The Illyrian Series: The Oracle Of Rosedale
Chapter 4

I don't have any dreams on the sixth night either. I've never been this disappointed to have a good night's sleep.

I needed the rest though. Tonight is the night of the feast. It comes with enough problems, I don't need to add fatigue to them.

Rainey helps me into my dress. It's made with a dark blue suede material soft to the touch. The top is lined with black and silver silk embroidery. It wraps around my neck and leaves the top of my back and shoulders exposed. Rainey holds down my hair with dark pins, it falls to my shoulders in thick curls. Placed on top of my head is a pretty pink and purple diamond tiara.

My mother walks into my room and dismisses Rainey with a wave of her hand. She frets over my hair. I inch away. "Please don't touch it, it's barely staying down as it is."

She keeps her hands to her sides and watches me happily. "Tonight is going to be wonderful, I just know it."

I guffaw. "Really mother, tonight? Tonight is going to be a wonderful night. Are you forgetting what we're celebrating?" I sneer out the last word.

She places her hands on her waist. "Not now, Adria. Can you postpone your tantrum to tomorrow morning?"

"Tantrum?” I feel a wave of white-hot rage surge through me. "Did you just call my anger a tantrum?" She starts to protest but I stop her. "I am tired of watching you act like King Evander is your husband or Reagan is your daughter or this is our home. It's not. I am always tired and angry and I am living my worst nightmare."

She surprises me by laughing. The laugh isn't warm or sincere, it's cold and sharp. "𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 is your worst nightmare?" she asks. "Why don't we take a walk around your worst nightmare?" She walks to one of the brown wardrobes in the room and flings it open. She gaps audibly when she sees its contents. "A closet full of the most expensive and beautiful dresses in the kingdom, I pity you." She then walks over to a metal drawer by the corner. "What's in here, why don't we check?" She opens an unlocked drawer and grabs a fistful of jewels. "Expensive, precious gems. Oh darling, my heart just bleeds for you." She slowly releases the jewels and they fall back into the drawer with a loud clack.

"You've made your point."

She isn't done yet. She walks to my bed and collapses on it. "A big four-poster canopy bed, just for you. No wonder you've been having such a hard time falling asleep. This bed feels so uncomfortable." She gets up and treads over to the fireplace, then the window, then the sofa in the other end of the room. "This all looks awful, I can't imagine how terrible your life is."

"Can you please stop?"

She walks up to me menacingly. "I don't think you fully understand the sacrifices I've made to give you all this and all you do is complain."

I stare back at her. "Believe it or not mother, not everybody is as shallow as you are. Maybe if you actually felt anything you'll realize that there are things more important than money."

"Don't you dare talk to me that way."

"Or what? You'll betray me just like you did father. Maybe you'll let Reagan kill me and then name her your one true daughter." Right now, I'm just saying whatever I know will get the biggest reaction out of her. "I am so disappointed in you, and if he were alive, so would he."

She raises her hand to strike me and I raise mine to cover the oncoming attack.

It doesn't come. I look back at her elevated hand. She looks so angry, I think I went too far.

She drops her hand and adjusts her crown. "Reagan is a very nice and complex girl. You two could have been friends if you didn't push her away every chance you got. I wish you didn't see her as a villain." She leaves my room.

I smooth my dress and clear my throat. Why did I have to antagonize her?

Rainey comes back in and I give her a small smile to let her know I'm alright. I take a few more minutes to gather my thoughts and go to the ballroom.

I feel various eyes on me as I walk in. I'm not sure if they're taking in my appearance or waiting for me to have a mental breakdown, maybe both. I hope no one talks to me.

I see my mother chatting excitedly with a group of nobles. She sees me but acts like she didn’t and continues her chat. I fiddle with the butterfly sleeve of my dress. It's okay Adria, you can do this. Just calm down.

"Adria." Reagan calls. This too Adria, you can be civil with Reagan. I turn back and the wind gets knocked out of me when I see what's on her head. She follows my eyes and giggles. "I see you recognize the crown, mother lent it to me. Isn't it gorgeous?”

Of course, I recognize it. It's only worn by the Crown Queen of Illyria, a title that no longer exists. It's made of a gold frame with a large purple diamond at the front. Tiny little specs of jewels decorate the sides. It was my favorite piece growing up. I wanted nothing more than to wear it. I could always walk into the treasury and put it on. But it wouldn't have felt right, it's a piece that had to be earned.

And there it sits, carelessly on her head for all to see. I want to pounce on her and take it. I can do it, she's so close and defenseless.

Instead, I muster all my strength, nod, and say. "You look really beautiful tonight, Reagan."

I walk away before I make a bad decision. I amble right into a group of women talking about rebel attacks. They see me and stop talking instantly. My mouth curls up into a smile as wide and fake as my mother's. "Good evening ladies, you all look breathtaking this evening."

They seem shocked that I'm talking to them but compliment me as well and I leave soon after. I float between more groups, smiling and throwing compliments around. I'm scared that if I stop, I'll match right up to Reagan and yank that crown off her head.

My mother notices this and pulls me away for a private conversation. "You seem happy, should I be scared?"

I sigh. "I'm only as happy as you are mother." I walk away, leaving her to think about what I just said. I meet more guests, my smile never wavers. Then I see him, my countenance drops and I'm back to being fairly civil.

"Spencer." I greet politely. He's wearing a blue jacket lined with gold at the edges and gold embroidery at the sleeves and collar. His dark blonde hair is slicked back and his blue eyes look darker than usual.

"Adria." He breathes out. "I was beginning to think you were running away from me. You look beautiful, by the way."

I play with the hem of my sleeves. "Thank you, Spencer, I should leave you. There must be someone else you want to talk to."

He shakes his head. "There isn't, would you like to dance?"

I look around the room. "We shouldn't. It won't be proper."

"Why not? It's just a dance." He has a relentless look on his face, I know he won't back down. I offer him my hand and we begin the dance. I'm grateful it isn't an intimate one, I would have left him in the middle of the dance floor.

He drones on and on throughout the dance and I let the music overshadow his voice. Just when I think my night can't get any more uncomfortable, I spot a familiar hood in the crowd. "Did you see that?" I ask him.

"Excuse me?" he asks. "What did you just ask me? Are you listening?"

"What, yes, of course, I'm listening. I just thought I saw something, please continue."

He sighs and continues whatever it is he's saying. I don't pay attention, I keep watching the crowd for any signs of the girl. I spot her again and this time she looks directly at me. I want to leave Spencer but it's rude to leave in the middle of a dance. I keep my eyes on her as I twirl across the floor.

As soon as the dance is over, I courtesy quickly and attempt to run away. Spencer holds my left elbow. "What did you think of my proposal?"

I blink. "It's so much to think about, I need some time to myself. Excuse me, will you?" I release myself from his grip and chase the cloaked figure. She leads me past the crowd and out the door. Soon I'm outside the ballroom and wandering down a long, empty hallway. I see her running and pick up my pace.

I catch up to her and grab her shoulder. "Stop," I order. She throws my hand off her shoulder but doesn't move. "What do you want with me? Why are you giving me these recurring dreams?"

She looks annoyed. "I told you, I am not the one controlling your dreams."

"Then who is? And what does it want with me?"

I hear footsteps behind me and the girl sighs. "When you've got your answers and are ready, meet me at the tallest tree in the forest outside Owan village. And also, you should know that I don't expect you to come." The guards appear and the girl just marches through them. I'm the only one that can see her. Fun.

"Lady Adria," one of the guards says. "What are you doing here? Were you talking to someone?"

I look down the empty corridor and shake my head. "I'm fine, I just needed to think. Spencer and I were talking, and I... needed to think about what he said." I lie.

"We're under orders to escort you back to the ballroom. Please come with us."

"Of course." I walk past them to the party and stand next to my mother in a corner.

"Where were you?" She asks. "You took off so suddenly."

I ignore her and she leads me to King Evander. I courtesy politely.

"Where were you?" He asks.

"In the North Hall, just needed room to think."

Spencer smiles.

"Think about what?" The King demands.

"Good things, father." Spencer replies for me. "Nothing to worry about." Lucky for me, he believes his son and leaves me alone.

I spend the rest of the night thinking about that girl. If she isn't controlling my dreams, then who is? And most importantly, why? It seems like tonight, I'm going to finally get some answers.

As soon as the event ends, I march off to bed so I can face this person. I pause when I see two people in my room. Rainey and another girl with pretty red hair.

"How was the party?" Rainey asks with a smile. I don't think she can see her.

"It was good." I'm not looking at her. The red-haired girl is sauntering around, observing everything in my bedroom. "Rainey, I can handle myself tonight. Go, enjoy yourself, I'll be fine."

"No, I should stay with you." She protests.

"I insist."

She drops the brush in her hand. "Well since you insisted." She smiles. "See you tomorrow, try and get a good night's sleep." I don't know why I expected her to object, of course she has a life outside being my maid.

I stare at the girl. "Why?" Is all I manage to ask. She lounges on the purple sofa and sighs.

"It will be hard convincing you to leave all these."

I don't move from the door. "Are you the person controlling my dreams?" I ask.

She snorts. "No." Why does everyone keep denying that? "I'm not nearly as powerful as her." At least now I know she's a she.

"Okay." I remove my tiara and place it on my dresser. "Then can the woman doing this please reveal herself?"

In a flash, the girl is up and standing by my window. "If you want answers, you will have to have to seek them out." She waves me forward, jumps on the cushioned top and flies out the bay window. I rush forward and stare out, expecting to see her splattered corpse on the ground. Instead, the walkway looks the same as it did every other night.

A strange girl only I can see appears in my room then proceeds to jump out the window and disappear into the night. I was right earlier, this can only get progressively worse.