Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada) (23 page)

“It is,” said Rothatin, making his way toward the front of their group. He stood on Selena’s other side—Titus still held her hand on the other—and addressed the prince of Damu. “I am General Rothatin Longspear of Queen Adrah’s court. I have been sent to inform your parents that their eldest daughter has been found and returned to them.”

He fell silent as the prince stepped forward, his head cocked slightly to the side as if he were measuring her up. Selena squared her shoulders and returned his gaze, silently daring him to find offense with what he was seeing. Finally, a lopsided grin broke out over his face as he rushed forward and swept
Selena into a back-breaking hug. He twirled her around with a laugh and a loud ‘whoop’ before setting her on her feet again.

“It
is
you! I cannot believe it! After all of these years, you’ve finally been returned to us. Mother and
Father
will be
…
oh my God, they’ll be so happy
,
Eladria!”

“Selena,” she corrected, with a smile of her own. It was hard not to when her brother was beaming so proudly. His joy was infectious. “I prefer Selena.”

His face grew serious. “Of course, I hadn’t thought to ask the name you were given on Earth.
Selena.
I like it! I am Thaddeus, your elder brother by four years. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

An older brother.
Selena had been expecting parents, and knew that there was still another sister lost out there somewhere, but the big brother she’d always secretly wanted
w
as an added bonus.

“Prince Thaddeus, I was just on my way to inform your parents of this joyous news,” Tinutai said with a smile. “I am sure you know what this means.”

Thaddeus’ smile changed and became one of someone who was itching for a fight. “The Red Dawn approaches. We must prepare.”

“Perhaps we should see to the reunion of parents and child first,” Titus said with a protective hand on Selena’s shoulder. Thaddeus frowned
at the movement and glanced back and forth between the two of them. After a while he nodded in acquiescence.

“Of course,” he said. “Right this way.”

He led them to a room that was separated from the corridor by sheer red and purple curtains. Beautifully patterned rugs covered the floors and heavy
curtains
draped from ceiling to floor over windows that held no glass. The warm, spice-scented air wafted in from outside, mingling with the fragrance of incense that smoked from every corner of the room. Selena dropped into a plus
h
, gold
brocaded
armchair. Titus and their entourage followed suit.

“The servants will see to your comfort while I fetch
our
mother and father,” Thaddeus said to Selena. “Anything that you wish, you have only to ask. You are home now, sister.”

With that, he was gone with Tinutai and the other Centaurs hot on his heels. A servant girl in billowing, sheer silk was instantly in front of her, thrusting a gleaming silver tray under her nose with a friendly smile.

“Tea?
Water?” she offered. “Perhaps you would like something to eat.”

Selena was way too nervous to eat anything, but accepted a cup of water gratefully. She sighed happily as she realized the water was just as sweet here as it was in Goldun. She gulped it down greedily as the servant girl made a trip around the room to the other occupants. As if she sensed Selena’s insatiable thirst, she reappeared at her side with a pitcher once she’d drained the cup.

“Thank you,” Selena said before downing the second cup just as quickly. The servant girl bowed with another smile before leaving the
room. The silence that followed only made Selena more nervous. The seconds seemed to drag by as they waited. Selena’s eyes remained locked on the door
until the second it opened and she lost her nerve completely and lowered them to the floor.

The first glimpse she got of her parents was of their shoes.

~*~

Chapter
Twelve

Queen Axonia was stunning, and not in the runway model sort of way. Hers was the kind of beauty that was warm and inviting, that made a person feel at ease the moment her lips split into a smile. Selena’s rapid heart
beat
slowed as she looked into a face that was a lot like her own, only more intensely stunning. Brown eyes widened and a heart-shaped mouth parted as the woman who’d given birth to her rushed forward with an audible cry, her arms outstretched. Selena was immediately enveloped in emerald green silk as Axonia hugged her tightly. She smelled like exotic spices and her embrace was warm and possessive all at once. Selena felt tears choking her as she gla
nced over her mother’s shoulder
and met her father’s eyes.

King Eldalwen could only be descri
bed as a big bear of a man. Blond hair fell down to broad shoulders and framed a weathered, stubble-roughened face. Deep, emerald green eyes stared at her from beneath bushy blond brows and the scar that had been so perfectly depicted in his portrait, slashed across his hardened, chiseled face. His chest was as wide as two barrels stacked side by side, and his arms were so humongous that a bear hug from him would likely kill her. Selena was not expecting the large, calloused hand to be so gentle when he rested it on her shoulder and joined her and Axonia in a group hug. Thaddeus stood to the side, watching with a wide smile on his face.

Finally, her parents released her from their grasp. Axonia gazed at her with tears in her eyes and Eldalwen eyed her appraisingly.

“Welcome,” Axonia said, her voice hoarse from her tears. “Welcome home, my daughter.”

“Thank you,” Selena said
,
fiddling with the hem of the leather vest she wore over a dusty white shirt. Standing beside her richly dressed mother, Selena felt drab and dirty. “Your palace is beautiful.”

“It is also your palace,” Eldalwen said, patting Axonia’s shoulder lovingly as she wiped her tears.
“Your home.
You cannot know what your coming here means to us.”

Selena cleared her throat nervously. “Um, actually I do. I was hoping we would get to talk about that.”

Eldalwen
nodded,
his expression grim. “We will, Selena, in due time. Thaddeus says that Selena is the name given to you in the world of men? This is what you prefer to be called?”

“You can call me whatever you want,” Selena said with a wobbly smile. She felt at any moment as if she would burst into tears. Seventeen years of wondering and waiting had ended and she now stood face to face with her birth parents. How could she deny them anything? If they wanted to call her Dixie, she’d let them.

“Selena is a beautiful name,” Axonia said. “I love it. I know that my husband is anxious to speak to you about some very important matters, but first I will see to your comfort and that of your guests. I hope that you will all stay for a while and rest before returning to your homes. Rothatin, it is wonderful to see you again. I am sure you would be more comfortable allowing my husband to see you to your usual quarters in the warrior’s compound? Your lady soldiers may come with me.”

Selena had no choice but to follow Axonia, her mouth agape in slack-jawed wonder. Was this what being queen was like? This woman knew how to command. Not one person questioned her authority or her requests. Everyone just fell in to do as she asked. Selena caught Titus’ gaze before turning the corner. He smiled and nodded.

Go and get to know your mother,
he said into her mind.
I will find you later.

Selena and
the four female
Fae
warriors fol
lowed Axonia up a white and pink
veined marble staircase and down wood-paneled
h
alls. Selena was hoping for a bath and change of clothes so that she could stop feeling so out of place in such a decadent setting. Her prayers were
answered after Axonia had shown
the
Fae
women to their rooms and left them in the care of her handmaidens.

“Come, I will take you now to the family wing of the palace. I hope that you like yo
ur room.
I haven’t changed the décor since you were born, only changed the furnishings in hopes that you would be found someday.”

Selena remained silent
,
but smiled encouragingly and nodded. She didn’t know what to say. While she had been living a comfortable, albeit somewhat boring, life in Twin Oaks, her family had been waiting for her return for almost two decades. That had to be exhausting. Selena tried to concentrate on memorizing the turns they were taking as Axonia led her through winding hallway after winding hallway, but it was futile. By the time they stopped in front of a carved oak door, Selena was completely lost.

The room was just as decadent and fine as the rest of
the
palace,
and as Selena stepped into the room she almost wished Zoe was with her. Her friend’s estimation over her parents’
wealth
had been seriously understated. The room was done in rich shades of red, yellow
,
and gold. Gleaming
solid
gold was everywhere, edging the furnishings and frames of paintings lining the walls. A raised platform sat in the center of the room with three steps leading up to a massive canopy bed. The oak posters held red and gold embroidered curtains that were tied back with red tasseled ropes. Just like everywhere else in the palace, the windows held no glass and allowed the mugginess and spicy smell of Damu to filter in. Yet, somehow the room was still a comfortable temperature.

Black tiles lined the floor beneath her feet, each one hand-painted with red or gold depictions of birds. A sitting area near the large, open windows held a couch, two armchairs
,
and a chaise. In another corner of the room, a floor to ceiling window held a cozy window seat that was lined with cushions and pillows. A large, oak armoire rounded out the room with another oak door leading to the room beside it.

“What do you think?” Axonia asked, after Selena had turned and inspected her surroundings.

“It’s so beautiful,” Selena said, suddenly feeling even dirtier. “I’ve never owned such expensive-looking things before. It’s funny, I feel so at home here
,
but out of place at the same time. I hope that makes sense.”

“Absolutely.
It will take time for you to adjust to your new life
…
that is, if you plan on staying?”

Selena didn’t miss Axonia’s questioning tone and hopeful gaze. She sighed. “I honestly don’t know what I want to do yet. I came here to ask Eldalwen for help. You see, my friend—”

Axonia stopped her with a wave of her hand. “There is no need for us to speak of this now,” she said gently. “I know that you have many doubts and fears, but I also know what you are capable of, what you can become. I hope to be able to show you what I know before you make you decision. But for now our priorities are a bath, clean clothing, and a meal for you and your companions.”

Selena nodded. “Okay.”

Axonia gestured to the second doorway. “Through this door you will find your private bathing room. My handmaidens have already prepared it for you. Take all the time you need. You will find clothing in your size in any color and style you could imagine in this armoire.
When you are finished, simply pull the bell rope near your bed to call on a servant. Someone will come to escort you to the dining hall for the evening meal.”

Axonia quickly exited the room, leaving Selena standing alone in the middle of it. Glad to finally be within reach of a bath, she nearly ran for the door leading to the bathing room. The floor and
bathing
pool were lined with more of the painted black tiles and the walls were splashed with beautiful murals depicting Damu’s desert
. Near the pool stood a servant girl swathed in pink; she gestured toward the small
,
round table beside her.

“There are towels here as well as scented oils for your use. Just a few drops of whatever fragrance appeals to you in the water will do.”

“Thank you,” Selena said, waiting for the girl to leave before rifling through the vials. Five minutes later she was undressed and neck deep in water that was scented with a combination of oils that made the water, and her skin, smell very much like the scent of spices that seemed to cling to the air here.

Selena didn’t want to leave the hot, relaxing water, but knew that she couldn’t avoid the dining room and her new family forever. There was still that talk with her father to get out of the way. And of course there was Titus. They still had to come up with a plan for saving
his family. Selena left the poo
l reluctantly and reached for a
towel.

~*~

Selena had never been
more full
in her life. The people of Damu sure knew how to put out a spread. Roasted meats, cheese and crusty bread, roasted nuts, rich custards and sauces, fragrant rice and beans, all filled the massive dining hall with tantalizing smells. Then there were the desserts; more of the roasted nuts dusted with cinnamon, tiny tartlets dotted with fresh cream, and a variety of fruit that Selena had never seen or heard of. When her fingers closed around a plump clutzia fruit, her eyes met Titus’ and the two shared a private laugh over memories of their first kiss. There was also wine, which her brother kept pouring into her goblet. Selena had never tasted wine, being under the age of twenty-one, but she supposed there were no such laws in Fallada because no one seemed inclined to stop her.