There was blood everywhere. I no longer knew or cared if it was mine. Everything was a blurry haze. Faces blended together, laughs and screams sounded the same. The only thing that was clear in this world was Mariana's vicious gaze as she watched one of her henchmen drive the spikes further into my back.

I could no longer hear myself scream. I could no longer feel the pain. I felt nothing, heard nothing. The pain had become such a constant thing that I only felt numbness. I soaked in the fresh blood that had been spilled on the stones, unable to move.

The stench of blood and urine had become too much, and I retched. Now, I was not only lying in blood, but also vomit.

Mariana laughed as she walked over to me. "Come, now, pet. Surely you're stronger than this. Where is that strength now? To me, you only look small and weak." She laughed, high and light, the sound echoing in my ears. Even years later, I knew I would never forget the sound of that laugh, the pain that it caused.

With a wave of her hand, the spikes were gone from my back, but the pain lingered. And then she clenched her fist.

Fear sparked in me at the familiar gesture. No! My mind screamed. But it was too late. My screaming started anew as waves of pain crashed over me, as she tortured me endlessly, but did not leave a single mark.

I thrashed and cried as she drove invisible daggers into me: ones that could not be seen and did not injure me, but caused such pain that I only wished on of them would find my heart and end me.

It felt like an eternity before she grew bored of watching me suffer. She unclenched her fist and I collapsed to the ground, my tears mixing with the blood on my face. I could not stand or even more.

"I'm done with her." She said dismissively and turned to leave the room. The two monsters that always obeyed her grabbed my arms and dragged me back to the dungeons. They threw me into the cell and I hit the wall. Blinding agony sliced at me and it was an effort to keep from retching all over again.

The door clanged shut, and even after they'd left, and I was alone, I could still hear Mariana's laughter. That high, happy sound that I only ever heard when I was in pain. I would never forget it as I long as I lived . . .

My eyes flew open and I sat up so quickly that I got dizzy. Panic flared inside me as I looked around the room, expecting to find myself back in Mariana's dungeons after another beating that had driven me to hallucinations, but I found that I was at Rylan's palace.

It had only been a nightmare. Thank God. I nearly cried with relief as I sat there, the realization slowly coming to me. I would never again find myself back at Mariana's palace.

My hair was plastered to my face with sweat, and I was shaking so much that I hardly had control of my own hands. I could still feel the echoes of pain from the nightmare. The spikes that had been driven into my back . . . the mind-numbing agony that had seized me when Mariana clenched her fist . . .

I swallowed against the dryness of my throat. It hadn't been a mere nightmare. It was a memory that had made its way into my subconscious.

Shuddering at the thought, I threw my legs over the side of the bed. The bed was so tall that I couldn't even touch the ground when I was sitting on the edge. I needed to get out of this room. Maybe I could go find the kitchen for a snack.

My feet curled away from the icy marble floor as I walked across the room. I pulled open the door and stepped into the hallway, which was even colder, since there was no fireplace to warm it. Lit torches sat in sconces at intervals along the walls, so I was not in complete darkness.

I walked down the hallway in hopes of finding the kitchen. After several minutes of walking, I did not think I could even make it back to my room, I was so lost. I sighed, frustrated. Someone had to be up who could help me.

I kept walking for a while longer, until I reached a set of large double doors at the end of a hallway. They were made of heavy oak and words written in an ancient language that I did not know were carved into them and glowing. I blinked. Could this be Rylan's room?

Hopeful, I stepped up and knocked softly against the door. When there was no answer, I knocked again, louder. But there was still no answer.

Maybe this wasn't his room. I grasped the large gold door handle and pushed open the door just a crack to see inside. My eyes widened at what I saw. No, this was not Rylan's room. I pushed open the door wider and stepped inside.

Rows upon rows of bookshelves lined the wall, each one filled to bursting with books. The most beautiful paintings I'd ever seen lined the walls. In the center of the room stood an enormous fireplace with a roaring fire inside of it. It must have been magic, because it was the middle of the night and there was no one around to tend to the fire. It was surrounded by chairs and sofas meant as a place to read. The room looked so cozy, I couldn't help but smile.

My nightmare temporarily forgotten, I began looking for a book to read. I spent the better part of an hour searching for just the right book. Once I found it, I curled up in a chair before the fireplace and began to read.

I did not remember falling asleep, but I supposed I did at some point, because, when I opened my eyes, I was lying back in my room and the sun was shining through the window. The book I'd been reading the night before sat on my bedside table; the page I'd been on was bookmarked.

"Good morning, Miss Lyra!" Azula's perky voice reached me as she pushed open my door. She smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

I turned away from the book. "Fine, thank you." I said rather curtly.

Though she didn't seem to notice. She smiled. "It's rather late in the day. You should get up now." She said.

"What time is it?" I asked, returning my gaze to the window.

"Almost noon, Miss." She answered as she went to my closet.

I blinked at her. I'd slept until noon? I climbed out of bed and stretched. That bed was the nicest thing I'd ever slept on.

Azula walked over to me carrying a set of clothes. She dressed me in a dark green tunic and brown trousers. She combed out my hair and pinned it back with gold pins. She handed me a pair of boots, but I politely turned them down. "If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to go barefoot."

If she was put off by my answer, she did not show it. She only smiled. "Of course. Would you like me to escort you down to the kitchen, Miss?"

"Yes, please." I answered.

She nodded and led me down through the hallways and down a set of stairs and into the dining room. The room was completely empty, save for the occasional servant passing through.

"I will go retrieve your breakfast, Miss." Azula curtsied and hurried out of the room.

I sat down at the table and waited.

She returned a moment later carrying a tray, which she set down in front of me. She smiled. "Will you be needing anything else, Miss?" She asked.

"Actually, Azula." I began. "Would you mind calling me by my name? You don't need to call me 'miss' or anything like that."

She blinked, seeming surprised by my request, but then she smiled and nodded her head. "Of course, Lyra. If that's what you wish."

"Thank you," I said, smiling. "Where is Rylan?"

"He had things to do. You will most likely eat breakfast and lunch by yourself, but you will always have dinner with him and the others." She said.

"Oh," was my answer. "Alright."

She nodded and curtsied before leaving and I was alone.

Sighing to myself, I began to eat. The food was amazing, and I found it difficult to not stuff myself again. But, I wanted to get better so I ate until I was not quite full. If I'd eaten much more I would've thrown up again.

Once I'd finished, Azula came back and, with a wave of her hand, the dishes disappeared. She smiled and handed me a piece of parchment. I turned it over and found a detailed map on the other side. I blinked at the two small dots that appeared to be sitting in the dining room.

"A map?" I asked, looking at Azula.

She smiled. "An enchanted map. It will help you figure out how to get to places. You see, that's us, right there." She pointed at the two dots. One was blue and the other was green. "You're the green one. I'll appear on the map, too, because I'm your servant, so you'll always know where to find me. See, that's the front door." She pointed to a tick mark on the page that was labeled, "front door," "And that's the back door, which will lead you out into the gardens. And this is the staircase you will take to get back up to your room. And this is the library. Oh, and that's the kitchen." All the rooms were labeled, but Azula seemed to want to point it out anyway. She smiled. "When Rylan and Althea are back on the estate, you will see them on this map, as well, if you ever need them. Oh, and Tristan will also appear on the map, though he will usually only join you for dinner. Most of the time, you will not see him on the palace grounds, except around dinner." She beamed at me, seemingly proud of her work. "Any questions?"

I shook my head. "Thank you, Azula." I said. "This must have been a lot of work to make." I could not express how grateful I was to have such a map.

Her cheeks reddened at my compliment, her eyes sparkling. "Well, not really. It didn't take me too long. I just hope it helps."

"It most certainly will." I stared at the map, smiling.

"Do you know how to read maps?" She asked me.

I nodded. "Yes, I do. I think I can understand it." I answered. After years of hunting and exploring the forest next to my house, I had become quite adept at creating and reading maps. Though, it had been two years since I'd last read one, the memories had not escaped me.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Azula's eyes widened in surprise. "The best part about this map is that, if you keep it with you, it will be able to rewrite itself to be helpful wherever you are. So, if you, say, went to King Rhaegar's palace in North Sideron, the map would rewrite itself to become a map of his palace, so you could find your way around there, too. Isn't that amazing?"

I blinked down at the map in awe. "That's unbelievable . . ." My voice was not above a whisper. All because of some enchantment. I shook my head, dumbfounded. "Thank you so much." I said, and meant it. I had a feeling this map would be very useful for me.

"Of course, Miss—I mean, Lyra." She said, blushing at her mistake. "Now, if you'll excuse me . . ." she curtsied and hurried off.

I watched her go. She was so kind. It saddened me that she was only a servant. She deserved more than that.

I pushed back my chair and stood, grasping the map in my hand. I stared at it until I found the small door that was labeled, "Lyra's room." Once I found it, I began walking toward the stairs, watching the small green dot make its way toward the stairs, as well.

Using the map, I found my way back up to my room, only getting lost once along the way. I was proud of myself that I'd made it all the way to my room with only the map as a reference.

I walked into my room and picked up my book off of my bedside table. Looking back down at the map, I retraced my steps back through the twists and turns of the palace and down the stairs. I decided to go out to the gardens. So, still using the map, I followed the path that led me to the back doors of the palace and out into the gardens.

Flowers were still in full bloom, reaching high into the sky as though trying to touch the sun. The trees were all green and looked like something from a painting. There were a few flowering here and there, where the flowers were blossoming and falling onto the ground.

The sun warmed my skin and a gentle breeze lifted the hair away from my face. Because it was still spring, it was warm out but the heat was not unbearable.

There were gravel paths that trailed throughout the garden, shaped hedges lined the paths and there was a large marble fountain in the middle of the garden. Sprites flew around the garden, their wings beating as fast as a hummingbird's. I watched one sprite landed on a daisy, so lightly that it hardly even shifted.

Faerie servants hurried around the gardens, doing their work. It was a lively sort of place. I smiled to myself as I sat on the edge of the marble fountain and opened my book. The watered tinkled musically from behind me as I began to read.

I was so caught up in the book that I was not aware of anything else. It was as though everything else had ceased to exist when I'd been sucked into this fictional world. Before I knew it, the sun had begun to set.

"Excuse me, Lyra," I heard from beside me.

Startled, I slammed the book shut and looked up to find Azula watching me uncertainly. "My apologies for interrupting, but dinner is ready."

I nodded and stood. I rolled my stiff shoulders. I had not moved from that spot since I'd gotten here and I was a little sore from sitting so long.

Azula led me inside and into the dining room where the others were already waiting. Althea glared at me as I entered. Today, she was wearing a bright yellow gown that, on anyone else would have looked like the tackiest thing in the world, but she managed to look beautiful in it.

"Are we going to have to wait on you every night, Halfbreed?" She asked irritably. "As customary in our society, you should be waiting on us."

"Al," Rylan sighed.

I murmured an apology as I took my seat beside the man who I assumed to be Tristan. On my other side was Rylan, who was talking with Althea quietly.

"Don't worry about her," Tristan said brightly as he began heaping food onto his plate. "She's just in a bad mood because she lost the Hunt today."

"The Hunt?" I asked curiously. I'd never heard of it.

Tristan was about to respond but Althea cut him off with a hiss. "It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't concern you, Halfbreed." Her voice was as sharp as nails.

"My name is Lyra." I replied stiffly.

She didn't even acknowledge my comment. I felt my dislike for her increasing with each passing second.

After everyone had been served, we began to eat. It was an effort to keep from shoveling the food into my mouth like I had on the previous night, but I did not want to relive that experience, so I ate my food slowly, carefully. It was incredible. Everything tasted so much better than anything I'd ever eaten. Though, it could have been that I'd been living off of stale bread and lukewarm water for the past two years.

Althea and Rylan were talking quietly once more and Tristan was eating his food quietly, a smile flickering on his lips.

I leaned over to speak to Tristan and he glanced at me. "So, what, exactly, is the Hunt?" I asked softly.

He leaned closer to whisper a response. He smelled nice. Like wood smoke. "There are a group of fey called Hunters. Althea is one of them. Today, they were—"

There was a loud clattering sound and something whizzed past my face. Without even looking at it, Tristan raised his hand and grasped it between his fingers, just a breath away from his cheek. If he'd waited even a moment longer, it would have stabbed him. Though, he did not even look surprised. His mouth remained upturned in a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

My heart was pounding loudly in my chest. That could have hit me! I was still staring at it in Tristan's hand, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Nice try, Al." He said, smiling. He set the fork down beside his plate.

She spat something at him in a language that I did not understand.

He replied, more calmly, in that same language.

I had not ever heard this language before, but it was very enchanting. The words rolled off his tongue, sounding almost like a song as he spoke.

"I told you not to say anything, Tristan," she growled, her blue eyes blazing. "It's none of her concern."

"I was only answering her question." He shrugged casually.

Rylan rolled his eyes, looking irritated. "Enough, both of you." The table fell silent, after that.

Tristan caught my eye and smiled slightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I'll tell you later, he seemed to say.

I returned my gaze to my plate, but I was no longer hungry. With a wave of Rylan's hand, the dishes vanished from the table. I stared at the place where my plate had been a moment before. That would not be easy to get used to.

I was not quite sure how this worked. "Er . . . may I please be excused . . . ?" I asked uncertainly.

Rylan's eyes twinkled with amusement as he watched me. "Yes, you may. But you don't have to ask."

"You should, though." Althea said. "You're below him, Halfbreed."

I clenched my teeth to keep from replying. I heard Rylan sigh, sounding frustrated, from beside me. Picking up my book, I turned and left the dining room behind. When I was out of the room, I pulled out the enchanted map and began making my way back up to my room. The walk seemed shorter, this time. Maybe it was just because I was learning my way around.

I was pleased with myself when I made it to my room by myself. I pushed open the door. The fire in the fireplace was burning merrily, and candles had been lit in certain places of the room, so I was not in the dark. I'd only been in my room a few minutes, when there was a knock on my door.

Azula stepped in without waiting for a reply. She smiled. "I brought nightclothes, if you would like to change."

I nodded. "Thank you."

She nodded as she undressed me and dressed me in a white silk nightgown as smooth and light as water. She brushed back my hair.

"Goodnight, Lyra." She said, heading for the door.

"Goodnight." I replied as she shut the door behind her and I was left alone.

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This was the end of Chapter Four of On the Other Side! I really hope you liked it! Let me know what you think, I am always open to feedback! That goes for if you see grammatical errors as well. Another thing: the title is temporary. I don't think it fits that well with my story, so if you have any ideas please tell me! You can message me privately, leave a comment, or post on my page!

Please vote, comment, or follow! Follow me for updates on my new story. I will try to publish regularly, at least once a week. Because I have school, I will most likely publish on the weekend. Thanks for reading!