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Chapter 3

After a moment the shock faded enough for one of the Ferai guards to nudge Jared. Realizing his rudeness, the king bowed to the lightly blushing countess.

"Welcome to my kingdom, it is a pleasure to be among such rare creatures of beauty." Jared said receiving a smile from the Countess.

"It is an honor to be among nobility such as yourself, your highness." Elizabeth replied giving a proper curtsey.

"I must apologize for any messes you may see; we are in the midst of reconstruction."

"You do not need to apologize for any disgrace your lands may have suffered. We all were affected by Chaos and his greed."

"You are very kind milady please, allow me the honor of escorting you and your party to my castle."

Prince Jared offered his arm to Elizabeth that she accepted.

"The honor would be mine."

The Ferai guards assisted the two handmaidens with the luggage as they began the journey to the palace.

"It must seem silly to you but I must ask: what is this cold moisture that is all around us?"

"It is snow milady; and I do not find it foolish of you in the least. In fact, since you required the information I now know a bit more about you."

"Oh? Prey tale." She smiled as her eyes twinkled with humor.

"I know your world is not as cold as mine for you would have seen snow before. I also know that you are curious. I must admit that is a trait we both share. If I may ask; how badly was your realm harmed by Chaos?" Elizabeth's color darkened from embarrassment.

"The land itself was not nearly as damaged as my people, but my parents were the worst. My family was rather strict to begin with, but they only grew colder and more violent once Chaos took further control. I now feel it is fair to inquire how you were affected by the imbalance?"

"A dark sorceress stole away my mother and took her place at my father's side. Then shortly after arranged for me to be kidnapped before the Burning Crown ceremony making the realm become unstable. The evil creature even had some of my people executed without just cause. By the time the truth was uncovered, my mother was beyond saving." Finishing his summary Jared's eyes seemed almost aglow with the painful memories. Noticing the King's pain Elizabeth apologized.

"I am sorry for your suffering, may I ask what happened to your father?" The countess wanted to smack herself for being so foolish, as she saw Jared become even further lost in thought.

"He…fell." Jared replied uneasily. 'She does not know our ways, she would not understand the significance of the ceremony.'

"I see, so we are both orphans. An unfortunate coincidence, but at least it allows a bit of understanding for us." 'Although he wasn't so willing for his parents to die as I was, I could never tell him that I Wanted them killed. He would never understand.'

"That is one way to view things," Jared says giving her a reassuring smile.

The entire exchange did not go unnoticed by Abdizur, who smiled to himself at how well things were going already.

When the group arrived at the castle Abdizur bade them ado.

"As much as I would enjoy spending more time with you all, I must return to my Lady Aerella. I shall return in a few weeks to see how things are going, farewell."

"While you are here Countess Elizabeth, please feel free to act however you feel appropriate. I do not wish for you or your ladies to feel uncomfortable. This may sound rather rude but: I was unaware I would entertaining outsiders."

"Well if we are to be comfortable here, would it be possible for the fireplaces to be lit?" Elizabeth visibly shivered causing the other Wraiths to rush over to her side. One of the guards placed some new logs in the pit of the fireplace before lighting it.

"My apologize Countess, my people are rather resilient to the cold so in here we barely notice it."

"It's alright, but please keep in mind that MY people do not have the tolerance that yours do when the cold is concerned." She lightly quipped.

"Consider it noted, now if you would like I can show you where you and your ladies may sleep."

"That would be nice to know."

"I'm sorry to say the guest quarters have not been completed just yet, so I am afraid I must ask for you to stay in my mo-the queen's chambers. There is room for your ladies to sleep there as well."

"We do not sleep with the Countess, we require a separate room from our lady." Yvette stated sternly making Jarred blink in surprise. Shifting his hooves he cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment.

"Then please, feel free to take my old chambers."

"I assume then, that you retire in the king's chambers. They are not adjoined with the queens are they?" Yvette inquired.

"No they are not." Jared says assuredly.

"Well then I think this arrangement should work out very well." Elizabeth said trying to diffuse the tension her maid was causing.

Author Note: I apologize for the wait my life has been unstable and plot bunnies ran for cover. I will try to update my stories on a timelier manner. I thank you for being patient and loyal. If this chapter is replaced it is because I was unsatisfied with its quality and felt you readers deserved better.