I am Melinoe

chapter 1

    A crooked nose, a skinny blue face, dark circles under yellow eyes. The blue hair complemented the intense eyes. She was Melinoe. 

"Mel! Time to eat!" called her sister Morta. Melinoe went downstairs to see her family all sitting at the table enjoying their dinner. Well, all except for her father, he was never around... without him, she stood out; all her family had bright orange hair, only her younger brother Mette had blue skin, her sisters both had skin the color of a cherry blossom.

"After you eat, I need you to go see your father. He asked me to send you." Said her mother. Her mother's voice was normally soft and steady, it calmed her, but right now it shook...

"mom?" she asked, "what's wrong?" her mom stood silent for a minute, like she was thinking about what to say carefully.

"oh, I'm sure it's nothing dear... just do what he asks and don't speak unless spoken to. Okay?"

"yes ma'am." Melinoe got up from the table and made it down the dark corridor to a set of twisty stairs, no lighter than the rest of the house.

She carefully knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"come in." said a loud and strong voice, the opposite of her mother's.

"you asked for me?" Melinoe tried to keep all signs of fear from her voice. It was hard, normally her father never lets anyone enter his office, and when he does it's never for a good reason.

"ah, Daughter. I'm so glad you could make it."

"you-you are?" before she could stop herself the words came out. But he didn't seem to even give them thought.

"I wanted to speak with you. About your future."

"my future? sir?" she added sir quickly to make it seem more respectful.

"no need for formalities, all though I appreciate it. I wanted to ask if you ever given Boycott a thought... No?" he said after she didn't respond. "I just thought since you don't exactly favor me, maybe you thought of overthrowing me and taking the crown for yourself..."

"sir?" had he heard all the times she complained to her siblings? Did he know she hated it here? "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"let's make this short. I'm tired. I'm dying, ironically, and I thought best if I made sure I had an heir before I step down. You understand now?"

"I think so." She said, her voice still shaking.

"good, well something all rulers must do is spend some time with their people. So, I'm banishing you to earth."