Chapter 14 – Natalí
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” Who is Meisi?” I asked as Annalise opened the inner door to the temple for me. We stepped in and I took a moment to admire the beauty of the interior. The inside was decorated with paintings depicting the magnificent Aura of the revered Goddess. They seemed to be telling a story, my mouth was lightly opened as I took in the marvelous sight in front of me.
Apart from the appealing sight, the temple calms me. I had the feeling of being home after traveling around for years, it was comforting and welcoming. I could get lost in its warm embrace.
” A nasty piece of work if you ask me.” Annalise’s voice brought me back from my thoughts. Her words left a bitter aftertaste in her throat, she squeezed her face like she just swallowed bile. This person must not have a good reputation with Annalise.
” The first consort of the king, she is the only one who bore him a child, and that makes her feel some sort of important” She explained and a frown etched itself on my face involuntarily. The king is married? To how many women exactly? Am I getting jealous? Of course not, I don’t even know him, why would I be jealous? Seems Annalise noticed my internal battle, She sighed while slipping a pair of silk gloves onto my hands.
” A king’s harem is never empty but only his queen sits on the throne beside him, not feet dear,” She said with an amused smile and she patted my back slowly as she led me to the altar where a huge statue of a beautiful woman with godlike features stood proudly surrounded by unlit candles. Even though the temple was strikingly clean, some things looked old like the candles for example. They looked like they had stopped burning years ago.
” I still can’t help but feel I made a very big mistake” I muttered lowly but she heard and turned around to face me. She looked serious and stern but she said nothing but grab my gloved hands.
” If you touch anything in this temple, the fountain of tears will wake from its slumber alerting everyone that their queen is here. I don’t want to risk that, even with your gloves hands I can’t help but fear” She said facing me directly but ignoring my statement from earlier.
” Then why have you brought me here?” I asked her after a deep breath. She gently dropped my hands and faced the statue, She opened a small shelf just in front of the unlit candles and removed some incense sticks.
” I want you to receive the goddess’s blessings before we step into the palace” She replied as she lit the incense. She blew out the flame and muttered something under her breath before using her hands to direct the smoke of the incense to my body. The sweet smell invaded my senses as I felt myself become very calm even more than when I felt the warm welcome of the temple. She did that many times before placing the incense on the incense plates.
” Why do I feel there is more to this than you are telling me?” ai huffed trailing after her as she left the way out of the temple very to touch anything even with my gloves hands. She sighed as she closed the inner temple door after us watching the surroundings like a hawk.
” Alright I will tell you everything once I find something for you to eat,” she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. At that moment, the dear in my stomach grew tenfold and I found myself almost retching the non-existent breakfast away from my guts but nothing came at all. Although I did manage to keep my face straight and calm, devoid of any emotions as we entered the carriage again.
My heartbeat slowly followed the best of each gallop the carriage stumbled upon and her silence was worsening my internal turmoil. The carriage stopped and Annalise alighted before helping me out. It was noon already and my stomach made unholy sounds that made me blush uncontrollably. Annalise grabbed my hands and led me towards the gate of a fairly large building. She knocked on the wooden door and a young girl of about fifteen years of age opened the door with a beaming smile. She hugged Annalise tightly and called her aunty.
” Come on Erxi, you are acting as if I have been gone forever” Annalise mused as she pinched the girl’s cheek. She blushed and pouted her lips.
” It’s been Forever,” She said still pouting.
” Spoilt girl. We have a guest so behave” Annalise said with a serious tone but the girl just shrugged her shoulders.
She looks old enough to be married or be betrothed to someone but she acts like a child. I wonder who she is to Annalise, well Annalise dotes on every child.
” My lady, please meet Erxi, she is my niece,” Annalise said and the girl bowed her head briefly before staring at me like she was looking right into my soul. Her green eyes widened as involuntary shivers ran down my spine under her gaze. It was very weird that I couldn’t even break the gaze even though I wanted to.
” Greetings my queen” Erxi greeted with a different tone from the one she approached her aunt with earlier. It held a hint of respect and probably pity. Who is this young lady? Did Annalise tell her about the oath? It would appear so since she was her niece.
” Lead the way Erxi,” Annalise said patting the girl on her back and breaking the suffocating tension in the air. The girl’s expression and behavior changed at that moment and she was already hoping back to the house followed by the two maidens with one carrying my trunk.
” She is a priestess in training” Annalise cleared my throat and I was jerked away from my thoughts.
” What?” I squeaked, two octaves higher than I intended to.
” Erxi, I know you are curious about her. She is the next priestess of the temple immediately you become our queen. So naturally she recognizes you as her mistress” Annalise explained and I nodded my head even though my confusion knew no bounds.
” My sister was the last priestess, She was very devoted to both the goddess and the true queen. She died while giving birth to Erxi and the temple has been vacant without the Queen and the priestess” Annalise wiped a tear as she narrated the story.
” So that means?” I whispered.
” Erxi will be your right hand when you finally become our queen. You will have all the abilities of Natalí and she will be the one who keeps you in check spiritually” She explained and I blinked. There is still more than controlling the tears?
” Wait I will have more Powers?” I asked as my eyes grew wider. She chuckled ” Of course” but said nothing more as we followed Erxi inside the house.
The house had a homely feeling but little Erxi told me that Annalise hardly visits the house and permanently resides at the palace doing palace duties as the head maid and the king’s unofficial personal advisor. No wonder she held a sense of authority around her. She raised the king so he trusted more than any member of the court.
Little Erxi then went ahead to describe how handsome the king was to me making me flush in embarrassment. The girl surely knew how to rule me up even though she only met me a few hours ago. She wormed her way into becoming my friend in less than an hour of sitting with her after being bathed and dressed by the two maidens. Erxi served me food personally and told me how she would be the one serving and tasting my food once I became the Queen.
Even though everything felt like a dream, it seemed like I was getting closer to becoming the queen of Nayak.