Page 37 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
I’m not sure what to reply to his words. This is my new home, and I need to make an effort too, if I want to find a place here. I wonder what they expected when they heard that I’d come to live with them. Well, at least they seem to be positively surprised. It was a busy day, and we’ve missed lunch, but it seems that’s nothing too unusual either. Endellion shows me where the kitchen is, and the sweet kitchen chef promises to bring me something up to my room, and something for Endellion to his office.
“We hardly ever make it to lunch in time, due to work,” Endellion explains to me. “The staff are prepared for that and usually has leftovers from lunch for us. So, never feel embarrassed to come here and ask for your lunch. They are actually waiting for us to tell them we are ready to have it.”
I nod and reassure him I won’t starve myself just because I’m embarrassed to ask for something to eat. Endellion then accompanies me to the floor my room is on and leaves me alone to take a bit of a rest. I take a swift bath before I change into fresh clothes and drop onto my bed.
I didn’t plan to sleep, but after the last few days where I was hardly able to sleep, I welcomed the rest.
Princess of the Sun. Princess…
I shift around when I hear the voice in my head, still in a place between sleeping and waking. “Who is there?” I whisper.
Princess… In front of my inner eye, I can see a young man. His skin is pale, piercing blue eyes looking at me in despair. His hair is white and long. Next to him, there is a young woman. She looks almost identical to him, just that she is a female. She looks tired, her lips are pale as if they have been drained of blood.Princess of the Desert.
Who are you?I enquire.
You can see us?He asks with a mixture of surprise and hope.
I’m fully alert now but force myself not to wake up from my dream.She is here, the young man whispers.We can’t wake up. She is here. I have to go.
Your name, I urge.
Favian. He says before he disappears.
I sit up straight in my bed, a pounding headache accompanying my every movement. Was this real? I groan as I make it out of my bed and trot to my small office, noticing a plate of food there. It seems one of the maids was here while I was asleep. Before I can sit down and take a bite though, there is a knock at the door.
“Yes?” I mumble sleepily while I open it, surprised to see Royan.
“Princess.” His smile falters when he sees me, worry clouding his eyes. “You look pale. Are you not feeling well?”
“I’m fine,” I say quietly. “Did something happen?”
“I’m here to pick you up,” he says, still eyeing me cautiously.
“Pick me up?”
“For dinner,” he clarifies. “The royal family always has dinner together.”
“Dinner!?” I exclaim. Shock has to be written all over my face, as Royan looks at me, concerned. It was barely past lunch when I came to my room. How is this possible?
“Princess Azadeh,” Royan’s expression is dead serious now. “I can feel that there is something off. Please talk to me.”
“I’m just… I didn’t notice that so much time had passed.”
His expression relaxes, to a degree. “You had a few, very hard, days traveling here,” he soothes me. “It’s just natural that your body needs some rest.”
I’m not sure if that’s truly what happened, but I don’t want him to be even more worried, so I just nod at his words. I need to figure this out first before I talk to someone. Maybe Shayan could give me some advice.
“Is Simin in her chambers, too?” I ask.
“Yes, I can pick up her scent here,” Royan says.
We make sure to halt at her door and pick her up, too. Unlike me, Simin is actually prepared for dinner and seems to be already waiting for it. “I’m so hungry,” she exclaims.
Royan smiles at her. “It’s good you found your appetite.”
“What did you do for the remainder of the day?” I ask her.
“I spent most of my time with Alana, Ita and Tynan,” she tells me. “They seem to be really good friends.”
