Chapter One (part 2)

Dymetri ran through the castle gates and up to the front steps where his mother stood shouting, giving orders to the servants to find him.

"If you dont find him and get his sorry ass home--" She finally spotted him. "Get your butt here right....who's that?" Worry suddenly clouded his mother's face. She hated to see anyone hurt.

"I don't know. I found her." To lift the worried mood he added, "Can I keep her?"

She glared at him. "Dymetri Tamari Senton. This isn't the time." She turned to a group of hovering servants. They were clad in brown tunics and worn leather pants. They were clean and healthy and the happiest servants on the continent. Dymetri's mother babies everyone in the castle. And they all knew they were lucky for her to be their queen. Most didn't have it as good as they had it.

"Run a warm bath, not too hot but not cold. Fill it with cleansing oil, atleast five spoonfuls. Get bandages and numbing herbs. Get a canteen of water, maybe two. She looks dreadfully dehydrated. Then get the softest silk night gown you can find. Ready the guest room that is next to Dymetri's. Come on, get moving!" She snapped finally, clapping her hands at the servants to urge them along. "Dymetri carry her to the bath accross from your quarters."

He nodded. Knowing his mother, if anything went out of order, someone was going to have their head chewed off. Not litterally speaking of course but still, the woman had a real temper when she decided to let go.

Kendra, his mother, had light brown hair, streaked with blond from being in the sun in her gardens all day. She had radiant violet eyes. Her muscles were lean but she could still leave a welt on Dymetri's backside if he ever fell out of line. Her face was proud, full of life, and didn't show anything of her age. At the moment her eyes were pulled tight with worry for the girl in her son's arms.

When Dymetri got to the bathing room, his mother already had the shelves in there full of medical supplies. The bath was full and giving off a gentle lavender aroma. The steam from the healing oil in the water was spiraling above the water.

"Dymetri please give her over to my ladies, we will take care of her from here." His mother indecated towards five or six of his mother's ladies in waiting, waiting for him to place the unconscious woman in their arms.

He did as he was told only grudgingly. He didn't want to let her go for some reason. He sighed as Kendra waved him out of the room. "Give the girl some dignity will you?"

***

It seemed to take forever, but finally he was called back into the bath room to escort the woman he had found to her bed. Is mother's stern face appeared at the door. "Would you like to give me a hand while the ladies are cleaning up?"

He hurried into the room. She was there, still out cold, but cleaned and bandaged. Her black hair fell like a curtain over a light green night dress. The hem glinted with silver jewls. The sleaves were a dark green and the cloth was as soft as spider silk.

He could see her colorless face except for the slight pink that indicated a high fever. He caught her up in his arms and hugged her close, breathing in the light lavender scent. His pace was slow as he walk out of the bathing room, down the hall, and into a spacious guest room.