Chapter 356: Final Preparations
At the arena, a veritable army of servants had labored almost non-stop since Heila’s ninth victory on the bloody sands. The work had paused only briefly when Nyrielle’s army appeared and marched into the city like a snake made of flame with the torches they carried to march in the darkness. Once the spectacle had ended, however, frantic supervisors had urged their staff back to work in order to transform the mighty stadium in time for the following evening’s festivities.
Outside the arena, every marble statue had been cleaned and polished. In honor of a visit from the famed Blood Princess of the Arena, every fountain surrounding the arena as well as those within its more opulent spaces had been drained, scrubbed, and refilled with water and copious amounts of red coloring that made it appear as though the fountains had been filled with blood.
Inside the arena, the lowest level had undergone a startling transformation. Where common folk normally stood shoulder to shoulder, jostling for the best view of blood spilled on the sands above, now elegant tables draped in deep crimson linens formed intimate circles throughout the space. Ice sculptures of famous arena champions towered over the gathering, their crystalline forms catching and scattering the light from hundreds of oil lamps that had been hung to illuminate the normally shadowy space.
Common benches had been cleared away, replaced by elegant chairs and luxurious sofas that ringed the arena, offering the best view of the bloody battles below to the powerful and prestigious guests who would fill this space tonight.
Normally, the lowest level of the arena could accommodate nearly two thousand people, and as many as five hundred more were known to crowd into the space when popular champions met for the most anticipated battles of the year. Now, however, after arranging personal invitations for a small, select group of people, a mere four hundred tickets had been auctioned off to those wealthy enough or influential enough to rub elbows with the visiting dignitaries.
In High Lady Erna’s private box, Ashlynn stood with Heila and her newly appointed personal guard Virve as they watched the final preparations being made. Overhead, the sun had already sunk low enough in the sky that it couldn’t be seen from within the arena and the sky itself had turned a brilliant shade of pale orange with rosy highlights on the few wispy clouds that dotted the sky.
"I wish Nyrielle could watch sunsets like this," Ashlynn said softly as she looked out across the arena. Though the shade wasn’t quite the same as the sunrise she’d watched with Nyrielle in the dream they shared, it was close enough to the vampire’s favorite color that Ashlynn briefly wished she’d made arrangements to create a shadowed corner that was dark enough for her lover to emerge early, just to witness the sight together in person instead of in dreams.
"I’m told that, in the winter, there is a tower that she uses to watch the sunrise on days that the mist is thick enough to shield her from the early light," Virve said softly. "According to Captain Lennart, whenever she does, we have to block off all the hallways between her tower and her chambers so no one delays her when she returns to her bed to sleep away the day."
"I suppose I’ll have to look forward to it this winter then," Ashlynn said with a soft, wistful smile. This winter she also intended to travel back to Blackwell County with Nyrielle. If something like what Virve mentioned could be arranged in the Vale of Mists, perhaps they could find a way to do something similar in the place where she’d watched the sunrise in their dream.
"You should slip down there and steal a bite to eat while you can, Heila," Ashlynn added, changing the topic and pointing to the tables on the lowest level that were heaped with food.