“Morning,” Aurelia said softly, pulling one of the blankets around her shoulders in the brisk morning air.
Cressida turned and nodded towards Aurelia, picking up the last item she had brought with her – a dress starkly different than the others. It was black and the fabric sparkled beneath the morning light, its fabric luxurious. Aurelia’s gaze paused as Cressida moved to put it in the cabinet, as well.
“Cressida. What is that for?” She asked pointedly, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
“From your Majesty King Dorian, dear,” she said despondently as she finished organizing the cabinets and stood, making her way out of the door. She disappeared through the doorframe before Aurelia could question her further and her mind whirled with questions. Her stomach twisted as she considered the meaning of such a gown. A dress as elegant as that one couldn’t be for strolling around the kingdom – she was sure Dorian had something up his sleeve, but what, she wasn’t sure. She was foolish if she thought she could get away comfortably in the enemy kingdom.
Another servant brought Aurelia’s breakfast and she ate it without complaint. She forced herself to avoid thinking of the fresh fruits she would be enjoying if she were in Calathis, and instead thought once more of the pine tree forest from yesterday. Though nothing like the forest within Calathis, she still thought it possible to hide within the wide trees. She just had to make it happen – and figure out how to get to Calathis from here. Her brain continued to ponder this long after she ate, memorizing each step they had taken out of the castle yesterday, her mind a million miles away when she heard footsteps outside her door.
“Oh, good, you’ve eaten,” Ambrose said with a grin, leaning against the doorframe.
Aurelia gave him a cold look. “Have you decided I am trustworthy enough to not lock me in here?”
Ambrose chuckled. “Oh, not in the least.” He threw a parcel of clothes onto the bed. “Here. Get changed. I’ll be waiting outside the door.” Before offering an explanation, the door slammed shut behind him.
Aurelia leaned over to grab the parcel, unwrapping the paper to find the clothes she had come in, clean. She rested her hand on her Calathis clothes fondly before she stood quickly, pulling on the leather trousers and the loose white top before quickly tying the corset around her midsection. Being dressed in the familiar clothes reminded her of Calathis, and thus she ignored the cold that began to bite at her exposed shoulders.
He had removed the spell that bound her to the room while she had changed, and she opened the doorway and walked through it with no issue.
“Where are we off to in this?” Aurelia asked with mild concern Her clothes were drastically different than the style here. It would draw attention and frankly, that was the last thing she wanted.
Ambrose shrugged nonchalantly. “You’ll see.”
Aurelia begrudgingly followed him as they made twists and turns through the small corridors, going down a few flights of stairs and then going through another passageway. Before she could assess where they had ended up in the castle, Ambrose flung open the doors to what had to be one of the training corridors.
The room was filled with dummies made of wood instead of cloth such as in Calathis. The walls were covered in knives, daggers, spears, and swords, the bright silver reflecting the sunlight from the small window brightly. There were other weapons that Aurelia had never seen used before – clubs with spikes on the end, sharp axes, and spikes attached to a long shaft by a chain. Aurelia shuddered.
“What are we doing here?” She glanced around. “Where is everyone?”
“Their training is outside today.” A voice said behind them.
Aurelia whirled around to see a man she had never seen before standing in the doorway. He looked more giant than human – he was tall, his massive muscles protruding from beneath his cloak. His raven black hair hung loosely on his shoulders and his hazelnut skin glowed beneath the sunlight streaming in.
“Lorcan,” Ambrose said with a grin as he walked over to shake the man’s hand in greeting. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
The man named Lorcan chuckled. “It has been a while, yes. Your brother pulled me from the...” He hesitantly glanced towards Aurelia before continuing. “...field for tonight. Has to have all of his best men.”
The field. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what the man before her had been tasked to do – or who to kill.
Aurelia raised her eyebrows. Her suspicion from earlier grew tenfold. “And what exactly is tonight?” She said sweetly, stepping forward, her arms crossing in front of her chest.
Ambrose gave her a weak smile. “I was going to tell you...”
Lorcan turned towards her. “The gala Dorian is hosting, of course. To celebrate Damaris’ victory.”
Dread coiled in Aurelia’s stomach as she processed his words. “You mean....me,” Aurelia said weakly, a wave of nausea overtaking her. As if she were some prize that had to be shown off. For the world to know that Damaris had taken Calathis’ heir and that they would one day overtake the Continent.
Ambrose and Lorcan gave each other a look. “So, that’s why that dress is in my room right now, isn’t it?” Aurelia asked hesitantly. “I’m to wear it?”
They both nodded. Lorcan glanced at Ambrose again before stepping forward, holding out his hand. “I’m Lorcan,” He said warmly. “I am the lead commander of the soldiers here. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aurelia. I know these are less than ideal circumstances for you, but I have always greatly admired the way a warrior from Calathis fights. So fluid, so...”
“Like they are dancing,” Aurelia finished. She nodded proudly but couldn’t help the twinge of disgust for the man that led such horrid people to kill innocent others. “Calathis trains excellent warriors. What precisely do you expect me to do here?” She turned to Ambrose questioningly.
He shrugged. “I thought you might like to be able to train.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out her golden dagger. “Here.”
She looked at him suspiciously but took the dagger nonetheless, a wave of relief passing over her as she once more held another piece of Calathis in her hand. She hesitantly walked towards one of the dummies, taking a deep breath to relax her body, to remember what Clodovea had said all those weeks ago.
The anger of the past few days suddenly surfaced and she released it onto the object in front of her. She began furiously slashing her dagger across its chest over and over, moving and disarming the imaginary attacker with her leg, one of the wooden arms falling to the ground. She continued, splinters of wood flying off as she continued stabbing the dummy, practicing the various moves Clodovea had taught her. Once the wood was in pieces from the start, she finished by throwing the dagger hard into its chest, the gold sparkling beneath the sunlight, landing right in the center.
Breathing heavily, Aurelia turned back to her observers, their eyes wide in surprise. “Would anyone like to spar? Having a non-moving attacker makes things a bit boring.”
Ambrose shrugged and stepped forward, walking over to the wall to grab two swords. “You beat me, then you spar the master. Lorcan.” She sheathed her dagger on her side, gently taking the sword he held out to her. They moved to the center of the room, getting into their stances.
“Ready?” Ambrose asked softly.
“Ready,” Aurelia responded, a ferocious glint in her eyes as she raised the sword.
He was in front of her in a moment, his sword clashing against hers. Where she fluidly avoided his attacks and moved around his sword, Ambrose was jerky. His movements were sharp and precise and thus Aurelia could begin to recognize a pattern. They continued sparring, Aurelia getting in an attack or two when she was able to break through his defenses.
Her breathing became heavier as he increased his offense towards her, swinging his sword faster and all she could do was block his attacks. She spun around, going to knock the sword out of his hand, but he kicked her legs out from under her and she slammed into the ground. Ambrose stepped forward, the tip of his sword gently on her neck.
“Not bad,” He said, shrugging, but Aurelia did not miss the fast pace at which his chest was rising and falling. She smirked.
Lorcan began clapping, and the pair jumped. Aurelia had forgotten he had been watching. She sat up, giving him a cold look, brushing herself off as she stood. Though she could hardly stand her company, the physical exertion was a welcome distraction from the dark thoughts that continued to plague her. Being stuck in Damaris did little to find the pieces of herself that she had lost – she could hardly recognize herself, now. A woman fading into the darkness, with no one around to save her but herself.
She turned to Ambrose and nodded respectfully. “I want to get better. Show me.”
They spent the next few hours walking through the small mistakes she had made and how to use her weaknesses – namely her height and strength – to her advantage. Lorcan and Ambrose began working out their movements slowly, Aurelia imitating their own form of attack.
It was clear that Damaris and Calathis differed greatly in the way they approached a fight. In Damaris, everything was very analytical and precise. Calathis, however, was like they had mentioned earlier – fluid. Calathis warriors used their flexibility and balance to their advantage and in that sense, their warriors were able to utilize forms of attack unbeknownst to many. She observed as the two sparred against each other, pausing to explain their various techniques and what they accomplished. Towards the end, Ambrose began showing her how to use other weapons they had before they realized the late hour. By the time they were finished, Aurelia was relieved of her lighter clothing as, despite the cold, she was dripping in sweat.
“Are you sure I have to go to this?” Aurelia said grimly as Ambrose returned her to her room.
Ambrose gave her a pointed look. “You’re the entire—“
“Yes, I know.” Aurelia interrupted sharply. Leave it to Dorian to turn her arrival into a twisted, public affair. She could only imagine what sources would tell the rest of the Continent of this evening. Her heart panged at what she imagined her grandmother’s reaction to be, knowing her granddaughter was in the hands in the enemy and not being able to rescue her without declaring war.
“Tell me something, Ambrose.” She said shortly as they began climbing up the stairs. “You say Damaris is filled with good people. And it’s true. The people I have met are...despite all of the stories about them...kind. So tell me why, when Dorian orders them to do horrid unspeakable acts, they do them? Why do you?”
Ambrose did not respond for a long moment as they made their way up the stairs. The silence continued until they arrived outside her doorway, in which he finally met her gaze.
“There is never a choice,” Ambrose said quietly. “There is no other option here, Aurelia. What do you think happens to people that say no to Dorian? They’re dead. All of them. You make it sound so simple, so...inhumane to listen to what he says. But what of the people? What of the rest of the world? To say no and die at his hands is one less hope that Damaris has for survival.”
Aurelia watched him silently. She could try to understand, but she would never forgive the sickening acts of Dorian and his soldiers. The more she stayed here, she had a growing suspicion that the stories of his crusades to other lands were more true than anyone here realized. He was ruthless, and the fact that Dorian could make good people do his gruesome bidding made her sick to her stomach.
“I suppose I’ll see you at the gala?” She said swiftly, changing the subject. There was no point in arguing. What was done was done – and in the end, they were the ones that had to answer for the things they had done.
He nodded distantly, his mind now a million miles away. Aurelia stood there for a moment before she turned and walked into her room, shutting the door sharply behind her. Whatever remained on his consciousness was of no concern to her. He had made his choice. And she had made hers.
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