Innocence and Corruption

Thunder shook the rock walls of Westerfell castle as Sabrina sat straight up in her bed, her blue eyes a darker shade than usual matching the deep shadows. Seconds later, she heard voices approaching her large intricately carved ebony bedroom door.

The male voice was not familiar but the hushed urgent response was her handmaiden. “It isn’t propper for you to enter these chambers without letting me dress the princess first.” She struggled to sit up, the pure silk of her night gown sliding slippery between her and the woven bed linens.

The night’s silence carried unfamiliar sounds of metal against metal, through the distance. It replaced the insects and night creatures that usually serenaded her to sleep.

She shook her head, the ends of her dark brown wavy hair brushed against her shoulders. She tried to make sense of her surroundings but the fog of her nightmares still clung to her conscience. It filled her with a dreadful urgency to get to her father. He would listen and soothe her, as he had before.

The gruff voice replied, “then get her dressed immediately for riding. It will be a long night. And King Halbert said we must move immediately.”

Sabrina felt her heart racing, as she wondered why her father would wake her before sunrise. He usually ensured she slept well so she could properly attend to her duties throughout the castle.

The door swung open for a brief moment, the room beyond unnaturally bright. Sabrina thought she saw a light magician’s magic out there.

The handmaid whispered, “Princess, princess.” When Sabrina did not answer right away, her handmaiden took a couple steps closer to the bed. “My eyes won't adjust well after that bright ball of light.” Sabrina could tell she was worried about tripping over an unseen object, despite the fact that she kept it spotless.

“Tracena?” Sabrina whispered, not wanting the girl to struggle unnecessarily. “What’s going on?” Her voice cracked slightly, the cobwebs of sleep affected her throat as well, apparently.

“The King sent men here to take you to his hunting cabin. You need to get dressed. Apparently it is some emergency!” Tracena had made it to her clothing cabinet. The mahogany wood creaked softly, as the large doors opened.

Sabrina pushed herself out of her feather bed before allowing her bare feet to land on the cold wooden flooring at her bedside. The handmaiden knew her cabinet well, having dressed her since before either could remember.

Tracena was only a couple years older than Sabrina and had been given to her father, when a nearby farm could not pay what they owed the King. It was a simple exchange of labor for debt.