to. Otherwise she would not endure whatever the Queen had in mind for her.
Rose clasped a small bottle between her finger and thumb and held it out. Inside swirled a thick green slime that seemed to pop and bubble like it was alive. A small tendril of grey vapour curled from the bottle neck. Diamond wrinkled her nose as the smell of stagnant water and something vile wafted by.
“What in the name of Erebos is that?” she asked in disgust.
“The foul tincture of a petrified fire toad, but—” Rose added quickly at the look on Diamond’s face, “it will heal your bones in an hour—so come on, just take it.”
“Is it safe? It looks like it might grow legs and wriggle around my insides,” Diamond muttered warily.
Rose snorted. “No, it won’t grow legs, but if the toad hadn’t been petrified by the Acolyte, a pin prick of its slime would poison you. Your eyes, your nose and your mouth would leak blood until you choked. So chop, chop, bottoms up and all that.” The healer grinned and put her hands on her hips in a threatening manner.
Diamond grimaced and tipped the slime into her mouth. It fizzled and popped as she swallowed.
“Urgh! That’s worse than the mouldy yellow berries I had to eat in the forest,” she grumbled.
Rose thrust a glass of water at her and made Diamond drink that as well. That done, Rose found Diamond another robe then lay next to her on the bed and held her hand.
“This is going to hurt,” she warned.
The healer wasn’t wrong. Diamond panted and sobbed through the next few hours. Rose stalwartly held her, comforting her with murmurs and gentle touches. In turn Diamond gripped onto her new friend like an anchor, lost within a whirlwind of anxiety and pain. Eventually, with Rose’s calming touch and soothing words, Diamond settled. As the hours passed, the pain in her ribs dulled to an ache. Exhausted she fell into an unsettled sleep until Rose gently shook her to say she had to leave for her other duties.
“The guards were already outside when I came back earlier,” Rose informed Diamond quietly. “I don’t know what the Queen wants from you, but I’ll do what I can to help you.”
Diamond tried and failed to swallow the lump in her throat at the sincerity of Rose’s words. A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Thank you, Rose. But you have already helped me enough,” she said wiping it away. “I don’t want you to get in to trouble because of me,” she said softly.
But Rose just gave a small smile. “Try and rest some more. I’ll be back later and we’ll get you sorted for this dinner.”
Diamond got up and listlessly sat by the open window watching people meander around the immaculate gardens. Around lunchtime, one of her guards opened her door. She shrank back against the wall as he stepped in to watch a maid bring in a tray of food. The older woman didn’t even try and hide the disgust on her face as she banged the tray down on the nearest surface before walking out without a word.
Diamond wondered if everyone she met from now on would hate and fear her. Diamond’s fingers found her throat as her breathing hitched. Anxiously she grasped her necklace. Tonight was going be truly awful. Not hungry in the least bit but determined to build her strength back up, Diamond hobbled to the tray. The food was surprisingly high quality—for a prisoner. Fresh bread, cheese and chicken. It was delicious but Diamond couldn’t force much down. Her stomach was no longer used to large amounts of food, and coupled with the fear gnawing at her belly, she began to feel queasy after a few mouthfuls. Pushing the tray aside she went back to her vigil on the window seat.
In the middle of the gardens a large fountain spouted from the stone figure of a woman in a long flowing dress. The water’s tinkling tune soothed her frayed nerves. Diamond closed her eyes and inhaled the subtle scent of roses. Soon her exhaustion tugged her into a deep sleep.
Chapter 32
Diamond nearly fell off the window seat when Rose came bustling back in. Following closely on her heels was a maid with dark blonde hair and gentle blue eyes.
Outside, long shadows crawled over the fountain goddess, swathing her in a cloak of darkness. Diamond shivered at the sight despite the warmth in the air. Above the palace the late summer sky burned with fire. It was hard not to feel humbled by such an amazing sight, a true reflection of the power of the goddess. In the background the little carriage clock chimed telling her it was five-thirty.
“This is Kitty,” Rose informed Diamond, sitting down next to her, poised and with her back straight. Her eyes were sharp as she met Diamond’s. “She will be your maid from now on. Her duties include ensuring your room is clean and tidy and helping you with your personal care if you need it. We have…err…mutual friends outside the palace. You can trust Kitty. If you need me she will find me…day or night, do you understand?” Her voice was heavy with meaning. The healer got up and nodded to Kitty who was carrying something in her arms.
Kitty smiled a friendly, “Hello.” Then she pulled off the cotton cover to reveal a beautifully embroidered pale blue dress. The fabric was soft and so light it floated through the air as if disturbed by an invisible breeze. The white flower embroidery and tiny crystals were so delicate they did not weigh the material down, only twinkled like raindrops in sunlight as it moved. For Diamond it was hard to tear her eyes off such a beautiful thing. There were other items of clothing too, including a blue shawl, silk undergarments, a boned corset and pretty shoes that matched the dress.
Diamond gasped and immediately blushed at the sight of the undergarments, which were far more expensive and sensual than any she had ever seen, let alone owned. “Goodness! Where are all these from?” she asked incredulously.
Rose smiled broadly, a proper smile that lit her face and warmed her brown eyes to melted chocolate. “It seems you have a benefactor. This was delivered from Malloy and Son.” She rolled her eyes. “That has to be the most exclusive boutique in the city. There were instructions for all of this to be delivered to you so that you can wear the dress for dinner tonight. Whoever it is also sent these.”
She gestured to the other items a breathless-looking older man carried into the room and unceremoniously dumped on the bed. He left without a word. There were clothes boxes and parcels, boots and a new thick black cloak. Smaller paper wrapped packages sat among the pile. One had a red satin bow. Rose picked it up and peered at the label.
“This one says ‘for this evening’ on it,” she told Diamond, holding it out expectantly.
Diamond took it. With shaking fingers she undid the bow and pulled off the packaging. Inside a small grey box sat a hair comb. It was a stunning piece of intricately formed silver. Vines and flowers inlaid with glittering amethysts. Diamond had never seen anything like it.
“Wow!” muttered Kitty and Rose in unison.
“By the goddess’ good graces! Who would do such a thing?” blurted Diamond, completely baffled as she tried to think who it could be. With shaking fingers she peeped inside another paper package to find hair pins and cosmetics.
Rose shrugged, then grinned. “I have no idea, but after what happened earlier we aren’t going to worry about that. What we are going to do is make you the prettiest girl in that dining hall tonight, if only to stick one very large middle finger up at the Queen…oh, and every other small-minded imbecile in her court.”
Despite all her fears, Diamond couldn’t help but give a wry smile. Oh, how she would love to arrive poised and beautiful like a true court lady and not cowering like a dirty half-blood peasant to be stared at and cursed. Carefully Diamond reached out and touched the soft material of the dress.
“I’ve never owned such beautiful things before….” she whispered reverently.
Rose gave a snort of disbelief. “Sorry, but I can’t believe someone who looks like you has never worn a pretty dress before, even if you haven’t had such expensive jewellery.”
Diamond flush
ed, embarrassed. “Well, I haven’t,” she countered, a little defensively. “My father never had the money to spend on things like pretty dresses. Our clothes were for wearing and working in, not partying….” her voice petered out as she thought of her home and her father.
Rose beamed. “Well, at least getting ready and wearing this gorgeous dress will be fun, then maybe one day we can go shopping together. This is the finest city in Avalonia, after all.”
“That would be lovely, Rose. Maybe one day we will.”
Their eyes met and both girls forced a smile knowing that day was unlikely to come, but it was a nice thought nevertheless. Rose continued in a firm voice, “There are shops here that sell the most exquisite clothes. Traders come from as far away as Gar Anon to sell their wares. There are even rare silks brought thousands of miles along the silk road from the Sky Desert.”
A shadow crossed her face. “Or at least there are sometimes. Things are a little scarcer now.”
“Because of the war?” Diamond asked quietly.
“Yes, partly, and because the seas are becoming rougher with the beginning of the winter storms. Only sea captains with magic can navigate them. And as you can imagine, only those who are extremely brave or very stupid come here with magic. Besides the ice moon is unusually low, lower than it has been for years. Some of the Acolyte’s have been proclaiming it is the curse of the goddess; that she will bring the wrath of the ice moon down upon us all for forsaking her. I think that’s just scare mongering and nonsense. The goddess would never harm her people. And there are others in this city who feel the same.” Rose dropped her voice and glanced at the door. “We believe it is the Lord of Chaos who will unleash his wrath, not the goddess.” She moved in so that she could whisper in Diamond’s ear. “Do you know of the story of Erebos and Lunaria?”
Diamond shrugged and shook her head. “Only what I’ve read in history books.”
“Well, it is a long tale, too long to recount, right now. But I will speak as we brush your hair.” Rose led Diamond to the dressing table and indicated for her to sit on a stool. She picked up the silver hairbrush, running it gently through the length of Diamond’s locks.
“This world was not the only thing created with magic. Lunaria was a child of the gods and was herself created with magic, like their other children. As the children learned to wield their own magic they created many wondrous things: the stars, the moon, the sun, and the darkness of time and space in which to put them. As their powers grew they created vast new worlds; but Erebos did not care for these worlds of sunlight and souls that Lunaria and his sisters made, he wanted darkness and anarchy. As they created, so he destroyed. Lunaria and her three sisters: Alethia, the Goddess of Truth; Amnousia, the Goddess of Vengeance and Nuava, the Goddess of Love, fought for our world, one they had created together from magic. Eventually the other goddesses became tired of war and left Lunaria to fight Erebos and his armies alone. It did not end well for either of them. To protect those she loved, Lunaria sacrificed herself to her brother, and Erebos has not been seen in the flesh since he smote her down.” Rose hesitated and glanced at Kitty. “I understand there is much more to this story but I have never been allowed to hear it.”
“Why not?” asked Diamond, enthralled.
“Because it is a sacred story that is protected by my friends. All I can tell you is that there is a scroll. The Veritas scroll. It is an enchanted parchment written in the blood of Alethia. When Lunaria was killed by Erebos, Alethia returned from Eternity. In an attempt to preserve information that might help save our world if Erebos should somehow return, she transcribed the vision of Krato, the high ruler of the guardians of the gods. The Scroll of Truth cannot be destroyed by anyone other than a child of the gods or a god himself, but the Queen has it, and has banned any but her guards from seeing it for over a thousand years.”
“Then how do you know about it?” Diamond quipped, raising her eyebrows cynically.
“Very funny,” smiled Rose. “My friends have a copy—of sorts.”
“No offense, Rose, but what has that got to do with me?” Diamond was getting agitated now. Time was ticking away, and Hugo would return for her soon.
“Because it says when Erebos finds a magic wielder, a vassal, strong enough to contain his magic, he will return…to the ruin of us all, and that only the blood of the goddess can stop him.”
The reverence in Rose’s voice sent shivers down Diamond’s spine. For a moment all three girls were quiet.
“But no one thinks that’s me, right? She doesn’t think I’m a vassal for a dark god—does she? I come from the north. I’m half fae and half human—I’m nothing special….” Diamond swallowed, “I’m not strong enough to be a threat to anyone,” she whispered.
“Oh, she doesn’t want to destroy the vassal. You have to remember that she worships Erebos and has spent the last thousand years brainwashing the weak, sycophantic minds of many of her people into worshiping him too. No, the problem is once the vassal has been found, the Queen is powerful enough to bring Erebos back to this world.”
Diamond froze as voices echoed through her bedroom door. Rose pulled away, her head cocked. After a moment all became quiet. A guard change.
“But as you say you don’t exactly seem the type for the Lord of Shadow to covet. Still, don’t let on you know about that scroll—to anyone. The knowledge might get you killed. Right. Let us forget that story for now and get you ready for dinner. If you are to stick one in the eye of our illustrious Queen tonight, you must look your best.”
“Must I? She might throw me in the dungeons or execute me for daring to look nice,” Diamond muttered, taking Rose’s cue to change the subject.
“I doubt she’ll throw you in the dungeons,” said Rose, grimacing. “She could have done that earlier. No, she wants something else and to get it, I think she needs you whole and healthy—for now at least. Come on, I want to make sure you rival her perfect beauty, then we can show that idiot of a commander what he’s missing!”
Diamond felt her cheeks heat at that comment but held her tongue.
“Kitty’s an absolute genius at this. Let’s get started,” Rose said, taking charge and ordering Diamond to stand and take off her robe.
Diamond kept her face blank as they dressed her, embarrassed beyond measure at being helped into her underwear and the tightly fitting, blue boned corset. She briefly felt a jolt of unease that her benefactor knew her size so well. But then Kitty slipped the dress over her head, and she forgot to worry about that.
Diamond gasped. It was beautiful. The delicate material caressed her bare skin like a warm summer breeze, floating in gossamer folds around her legs and ankles. Thankfully the bodice and three-quarter length sleeves covered most of her bruises. Kitty pulled the laces tight down the back, accentuating Diamond’s small breasts and the tiny curve of her waist. Diamond balked, trying not to pay attention to her lack of curves. So much for rivalling the voluptuous Queen, she thought bitterly.
“Ouch,” she muttered as Kitty yanked and pulled, before fastening the laces in a bow. Her newly-healed rib protested but Diamond completely forgot about her discomfort when she looked in the dressing table mirror. Her hands shook as she ran them reverently down the dress. She had never dreamed of owning, or ever wearing, a dress like this.
Nerves roiled in her stomach. Diamond’s experience of large gatherings was limited to town hall festivities in Berriesford, not a banquet hall in a palace surrounded by lords and ladies; these people who would be staring at her, hating her for what she was and the magic in her blood. She lifted her chin. She would walk in that room at Hugo’s side, with her head held high; she would not cower from the mighty Queen or anyone else—no matter what they did to her.
Kitty plaited and wound her hair into a pattern of beautiful swirls at the back of her head, leaving some to hang in waves down her back. The quiet maid adroitly fixed the stunning hair comb among a nest of silver curls. It glittered prettily as Diamond moved her head.
At a blank look from Diamond, Kitty smiled. “Would you like some help with this too?” she asked gently, her soft blue eyes twinkling.
Diamond nodded gratefully. “Yes, please. I’ve never worn cosmetics before.”
“Of course. Here, let me show you.” Kitty artfully covered Diamond’s bruises with cream and powder until they were virtually invisible, then went to work on her eyes.
When she had finished, Diamond slipped on the low-heeled satin shoes and surveyed herself in the full length mirror. Her jaw dropped. This wasn’t the same person she had seen earlier that day. Despite being far too thin, she actually looked pretty. She beamed at Rose and Kitty, who smiled back.
“Well,” said Rose with a satisfied smile. “You will certainly rival Her Majesty. You look stunning.”
Diamond blushed as a loud knock resounded on the bedroom door.
Chapter 33
Hugo went still and gaped wide-eyed. A strange kind of elation filled Diamond at his unguarded expression, but her confidence and pleasure were short lived. Snapping his jaw shut, his face became unreadable. At his withdrawal, her elation crashed in splinters around her.
All Hugo said was, “Good, you’re ready. Let’s go.”
Clearly cross, Rose thrust her hands on her hips and frowned. He stubbornly ignored her stare. Deflated and confused by the ache in her chest, Diamond couldn’t meet the sympathetic eyes of her new friends. Quickly bidding Rose and Kitty a good night, she followed Hugo out of the heavy wooden door into the dimly lit stone-flagged corridor. Feeling suddenly silly in her pretty dress, Diamond scowled at his back. She shouldn’t have expected any reaction other than indifference from him.