SWNOVELS Chapter 4: Arrival
I felt a soft nudging, slowly rousing me from my sleep. I opened her eyes to see that I was now sleeping on the bed in the rear cabin of the plane. I looked down to see that I was held tightly against my mother, feeling her chest pressed softly against my back. I smiled, knowing that Rachel was close by.
I then looked out the window, seeing that the shades had been pulled down, shielding us from the sun. I held out a finger and levitated the shade up slightly, seeing clear blue skies.
I nodded, knowing I wouldn’t know where we were without getting up, which would wake her up. I smiled, pulling the shade back down, and slowly fell back to sleep.
“Aria,” said a voice. I groaned softly in defiance.
“Aria, you need to wake up my dear,” spoke my mother. I stirred softly on the bed. Rachel smiled as she leaned over and placed a soft kiss upon my cheek.
I groaned again as she opened my eyes, “Are we there yet?”
She chuckled, “Just about my love. We are roughly an hour from landing, but I wanted you to see where we are.”
I slowly sat up on the bed, shielding my eyes as the sun poured in from the window. I slid on the bed and over to the window and looked down to see that the plane was flying over lush endless green forests and mountains below. My eyes and mouth grew wide as I scanned the scenery below.
“Oh wow,” I exclaimed.
Rachel smiled as she sat next to me, stroking my hair. “We will have to take a car to the castle once we land,” explained my mother.
I could feel my heart plummeting into my stomach, “How…long will we have to drive?”
She smiled, “That, my dear, is actually the shortest portion of our journey. The castle is only a mere fifteen minutes from airfield.”
I let out a long sigh of relief, “Thank God. While I wouldn’t have mind driving through the forest, I think I’d rather just want to get there.” Rachel nodded, holding me close to her chest, “I couldn’t agree more my precious.”
I smiled, feeling a cold nose pressing against my leg. I looked down to see Fenris, with both tails wagging, softly beating against the hull. I reached out to him, stroking his head, and then leaned over to kiss it.
She smiled softly, “We should move towards the main cabin my love.” I nodded to her, and then felt my stomach grumbling, giggling. She shook her head, “You haven’t eaten since this morning,” chuckling, “you should get something before we land.”
I giggled, “Yes Ma’am.” I then rolled off of the bed and slipped into the main cabin, with Fenris closely in tow. My mother smiled, watching as I left.
I sat in back into my seat, having opened another book to read while the plane began its slow descent towards the airfield. I glanced over towards my mother, noticing how sullen she looked, “How long has it been?”
Rachel remained motionless, staring straight ahead, “Thirty years my love. Thirty long years.”
I turned another page in my book, “Something you want to talk about?”
Rachel looked to me, smiling, “Not at this time, my precious.”
I nodded, turning yet another page. Rachel chuckled, shaking her head, “And here I thought you were held an aversion to journeying here with me.”
I looked to her, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m nervous as hell right now. Not only am I traveling to France to attend Court with you, but I’m doing so as your daughter,” I then closed my book, pulling both legs into my chest, hugging them, “I’m worried I’m gonna screw something up and it’ll look bad on you.”
Rachel raised her eyebrow, smiling and shaking her head, “Sweetheart, I understand your apprehensiveness while on this trip, but you shouldn’t worry yourself to sickness,” she then reached over and held out her hand. I panned to my mother, taking it.
“All you need to worry about is being the lovable little girl that I know you to be.”
I smiled, “Just well-behaved and proper right?”
My mother grinned, “That too.”
I giggled, gripping her hand tightly. Rachel smiled, stroking her little girl’s hand, then eyeing as the plane drew ever closer to the ground.
I looked out the window, watching as tall pine and beech trees flew passed off in the distance, before feeling the plane shuddering as it landed, and roaring as it slowed to an easy stop. A few moments passed before the main hatch opened and lowered.
Rachel looked to me, “Why don’t you go first love?”
I took a long deep breath and nodded, unbuckling myself and rose from my seat. I grabbed my Gatsby hat, pulling it on top of my head.
As I neared the entrance, I was met with the strong scent of pine as it slowly wafted into the plane. The sky was gray with heavy clouds floating above.
When I stepped down onto the tarmac, I saw the mountains directly in front of me, angling my head up, looking in awe at how high they reached. I then heard the sounds of trees buffing against the wind, seeing a massive forest off on the other side of the airfield.
The air around me felt and smelled completely different than anywhere she had lived and been to in my life. Even Concordia couldn’t come close. Aside from the howling of the trees, the area around me was still, and old. I stood silent and unmoving, feeling as though hundreds of eyes were staring down upon me, watching every move I made.
My nervousness slowly began to grow as I scanned around me, listening as the howling of the wind grew ever louder. I started to feel small and helpless, until I felt a hand gently resting upon my shoulder.
“Are you all right my love?” spoke my mother, snapping me out of my daze.
I peered up at her, slightly trembling, “Y-yeah, this place feels…a little overwhelming.”
Rachel then pulled me close, holding me tightly, “It’ll be all right sweetheart. While the forest is enchanted to ward off anyone from getting too close, it won’t hurt you.” She then leaned into my ear, “You can reach out and connect to the forest, can’t you?”
I nodded, closing my eyes. Remembering whenever I would transform into an alraune, I was connected to the plants within the greenhouse. I closed my eyes, reaching out in search of the heart of the forest.
I smiled as I felt it pulsing within me. I could feel it reaching back, giggling softly as it felt as though it kissed me on the cheek. “I can feel it.”
She smiled, “Good girl.”
I smiled softly, tilting my head, “It…it’s also apologizing to me for some reason.” Something about not being right time.
My mother smiled, “It's being polite my dear.” I nodded, breaking the connection and opening my eyes.
Rachel kissed the top of my head, “We should go my love. I know you must still be tired from the flight.” I nodded, looking up at my mother, smiling. The two of us then slowly walked over to a waiting car.
I pulled out my phone and checked the time, noting that it was after 7:00 in the evening. “Wait, what about Fenris?” I asked, seeing that my bonded had disappeared.
Rachel smiled, “He will find us my love. He needs to stretch his body after being cooped up on the plane for so long.”
I sighed, reaching out to him, “Be careful Fenris.”
As I slipped into the car, I felt a familiar wisp of chilled wind kissing my cheek, “I shall little one.”
I smiled, climbing into the car. Rachel held me close as she then tapped on the floor. The car then began to slowly pull away from the airfield
The car drove along the road and through the old pine and beech forest, still feeling older and older as they traveled. The only place I could think of was when my family drove through the redwood forests in California, and yet this place still felt older and more ancient than the two thousand year old trees.
I panned over to see the faint sight of the Rhone River, flowing through the heart of the forest. As the car rounded a corner, I could see a castle standing like an island amongst a sea of trees.
The castle also sat within the shadow of a large mountain on it northern side, almost appearing to shield it from whatever might come. My eyes grew large as I gazed upon the sprawling fortress.
Spires soared above the forest, surrounded by looming walls. At its heart laid the keep, whose designs appeared to be similar in design to the Manor, only much…much larger and far more illustrious, and castles that I had seen from fairy tales as a child.
“That…that’s a real castle isn’t it?” I asked, glancing up at Rachel.
She smiled, “That it is sweetheart.”
I leaned back in my seat, “So last year, while you started teaching me about everything, you briefly went over the history of the Court itself.”
She pulled me close to her, “And for that I apologize, my love. The Court of Mele’vari’o was established well over a thousand years ago as a mirror for the Dewlouran Empire. It often would serve as a conduit for the Empire in Western Europe, even holding strong ties with many kingdoms and governments until the Empire fell and nearly all ties were then severed.”
I tilted my head slightly, “But didn’t you also say that the Court held sway over Europe?”
She ruffled my hair, “That I did my love. I however might have over-exaggerated the significance of the Court. While the Court does retain a great deal of power over Europe itself and certain corners of the world, it isn’t nearly as powerful as I led you to believe.”
I giggled, turning back to look at the castle, “So with you saying that first rule of being within the castle is that one must appear in their natural self. I would assume that the members are comprised not only of say humans or even vampire or lycans correct?”
I felt her hand gently stroking my shoulder, “Correct my love. Dragons, elves, goblins, fae of many types, and other beings make up the Court membership.”
I looked somewhat nervously up at her, “Titania isn’t a member is she?”
She held me tighter, still remembering my encounter from a year ago, “No my dear. She cares not for whims or drama of the Court. In fact, for her to even leave England is often rare and extraordinary.”
My eyes turned downward slightly, “Like meeting me,” I whispered.
She leaned her head into mine, “Indeed so sweetheart. I still do not fully understand her motives or intentions.” I clung to her hand, letting out a sigh.
The car finally arrived at the castle and with it my nervousness grew slightly once more. The car for a moment stopped at the guard station, and I peered out the window and watched as a guardsman walked the length of the car.
“Please state the name of the travelers,” spoke a guard.
“I have Countess Rivenfeld and her daughter,” replied the driver.
The guardsman’s jaw dropped to the ground as he ran to the back of the car, peering inside. I stared at him, growing even more nervous.
Rachel smiled, holding me gently and stroked my arm assuredly, “It’s all right my love.”
The guardsman shook his head, regaining his composure and calmly walked back to the driver. Clearing his throat, the guard nodded, “Very good sir. I shall also inform Lord Algernon of your arrival as well.” The driver nodded as the massive iron gate slowly opened, allowing the car to pull forward.
My eyes scanned the courtyard, looking again in utter awe of her surroundings. The castle was even larger than it appeared to be from a distance, looking as though it were three to four times the size of our home. I still couldn’t get the image of the castle being ripped straight out of a fairy tale from her mind.
The inner sanctum of the walls appeared as though one could fit my first public high school inside it and there would still be room left over. The keep was further surrounded by smaller buildings, a couple being only barely smaller than the Manor, but still impressive.
The castle and walls were made of graying and white stone, but cut ever so cleanly. Trees and green-spaces dotted the grounds, with some trees being a thick as a car and huddled together in patches.
My eyes dropped as she saw floating gardens, with a few appearing to have waterfalls flowing out and into ponds and fountains.
Windows dotted nearly every facet of the keep, some appearing as large open areas, reminiscent of the ball room at the Manor. The car finally came to a stop under a large overhang.
“Ready my love?”
I gave a timid nod as the door slowly opened and the both of them climbed out of the car. I again felt the sting of eyes bearing down upon me. While the forest merely acted as a guardian force for the castle, these eyes were far more judging. I felt as though they were piercing straight through me, attempting to weigh me down.
I shot a piercing glance upwards at the castle, but held back my magic, wanting to follow the rules that my mother had laid out for me.
The overwhelming pressure quickly relented, allowing me to let out a soft sigh. I gripped my satchel, opening it and looked over my books, eyeing the one I was reading before we landed.
Rachel placed a hand onto my shoulder, “Shall we go in sweetheart?”
I smiled, nodding, “Yep.” My mother grinned, wrapping her arm around me as we walked forward into the castle itself.
My eyes bulged as my head craned to examine the massive foyer should stood in. One thought that came to my mind was it appeared to be the entry hall to the Beast’s castle from 1991 version of Beauty and the Beast. Standing directly in front of me was a large staircase which split off into two different directions and going further up onto distant parts of the castle.
From the second level, I could see railings and above the second level I saw a third and even a fourth. Gleaming white and black pillars dotted the enormous hallway, with dozens of couches and chairs strewn about the floor.
The hall was fairly lit, showing off the contrasting colors of reds, whites, and grays of the walls and floors. Each side of the room stood two massive hallways that ventured deeper into the castle.
“How…how many people are here do you think?” I asked, still craning my head.
Rachel smiled, looking up at the second level, “The Court itself is comprised of well over a sixty members from all over Europe. But rarely will there ever be more than forty at any given time. Think of the Court as more of a parliament, with members often coming and going when the need arises for them to be in attendance.”
I nodded, and then felt something pulsing against my chest, “Whoa…that was something.”
My mother nodded, “That would be them,” she continued her scan of the room, “I feel today however, that the Court will be in full attendance. While not a rare occurrence, merely uncommon.”
I grinned up at my mother, “Maybe because they heard that you were coming back and wanted your autograph.”
She chuckled, ruffling my head, “Silly girl.” I giggled, pulling off my hat and held it.
My eyes then caught the sight of people as they stood on each floor, staring down at us. I once more felt their piercing and judgmental glares bearing down upon us, but mainly directed towards me.
A man then rushed towards us, bowing, “Greetings your Grace, the staff is honored beyond all measure of your return to the castle. We have prepared your residence in anticipation of your arrival.”
Rachel nodded, “I thank you sir,” she then looked to me, “I bet you truly are wishing to get some rest, aren’t you sweetheart?”
I nodded, still gazing up at the gallery of onlookers, hearing their whispers as they echoed through the open room.
My mother smiled, holding me close, “Pay them no heed my love.”
I smiled and nodded, “Okay.” Rachel kissed me on the head as we began to follow after the man and towards an elevator.
“So where are we heading to?”
She nodded to me, “Each member holds a residence within the castle for whenever they attend meetings or even to come for holiday. Each one is different and is tailor-made towards the needs and desires of each member. Some are even larger than others.”
I thought for a moment, “Oh…so it’s like during the Edo period in Japan when the shogunate ordered for the feudal lords to own a home in the capital.”
My mother grinned, “Exactly.”
I smiled as we stepped into the elevator, watching as the door then closed. The elevator felt old and yet modern at the same time, iron grating for the outer doors, but modern interior.
As we rode the elevator, the only thought running through my mind was how grateful I was with the lack of typical music during the ride up.
A few minutes later the elevator finally came to a stop on the fifth floor. The door slowly opened, with Rachel walking out first, with me following close behind.
I stared down the near endless corridors which were illuminated softly by glowing crystals hanging from the walls. I stuck close to Rachel as they walked down the long hallway, passing by numerous doors and branching hallways.
“Here we are,” spoke our guide, “residence 5-12.”
Rachel let out a long and protracted breath, “I’ve returned.”
I looked up at my mother as the doors slowly swung open. As we walked inside, my eyes grew wide once more. To the immediate right of the door laid a small dining room with the sight of a kitchen further in. To our left was small sitting area with couches, tables and chairs.
Directly in front was yet another large sitting room, with even more couches, chairs and tables. Resting up against the wall sat a large fireplace with large windows on each side.
As I stepped further into the residence, I could see a winding staircase as it soared towards a second level with two doors residing on it.
“Hey…this kind of reminds me of the penthouse we stayed in while in Japan last year,” I said panning my head around.
Rachel smiled and nodded, also looking around, “I admit it is rather reminiscent of it, minus the pool of course.” I giggled, watching as my suitcase was hauled up towards the room furthest from the staircase.
“That is your room my love,” spoke Rachel as she walked behind me.
I looked up at her, “My room?”
Rachel nodded, “It was originally a spare room which has been fully converted just for you.”
I blushed, ascending the stairs towards it. I peered into the room, letting out a chuckle, “This is exactly like my room in Japan,” walking over to the bed.
Everything was exactly as I remembered from that trip, even seeing the bathroom across from the bed, next to the door. My head panned over to see a several small chairs and a couch surrounding a table, and beyond it lay a balcony. I smiled, walking over to it and slowly opened the door.
A rush of warm wind blew against me while stepping out onto the balcony gazing out onto the valley below. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, staring out onto the wonder of the natural beauty of the never-ending sea of trees below. I could see mountains rising up in the distance, and then saw the Rhone flow just a mile off.
“This is incredible,” I exclaimed, my eyes glittering in awe.
Rachel smiled as she strode beside me, gently pulling me against her, “That it is my love. It’s been thirty years since I was last here, and even during all that time, this place has not changed once.”
I looked up at my mother, “Lots of good memories here?”
Rachel nodded, “Many, but some while there were others that were not.” I nodded looking back out onto the French landscape.
“I once lived here for a time,” continued my mother.
Again I looked up into my mother’s eyes, “When?”
Rachel held me closer to her chest, “Roughly sixty years ago. I spent a couple of years away from the Estate, having become rather addicted to the politics and life here. But, after a while I grew a tired of this place and returned home.” I nodded as my mother released me.
I then walked over to the railing and laid my head onto my arms, and gazed out onto the countryside. A warm summer’s breeze brushed against my face as I watched the sun slowly setting off in the horizon. My eyes grew heavier, slowly closing.
Rachel stood by her daughter, watching the treetops swaying ever so gently in the valley below. She then smiled, feeling hunger beginning to creep into her.
Rachel stared out at the setting sun, “Are you hungry my lo-,” stopping mid-sentence to see that her child had already fallen asleep. Rachel smiled as she gently knelt down to pick up and carry her sleeping child back into the room.
She cradled her sleeping body in one arm as she pulled the covers away, laying the child onto the bed. Rachel then pulled off her sneakers and draped the covers over Aria, kissing her on the forehead, “Rest my precious daughter.”
A soft cooling wind blew into the room as Rachel craned her head to see that Fenris had finally returned. “Good evening Fenris,” she spoke softly, greeting the wolf, “I pray that your excursion wore off any lingering stiffness from the flight.”
The wolf bobbed his head and walked over to the bed, sitting beside it as he looked at his sleeping bonded, “She rests as peaceful as a newborn pup.”
Rachel smiled, stroking her daughter’s hair, “That she does,” kissing her once more, before rising tenderly from the bed.
Fenris then lied down beside the bed, curling his tails around him. She smiled, kneeling down to stroke his head.
She grinned as the wolf groaned happily, “I leave our girl in your loving care, my Lord.” The wolf closed his eyes as he began his restful watch over the girl.
Satisfied that her girl is resting and guarded, she quietly rose and turned the leave the room, carefully closing the door as to not wake her daughter.
As Rachel descended the stairs towards the large seating room, a knock rang on the door. She quickly, but quietly, rushed to the door, opening it. “Good evening my Lady, I do apologize for the intrusion,” said a bowing man.
Annoyed, Rachel glowered to the man, “I just laid my daughter to rest after spending the last ten hours traveling here, so you had better have a good reason for disturbing us.”
The man bowed once more, “A thousand pardons my Lady, but I bring to you two messages, with the first being from the council itself. They wished to inform you that the members of the Court are to convene at 10:00 tomorrow morning.”
Rachel tilted her head, “Is it still not customary for the members who have traveled here to be given a full day of rest?”
The man nodded, “That is still the custom my Lady. However, the council is eager to begin work on urgent matters right away.”
She sighed, shaking her head as she rubbed her eyes, “It would seem that some of the primary council members have become rather vindictive with my absence.”
Letting out another exacerbated sigh, she then looked at the man, “And the second message?” The man nodded, handing her a sealed letter.
Rachel took it and looked it over, curling a smile as she viewed the wax seal. She then broke the seal, and opened the letter, reading it.
Rachel smiled, shaking her head, “One moment please,” she walked into the kitchen and returned a couple minutes later, handing the man a sealed letter of her own. “Please deliver this to him.”
The man bowed his head, “At once my Lady,” he then turned and disappeared down the corridor.
Rachel smiled as she closed the door, “Tomorrow, old friend.” She walked back in the living room, looking up at her daughter’s room, smiling softly, “Goodnight my love, may you dream sweet and wonderful dreams.”