When Elements Collide

Chapter 1.1

"Shit."
She was so screwed. Completely, undeniably screwed.
Alya opened her eyes to see pink and orange hues peeking out from behind the cloudy morning sky, piercing through a window that wasn't her own. Bright colors danced against the shelves of the library, the humming of the castle its accompaniment. She snapped out of her sleepy daze and realized- Fuck. She must have fallen asleep while reading the night before.
The old mahogany doors of the library creaked as she opened them slightly and peaked through the crack. Alya winced at the noise and listened for any approaching footsteps before she leapt into the hall. Delphy is going to kick my ass. Her fingers slid across the wall of the large corridor until she felt a familiar crack. After one last look around, she pried her nails into the gouge and peeled open a small door. The smell of dirt and mildew filled her airways, and she welcomed the musty odor. It meant a chance to taste freedom, even if only for a couple hours each night.
Her feet hit the ground and she could feel the cold floor through her too thin shoes. The slapping of her quick feet on stone created a steady rhythm as she raced to her quarters to get properly dressed. Dust flew by her face and cobwebs clung to her sleeves, but she ignored it all. Even the broken bits of glass and discarded articles of clothing. Well, she supposed she didn't ignore those quite as much, because a giggle escaped her lips as she passed a pair of men's trousers. Dirty men. She pushed away the thought and ran on. Alya's lungs burned as she sprinted the final stretch of the passage-way and yanked open the wooden handle to her quarters.
She threw herself into the room and rushed to her area of the servant's community living space. In the first half of the room sat thirty or so beds, complete with wooden frames, sheets, and even pillows for a lucky few. The rest of the large room was filled with mattresses arranged all around and a hodgepodge collection of blankets for the winter months. She navigated through the piles of glorified hay sacks until she reached her neat little pile of belongings and quickly dressed herself. A wooden comb snagged through her tangled, black hair, and within minutes it was neatly braided down the back of her head.
The castle was already bursting with life as she slipped into the servants corridors.
Delphine was going to kill her.
"Olly, Where have you been?"
Oh gods no-
Alya looked behind her to see Meadow, nearly running, with a tray in hand. Though she wasn't the only one. By now, the corridors were filled with various men and women with something to do and a place to be. Alya recognized a few faces then as they hurried past, but in a castle as large as this, it was hard to keep track of everyone.
"Do you think that maybe you could try to be on time...just once?" Meadow said, shooting Alya a pointed look before handing her the tray and shooing her towards the dining hall.
I really have to stop staying up so late.
She steadied herself and headed to the opening of the passage-ways.
Alya had always been a curious child, so it didn't take very long before she discovered the hidden passages within the castle. Many of the forgotten halls ran right to the regularly used servants passages, but since everyone was always in a hurry to get to their destination, no one had ever happened upon the dozens of hidden levers and buttons that opened hidden doors. Or at least, not that she had heard of anyway. Alya had been here for what seemed like all her life, and she still hadn't explored them fully. All she knew was that on days like these, they came in handy.
She balanced the tray in her hands, and reached for the wooden beam that hung from the ceiling. She threw the weight of it upwards, and it swung back down, crashing into the hidden button to open the narrow passage door. She shook her head at the dramatics and started the trek down the dimly lit corridor. Whoever built these entrances must have had a thing for loud noises and inconveniences.
The pale, gray stones in the deep passages were cold as ice during this time of year, and once again she cursed her useless shoes. She shivered as a burning sensation started to spread through the soles of her feet and quickened her pace. In minutes, she was plunged into complete darkness due to the lack of torches remaining to light the way. Not that it mattered; Alya had the forgotten passages memorized within a year of living at the castle. Which was a very long time ago.
After several moments, she turned and a small patch of light was visible. She walked towards the flickering light and the chattering voices she could faintly hear, thanks to her half-fae senses. Alya felt her way across the wall until she found a crack larger than the others, and pushed the stone backwards.
She almost fell into the servant corridor as the stone shifted away, but managed to steady herself, and the tray, in time. She closed the stone entrance behind her by elbowing the wall, and walked up to the door to the kitchen.
She really hated kitchen duty.
Alya knocked twice and the door swung open.
"Give it here, girl," Narcissa said with a sneer.
She flinched, and handed the tray to the frail woman.
Narcissa stood about three inches taller than Alya, and had bright, silver hair that was always wrapped up neatly in a bun atop her head. Her ever-so-slightly pointed ears peaked out from behind the strands of hair that framed her face, marking her distant fae heritage. She wore clothes very similar to Alya's, although much newer.
Narcissa's near-black eyes shifted away from Alya, to an unlucky girl who had just dropped a tray of fresh bread.
"I SWEAR TO THE GODS, POPPY, IF THAT WAS YOU-"
Alya knew for certain that it was, in fact, Poppy, and took this as her cue to leave. She slipped past a fuming Narcissa and made her way into the dining hall.
Long, dark wooden tables filled the room. Light flooded in from the stained-glass windows and bounced off of the fine, white cloths that draped over each table. Golden candlesticks as well as vases of flowers stood as centerpieces. Every table had various game, steaming vegetables, baskets of bread, and jars of fruit spread neatly dispersed among them.
As it was nearing the Winter solstice, with only days before the start of the celebration of Yule, lesser courts from across the kingdom gathered in the capitol. People from every walk of life and every sector of the kingdom. Voices echoed through the hall. High Fae filled every seat, greeting one another and telling stories of the past year.
In the very back of the hall, the royal table was set upon a raised dais. The King and Queen ate in silence as Prince Xavier and Princess Victoria bickered over something she couldn't discern, even with her heightened hearing.
Alya took the opportunity to admire Victoria's dress. It was the color of a vibrant emerald with veins of gold swirling along the chest, down to the skirt. The top was snug to her skin, leaving little to the imagination paired with the dipped neckline. The green fabric spread out in pools from her waist, creating a voluminous skirt to contrast her almost scandalous top. Golden jewelry adorned her, and Alya swore under her breath. She loved Victoria's fearlessness. She did whatever she pleased, and cared little for the opinions of the court. Memories of the night before flooded her brain, but she fixed her face in a mask of calm as she made her way around the hall, filling empty chalaces with wine.
As Alya casually glanced up to the royal table, the conversation between the siblings seemed to grow tense. Victoria clearly said something to spark Xavier's temper, because the young prince promptly sat up, and bellowed, "You are a foul wench," and stomped away.
Her face was shining in a triumphant smirk as her eyes locked with Alya's.
Alya just winked and continued on with her work.
From the corner of her eye, she could have sworn Victoria blushed.