Page 3
Story: Barons of Decay
Plié
Arabesque
Sauté
Tap, tap, tap.
I stare at the door. No one has ever knocked before. Normally, there’s just the sound of the metal key, scraping against the lock.
I blink, unsure if I made it up. That happens sometimes.
Another knock follows, louder this time. Knuckles rapping against the wood.
“Hello?” I call out, my voice cracking, dry from disuse.
“Arianette,” I hear, the voice muffled but distinct. Female. “May I come in?”
I look around, wondering if I’m being watched. If this is a test. Heart pounding, I step to the door and press my ear to the wood.
“Who…” I swallow, trying to make my voice stronger. “Who is this?”
“Regina. The Baroness.”
The Baroness.
“Oh.” Butterflies come alive in my gut. “Yes. Please.”
When the door swings open, she’s not alone, one of the shadows holds the key, but I’m not interested in him. I’m focused on the woman; her straight spine, full lips, and painted eyes. Her dress is black. Sheer. The sleeves drape gently over her shoulders, like spiderwebs. The neckline plunges, exposing the soft curve of her breasts.
She’s gorgeous. Elegant.Royal.
“You can leave,” she tells the man, taking the key from him and sliding it into her pocket. He nods, her directive unchallenged. She shuts the door behind her, then appraises me. “How are you feeling?”
Well, that… that is a loaded question.
Are my bones broken? No. My bruises are healing. The wounds are no longer infected. But the nightmares, the day-mares. They seep in at the edges–a cacophony of voices. Some here. Some there. Some buried deep inside my chest. The home.The beast.The sensation of mud between my toes.
I give the answer I’ve learned is the only one people want. “I’m fine.”
Her dark eyes sweep over the room, at the pushed-aside furniture. Instantly, I’m jealous of her smooth, ebony skin. There are no scars around her wrists. No bruises refusing to fade. “It feels like ages since I was in this room.”
“You’ve been here?” I ask, trying to imagine her on the little bed. In the stark bathroom. How could someone so beautiful, so gorgeous, come from this dull place?
She nods. “Before the Hunt.”
“The Hunt?” I repeat, the words drawing out a flicker of a memory. Forsyth is filled with ceremonies, and there is nothing rich people love to talk about more at parties than the royals and their traditions. I’ve never been a part of one. Never seen the spectacle, but on the nights I danced for these people I heard things, the retellings, the awe. “You mean the Barons’ Hunt.”
“I mean, theBaronessHunt.” She runs her hand over the wooden finial on the corner of the bed. A gold ring with an onyx stone glints on her finger. “I had the barons give you my room. For luck.”
“But,” I start, trying to organize my words. My understanding, which, frankly, is limited. “I’m arranged tomarry the King. My uncle set it up. We’ll have the wedding. I’ll be his wife. I can’t also be Baroness.”
Regina cuts her eyes at me. “You can, andwill,be anything the King wants you to be.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, but the room has become muted, my heartbeat thudding heavily in my ears. I’ve been hunted before. Wasn’t once enough?
“The King is prepared for you to fill both roles. That of his wife and the Baroness to his men. First, you have to prove your worth and that happens in the hunt.”
“Will there be other girls?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144