"Well, of course, why don't you sit down at that table," the lady said, pointing to a small wooden table pushed against the far wall, "and I'll get you something."
Aria felt a little awkward, but she made her way to the table. A few minutes later, the lady set down a bowl of what looked like a stew and a big piece of bread.
"Thank you," Aria said, smiling at her.
"You're welcome, my lady," the woman answered.
She ate in silence. Well, this isn't so bad. I might have to marry a stranger, but at least I get to eat. And shoes, she thought, looking at her feet. A guard had brought her a nice pair of sturdy boots that morning.
When she tried to clean up after herself, the same lady told her they would take care of it. She hated to admit it, but it was lovely. She was so used to taking care of the others, watching over them, she'd forgotten what it was like to be taken care of for a change.
After she ate, she decided to go back to the bathtub room to take another bath. She warmed the water at the fireplace before dumping it in the tub. And then she just let herself soak for a while. She felt tired since she'd barely slept the night before.
Aria roused to the sound of a few girls entering the bathroom, giggling and talking. Mara was among them. They were all sweaty; they must've been practicing their fighting skills.
Aria knew she should eventually join them. She really should practice; she might need those skills. She should be able to defend herself.
After her bath, she wandered around the palace some more, eventually settling on a windowsill to study the scenery.
She could see the little village that was located below the palace. It looked nice. She could see the houses and make out people here and there. She wanted to visit, but she decided to save that for another day when she got a little more comfortable here.
The sun had started to set, and she wished she had something to write or draw with. It was a beautiful place; there was no denying that. Eventually, she knew it was time for dinner, so she made her way back to the throne room. As usual, her friends were in their regular spot. Lex and Grace in theirs.
She sat down next to Mara and tried to join in on the conversation. Everyone was in a significantly better mood than they had been yesterday. Hell, then they had been in the last month. That made Aria smile.
She found herself relaxing and laughing with her friends. She hadn't laughed in so long.
Later in the evening, Lex made his way down to their table.
"I've had a few rooms prepared for you. Since there aren't enough rooms for each of you, you'll have to share. Decide among yourselves, and when you're ready, the guards can take you to them," he said, looking around at them.
When his eyes landed on Aria, they darkened slightly.
"For the time being, you can stay in the rooms with your friends until you're ready to move into my room," he said before walking away.
A few people giggled. Ben glared at Lex as he walked away.
"So...Aria....the king's quarters...I wonder what that'll be like?" Peter said, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, but if you really want to, you could go ask him if you can join him tonight in my place? Or would you like me to ask him for you?" Aria teased.
A few people laughed. Brent even cracked a smile. For the first time since they’d been captured. And at that moment, Aria decided that whatever she'd have to face after this would be worth it.
Chapter 7
That night, Aria stayed in a room with three of the other girls. Since there were only two beds, they had to share. But since this was the first time since they'd arrived that they actually got to sleep in a real bed, no one seemed to mind.
Her first week in the palace flew by. She relaxed a little as the days passed. She was starting to feel better, regaining some of her strength, thanks to all of the food she'd been consuming. The others looked better, too.
On what she was pretty sure was Saturday (she'd lost track of the date and the days), she finally decided to go into town. None of the others had asked yet, and she figured they were waiting for her to do it first.
That morning, after they ate breakfast, she caught Lex on his way out to ask him about it.
"Hey, um, is-is it okay if a few of us head down to the center," she asked. She felt a little ridiculous. But she remembered his warning, so she pushed the feeling aside.
"Yeah, sure. Do you want me to come with you," he asked. They hadn't really talked much, just a comment here and there, so she was a little perplexed by his offer.
"Well, you-you don't have to. I mean, I'm sure you've got other things to take care of...like...king responsibilities or whatever," she stammered.
He smirked at her. She felt like slapping him again. "No, I don't really have any...king responsibilities...at the moment. I can take you."
"Okay, well, can a few of my friends join?"
"Sure."
She decided to ask Mara, Isla, and Brent to join them.
She wanted to wear something a little nicer, but she didn't really have any options, so she went in her black pants and a loose grey shirt.
Lex waited for them at the front doors of the palace. And once they joined him, the front doors opened, and they walked out. Aria was a little surprised that the guards didn't follow.
"Hey! Wait for me," Grace yelled from behind them.
There was a little path leading from the palace to the village below, so the walk was relatively easy. Grace tried to make conversation with the group since they were all walking in silence. She asked about
