Gaia's Secret (45 page)

I wanted to tell him my judgment was fine. It
was his judgment that suffered. But I didn’t want to get Dad—or
myself—in further trouble. Remnants of that powerful rage still
permeated the space around him.

“I think perhaps it is time to introduce
Daria to her chambers.” Without giving anyone the opportunity to
argue, he snapped his fingers. The sound was sharp in the empty
room.

Within seconds, a woman poked her face around
a wall. She had a sweet demeanor, slight frame, soft features, and
warm brown eyes. She seemed to be about Sonya’s age, but her skin
had lost more of its elasticity, and when she smiled, the skin
folded near her eyes.

“Yes, your grace?” Her voice was soft.

He motioned for her to come to his side, and
she wasted no time in obeying. He whispered something into her ear
and she nodded as her eyes moved back to me.

“Daria, this is Rhea, one of my attending
servants. I’m relinquishing her services to you, unless you find
them unsatisfactory.”

He was giving me a maid? What was I supposed
to do with a maid?

“Really, sir…sire…Grandfather, that’s not
necessary.”

“I tell you it is.” His eyes narrowed.

The strong surge of apprehension from my dad
and Stefan told me I shouldn’t argue.

My grandfather continued. “Rhea, show Daria
to her quarters. I have matters to discuss with my son and
Stefan.”

So now he was leaving me out?

“That’s it?” I couldn’t stop the words.
“You’re making me leave—just…go to my room after everything that
happened?”

The king’s face was rigid and his eyes were
cold. “
Goodnight
, my dear.”

No, not after everything I’d been through. He
couldn’t do this. “I am just as much a part—if not more—of the past
events as they are. I was there for everything, if you didn’t know.
So you should hear what I have to say.”

I had done it. Pushed too far. Much too
far.

A fire surged in the king—one so strong the
candles in the room flickered and dimmed. The draperies ruffled as
a shadow danced upon the king’s features.

Dad’s face flared red and Stefan was
paralyzed in shock. The king looked so angry I thought he might
start breathing fire. Wouldn’t that be nice, to make it through all
that only to turn into a pile of ashes. I should’ve turned and run
when I had the chance. I should’ve fled at the gate.

I never should’ve come here.

“Father,” my dad interceded. “You may find
her account beneficial.”

The king narrowed his eyes. “My
granddaughter’s thoughts on diplomatic matters are unnecessary.”
Each word dripped from his tongue like acid. “I will not hear
another word on the subject.”

My dad bowed his head in secession. “One
moment then, while I speak with my daughter?”

He earned himself a rather overt glare from
his father, but made his way towards me regardless. Dad’s face
communicated everything he could not say while in the presence of a
king. Mostly silent apologies.

“Daria,” he whispered. “I promise I’ll come
and see you the first moment I can. And I’m hopeful—” he glanced
back at his own father “—that given time, he’ll learn to value
you.” He wrapped his arm around me. “All right?”

“As soon as you can,” I reiterated.

Dad grinned, but it failed to touch his
eyes.

On the king’s orders, I was escorted from the
one remaining person I trusted.

This man was taking everything away from me.
This king, my grandfather.

A
ngry, I followed
Rhea to my room, along with an escort of two guards.

The guards weren’t so bad, really. Their
armor was obnoxiously loud as we walked, and they didn’t say a
word, but at least they didn’t stare. Not like everyone else.

The people in the king’s castle were about as
nice as the king. In fact, I wondered if he somehow made an
announcement to his entire court, ordering them to make the new
girl feel subhuman, because when I walked by, they would look me up
and down and frown like they pitied me. Some even covered their
mouths and giggled. But the funny thing was I pitied them. They
looked like peacocks in their so-called refinery, and it was beyond
a giggling matter.

Rhea turned down another hall—I was doubtful
I’d ever find my way around—and stopped before a tall door with a
round, iron knocker. The guards positioned themselves on either
side and stared at the opposite wall. I had the sudden urge to jump
and scream in front of them while making a funny face, but Rhea
clicked my door open and motioned for me to step through. Maybe
later.

“Your room, my lady,” she said.

I peered inside.

There was a small sitting area near the door,
with two mahogany chairs and an ivory sofa. Everywhere I looked was
deep green and black and silver, and lots of dark wood. Sconces
clung to the walls, surrounded by a golden halo of light, and the
air smelled so thickly of spice it numbed my nostrils. I couldn’t
see a window anywhere but I noticed a wall of black velvet, hanging
from an iron rod and pooling on the floor below like a puddle of
ink. There was an enormous bed off to one side, covered in rich
green satins and black velvet with a mountain of pillows on top. Of
course, it was equipped with four posts and way too much gossamer.
This room was larger than my entire home back in Fresno, and it was
apparently mine.

If my grandfather the king was trying to make
me feel out of place, it was working beautifully.

Rhea followed me inside and pulled the heavy
draperies open, the muted evening light softening the shadows in my
room. Beyond the glass was a view of the mountains. Waterfalls
cascaded into verdant greens and birds soared high, disappearing
into thick clouds overhead.

It was a picture of freedom.

Note to self: add “cruel” to the list of my
grandfather’s attributes.

Rhea padded off through a narrow corridor on
one side, and was soon accompanied by a few splashes of what
sounded like water.

These people didn’t waste time.

After a few minutes of arguing with
Rhea—well, me arguing with her—she capitulated to letting me scrub
my own skin and wash my own hair. As much as she tried to convince
me of its commonality, I was not ready for someone else to give me
a bath. There were some freedoms I was going to keep. Like who got
to see me naked.

My grand tub sat upon four curled legs on a
pristine marble floor enclosed by an oval-shaped marble wall. I
even felt too dirty for the bathroom. Once I was done scrubbing two
weeks of filth from my skin—which hurt—I walked right back into my
room to find Rhea had already laid out clothing for me across the
bed: a black satin gown, a rich black shawl, and slippers.

That was it, then. Rhea must’ve heard the
king’s announcement, too.

Rhea noticed my hesitation and took a step
towards me. “My lady—“

And that wasn’t helping. “Please don’t call
me that,” I said.

She looked at me like I offended her. “It is
your title.”

“Title?” I grumbled to myself. “This is
getting ridiculous.”

“Excuse me, my lady?” she asked.

“Nothing…never mind. I just…you don’t need to
call me that.”

Rhea studied me but I couldn’t tell what she
was thinking. “All right,” she said at last. “As long as it’s just
you and me.”

I didn’t hide my relief. “Thanks.”

She nodded.

I made my way over to my bed and stared at
the silk.

“Do you not like it?” Rhea asked.

What I really wanted was a t-shirt and
shorts, but I doubted Camelot could provide anything like that.
“No, it’s…nice,” I said, rubbing the soft fabric between my
fingers. “It’s just not what I’m used to.”

I missed my room back in Fresno; the one with
scuffs on the walls, a missing closet door, and stacks of papers
and books on the floor because there wasn’t enough room for them on
my dinky desk. I even missed the stench of farm on my clothes.

“I understand.” Rhea’s tone was so gentle I
looked back at her. And by the look on her face, I knew she really
did understand, somehow. She continued, “I’ll help you in any way I
can. There are…ways to keep yourself beneath all the glittering
layers.” She smiled a warm, genuine smile.

I grinned. I might like this woman after
all.

No one visited my guarded room the remainder
of the evening. Not even Dad. That surprised me, but Rhea assured
me it was because of the situation. Until everyone knew I existed,
no one—not even my dad—could visit. Maybe Dad hadn’t realized that
when he said he’d come see me, but I could sacrifice this one
night. Especially after everything my family had done for me.

Rhea spent the remainder of her evening
attending me, and attending me well. I hadn’t expected it, but I
appreciated her company. For one, she didn’t call me “my lady”
again, but even more than that, she was real with me. Tomorrow
would be a momentous day in Gaia, she’d said. Everyone would be
anxious to meet me.

“And remember.” She’d grinned. “It is only
for a little while. You can return to these chambers and be
yourself again.”

Rhea and I might get along just fine.

I thanked her many times throughout the
remainder of the evening, and the next morning when she brought me
my breakfast through my guarded door.

“They’re still out front?” I whispered.

Rhea nodded, grinning. She set a tray of food
beside my bed: breads, unusual fruits, a couple slices of meat, and
a goblet of a deep burgundy shaded liquid.

“Upon the king’s orders. Oh, and I hope you
don’t mind.” She set down a pile of deep brown leather fabric on my
dresser. “But I took the liberty of having your leathers cleaned
and mended. It will be awhile before you are allowed to own
anything like this.” She smiled.

“Thank you.” I grinned. “I’ll be sure to keep
them hidden.”

“And I found this in your pocket. I wasn’t
sure if it was important to you or not.”

In her hands was the little rook Thad had
given me. It had cracked; part of the tower was missing but was
otherwise intact. I wished my own tower—the one I was locked
within—would chip away. Thanking her, I took it from her hands.

She nodded and disappeared into my
bathroom.

I set my little chipped tower on my
nightstand and began digging into my food. The bread was doughy and
warm and sweet. I picked up the goblet and took a sip of the
liquid, but immediately spit it back in the cup. These people were
bizarre when it came to their tastes of beverages.

Rhea poked her head in. “Do you not care for
Pom Ale?”

I eyed the drink in my hands. “You all drink
ale this early in the day?”

She chuckled, walking towards me. “It’s
considered a delicacy. Made from pomegranate trees on Earth.”

“I didn’t think it was possible, but you have
successfully ruined their flavor.”

She smiled. “Is there something else you like
to drink in the morning?”

Was there ever. “Coffee.”

“Coffee.” She mulled the word over in her
head. “Is it…black and smells much better than it tastes?”

I grinned. “That is an adequate
description.”

“And you like it?”

I nodded.

She peered into my goblet and held her hand
over it. Her soft eyes glanced at me before they closed. When she
removed her hand, the substance inside the goblet was dark and
steaming and smelled like…coffee.

“How did you do that?” I gasped.

She grinned, holding up a single finger over
her lips. “Do not tell a soul. There are things I’m not allowed
either, but I think this occasion excuses it.” She took a whiff of
the coffee in my hands. “And why you prefer that to Pom Ale, I’ll
never understand.”

I took a sip. It was the best coffee I’d ever
tasted. Finally, something familiar, something from home. I might
survive here after all.

She began walking back towards my bathroom
when a soft rapping sounded on the door. “Will you be seeing anyone
now?” Rhea asked.

“Yes. That’s fine.” I pulled my black robe
around my frame. The silk still felt slippery and cold on my
skin.

Rhea unbolted the door and it creaked as it
opened. Soft mumbling ensued and a head of bronze hair appeared.
Great, Golden Child.

“Good morning, mind if I come in for a
moment?” His voice sounded a little nervous, but his smile was so
warm I couldn’t tell him to go away.

“Sure, I mean, is that okay?” I asked
Rhea.

“Of course…my lady.” She grinned, and I
grinned back. “Would you like me to stay?”

I eyed Stefan. “No, I think I can handle
him.”

“So sure of yourself already?” Stefan
grinned.

“I doubt Mr. Prim and Proper would do
anything to offend the one and only princess of Gaia.”

Rhea covered her smile as she stepped out the
door.

It was odd seeing this younger version of my
dad staring back at me. We didn’t look related at all, but then, I
was used to that. I never had looked much like my dad.

“Have the guards left?” I asked.

Stefan arched a brow. “It’ll be a long time
before you’re left unattended.”

My morning was getting better by the second.
“Then where’s my…our dad?”

Stefan folded his fingers and swallowed.
“He’ll be here in a little while. He was on his way this morning,
but I asked him if I could see you first.”

I eyed Stefan. Why he thought I’d want his
company over our dad’s, I had no idea.

Silence.

Stefan grinned awkwardly and took a few more
steps into my room. “How did you sleep?”

“Terribly.”

He looked at me a minute and grinned.
“Perhaps we should move your bed to the woods. A says you slept
great out there.”

That was the second time I’d heard him use
that. I raised a brow. “A?”