Splintered Fate (22 page)

"My father is dead." Lana began,
no one stirred at the news but by the slight change in Micah's eyes
Lana thought that this was possibly new news for them.

"I am now the sole council
commanding over the Selvirian lands. And I have reason to believe
my father's death was caused by Arkhip Dukran.”

That had seemed to catch their
attention. She could even feel Kaiden turn to her with his blue
eyes. He had not known this information. “My father had always been
the Dukran’s biggest obstacle, constantly in the way of him
achieving the war they have always dreamed of. Now with him out of
the way Arkhip has lead the Madonians to war with the Rami. I have
come to ask for your help to stop him."

Cale was the first one to respond.
"We are not interested in becoming a part of your plot and politics
in order to make you Queen of all Madonians," his blond hair fell
in front of his eyes when he spoke.

"I do not wish
to be Queen." Lana said in irritation.
"I
want what you all want and have, safety for both Madonians and the
Rami." Lana looked over to Clyte, a Rami. "We are stronger when
both kinds work together.”

Clyte gave a small smile "You
think we don’t know that, child."

Child?
Lana was taken aback by the Rami woman's remark.
She could feel more anger stirring within her.

Lana turned her gaze back to Micah
who seemed to be the kindest. "Please, Arkhip is a great danger to
not only me but to everyone. I have come to find help. I am no
fool. I know that I alone will be unable to defeat him. He is
incredibly talented, capable of creating and controlling a numerous
amount of wolves. If we work together I think we stand a chance,
before he has his teeth sunk into both Madonian and Rami lands.
Once he does that there will be no stopping him. You all will live
here hidden away while the rest of the world burns and once it is
all turned to ash I have no doubt that he will come for this place,
no matter how well you hide its entrance."

Micah turned to Kaiden without
replying to her. "It is not customary for Madonians and Rami to be
friendly outside of Alogrin. How did you two meet?"

Lana looked
around in bewilderment.
Is it customary
for those in Alogrin to completely ignore her? S
he felt Ardin beside her, his warmth. He was trying to calm
her.

"We met at Ucu, the school on the small moon,
as children. We became friends. When we returned we went our
separate ways and I did not see her again until a little over a
month ago."

Micah nodded, "and what brought you two
together again?"

Kaiden glanced at Lana who was
turning red, he wasn’t sure if it was from frustration or
embarrassment, he figured it was probably both. " Rami warriors
came onto Madonian lands outside of the city of Abder. She came to
our camp, alone, trying to find information as to why the Rami had
come. The king's Lieutenant General caught her, I heard her
screams."

Kaiden had to pause for a moment, his pulse
quickening at the memory.

Suddenly a man from the back stepped forward,
he was tall but slightly hunched, his face aged beyond his years.
He wore all black, a loose V-neck, which allowed a good view of a
nasty scar with a silver tinge he had across his neck. The scar
made Lana uncomfortable, and his eyes, they seemed wildly
dangerous. The man whispered a few words to Micah who responded
with a nod and then the man disappeared into the back where he came
from.

"We will discuss your request. But know this
Lana Casteel, you are no queen here, to us our people come
first."

Lana was both relieved and angered.

"I am not a queen. I am a part of
a council, such as yourself."

Micah gave a small smile. "We make
decisions for one land, the same people. You however rule your own
lands, your own people. You have decided to work together with the
other Madonian rulers in what you call a council, but each is a
ruler. That is where the difference lays. We mean no disrespect by
it, but to everyone here you are now Queen of the Selvirian lands."
Micah's tone was simple and informative. There was no harshness or
distaste behind his words.

However, fury still coursed
through Lana and she had to refrain from speaking up against his
words. They were allowing for her to stay, they hadn’t yet said
that they flat out weren’t going to help her people, so she should
have been thankful. Her lips pressed into a tight line, keeping
from grimacing. It was the best she could manage.

"Tonight we will have a feast to welcome our
new friends." Micah spoke to all in the room before tuning to
Kaiden and Lana. "You two will find something to wear in your
rooms. Please do not wander about before the feast tonight, where
you will be announced to the people as guests here in
Alogrin."

"May our rooms be near each
other?" Kaiden asked simply. The request made Lana
flush.

"Don't trust us Rami? You think
that together the two of you may stand a better chance than apart?"
Cale did not say more after Micah’s stern look.

"We can be weary of newcomers.”
Micah attempted to excuse Cale’s remark, with a polite smile. “Your
rooms will be close to one another."

"And Donn?" Lana asked.

"He has his own place here but it is not far
from where you two will be. Now, Conner will take you where you
need to go."

Chapter

Eleven

Connor, the boy who had taken
their horse from them, entered the brown-pillared room and led the
three of them through small back hallways. Everything was stone and
the smell of dust and candle wax filled the air. The boy turned
here and there, down the weaving stone labyrinth of hallways. Lana
tried to remember the way but the place was a massive maze and
after the first several turns she stopped trying.

“
How do you not get lost?” Lana
asked the boy as she looked around in wonder. Dark corridors lead
away from the small hall they were walking through. There were
twists and turns everywhere she looked. The corridors were small
and nowhere as beautiful as Alogrin was told to be. Lana assumed
they were walking through the servant halls and not the main
halls.

“
I grew up here, miss,” Connor
replied with a shrug. They continued walking a ways before he spoke
again “This side of the castle is pretty much empty so you won’t be
disturbed.”

More like we
wont disturb others.
Ardin added while
taking in the surroundings.

Connor opened another door but
this time instead of more small hallways they were standing in a
grand hall. The hall too smelled of dust and candle wax, Lana
assumed the entire place must smell that way. The boy stopped near
a dark wooden door and turned to Lana. “This will be your and your
Aorra’s room.” He turned his eyes to Kaiden. “Your room will be the
third door down from this one.”

“
What about Donn and the kids?”
Lana asked.

“
They are a floor below you, but
please do not go looking for them. Also don’t open your windows
until after the party and you have been introduced to the people.
There will be a chiming of the bells before the party, at the first
set someone will come to your room to help you get ready, the
second chiming will mean that the party is starting and you will be
escorted there.”

Kaiden and Lana each thanked the
boy and he ran off, disappearing behind a door. They looked around
the hall, it was only lit by candles and there was an uncomfortable
feel in the air. Lana wasn’t sure if the feeling was this place or
due to Kaiden’s actions of the day. The way he acted against Donn,
the way he seemed to brighten ten folds when talking to Clyte, all
of it made her uneasy.

“
See you tonight.” Lana opened the
dark wooden door and walked into her room, shutting the door as
soon as Ardin entered, leaving Kaiden alone in the hallway, mouth
half open as if he were about to say something. Even though Lana
had no real reason to feel angry with him, she was, and feeling
that way only angered her more. She needed time alone for her brain
to unravel the jumble of knotted thoughts that muddled her
mind.

The whole day had been very long
and extraordinarily aggravating. Between the morning where Kaiden
had spoke against Donn’s character and then the uncertainty of
being blindfolded to be brought to Alogrin, only for her to be
ignored half the time she spoke, the day was draining. The day was
also not yet over.

Releasing a
small sigh, Lana let her eyes focus on the room she and Ardin had
entered.
The space was beautiful,
decorated in earthy tones with purple walls. A massive bed with a
large white canopy worthy of any princess stood in the
center.

Rolling her eyes at the
unnecessarily extravagant room she sauntered over to the stain
glass window. There was nothing that could be made out for certain
through the warped glass. Just blurs of colors, the green of the
outside, forests or farmland she thought to herself.

How are
you?
Ardin asked.

Lana realized she had pushed him
out of her mind so she could rant to herself during their walk to
their rooms. Before she could answer him something on the bed
caught her eye.

“
You have got to be kidding me.”
Gaping, she picked up the delicate the gown. The gorgeous material
felt thick in her hand. It was fancy and elegant and not something
she was planning on wearing.

It’s going to
look beautiful on you
.

Lana could not suppress her
annoyance. “This is so over the top! They want to dress me up like
the princess doll they think I am and parade me around their party!
I did not come here for this.” She tossed the dress back onto the
bed.

I don’t think their intention is
to make you look foolish. This is Alogrin, a majestic place where
great people once lived. It is the seat of the once great empire of
the Land. Very few from the outside have ever been here. I think
that gown will most likely help you fit in, not make you stand
out.

Through a small doorway Lana saw a
white tub. She walked to it, leaving Ardin in the bedroom with the
dress lying on the plush bed. To her surprise the tub was already
filled. A few lavender petals floated in the water, filling the
room with their aroma. She held her hand over the water as steamy
warmth touched her skin. A small bit of joy came with the thought
of being able to experience a warm bath, something she had not been
able to enjoy for over a month.

Lana peeled her clothing off and
stuck her feet into the tub first. The heat stopped her, shocking
her body for a moment before she slowly sank into the warm water.
It felt delightfully good to be submerged in warmth.

Hot water soothed her aching body,
slowly washing away the hardships of the past weeks. Lana shut her
eyes and let the smell of lavender envelope her. Drawing it in with
every breath she felt herself beginning to relax.

If nothing else in her
never-ending day at least she got to enjoy this small moment of
peace. Taking pleasure in every glorious moment, she stayed in the
tub until her fingers had become all wrinkled.

Wrapping herself in a towel found
on a nearby stand, she walked from the bathroom to the bedroom,
where Ardin lay on a plush circular rug that lay at the foot of the
bed. He watched her as she stepped to the bed.

Grabbing the gown lying on the
bed, Lana ran her fingers over the fabric as she carried it to the
bathroom. It was lavish and well made, certainly the most luxurious
gown that she had ever seen. Someone had put a lot of time into
making it.

With a sigh she pulled the gown
on. To her surprise it fit her body like a glove. The dress hugged
every curve in the most perfect way. Looking at herself in the
mirror, Lana couldn’t help but stare at her reflection. The dress
was black and long to her ankles with red embroidered flowering
running on her sides. It had long sleeves with the same
embroidering but they stopped at her shoulders, which remained
bare. Her brown hair, still wet, brushed against her
shoulders.

There is a girl
here.
Ardin entered her
mind.

Lana darted to the room where she
saw Ardin standing, looking at a large eyed girl who was staring
back at him. She wore a simple dress and had her blond hair pulled
back into a messy bun. The girl looked up at Lana with warm bright
eyes.

“
Oh!” She did a small curtsy. “My
name is Lola, I came to help you get ready for the party,” and then
she stopped and eyed Lana in her gown “You’re already dressed I
should have come sooner…I” The poor girl seemed frantic and
nervous.

“
It’s fine, really, I can put on a
dress by myself,” Lana spoke softly feeling bad for the girl yet
annoyed at the same time. “You could help tighten the back of it a
bit.” Lana suggested. The dress was a corset style and Lana had
done the best that she could to tie it but having a second set of
hands would greatly help.