PrologueA Chapter by Ramy Wilesprologue to the actual story."You can't catch me, you can't catch me!"
"Can too!"
Two blurs of frills and lace breezed through the lush green forest, one after the other, weaving in and out with ease. Animals in the vicinity cleared out immediately, fearing they would be trampled by the boots that blazed past, but the two took no notice. The forest thickened, and on they sped, as if running across an open meadow of golden wheat. Branches clawed at their delicate, colorful outfits, leaving visible marks of damage, but they pressed on. Giggles and shouts rang throughout the wood.
"You'll never get me!" the smaller one shouted gleefully. Her slight frame bounded gracefully over a fallen tree trunk, as if it didn't exist. A smile lit her face. There was no way Triada would catch her this time.
With expert finesse, the little girl continued to leap over any obstacles in her way. She tried to remember what Mother had said about not letting her pride throw her off-balance, but it was difficult. Especially considering the fact that she rarely won these races. She threw a glance backward, and squealed in joy when she realized that her sister was nowhere to be seen. I've won, I've really won!
Not long after the girl began to bask in her victory, a figure appeared suddenly in front of her, and pair of arms wrapped themselves around her and lifted her off the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and kicked and screamed, throwing all her might into forcing her captor to relinquish her, but the arms held on. Then, giggles erupted from the person holding her, and the girl knew at once who it was.
"Triada?" she asked incredulously, shoving her sister away. "But... how did you get in front of me?" Her stomach plummeted. She hadn't won after all.
"I tried a new move I learned," Triada bragged, "and it worked, Airy! I can launch myself over anything in my way now... including my little sister." She smirked.
The littler girl bit her lip, trying to hold back the onslaught of tears that fought for release. It wasn't fair. Nothing was ever fair in their relationship. No matter what she did, Triada always did it better, and it was always because she was older. Finally, the girl managed to squeak, "That's not fair."
It was then that the tears came, and through her blurred vision, she saw Triada's face falter. "Arellia, come on... I'm sorry, I was only playing, I promise."
"So was I," Arellia sniffled, "until you used your unfair advantage."
"'Unfair advantage'? Airy, I'm eleven, I've been training for three more years than you have. That isn't unfair. It's just... well, how it worked out."
For a moment, Arellia was silent, little tears streaking down her face as she considered her sister's words. That was exactly why it was unfair. Normally, the three years of difference in age didn't seem like much, but now that Triada was progressing toward master-level training, playing chase with her had lost its thrill. Triada would always win with some flying acrobatic trick that Arellia couldn't replicate, no exceptions.
Why Arellia hadn't started the same training yet, she didn't know. Mother had been so insistent that Triada begin, what with the potential for an uprising. She'd said it was dangerous to be caught unprepared, especially as a royal... so why hadn't Arellia begun the training as well? She was just as capable, if not more so, than Triada.
Instead of responding to her sister with words, Arellia simply plopped herself on the grassy floor of the clearing and began to poke at a little patch of red flowers. She frowned indignantly and swore to herself that she wouldn't speak to Triada. Not until Mother promised that Arellia would receive the same combat education. Otherwise, it wasn't fair.
"Airy," Triada groaned from above. There was a rustling noise as she sat down next to Arellia, who promptly turned her head in the opposite direction. "I'm eleven. You're eight. That's how it is. And when you're thirty, I'll be thirty-three. No matter what, I'm always three years older. You can't change that. What you can change is how you react to it. You know what Mother says."
And she did. "Not everything in life is going to go your way, and the only thing you'll have complete control over is your reaction." Was it relevant to Arellia? No. She was eight years old. Most of the time, she had no idea what was going on in the world of her parents, despite the fact that she was a perceptive child. She didn't understand how she was supposed to react. Happy that she wasn't training at a high enough level? Delighted that she got to be left behind while her sister advanced? Of course not.
Although... Triada certainly sounded sincere. Arellia sneaked a quick peek at her sister's face as discreetly as she could, and she saw a glimpse of what looked like a comforting smile before she quickly turned away again.
More rustling sounded from behind her, meaning that Triada had just stood up. Arellia heard a sigh from the older girl, followed by a gentle plea: "Come on, Airy. Mother will be waiting for us. We've got to get ready for tonight."
A hand appeared in front of Arellia's face, outstretched and waiting for her to take it. Reluctantly, she clasped Triada's hand and allowed herself to be hoisted to her feet. Glancing up, Arellia saw the girl's comforting smile more clearly, and it was full of genuine regret and desire for reconciliation. Arellia was unable to stop herself from returning the grin. It was difficult for her to stay too mad at Triada for long. She was a good sister, even when she beat Arellia in their games, and Arellia had to remember that.
With hands intertwined, the sisters walked back through the trees, toward home.
**************
"Oh, don't you two just look lovely," Arellia's mother gushed when the sisters entered the parlor.
Indeed they must have. In the few hours since their little escapade in the forest, they had been scrubbed clean and decorated in their lavish party wear. Both were dressed in elaborate ballgowns of sleek satin, Arellia's scarlet and Triada's sapphire. Their hair had been pulled into intricate knots at the backs of their heads, and little bands of diamonds replaced their usual head scarves. Right down to the sparkling silver slippers, the girls matched exactly.
Of course, Arellia knew that Mother must have been embellishing. Triada's looks smashed Arellia's to pieces. Why couldn't she have had the dark blue dress? It matched her skin far better than this red. And Triada's diamonds looked bigger and shinier.
Still, Arellia smiled faintly and uttered a small "Thank you". If she wanted to become a proper princess, she had to remember her manners. With her parents as King and Queen, she got a fair amount of practice, but at home she still found it difficult to "be a diplomat", as Triada called it. What was a diplomat, anyway? To Arellia, it sounded like "doormat". That was certainly not an ideal occupation.
Mother beckoned the girls forward, and they took their usual places on the floral-patterned sofa opposite her. Arellia was careful to smooth the backside of her dress before sitting. After all, who wanted a wrinkly ballgown? It was a trick that Triada had taught her a few years ago, when Mother bought Arellia her first formal dress. She would have to remember to thank her one day.
"We'll just wait for your father, then," Mother announced, already slipping into her polite voice, the one she used when addressing the public. Arellia rolled her eyes when Mother turned away. She hated that voice. It was the voice of Queen Meladia, but not the voice of her Mother.
"No need to wait, I'm here," came a jovial call from the doorway.
"Papa!" Arellia squealed and ran into his open arms. She loved her father's hugs, especially when he wore his formal attire and robes. The soft red velvet, the same shade as Arellia's dress, always made her feel safe and protected. Though he didn't wear it often, it was how she identified him.
"Rell, my little princess!" He lifted her up into the air and spun her around once, feigning exhaustion. "Eurgh! My goodness, you're getting big, darling! Soon you won't be my little princess anymore, will you?"
Arellia giggled. She loved how silly her father became when he was around his daughters, especially because he had to be so serious most of the time. "I'll always be your little princess, Papa."
"Good!" He poked her nose and turned back to face Mother and Triada. "You too, Tree."
Triada's face lit up instantly, and she too sprinted to her father. He held them both aloft and glanced from one to the other.
"Oh, my girls... I can't believe another year has gone by so quickly! Do I really have to have a birthday today?" he play-whined at them, sending both Arellia and Triada into hysterics.
"Yes, Papa," they laughed.
"Sodhin, let them down," Mother called from across the parlor, still using her polite voice. A hint of a smile was on her face, but its nature was more condescending than friendly, meaning that she was serious. Arellia reluctantly set her feet back on the wooden floor when Papa lowered the girls.
He began to protest. "Meladia--"
"No, they need to exhibit their best behavior tonight," Mother cut in sternly, walking over to him at a brisk pace. While fixing his now-askew robe, she added, "As do you, Sodhin."
So began, in Arellia's terms, the "adult babble", her phrase for her parents' bickering. She ignored the noise and turned her attention instead to Triada. But when she looked to her right, she saw nothing. Arellia whipped her head around in search of her sister, and found her standing by the doorway to the garden. She was beckoning for Arellia to follow her.
"What?" she asked Triada's retreating figure. "We shouldn't go too far, they'll be wond--"
"Shhh! Just follow," Triada whispered, and Arellia obeyed diligently. Together, they fled outside, scampering around the side of the castle into the bushes by the main entrance. Their position provided an excellent view indeed of the gates and pathway, which had been lavishly decorated in honor of their father's birthday. Guests were beginning to arrive, dresed in their fineries. With them, the glorious scene was complete.
Arellia allowed herself a little gasp of awe before she inquired quietly, "So, what are we doing here?"
In response, Triada unclenched her fist, which contained an array of small grains of rice, presumably stolen from the kitchen. The signature mischievous grin on her face gave away her intentions immediately.
"No, we couldn't!" Arellia snipped. "We'd get into so much trouble!"
"Not if they don't find out it's us, Airy," Triada replied impishly. "They won't if we don't say anything."
"Triada, we can't. Mother said--"
"I heard what Mother said," Triada grumbled. "Arellia, trust me, we'll be f--"
Suddenly, from inside the bushes behind them, multiple hands burst through the wall of leaves and latched themselves onto Triada's arms. She let out a piercing scream, and within moments she had been pulled through. Arellia's eyes widened in shock, and she tried to suppress her own urge to shriek. Acting instinctively, Arellia flattened herself to the ground, sticking her fingers deep within the soil. Petrified, she breathed as quietly as possible, listening helplessly to Triada's frantic screams and pleas. What on Earth had just happened?
"AIRY! MOTHER! PAPA! PAPA! Let go of me-- MOTHER! HELP! SOMEONE, HELP ME!"
She seemed to be calling to anyone who could possibly be of assistance. Tears flowed from Arellia's eyes as she listened to the sickening sounds of struggle emanating from behind her. Coupled with Triada's screams, Arellia heard the captors threatening to kill her if she continued to shout. The girl's fingers were dug firmly into the ground, her limbs tense and frozen into position. Had she wanted to move now, she couldn't have.
More screams arose from the distance, adding a new note of panic to Arellia's already frantic state of mind. She could make out a few distinct voices, ones she certainly not wish to hear: The cook, two maids, a butler, and... no. No, no, no. Mother. Without thinking, Arellia rolled swiftly out of the bushes and sprinted back to the castle. Her adrenaline took over her mind, save for one thought: Not her. Not her. She may have been too late to help her sister, but there was no way her mother would suffer as well. The sound of pounding feet and shouts behind her registered only faintly in her brain. Only her mother mattered now. Just as Arellia approached the doors, a horrible cascade of flames erupted before her eyes. She let out a shriek and jumped back in terror. What was going on? All around, more and more bursts of yellow and orange were springing up from the ground as if active geysers of fire surrounded the castle. Arellia froze in utter disbelief, unable to run any further. Her eyes were frozen to the chaos that was unfolding before her. The surrounding scene quickly became a melee of urgent shouts and numerous guests fleeing, running far and fast from the blaze. Their utter terror convinced Arellia to follow suit. With one last petrified look at her home, which was visibly losing its struggle against the explosions, she ran. Ran as far from this place as she could, to safety. She ripped off her shoes, abandoning them to the fires, trying in vain to do the same with the horrible images that remained embedded in her brain. Trying in vain to block the sounds and sights of her world drowning in smoke. © 2011 Ramy WilesAuthor's Note
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