Memories of Gaia: Seeking Shadows in the Storm -
Chapter 13 Guardia Secrets
She had grabbed a matching headband off her smooth, polished honey oak vanity table and placed it in her thin hair, smiling at her freckled reflection.
Princess Aurory noticed a pimple on her left cheek and wished she had stolen more makeup from that cow Steel. Where was Steel anyway?
Princess Aurory could see her room in the mirror, her large, four poster oak bed with the pink sheets, the table with three chairs resting on the pink and orange floral rug. Her room was large, with bookcases and a childish dollhouse that she had broken the top off of during a hissy fit one day.
Princess Aurory ignored the clothes that littered the floor. It was a terrible chore for one of the many maids of the castle, as they were forced to pick up and launder the clothes. Princess Aurory had a habit of mixing her clean and dirty clothes together out of pure laziness, something that thoroughly disgusted the maids.
“I need a new dress.” Princess Aurory informed her reflection, exiting her room and making her way to the much-hated stairs.
She had asked her mother if her room could be moved to the ground floor as the walking up and down the chairs chaffed her thighs. Queen Maylee had laughed at her and told her she was being foolish. Only servants slept on the main floor.
Princess Aurory had made it halfway down the stairs before collapsing, her breath coming out in sharp puffs. She had lost weight over the last few weeks, but it did nothing to help her with the damn stairs.
She glanced around the area, making sure her mother was nowhere in sight before she flipped over and slid on her belly down the stairs like a penguin sliding on the ice.
Once at the bottom, she smoothed her dress back down, happy to see it had not torn in the process. Princess Aurory sneered as she saw Thanos, resting on the bench by the fountain reading an ancient looking book, his eyes peering disappointingly over the pages at the bloated Princess.
The princess felt a jolt in her heart as she had not noticed him there, and wondered if he had watched her slid down the stairs.
“Where are you off to?” He said, his annoying accented voice sending a wave of hate through Princess Aurory.
Ever since his arrival, things had changed in the kingdom. There were fewer maids and servants to abuse and far more sweets than before. Queen Maylee always seemed far too busy, (or eating) to pay any sort of attention to her daughter.
“I am off to Guardia to search for a new dress.” Princess Aurory spat her voice dripping with attitude to let him know his opinion was unwanted.
“I’m afraid you cannot travel there. Why not go to Kingyosou and get a lovely Kimono.” Thanos replied coolly, his eyes narrowing to let Princess Aurory know the attitude had been noted but would not be addressed.
Princess Aurory groaned slamming her plump fist into her thighs as her face turned red. “None of the Kimono fit me!” She shouted, her voice reverberating off the smooth castle walls.
Of course, that was untrue. The Kimono shops insisted on giving her the ones that were made for children, hiding the adult sizes in the back. They felt it was an insult for the spoiled princess to wear their garments.
But the princess had no idea they felt this way as they fussed over her, appearing sympathetic to her needs.
Thanos sighed deeply opening his mouth. But before he could offer a response, Queen Maylee burst out of the kitchen munching on a plate of cookies that were stacked far too high. She never noticed them spilling over the side of the plate.
She paused suddenly, her olive eyes peering upwards at the new ebony dragon statue that she had demanded to be made during their time in Kingyosou. It was a massive, black marble statue, its mouth open, its body hunched, its wings spread upwards ready to fight.
It was the most realistic statue in the castle; the eyes were made out of red rubies and appeared to be watching the Princess, to be following her with each movement.
“Who threw that muffin in the beast mouth?” Queen Maylee demanded as she laid her eyes on the purple blueberry muffin sticking out of the massive mouth of the giant beast.
“Thanos.” Princess Aurory stated simply with a thin smile playing on her plump face. She knew good and well it had been her doing, however.
She had taken a box of them from the kitchen that had been dropped off that morning preparing to eat the entire box alone in her room. A dozen muffins all to herself, she felt she deserved such a treat.
Princess Aurory had exited the kitchen and saw the new statue, deciding on a whim to hurl the muffin in its mouth, laughing as she waddled away.
“He said that it appeared hungry and threw the muffin into its mouth, laughing. “ Princess Aurory continued, lying smoothly, ignoring the look of hate that Thanos was giving her in return.
Queen Maylee locked eyes on Thanos before bursting into loud bouts of laughter. “He appeared hungry, did he?” She continued to laugh, throwing a cookie up next to the muffin.
“Then we shall feed him!” Queen Maylee laughed harder as she proceeded to walk down the ebony carpet, still giggling as Thanos joined her, his eyes never meeting the ones of the stunned Princess.
“It seems Princess Aurory would like a new dress. I suggested she go to Kingyosou.” Thanos informed Queen Maylee who nodded in agreement, spying another dragon statue and skipping over to it to toss a cookie in its open mouth.
“Have Esmeralda accompany her.” Queen Maylee said; laughing as the cookie landed in the mouth of the dragon with a soft clink.
“Your majesty, I am afraid I have some terrible news. Esmeralda, Trevor and Seto have been reported dead from a trap set up by the goblins.” Thanos informed the Queen, shaking his head slightly as a look of sorrow crossed his scarred face. Queen Maylee did not respond as she found another statue to feed.
Princess Aurory gasped at the news but quickly recovered, rearranging her face into a look of indifference. She fought back the tears that threatened to escape, thinking cruel thoughts about Valeena to stall them.
“Your majesty?” Thanos had asked, watching in confusion as the Queen laughed, picking up the cookie that had missed its mark and trying again. His eyes grew wide as the ground began to shake underfoot, the many tapestries swaying from the disturbance.
“What is that?” Queen Maylee spat as she waddled towards the castle door, the entire plate of treats slipping out of her bloated hands and shattering to the floor. A maid rushed over to pick them up, debating whether or not to just flee out the open doors.
Outside Princess Aurory, who had trailed behind her mother, saw that a giant Noil was happily destroying the Queen’s prized garden with its over-sized feet.
The beast had smooth teal skin with brown stripes on its massive body, walking on four muscular legs, with an ugly, pushed in lion like faced. A large hole indicated its path into the garden.
Beautiful red roses hung from its drool covered mouth as it continued its path of destruction, smashing the bench with one mighty blow of its foot.
Princess Aurory watched as Thanos charged at the beast, using his golden staff to summon bright, blue lightning bolts and directing them at the Noil, the attack having little effect at distracting it.
Princess Aurory rolled her olive eyes as her mother began to dance an odd bounce like a waltz. She spun on her heels, pushing passed her mother as she made her way towards the stables, deciding she’d visit Guardia regardless of what Thanos had thought.
Princess Aurory thought it was amusing that the Noil had chosen her mother’s stupid flowers to destroy and hoped that it ate them all.
The princess was careful to keep the winged horse low as she flew beside the castle wall. The guards were busy with the Noil anyway to give her absence a second thought. She was happy that they took no notice of her as Olympus spiraled into the air, its body moving swiftly with the breeze.
Princess Aurory directed the Pegasus to the right, flying over Quell Fields towards VaughnStein, where she loved to stop for a delicious strawberry tart. Since losing weight, however, she only allowed herself half the tart, saving the rest for another day.
The Princess felt her heart skip with joy as the top of the famous windmill appeared on the horizon, and she willed Olympus to fly faster. She closed her eyes, dreaming of the tasty red tart with the creamy cheesecake-like filling.
Princess Aurory opened her eyes and felt as though she had been punched in the stomach as she saw the remains of the once beautiful village.
The blades of the windmill were snapped off, with several pieces missing from two of the remaining panels. Most of the homes lay in ruins and others were gone completely. The once endless strawberry fields were now nothing more than dead bushes, their fruit smashed to bits beside them.
Princess Aurory landed softly on the cracked cobblestone, her jaw hanging open in horror as she saw her favorite bakery ripped in half. She released Olympus’s reigns and walked closer to the shop, searching for clues that would give her an idea about what had happened.
She walked slowly among the debris, praying to the Gods that she did not find a body. Fear wrapped its claws around her soul and she felt dizzy, rushing back to her winged horse, deciding she was done here.
Olympus seemed thankful that they were leaving and wasted no time darting into the air as the Princess rested her head on its mane. She watched vaguely as the trees from the forest turned into giant sunflowers, unable to admire their beauty.
She sat up as the horse neared Guardia, her eyes straining to see over the city walls. Guardia was once a beautiful castle that had been overthrown by the citizens and turned into a city, the residents living inside the castle itself. It was said that at one time, Guardia was the most powerful kingdom on Gaia.
Princess Aurory tugged on the reigns, slowing the speeding Pegasus as the spires came into view. She lowered the horse to the field and kept it low, the horse able to trot if it wanted to.
The castle was eerily still, the once vibrant yellow and magenta banners were nowhere in sight. She sensed something was not right and tugged for Olympus to fly higher.
Princess Aurory saw a body, stripped of its clothing lying face down in the field, its skin bleached white from the sun. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that burned in her throat and turned her eyes away.
Maybe it was the wind or a trick of the light, but the Princess swore she saw the arm move on the corpse as she flew over it.
Olympus landed just outside the castle gates, backing up and shaking its lovely mane. He was scared, the Princess saw as the Pegasus tapped its hooves and shook its lovely head. She approached the iron gates and tugged on it, finding that for the first time ever that it was locked.
“Hey!” Princess Aurory shouted spying a guard limping near one of the old homes that the citizens no longer used. “The gate is locked you fool!” She informed him, knowing she should have left out the word fool. But she was angry, and he was a fool for keeping the gates locked.
The guard paused, bending awkwardly to look at her, his face hidden from sight by the shadows of his helmet.
Princess Aurory tugged on the gates once more in frustration, annoyed that the guard was taking far too long to limp towards her. She could hear a low growling sound and hoped that the dog that was usually wandering the city would not bother her for once.
The guard was being followed by two others, each one moving as slowly as the first, dragging their feet in the dirt. Princess Aurory felt a chill dance down her spine and she suddenly did not want in the city.
“Ne-never mind!” She called out, waving a hand and backing up, her body bumping into something that had not been there before.
Princess Aurory turned slowly, her eyes locking onto the hollow eyes of the body from the field. The creature’s eyes were missing, its mouth open in a grotesque smile as a foul odor lifted off its skin.
Princess Aurory screamed louder than humanly possible, shoving the body away from her as she scrambled onto the back of Olympus, demanding the creature fly home.
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