No one spoke for several moments.
“Why the secrecy?” I asked, breaking the silence. “What is it about Nightfall that no one can know about it?”
Roslyn smiled. “That’s an excellent question. Unfortunately, it’s also one that I cannot answer yet. However, I assure you that you’ll get the answers you seek at the right time.”
I smiled politely, masking my annoyance. Now would be a pretty good time. Riya and I shared a look, confirming I wasn’t alone in my sentiment. Still, no productivity would come from being rude yet.
Isabella shifted beside me, watching Roslyn curiously and asked, “What does the emblem on your cloak mean?”
The embroidered gold thread swirled elegantly into a dragon symbol.
“It is a sigil of my home,” she said. “It has represented my people's strong heart and will for many generations.”
Isabella nodded, lost in thought, as she looked at the symbol.
“Please, enjoy yourselves and eat as much as you like,” she said. “I’ll see you all at the ceremony in two hours.”
She rose, and her dress flowed after her along with her long red curls. Everson, dark brows firmly pressed into a straight line, followed her out like a sentinel.
“Well,” Isabella said, staring after her, “that was interesting.”
I nodded. A door opened across the room with a thud, and I glanced over. Several staff members, in neat brown vests buttoned up over crisp white dress shirts rolled to a precise three-quarter length position, entered. They carried trays with the most delicious aromas filling the room. My stomach lurched. I nearly teared up at the thought of food.
Others entered, carrying long tables and dropping white linens over them in a fluttering dance of cloth. No one waited for plates.
After the meal, we were given downtime in our rooms. It didn’t take long for a sharp knock to sound at my door. Opening it, I found Isabella in her new uniform, posing like she was on a runway.
“What do you think?” she asked, her voice dripping in some snazzy accent.
I took in her skirt and her not quite fully buttoned up blouse.
“You’ve modified it?” I asked.
She smirked, nodding.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “It looks great.”
She smiled with a curtsy. “Thank you. Are you ready to head back? Everyone’s waiting in the hall with Commander Everson. They’re ready to head to the castle,” she said.
I nodded and took a deep breath. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Commander Everson ledus down a cobblestone path through the pines. Everyone looked different in their uniforms, with variations suited to each person’s personality. Skylar wore a wrap-around leather tunic instead of a vest with belted pants and boots. I stared after her for a moment, an odd feeling hitting me. It was like something was hanging from the edges of my memory. The moment passed. I was still tired. My mind must’ve been playing tricks on me.
As the trees thinned, I saw the snow-covered summits that loomed around the valley. Smoke curled from the chimneys of a village perched higher in the valley. Limestone structures jutted up like ancient bones, but the castle atop the slope demanded my gaze with its spires and towers stretching high into the air.
“Wow,” Isabella said, taking it in too.
We followed Everson past marble gazebos and snow-dusted statues rising from frozen gardens. It was breathtaking. Dusk was descending upon the horizon, and a mysterious glow bathed the castle in a silvery light, casting long shadows across the grounds. Flying buttresses graced the exterior walls, and open-air bridges were built high in the air, connecting different castle wings.
On the castle's main doors was the Nightfall crest I’d seen on Commander Everson’s brooch; it was carved into the heavy wooden doors, a filigree design with an N at the center and three creatures: a pegasus, a dragon, and a raven guarding the N.
The heavy doors groaned as they opened, revealing a man in a uniform nearly identical to Everson’s. I followed Isabella in, momentarily stunned by the castle’s massive foyer.
It was several stories high, with tall arched windows. Candles glowed from several wall sconces. Columns were carved with intricate designs throughout the room, some of which held railings that led to the upper floors. A sweeping double staircase flowed gracefully to the other floors, and the soft rays of twilight filtered through from above. It was as beautiful as it was haunting.
“This way,” Everson said, drawing us into the hall on the left.
We entered a large chamber where several others were already seated at long wooden tables with high-backed velvet-padded chairs. Crystal goblets and golden platters were set amongst ivy and candlesticks. Above, chandeliers lit with hundreds of candles hung from arched ceilings, where frescoes were painted between the columns. Warmth heated my cheeks from multiple blazing fireplaces.
