DISEMBODIED WORDS FLOATED around within the vast expanse of darkness that surrounded Ravenna. The words worked together to create a single, panicked phrase.

"Lady Ravenna?"

The panicked voice hesitated for a moment, as a jostling sensation rippled through Ravenna's body. It illuminated every cell inside of her, lighting a fire of pain that burned through every vein and artery. A raspy gasp joined the panicked voice and cold air bristled through Ravenna's lungs.

Her eyes fluttered open. She was instantly blinded by an overwhelming amount of sunlight. The white stone that surrounded her amplified its effect, causing a strong sense of confusion to tumble through her mind.

The hand that grasped her shoulder froze and the jostling sensation ceased. Blinking, Ravenna forced her gaze to shift upward as she struggled to gather her thoughts. The blurry figure in her vision suddenly became crystal clear.

Alyss hovered over her. Her expression was plagued with concern and a sliver of fear danced within her dark irises. It made Ravenna panic.

She jolted upward into a seated position. The world around her spun. Her eyes dropped to her hand and a surge of relief washed through her. Her bones no longer glowed. The skeletal glow had disappeared.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Alyss asked her.

Ravenna took a moment to mentally check herself. The more she breathed and focused, the more that the fuzzy darkness vanished from the corners of her eyes. She took in a few deep breaths.

"I am fine," she assured Alyss.

Alyss did not look convinced. "What happened?" she asked.

Ravenna's gaze flickered around the bathroom. The room itself looked untouched and magic-free, which enabled another wave of relief to wash through her. Caelan's spell-book was on the ground beside her, half hidden beneath her skirts, which pooled around her atop the floor like a body of water.

The magic scroll had vanished. She assumed that her hand must have fully absorbed it.

"I must have fallen," she finally answered Alyss. Her fingers lifted to the side of her head and pressed against her scalp. There was a slight tenderness beneath her touch. She winced.

Alyss frowned at her. "May I go fetch a royal healer, my lady?"

"There is no need," Ravenna said, shaking her head. The royal healers used basic magic in their rituals. She did not want them anywhere near the bathroom. They might notice that a spell had been performed. "I am perfectly fine."

Alyss did not believe her. Her hands dropped to her side and she stepped back, her thin tunic fluttering against her body. She stepped out of the room for a brief moment. When she returned, she held a damp rag in her hand.

She wordlessly held it to Ravenna's forehead. The material was rough against Ravenna's skin, its warmth causing a tingle of nerves to dance along her veins. Butterflies fought violently against her inner organs.

The only thoughts that rushed through her head were about the flame that had burned her hand. She didn't want to pass out again.

A knock sounded against Ravenna's bedroom door. Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Alyss react. The young maid huffed, genuine annoyance apparent in her face. She disappeared back into the bedroom and Ravenna could hear the door open. Several sentences were thrown about, however they were too low to be deciphered. Then the door slammed shut again.

"As I suspected. That was the royal seamstress," Alyss announced as she returned to the bathroom. "Do you wish for me to send them away, my lady?"

"Oh," Ravenna murmured.

The royal seamstress was a rough woman —burly and old, and angry very with the world. On certain days of the week, she would appear with her legion of seamstresses, standing on the other side of Ravenna's door the moment daylight began to stretch across the sky. It always interfered with the morning ritual that Alyss had planned to prepare Ravenna for breakfast. It always made Alyss quite sour.

"I am alright," Ravenna insisted. As much as she disliked her sessions with the seamstress, she knew that they were very necessary. The faster the dress could be created, the faster the rest of the wedding preparations would be completed.

Alyss reluctantly relented. The moment the royal seamstress was granted entrance into the room, Ravenna gathered Caelan's spell-book and hid it away. She watched, unimpressed, as the older woman stormed past the threshold, armed with a basket of fabric and thin needles. Quite a few other women followed —just the seamstress' usual entourage.

Ravenna undressed and closed her eyes.

The women worked around her. The general shape of the dress had been pinned together in previous sessions. Now it seemed that the women were ironing out the smaller details of the dress. Hands pinned small pieces of fabrics together, attaching them to her shoulders to create a flowing sleeve. A small strip of tanned fabric was used to measure her waist and torso.

The entire process took entirely too long for Ravenna's comfort. Her muscles ached and burned as her outstretched arms began to tremble.

Alyss monitored her and the women from the corner of the room. She offered no assistance —still sour that the women had been permitted entrance.

As the women worked, Ravenna's mind raced.

She wasn't entirely sure how to prove that the spell had worked, as it was detail based. It supposedly enabled her to remember everything —down to the smallest of details. She wasn't sure about its limitations. She didn't know if it would aid her in recalling previous memories or if it only worked for new memories.

Her mind roiled. She tried to think back to when she first regained consciousness that morning. There was darkness, and she remembered being confused by Alyss' disembodied voice.

But then another memory splashed across her mind's eye —another memory of regaining consciousness. One that had been incredibly fuzzy before.

Her entire body had been dipped into ice, frozen solid. She remembered the darkness that surrounded her, only alleviated by a single glowing orb that hovered far above her head. She remembered the burning that scorched her lungs and her nostrils. The painful ache that clutched at her eyes as she stared upward, gaze locked into a pair of massive crimson red eyes. 

hello friends!

I hope that y'all are doing well. Things are still a bit scary in the world. I really hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy! ❤ Things have been a bit crazy at work on my end. Last week was a bit of a whirlwind and I feel like I'm just now starting to catch up! 

Because I got a bit behind this week, I do have an extra chapter for Ice that I can post! I will do my best to upload that either tomorrow or Monday. Remember, you can always read ahead on either Tapas or Patreon! Chapter 123. An Arrest goes live tomorrow at 10 am EST. 

Also, if you are bored, I did post a new YouTube video last week! Please watch it and let me know what you think! 😁 I am working on a new video (a part two) and that should be available at some point next week as well. 

Thank you all so much for your continued patience and support. I genuinely appreciate you all so much!! ❤

ash ❤