SWNOVELS Chapter 10: First night
I stay quiet during our trek down the hall. I finally let go of my bag, now clenching onto Fenris’ fur. I know he’s happy to finally be able to walk around again, yet is still on alert. I’m nervous about meeting Serasfall, did she figure me out or what? I feel as though I’m on a knife’s edge, ready to fall off at any time.
Fenris looks to me, taking a step back and nuzzling my face. I smile, stroking his. I will forever be grateful that he traveled with me through the portal. He’s with me, and that help ease some of my tension.
We soon pass by several servants who turn and bow, “Your Highness,” they greet her. I nearly reply to them, having been called the same thing for months now by Orga and Kateryna. But I stop myself.
Celestine smiles, nodding to them. The servants then stare in awe of Fenris, unsure of what to say. I step closer to him, hand still on his fur. He in turn watches them carefully.
I continue to look up at Celestine, still seeing a glimmer of Marron. Just what is the reason for this feeling I’m getting from her?
Athena stays close to me, brushing her head against mine. This often somewhat forces me to pet her, which apparently is making her happy. Her fur is soft and light. My fingers easily are able to reach deeply into her fur, reaching the base. She lets out a soft murmur of satisfaction as I rake my fingers through it.
Fenris lets out a huff, glaring at her, clearly wanting her to back off. I can tell he’s becoming jealous. Athena simply ignores him, wanting to just stay close to me.
After a few minutes of walking we arrive at a door. Celestine opens it, smiling to me, “This is one of our nicer guest rooms.” She then motions me in.
I walk inside and look around. A large bed rests against the wall to my left with a bedside table. Near the wall by the bed is another door, either a closest or maybe a bathroom. A couch and chairs rest near the wall in front of me with a small balcony beyond them. I pan over to see a bureau and a couple bookcases next to it. The walls are wood-paneled, giving it a soft darkness to it.
I look to her, seeing her smiling, “Thank you.” The more I look at her, I can’t shake the feeling she suspects something as well.
Athena brushes against me, gently licking my face. I giggle softly, stroking hers. I again look up to Celestine as she stares straight into my eyes. I don’t move from where I am, feeling like a fox in the brush. I smirk to myself, if you were shocked to see Fenris, wonder how you’d react to me being a kitsune.
I stare into her eyes now, still seeing a glimmer of my sister within them.
She steps back towards the door, “If you require anything Aria, simply inform the staff.”
I nod, “Thank you.”
She smiles leaning against the door. Athena looks to me, not wanting to leave but reluctantly does, giving me one last lick across the face. I giggle softly. “I will return later to see you, little one,” she says softly. I blush, watching her smile warmly.
Celestine smiles, “I’ll be here as well, possibly tonight.”
I gulp, nodding to her, “T-tonight then.” She smiles as they pair then leaves the room closing the door behind them.
I let out an exhausted breath and turn for the bed, collapsing onto it. “Shit, shit, shit,” I repeat into the covers. The bed feels soft and airy as I lie on it, yet still doesn’t completely melt away my tension.
I feel the bed rock as Fenris hops onto it. I look up at him, “I have no idea what to do next. I just spoke to two of my ancestors, both of people, either wanting to kill me or protect me, have talked about. Not to mention they say I remind them of.”
I clench the bed covers tightly, becoming more and more scared. “Then there’s Serasfall. I know she’s intelligent, but what if she suspects something?”
The tension within me grows, ready to burst.
Fenris reaches over and grabs me by the collar, gently dragging me into his side. I feel him draping a tail over my body. “Calm yourself, little Aria,” he says gently. “Let not your fears consume you.”
I giggle softly, remembering what I told Asha when I met her for the first time. Fear leads people to do foolish things. I sigh, missing my aunt. I cling to his fur.
He leans over and nuzzles my face, “Simply be yourself.”
I giggle, “Well…I am a kitsune.”
He leans over and gently nips my nose, “No mischief, troublesome fox.”
I giggle more. It was a joke in truth. The fact still remains that he’s right. I just have to be myself while I’m here.
I pull out my phone and scroll through pictures, grateful that I don’t have to rely on the internet to look at them. I sigh softly, already missing Marron. I glance up at the ceiling, there has to be a way home.
I then quickly sit up on the bed and pull out my journal. I jot down everything from the moment Athena arrived to meeting Serasfall. It’s nice to have something to vent into. I then turn to the section where I have my notes on the Xur’canah. These are dangerous if anyone were to get their hands on them.
I take a deep breath and start moving my hands over the pages. I first translate the written words into fae, finally turning them invisible. A simple trick, but the first part is the more critical. Fae is extremely tough to understand, let alone teach. Thankfully I had my mother and Titania to tutor me in it.
I stash the journal back into bag and curl back up into Fenris. I nuzzle his side as his tail covers me like a blanket. I slowly close my eyes, letting myself drift away.
The sounds of the door knocking jolt me back to life. I feel my heart pounding heavily in my chest as I leap off of the bed. The room is much, much darker now, as the sun must have set and night fell. I race to the door and open it, finding Celestine and Athena on the other side. So both did indeed kept their promise from earlier.
She smiles brightly, “You have been asleep for the past six hours, so I figured you might be hungry.” Behind her I see a small cart with several plates on top.
I look up at her, then around me. I can’t believe that I was that tired. Even with everything I had just gone through, I somehow managed to get six uninterrupted hours of sleep.
I turn back to her, “Yes please.”
I scan around and find a crystal panel on the wall near the door and tap it, watching as the lights turn on. This catches her eye, yet only brings a smile to her face.
She nods as I step back, watching her wheel in the cart. We head over to a table near the couches. Celestine takes each plate and places them onto it, setting the cutlery beside each plate. She pulls out another plate, this one much larger than ours, placing it onto the floor. Fenris, who has been watching us this entire time, hops off of the bed and walks on over.
She pulls off the covers revealing freshly-made hot food. The smells of seared beef and vegetables fill my nose. I peer down to see Fenris staring at a large roasted pig. My eyes stare at it and then at Celestine. I smirk softly, remembering that Dewloura is city full of magic. She must have used the same size shrinking spell employed in Mom’s cubes.
Fenris sniffs it and then looks at Celestine. She smiles, “Please…eat.”
He turns to me, at which I nod. He returns to the pig and begins to tear into it. I look up to Athena who also has a plate in front of her, only it’s a small deer.
I take my seat and pick up my silverware. I smile softly as Athena actually takes her plate and walks it over to me, lying on my right. I say a silent prayer, thanking the cook who made the food and grateful to partake in it. I then begin to eat. Quickly my tongue is assaulted by subtle hints of pepper and garlic mixed with rosemary and thyme. I smile, slicing into the meat again and again.
“I wish to hear a bit more about you,” says Celestine.
I nearly choke on my food. Oh great, get lulled in with food in hopes you’ll spill your guts. I will say this about her, she’s blunt. I wipe my mouth with the cloth napkin. I take a breath, lowering my fork.
“I know you’re curious about me,” I start. “But I really can’t give you much for now. What I said earlier was true, about coming from a land far to the west.”
She smiles, “So you are from Sicily or the any of the any of the other Italian states perhaps? Or perhaps France?”
I giggle softly, “No…but I have been to Florence and Rome. I have visited France as well, albeit briefly with my mother.”
She nods, becoming more intrigued, “So England then.”
I giggle, “Only visited twice, with the second only being for a short time.”
I know she’s trying to learn more about me, I get that. Heaven knows I really do want to spill everything about me. The problem is…how am I to explain that I’m from over four hundred years into the future? Not only that, I’m her descendant.
She eats some more of her food. “So you have traveled across Europe? Most girls your age would be found within a mill or tending to weaving. Yet here you are. I completely disagree with the Drakthul emissary concerning your attire. You are clearly dressed as the daughter of nobility.”
I blush softly. She’s not wrong, yet I really do stand out in this outfit. Again, I’m sixteen; most girls my age in this era are also married with children. I nearly am waiting for her to ask that particular question and yet when I look at her, she herself isn’t married. That’s a bit strange in of itself as well.
I quietly take another bite. I peer over to Fenris, watching him tear into the pig. He’s also being discreet, for a wolf that is, and not making a mess. I lean over and gently stroke his fur. My bonded lets out a soft murmur as he eats.
A few minutes pass with both Celestine and I finishing our meals. She continues to ask about me, yet I resist the urge to answer her, only giving bare answers. She hands me a small goblet and pours wine into it. I want to decline, seeing how I’m underage. I then mentally slap myself. Don’t judge this era by your modern day standards. It’s a trap I really should avoid while I’m here.
I roll the wine in my goblet for a moment, “I’m…really sorry I haven't spoken much.”
Celestine smiles gently, “Think nothing of it, Aria. I completely understand your apprehension. It’s never easy to opening up to strangers.”
I smirk, “Normally I’m a real chatterbox. I can talk to a complete stranger and people walking past us might think we’re old friends.”
She grins, “It’s a true gift. I know you are holding back. Don’t fret over it.”
I smile, “Well…I do love to read. Back home I have bookcases filled to the brim with books.”
Celestine’s grin broadens as her eyes light up, “I too have an appetite for literature. Mother as well. When not dealing with affairs of state or with Nethune, we often retreat to the study with a book in hand.”
I giggle softly, again confirming what Kateryna told me about them. I finally allow myself to relax, slumping slightly in my chair. I bring the goblet to my nose and breathe in the aroma. It’s dry yet fruity with hints of spice. I take a sip, feeling the wine burn its way down. I’ve never been that much a fan of red wines, yet this really is nice. Heh, Marron would have a conniption fit if she were here.
I look up at Celestine. I don’t feel quite as tense I did earlier. I know it’s not the wine, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s because she just feels like Marron, or I’m just projecting my sister onto her. Either way, I’m really able to enjoy myself, given the day I had.
I feel something furry slide across my skirt. I peer down to see Athena resting her head onto my lap. She stares up into my eyes, groaning happily. I giggle softly. “Athena,” I say stroking her head even scratching behind her ears. Behind her I see both of her tails wagging.
To my left I see Fenris chomping his jaws, obviously becoming more and more jealous. Yet curiously, he begins to relent. Both wolves then eye each other, staring deeply. I peer at them both, wondering curiously.
I reach over and stroke him too behind the ear. He groans softly, leaning in and gently nuzzles my face with his nose. I giggle and blush, completely in shock that I now have two wolves loving on me.
Celestine smiles as she watches. Her gaze then turns back to me. “Are you in any pain?” she asks.
I continue to stroke both wolves. “Not really. It’s nothing compared to what I’ve dealt with in the past.” I giggle to myself at the irony of my statement.
She nods, still smiling. “If you ever are, please let us know.”
“Thank you,” I reply. I peer down again at the wolves who by now are engaged in a silent conversation. I smile, continuing to stroke their fur.
Soon after, Celestine then rises from her seat and begins to gather up our plates. I also help, piecing together my little mess and wiping down the table. She smiles placing everything onto the cart. She looks to me, “As I said earlier, if you are in need of anything, do not hesitate to ask the staff.”
I look to her, “Is it normal for someone you just met and has given so little to be treated this well?” Again my paranoia is creeping back.
Celestine smiles, “Mother has her reasons.” I let out a soft sigh, nodding. She then turns to leave, pushing the cart towards the door. She faces me, “Get some rest, Aria. I did indeed enjoy our evening together.”
I smile, “I did as well, Celestine, and goodnight to you as well.” She smiles warmly and leaves.
Athena follows after her but stops and turns, looking to me. “You are safe here, little Aria.”
I blush softly, feeling again like she’s acting like a mother to me. Her words are gentle and warm.
She then turns to Fenris, who quickly stands up straighter. My eyes widen, with my mouth stretching into a grin. Oh no. Athena smiles and bobs her head to him, disappearing down the hallway.
I walk up and close the door. I head back over to the bed, quickly kicking off my boots and pulling off the dress, placing both near a chair. I’m completely and utterly exhausted. This day has been a nonstop roller coaster. Just too much to process.
I pull the covers and crawl into bed. Fenris hops next to me. I lean over and place my bag in between his front legs. He nods and coils around it. It’s the best place I can keep it while I sleep. I lie back down, resting my head into the pillow. Fatigue washes over me like a flood, lulling me back into dreamland.