The Kings Mistress Chapter 153

[ … words ]

It was going to take quite a bit of work, but she knew it was going to be perfect.

Ida continued to explain that a custom outfit would need to be designed and made for the ceremony as well. This outfit usually carried elements that represented the concubine’s home kingdom.

That was simple enough, all they needed was a seamstress.

After the completion of the ceremony, it was customary for the princess to dance with their father at the celebration ball. This was where things grew a little worrisome. Based on the most recent letters from her father, the situation in Cair was not getting any better.

Sierra had confessed what happened to her father in a more recent letter. He promised to do what he can to keep the news from being revealed in Cair. But with the way things were going, it was unlikely General Leon would be able to make it for the ceremony.

“I guess things will just get a little awkward then,” Sierra attempted to laugh it off as she took a sip of her tea.

“Don’t frown! You look ten years older when you do,” Myra said as she pinched Sierra’s cheek. She tried to console Sierra as best she could, “You still have us by your side! Don’t worry.”

Later that night, Sierra retired to her room. She looked around the space that she had. Everything was going to change soon enough. As she looked up at the ceiling above her, her mind began to wonder.

Ida had mentioned that every concubine would get their own living quarters in the castle. Would Sierra get one too?

“I wouldn’t mind staying put,” she mused as she muttered to herself.

A knock on the door caused her to jolt in her bed.

“I’m sorry to intrude at such a late hour, Sierra, but you’ve got a letter. It’s from someone named Vyrena Blackfire?”

“Vy?” Sierra got up from her bed and went to open the door. Ida was there, with the letter aforementioned in her hand.

She thanked Ida for the letter and rushed her off to retire for the evening. Once they bid each other ’good night’, Sierra returned to bed as she opened the letter. Since they met, Vy and Sierra had been keeping in contact with one another.

“An invitation…” Sierra muttered to herself as she read the contents of the letter.

Vy was inviting her to what she called a ’holiday’. A getaway of sorts to relax and unwind. She cited that Sierra had experienced a series of stressful events, one after another.

“… it would be good for you to release the tension in your shoulders, and enjoy some good food and company,” she read the words on the letter out loud.

Sierra looked out of the window of her room. Pondering if she should take up Vy on her offer. The location she’d described sounded intriguing. A hot spring hidden on an ice cap mountain.

“If only you could go with me,” Sierra sighed.

Towards the end of the letter, Vy left a set of instructions for her, should she accept the invite. All that was required was for her to recite two phrases and wait for a carriage to pick her up at midnight in two days’ time.

“That’s easy enough, I guess it would be a good change of pace.”

If Vy had not mentioned anything about ’tension in her neck’, she would never have felt that it was sore. Sierra rubbed the nape of her neck, barely feeling a thing because of how tight it was.

Perhaps the mysterious woman she met knew more about her than she previously thought.

As I structured, Sierra packed a small bag of essentials as she prepared herself for her trip. Vy had not specified the duration of her stay there, but Sierra did not expect to stay more than a few short days. After all, she still had preparations for the ceremony that needed to be done.

“Are you sure you’re alright to cover for me?” Sierra asked Ida worriedly, not wanting to burden her with more than she could handle.

“Oh don’t worry, Princess!” Ida bit her lip as she laughed awkwardly, “Sorry, I’m still trying to get used to the change. Sierra, don’t worry about it, just enjoy yourself at this… hot spring place you’ve mentioned.”

Sierra nodded with a smile. She checked her items one final time before leaving through the window, not wanting anyone to see her leave through the front. Sierra contemplated going to see Alistair before she left but ultimately decided against it.

With Opal coiled on her wrist, her twin swords secured to her belt, she headed towards the meet-up point. When she got there, Sierra rummaged through her bag for the letter.

The letter came with a small hand bell, which she was instructed to ring when she got to the meet-up point. She did as instructed, ringing the bell three times. As the sound of the crisp bell rang throughout the night, a mist settled around her.

Sierra felt a cold shiver down her back. It did not take long for her to notice something was coming up towards her. In the distance, a silhouette appeared through the mist.

“That must be the carriage,” Sierra muttered to herself as she stretched her neck in hopes of getting a better look.

It did not take long for her to realize that it wasn’t a horse that was driving the carriage, it was a large cat the size of a horse. Her jaw dropped as the cat pulled carriage pulled up before her, the bell on the cat’s collar jingled and chimed.

“Opal, are you seeing what I’m seeing?” She whispered to her snake as she got closer to admire the cat.

Tempted, she lifted her hand to caress the soft fur coat of the cat. The cat purred as it leaned closer to Sierra, allowing her to stroke her fur.

“So soft…” she swooned, tempted to lean her head against the soft fur, thinking it would feel like a comfortable pillow.

Remembering what she was here for, Sierra quickly pulled herself away from the cat and boarded the carriage. She didn’t know if anyone could see them through all the mist, but it was best for them to get a head on.

The interior of the carriage was unlike any that she had seen or sat in before. It was covered with leather seats and smelled of fresh flowers in bloom. Once she was seated comfortably with her bag at her side, the carriage began to move.

As the cat began to pick up the pace, everything outside of the window became a blur. She did not know what was going on, but Sierra was excited to see what could happen next. Apart from Cair, and Drakin, she had never been anywhere else.

This was a brand new adventure for her.