The Princess' Rooms (part 1)

Posted on Sat Nov 19th, 2016 @ 12:48pm by Commodore Samantha York & Colonel Damon Raine

950 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Shadow Dance
Location: Jenefra
Timeline: Day 2, afternoon/evening

ON

An elderly Jenefran met Sam and Damon outside the council room. "Greetings," he said, giving them both a bow. "My name is Phtarro. I am the Princess Kali's head servant. If you will come this way, I will show you to her rooms. I do not believe you will find what you seek. Keelan sent some of his people earlier to see if they could find anything. They did not."

Sam wasn't sure, but she thought there was a glimmer of satisfaction at the notion that nothing was found in the Princess' rooms. "A pleasure to meet you, although I wish it were under different circumstances. I was most impressed with the Princess last night."

Phtarro smiled as he led them through a series of corridors. "As are we all. Princess Kali is very kind and considerate to most."

They walked into the spacious living area of the Princess's rooms. There were tapestries of the forest around the Palace, the plant that Sam and Damon had learned about earlier that day, and one of a village fair. Several padded benches and chairs were organized into conversation areas. The floor, like the rest of the palace, was marble covered by a large woven rug. While the furniture looked new, the tapestries and rug looked like they had been around for centuries.

A central table held a large vase filled with fresh flowers. Side tables held statuary similar to what they'd seen in the museum.

Sam walked around the room, looking everything over. Phtarro followed a short distance away. "Do you believe the Princess was kidnapped by the Qunari?" she asked Phtarro.

The servant stopped and stared at Sam, his cool demeanor cracking for a moment. "Is that what they said?"

Sam nodded. "Yes. The Council asked us to help find her."

Phtarro paused for a moment, then, deciding, turned to face Sam and Damon. "I do not know what happened, but she was most upset about the arranged marriage. She never agreed to it and does not like Keelan. I wondered if she left by choice. She was dressed in her common clothing, and she took her cloak." He shook his head again. "But surely she would have informed me if she planned to run away."

Damon took in the room, trying to decide where to start looking. "You are close then?" He said turning to Phtarro.

"I have known the Princess since she was a babe," Phtarro replied. "I attended the Queen, and now the Princess. As a child, she used to play with my children. Yes, we are close."

Damon nodded. He understood that bond would have been strong. "Would that sort of thing be in character for her?"

"Running away?" Phtarro asked. "No, it is not in character for her, but if she felt that she were trapped and had no other option, then it would not be unlike her to run rather than marry a man she despised."

Damon found his comment interesting. "Despised? That's pretty strong language."

"Her feelings for Keelan are quite definite. The marriage was arranged without her knowledge or consent while she was mourning the loss of her mother," Phtarro explained. "Her father would not listen to her reasons for not following his wishes. The Vizier never spoke to the Princess about a marriage. She was kept away from the Council and the people for nearly two years. Several members of the High Council said it was important to show the people how her mother's death affected her. She learned after someone congratulated her about eh engagement that they kept her away in order to keep her from objecting to the arrangement."

Sam smiled as she listened to Damon talk to the older servant. She continued to move around the room, noting that there was nothing of a personal nature here. Was this on purpose? Or was Kali a private person? Except for the tapestries and statuary that showed an appreciation for the planet and its history, this room was much like every other in the palace.

She walked through a heavy curtain into a second room and changed her mind. This room was filled with plants of various types and sizes. Some were in long boxes, some in pots. The large window at the far end of the room gave off a diffuse light. She walked over to the window and noted that it overlooked the back gardens. Outside was a small balcony with long boxes of what looked like herbs around the edges. She slid open the door and stepped out, looking around to see if there was a way to get to or from the balcony. The drop was too far to jump, and a rope would be too conspicuous, even if Kali have an accomplice to pull it back in. To her left was another window that had a large creeping vine beyond it. That one was a possibility. She would have to see if it, too, was one of Kali's rooms.

She walked around the room, carefully looking at the plants. She noted, with a smile, that one long box held several of the small plants she, Damon, and Illise had seen at the museum. There was a room beyond and she slipped inside. This was a workroom for the plants. There was a long table along one wall with a variety of pots and gardening tools. Another long table held several containers of dirt. A third had small rocks, mulch, and trays of water. That intrigued Sam and she went over to see what the trays were for.

(To be continued...)

Commodore Samantha York
Commanding Officer

Colonel Damon Raine
Strategic Operations

Phtarro
Princess Kali's head servant

 

RSS Feed