The Awakening
"My god, the girl hibernates like a bear!!" Princess Calithea exclaims, plopping her chin down on the top of her hands as her golden curls fall gracefully over her shoulders. She kneeled carefully at the edge of a large ornate bed, draped in black lace and red silk sheets. "What has it been now? THREE days?!"
"Feels like three years..." Grumbled Ira, crossing her arms over her chest and rolling her eyes. "Her scent is still as pungent as ever too."
"Tell me about it... Ugh i smelled her as soon as she set foot in the castle." Calithea spoke as two servants washed the unconscious girl's face with a cool rag. Across the room a third servant folded and hung many new pieces of clothes, carefully putting them away in a large cherrywood armoire. Suddenly a loud knock is heard at the door, both the princesses and the servants heads turn in reaction to the sound.
"It is Reynald. I am here to examine the Princess.'' The door begins to open, and in steps a very tall, slim red eyed man wearing a pair of small round spectacles. "How is she? any signs of consciousness yet?" he questions, moving towards the bed. As he approached, he placed his black medical tool bag on the bedside table. "Her breathing has normalized..." he picks up her wrist, feeling her pulse. "her pulse is much stronger. It shouldn't be much longer now." he then pulls a large mat out of his bag, and begins to peel the dark crimson sheets away from the sleeping maiden.
"Madam? can you help me undress her from the waist down?" he points to one of the servants, "the rest of you, aside from their highnesses, may be excused." A green eyed servant scampers hastily to his aide, carefully removing the unconscious princess's garments. "What is your name my dear?" Reynald questions the young servant, rummaging in his bag again.
"M-my name..." she blushes, to the handsome physicians amusement. He chuckles, making her smile slightly "my name is Oda." she sets aside the removed articles, and holds the princess's leg up. "What a beautiful name-" Reynald is interrupted by Princess Calithea's crude gagging sounds, "Oh GET A ROOM!!" she shouts, standing abruptly and placing her hands on her hips. "Can we PLEASE get on with the examination so i may report to Father?!"
Utterly embarrassed, he finally retrieves his speculum from his bag. "Oda, hold her legs up for me." he nods to her, and begins his examination. "exactly as her scent gives away..." he sits back "Definitely a Virgin, and she's very fertile."
"Father will love to hear that." Ira rolls her eyes again, obviously tired of standing as she shifts into a chair at the end of the bed. Calithea sighs heavily, "Anything else I should pass along, Reynald?"
"She definitely seems to be a bit older than we thought, around nineteen or twenty?" He lifts and measures her arms slowly, "Although she has the face of a much younger girl, she is of age." Reynald begins putting away his tools, and turns to the princess. He lifts her eyelid, observing her violet irises. They shrink slowly, reacting to the lights around them. "Still sluggish... but she should wake soon."
He grabs his bag, and goes to leave the room. "Ah! s-sir... Physician?" Oda gently calls out, following him. "Please. call me Reynald." He ushers her to follow him into the hall, winking over his shoulder at Calithea and Ira.
As soon as the door shuts, Ira sighs loudly. "Ugh! that cunning dog!" she moans, "he's always trying to make me jealous, it's so tiring. Too bad for him he isn't my type!"
"Dear sister, no matter how hard he tries... you are much too far out of his league anyway." Calithea giggles, flopping down next to the sleeping maiden. Her curls and black ruffles melted around her as she lay against the mattress.
Ira joins her, laying on her stomach with her hand on her chin as she fiddles with her deep red wavy locks. "Do you think father would be angry?" she sheepishly asked her sister. "Angry for what Ir?" Calithea turns on her side, propping her head up questioningly.
"You know.. That I don't want to be married?" She hides her face in her hands, seemingly ashamed. Calithea sighs, "I wish I could tell you Father would accept it, but I know better. He's so political, I doubt he would take even a second to just BE a good father." She looks at Ira, who is still hiding her blushed face.
"Ir.." She gently reaches over the sleeping princess, who was positioned between the two, to pat her shoulder supportively. "It will work out alright. Try not to think about it too much."
"We should go tell him the results of the examination... before he thinks we are hiding something." Ira changes the subject with a sigh, dejectedly standing and readjusting the top of her light pink corset. Calithea nods silently, following her to the bedroom door and sending the servants back into their guests room. "Keep an eye on her, come get one of us immediately if she wakes."
She begins to walk away, her fluffy ruffles swaying around her. She stops, swiftly turning over her shoulder and swinging her dagger out. With the sharp tip pointed at a slim dark brown haired maid, "We are responsible for her health and safety, Should anything happen in our absence... I will kill you."
With that, they moved along the halls to find the Emperor.
Illyria's POV
My eyes fluttered open, many bright lights flooding into my pupils. "ugh..." As I tried to sit up from where I laid, a sharp pain staggered my movements, "Ouch!" I drew my hands to my neck where the pain was growing. Are those.. holes?
Suddenly, it hit me. I remembered everything, as if I had been dreaming. I was in my room, when a loud explosion made the walls shake. I darted down every hall in the castle, calling for my mother and father... that's when I saw him. His white hair and glowing cerulean eyes made me curious, but the blood he was covered in said it all.
The wall and front gates had been defeated, by none other than a pureblood vampire.
Just as I went to hide...
He saw me.
He moved faster than my eyes could, slinging every guard in his way hundreds of feet away from him. Their bodies crushing the floors, and walls beneath them. Some he tore limb from limb, not once looking away from me. Blood was splattered across his face, and across the walls of my childhood. My home had become a warzone, a living hell.
I hadn't realized he was standing still right in front of me, practically touching my face, until my father screamed my name. "Illyria!"
Father tried to protect me, he drew his sword fighting this beast of a man. Mother threw herself over me, and when I came to... they were both lying dead right at my feet. I was covered in their blood, and no matter how loud I cried.. I just couldn't seem to hear a thing.
I was drowning in grief, and he just stood there watching. curiously staring at the mess he created, the lives he had stolen.
I was furious, blinded by anger. I knew I couldn't defeat him, but I still tried. I kept swinging my fathers sword at him until I could no longer feel my arms, no matter how many times I sliced him... he didn't seem to die. He wasn't fighting back. Confusion overtook me, slowing my movements and distracting me. Suddenly, exhaustion stole my consciousness and everything went dark and cold.
In a matter of moments, everything I ever knew and loved was taken from me.
Now I had awakened in a strange, ominous place.
Was all of that only a dream? No, I don't recognize any of this. I looked around at my unfamiliar surroundings, slowly realizing that I was not in my home. 'How long was I unconscious?' I looked down at my body, remembering each injury from the events that played in my head.... yet I saw no evidence of injury on my skin?
The walls were dark, a plain grey concrete. I looked up, and realized I was laying in a large bed. I pulled back the Red silk sheets covering my lower half. I shivered, looking down at the loose cream colored nightgown draping from my frail figure. I leaned over the edge of the bed, suddenly lightheaded. "Ughh.." I reached for my pounding skull. "Where... where am I?" words escaped my lips, but I wasn't sure I was the one speaking.
Above me a Black lace canopy draped the bed, obstructing the view outside of this large mattress I sat upon. I cautiously pulled the black lace back, peeking my head out as I looked around. 'Am I alone?'
Every window in the room was framed with dark red curtains, lined with black lace. Each window was opened, letting the sunlight from outside flood the room with life. Yet... this room felt so lifeless. 'What is this place?'
All of a sudden, a woman wearing a long dark green dress and black corset tiptoed out of the bathroom. She froze when her large emerald eyes saw me, and dropped the large basket of laundry in her hands, spilling it all over the tan tiles below. "Milady!!" she screeched, "you're awake!"
Her shrill voice startled me, making me jump. "Oh! I'm sorry Princess. I didn't mean to startle you." she covers her mouth, blushing slightly. "my apologies." She then bends down and begins placing the soiled laundry back into her basket.
"w-who are y-you?" my voice came out hoarse, "where-" I was interrupted by a tickle in my throat, and began coughing violently. COUGH COUGH
"Princess!" she rushed to my side, rubbing my back softly. "Take it easy, you have been asleep for a while. Please- be careful!" COUGH COUGH
'I can't breathe! At this rate I might suffocate!!'
"M-my" COUGH COUGH "N-neck-!" A pain shot through my neck and down my body, causing me to shake vigorously.
"Morgana-!" the servant called out, holding my shoulders as I violently coughed and shook. "WHAT is it-" a second maid came running, seemingly annoyed. As she approached our situation she seemed shocked, and began to go pale. "She's awake! Oda, we must tell the others!"
She turned to leave but the first maid snapped angrily, making me flinch in between my suffocating coughs."NO! First we must get her some water! shes choking!" Morgana paused, looking at me. She sighed irritatedly, grabbing a glass from the dresser and filling it with water from a large pitcher.
"Here.'' She handed it to me. I immediately grabbed the glass, refreshingly chugging it like it was the last glass of water in existence. "Ahhh.." I sighed, relieved that whatever that was... had passed.
As I sat the glass to the side, I flopped onto the large beautiful bed behind me. "Ahhh.." my throat still feels dry, but it's bearable.
"Where am I?" I finally uttered out, rhetorically. Oda replied softly, "Well Princess, you are in the Great Empire of Sirius!"