Chapter 5

Arya woke up with a start and sat straight up.

Wait, where was she? She looked around. She was in a bed that was soft and plush with white silk bed sheets and soft gold blankets that felt ridiculously soft and warm to the touch. She looked down and saw that she was still wearing that white dress she was given to wear to her execution.

She noticed her gold and white surroundings and saw that the surroundings looked luxurious.

A huge plush white fur rug decorated the floor. It looked like the skin of some animal to Arya but she didn't know what kind.

The bedside drawer boast a radiant white finish and decorative carvings combined with shaped fronts and tops to create a truly grand presentation. These case goods are distinguished by luxurious floral carvings and a golden finish.

Gold floral designs decorated the white walls and gleaned under the light of a gold and diamond chandelier that was lit up by magic. A soft golden light lit up the entire room.

The fireplace seemed to be made from white marble and was trimmed and decorated with gold roses that festooned the mantel with a diamond and gold lion that looked to be made from real gold that was looming over the golden roses.

Arya noticed that the window curtains were made from white silk with gold lace trimming that looked to be expensive. Arya did a double take when she saw that it was pitch dark outside. It was bright and sunny the last time she remembered before she passed out. She must have been out for some time.

Arya tensed up. What had happened? She last remembered being on the beheading block and then everything else from that point on was a complete blur. 

The door flung open and the king entered. He was still dressed in his white and gold regal kingly suit and he looked worn out if the wrinkles on his forehead and the bags under his eyes were any indication. But he still looked powerful and intimidating even if he looked like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep for some time. 

The king walked right in front of her and stood in front of Arya as if he was inspecting an animal for sale at the marketplace. Arya noticed that he was looking at her as if she was some exotic animal to be gawked at. 

Was he here to hurt her? Kill her? What was he planning on doing with her?

Arya looked up at him and her green eyes met the king's gray ones, emerald met steel, and Arya saw great power and coldness in those iron eyes but it didn't deter her. She wasn't going to cower and bow before him one bit as she was sick of having to be pushed around and bullied by the nobles and royals who thought of her as worthless and inferior. Playing nice was not in her books and, if he was going to treat her like this, she was going to let the king know it.

The king suddenly laughed. It was a loud booming laugh that echoed and shook the room.

The king laughed for some time as if he hadn't laughed in a very long time. Then soon regained his 

"At ease, girl, I'm not going to hurt you or do anything bad to you. I swear on my honor as a king. You're in a guest room in the royal palace, my orders for the guards to secretly bring you here. Please, relax and feel at ease, if I wanted you dead, you would be dead already. But the way you looked at me was refreshing for a change;most people can't even look me in the eyes since they find me so powerful and fearsome. But you did and without a single trace of fear or hesitation in your emerald eyes. You got a strong and powerful soul inside of you, girl, and I don't intend on stomping it out. What you did…you reminded me of myself in my youth: overflowing with power and being so ruthless and dominating when it came to using it."

Arya just stared blankly at him with confusion on her face. The king soon realized that Arya had no idea what had happened after she passed out.

The king turned serious. He put a hand on Arya's shoulder and Arya flinched a little. His touch was warm and gentle, almost comforting; Arya wondered if he was also like this with his own kids: A loving and kind father rather than a cold and fearsome king. 

"Listen to me, girl: You have a very special gift.You have a power of your own but how you have it is unknown. You are now at the center of gossip and rumors. You are no longer some nameless red girl now. "

Arya felt as if the king had just punched her in the stomach. What did he mean by "special gift" and "power of your own"? Arya thought he might be messing with her right now but the look on the king's face told her that he was being dead serious right now. Her mind was racing but her thoughts were slow and sluggish as if time had slowed to a snail's pace.

The king continued to speak and this time he went on to describe what happened during the failed execution and the aftermath. Arya listened closely but it felt like whatever the king had said was complete nonsense to her.

"...You lifted up the poor executioner by his neck and started to choke the life out of him. Some guards came rushing in to help the poor man but you proceeded to lift them up and strangle them as well. Those poor people…you sent them flying like deadly projectiles at some young royal guards that were rushing towards you and that wreaked havoc among the crowd. It appeared that the display of power was only an act of self-preservation or that your powers were dramatically increased when you felt as if your life was in danger…right, your life was in danger at that time-my deepest apologies for that. Your powers have been greatly reduced now and the physical toll of exemplifying your powers was too much for you and caused you to pass out."

Arya was quiet the whole time as she processed the information the king told her. Her entire body ached and it felt as if every drop of strength was drained out of her. She was barely able to sit herself up in the bed and even that left her feeling tired and exhausted as if she ran for hours non-stop through a forest with a horde of hungry monsters on her tail. It was all she could do to keep herself from passing out now. 

The king stopped talking and waved his hand. A pretty maid in a black maid outfit came rushing into the room carrying a tray of food but then the king gestured for her to stop a few feet from Arya. The maid looked to be only around Arya's age with soft golden eyes and pale purple hair that was neatly pinned back underneath a white maid cap except for a few wisps of it peeking out from under the cap. 

"I know you don't believe me when I say you have that power but I'll make you believe. That maid wouldn't move a single inch closer to you and I believe you don't have the energy or strength to get out of bed to get the food yourself so the only choice you have is to make the food come to you-I believe you have enough power in you to do just that. You're a natural. Using that power of yours should be as natural to you as breathing or eating is. Give it a try. Focus and bring the tray to you. You'll feel the power in your veins and you'll see for yourself that I'm not lying."

Arya felt a bit stupid but she was so hungry that it was really starting to cloud her judgment. Maybe she'll fail and the king will relent and let the maid bring the food to her. She'll try and the king won't be able to punish her if she tries but fails. Right?

She turned her attention to the maid and at the tray of food in her hands. Arya felt silly trying to will a tray of food to come to her but she suddenly felt as if some of her missing strength was returning. A warm feeling inside of her was growing inside of her and the tray began to shake and act like a rowdy dog straining at its leash. The maid let out a small yelp and she let go of the tray accidentally.

But instead of falling to the ground and spilling the food everywhere, the tray stayed suspended in mid-air, wobbling and shaking a little, but it stayed floating in mid-air. Arya was so shocked by this that she lost focus for a second and the tray suddenly dropped dangerously quick towards the ground but then stopped when it was just inches above the ground. 

The king just observed but he nodded and a little smile appeared across his face. She would fit in very well with some time and proper training. 

Arya was wide eyed and shocked by the sudden realization that she had such a power. She experimentally lifted up her head and the tray slowly raised up inch by inch from the ground. 

She then willed the tray to come to her as if it was a trained pet dog obeying its owner's command. The tray slowly floated its way to Arya and stopped in front of where Arya was sitting.

Beads of sweat were now starting to appear on Arya's forehead but she focused on the tray and it slowly lowered itself in front of Arya.

The king clapped his hands and both Arya and the maid nearly had a heart attack. 

"Well done, girl. You did all that without any sort of training. I can only imagine what you can do with proper training and cultivation of your talent. Eat and listen to what I have to say."

The food smelled amazing and Arya lifted up the lid.

Juicy, meaty pieces of steak that were cut and arranged nicely on a white porcelain plate.

Roasted baby potatoes with carrots and green beans on a small plate.

Two rolls of soft, pillowy and yummy looking bread that were dripping with butter placed nicely in a white bowl

Arya's mouth started drooling. She grabbed the fork and knife and started to dig in. The meat was so well cooked and heavenly and the bread was so soft and white. The potatoes. Carrots and green beans were cooked to perfection. She hadn't had such good food in a long time and she couldn't care less that she ate like a starving dog as she tore into the food, ripping off chunks of meat and bread, shoving the vegetables into her mouth.

"Your eyes….green like emeralds. Tell me, dear girl, do you know who your parents are?"

Arya hesitated for a bit before she spoke.

"I don't know who my parents are, your highness."

The king frowned.

"What's your name, girl?"

"Arya. Your Highness.". Arya almost forgot to address the king properly.

The king smiled a little at this.

"A simple but elegant name for a strong and beautiful girl like you."

Arya was stunned by this complement.

She was even more stunned when the king bowed his head and looked ashamed of himself.

Kings are supposed to be proud and haughty. After all, they were the supreme rulers of the land and everyone obeyed them, feared them and respected them. So to see the king himself bowing to her and feeling sorry for what he did was a sight that made Arya think that she was dreaming until she pitched herself and realized she was still awake. 

"It was a case of mistaken identity and we thought you were that escaped assassin because of your brown hair and green eyes. But now I realize that your hair and eyes are darker in comparison to the assassin I saw locked up in the royal prisons awaiting execution. Your eyes are a bright green, not the dark and ugly green I saw in that assassin. I'm sorry for the mistake and error of judgment that could have cost you your life."

Arya must have still looked very upset so the king continued.

"Please, I feel deeply sorry for letting my emotions get the best of me. I love that boy deeply and when he survived the assassination attempt only to be left in such crippling pain and despair, I felt my heart break and shatter into millions of pieces. I cried every night in my bedchambers when I'm alone. His screams and moans of pain haunt me every second I'm awake and in my dreams as well. He was in so much pain every day that he tried to kill himself numerous times already if it weren't for the servants and guards who were watching over him. He only had moments of relief when the healers used their powers on him. I wanted revenge on the brown hair assassin who reduced him to this sorry state."

The king paused for a few minutes before speaking again, his voice steady but slightly shaky.

"I hadn't been thinking straight for some time and my emotions got the better of me. I know you won't forgive me because I nearly had you killed if it weren't for your dormant powers saving you. I almost had an innocent person, an innocent girl, killed for a crime she didn't commit. I was so blinded by rage and revenge that I couldn't think about anything else."

Arya saw the tears in his eyes that were falling down his face. The boy he was referring to must be the Crown Prince-his oldest son-and the one who was nearly killed. He was genuinely sorry and feeling guilty for his actions that were driven by a love for his son and revenge of the one who had hurt him. He really was sorry and Arya couldn't help but to feel a bit bad for him. 

A king is still a person. No matter how powerful or god-like he looked, he was still a person with emotions and feelings. He wasn't a god who was perfect and flawless in every way possible. He was human and humans made bad choices and mistakes all the time.

"Maybe, one day, I'll forgive you for nearly having me killed, but not right now. You'll have to earn my forgiveness, your highness."

The king gave Arya a big smile. When he spoke, he sounded relieved and happy.

"You're not only a strong and powerful girl but a kind and sweet one as well. I can only hope that that kindness will stay and not be stomped out by the harshness and brutality of the golden world."

The king stood up. 

" You must be tried. I suppose using your powers and the excitement of today's events took a heavy toll on you. You'll be allowed to stay here as a royal guest.You can use anything inside this place as your own but you do not leave without my permission."

The king addressed the brown haired maid as he passed by her on his way out of the room.

"Serve her well. Make sure that she gets three meals a day and tend to her needs."

The king left the room leaving both girls stunned and confused.