Night fell, and the temperature dropped with it. The sky was littered with stars, and the moon bulged outward but it wasn’t quite full. Meredith enjoyed gazing at the night sky, living in the city had clouded most of her view of it. It was rare for her to have the time to simply stare and observe. Not with the rush of the city life.
She hugged her cloak tightly, covering her bare arms from the cold. She watched as Chase started preparing for their journey to the palace.
She would have never believed that something like this could happen to her, not in a million years. The idea that she had died and been revived in a strange world was beyond anything she could have imagined.
Her second time riding a horse was still unpleasant.
As they arrived at the royal palace of Fablemarch, Meredith suddenly felt nervous. She was about to meet the king and queen of the kingdom. She flattened her hair in an attempt to appear composed.
She thought about her job and how she always had to face new people every day. Meredith tried picturing the king and queen as if they were just customers. No need to be nervous, she was used to making small talk and answering questions.
The palace was majestic. Its towering spires and intricate facade made it look as if it were carved from bone, so delicate that it seemed it would crumble at the slightest touch.
As they entered the palace, the guardsmen bowed and announced Chase’s arrival. It dawned on Meredith once again that, yes, Chase was an important person.
The inside of the palace was just as striking as the outside. Green and gold tapestries hung from the pristine walls, which were adorned with paintings. Meredith had to crane her neck to take it all in.
Chase seemed to notice how bewildered she was and chuckled quietly. The sound snapped Meredith out of her astonishment. She cleared her throat and pretended that, no, she wasn’t completely awestruck by how beautiful the place was.
Chase then led her through a door that reached up to the ceiling. It arched at the top, and the details on each panel were symmetrical. The door was gilded in gold, looking as if it had cost a fortune. Then again, everything around her looked expensive.
She had expected to see the throne room when the guards opened the door, but instead, she found herself looking at a long table. An old man dressed in robes, with a long beard, white hair, and a monocle, sat at the head of it. The room was lined with rows upon rows of bookshelves.
She looked at Chase in confusion, and he replied, “This is Raghnall, the scholar of Fablemarch.”
Chase pulled out a chair at the long table and gestured for Meredith to sit.
Raghnall eyed her suspiciously, adjusting his monocle as if to inspect her more closely.
Chase then took a seat next to Meredith and began explaining her situation.
Meredith traced the corner of her ID, the lace gently scratching her neck as she tugged and pulled on it. She had refused to throw it away, it was a reminder of her old life, no matter how bad it was.
“I think she is the one the prophecy spoke of,” Chase said, snapping Meredith out of her thoughts.
Chase hadn’t mentioned anything about a prophecy before. All he had said was that they might be able to help her with her current situation.
She furrowed her eyebrows at him, expecting an explanation, but Chase only gave her an apologetic smile.
“Are you sure she’s not just some random woman who wandered into the forest during the blood moon?” Raghnall asked, stroking his beard as he continued to stare at Meredith.
“Nobody knows of the prophecy aside from the royal family and the Council of Grimcrown,” Chase defended.
“I know that, of course,” Raghnall huffed as if Chase had just insulted him. “But what is so special about her?”
Meredith felt heat creeping up her neck. This was worse than any job interview, at least there, people had the tact not to ask such blunt questions.
“Well, as I said, she is from another world,” Chase continued, defending her.
Meredith was grateful for his support. It wasn’t as if she wanted to be part whatever this prophecy spoke of, but the way Raghnall was scrutinizing her was beginning to cross the line.
Chase then looked at her, and his gaze landed on her neck. Gently, he reached out and grasped her ID lace.
“Look at this. We’ve never seen anything like it.” He raised her ID to show Raghnall.
Meredith tilted her head slightly to avoid the lace grazing her exposed neck too roughly.
Raghnall stood up and walked over to where Meredith and Chase sat. He looked her over once more, then focused on her ID. Leaning down, he adjusted his monocle again and squinted at it.
“Meredith Hood.” Raghnall spoke her name aloud, as if testing whether it held some special significance when said.
He walked back to his seat and placed his hands on the table as if in prayer. His monocle glinted, and Meredith swallowed hard at the sight, he looked like someone who possessed infinite knowledge.
“Then we must keep her in the castle,” Raghnall added.
Chase nodded in agreement, and Meredith frowned. Why hadn’t anyone asked for her consent? Shouldn’t she have a say in whether she stayed in the castle or not? Well, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. She supposed she should be grateful that the royal family was willing to take her in, but she still disliked the fact that they were only looking after her because of some prophecy she knew nothing about.
Meredith wanted to ask more about it, but before she could open her mouth, Raghnall stood up and left the room. She turned to Chase instead, hoping for answers.
“What prophecy are you talking about?” she asked, shifting her body to face him directly.
“You’ve seen a human transform into a wolf, correct?” Chase looked at her seriously, the usual glint in his eyes gone. “We are at war with the werewolves.”
Werewolves? Meredith wanted to ask out loud, but she sensed the gravity of the topic and let Chase continue.
“They attacked my sister and killed her.” Chase looked down at his hands, furrowing his brows. “I’ll never forgive them for what they did to her.”
Meredith’s eyes widened. From the way the people outside the forest were dressed, it was clear they were fighting something or someone. But she hadn’t expected it to be a full-blown war.
Chase stood up and smiled at Meredith, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “And you can help us win it.”
She quickly got to her feet and followed Chase as he began walking out of the room. “What do you mean? I’m nobody.”
“You’re special.” He paused and turned to look at Meredith, placing his hands on her shoulders and leaning down. “The moon shall turn blood red, and when its light touches the lands of Fablemarch and Grimcrown, the chosen one will walk between them.”
Meredith cocked her head in confusion. Why had Chase suddenly started speaking in riddles? She wasn’t special, she was just an ordinary wage worker struggling to get by from paycheck to paycheck. Used to.
“What I’m saying is, you have a purpose for being here.” Chase removed his hands from her shoulders and patted her head. “It’s your second chance at life, and the fates have decided to give you a mission.”
“But I don’t think I can help you.” Meredith wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about wars or werewolves in general, so she doubted she had anything to offer Chase or his army. Her specialty was cooking, and that certainly wasn’t a skill needed in war.
Chase removed his hand, and Meredith noticed that the glint in his eyes had returned. “Don’t think too much about it. You just need to stay here in the palace, and I’ll handle all the manual labor.”
He then led her to a grand room. In the center stood a four-poster bed with gold and cream-white canopies. An enormous mirror was positioned near the dresser in the corner, and a magnificent, luxurious gold-and-white rug lay beneath the bed. Two huge windows lined the wall, overlooking the garden outside. Everything was so elegant and spacious, this room was at least twice the size of her studio apartment.
“You’ll be staying here for the moment. I hope you like it.”
‘Like’ would be an understatement, Meredith loved the room. She had never owned anything lavish in her life. As she stepped inside, she took her time savoring the moment, gingerly running her fingers along the walls, as if everything would disappear if she handled it too recklessly.
“I’ll be leaving you then,” Chase said as he stepped out of the room, bidding Meredith goodbye and good night.
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