Hidden Spirit {Completed}

Chapter Three: The Emities Pact

Before the girl could open her eyes, she felt another presence turn around the corner. She stood quickly and tried to make it look as if she had tripped.

The servant gave a soft 'oh' after nearly stumbling over her. "A-are you alright miss? Is there anything I can help you with?" she rushed.

With a quick jerk and a mutter, Amelia said no.

"You seem lost. Shall I show you to your room?"

Again Amelia replied with a no.

"Yes, Princess," she said, bowing quickly before rushing off to complete her original mission.

The girl took off walking toward her room. In order to get there, though, she would have to go through the hall that passed over the platform by the stairs. Not expecting another occurrence in her day she hurried on.

Soon she began to hear the voices of Andrew and his family. Too dull to hear clearly, she continued forward. She stood against the rail of the platform with stairs on each side that led down to where the family was standing in the hallway. Amelia peered over to see Rosa and her mother a few feet in front of Andrew.

"Mother," he began, "what are your thoughts?"

She took a moment to respond. "Well, I must see what Jed thinks, but the plans were already beginning to come together."

"What?!" Rosa screamed. "Did you ever think of how this might affect us? We do not need another princess, and especially not a Constentinian parasite like her!"

"You forget your place, Rosa."

"Do I, Mother? She has no right to run here and expect to be paired with another heir of royalty."

"Enough, Rosa," warned her mother. "It does not work that way."

Andrew spoke then. "Is that what you think? That she comes for position? I wonder, Rosa, what you would do in her place. What would you do if you were forced to leave your country, your family killed, your home destroyed, and made to stay in an odd place with odd people who would rather watch your silence than aid you? What makes you any better than her? Has she wronged you, or is your hate based upon her blood as a Constentinian?"

Amelia had moved by then, making her way down the hidden passageway the servants used to walk down the dark hall that was behind Andrew. They did not sense her nearby; the shadows had hidden her well.

Rosa's eyes were wide with anger and hatred beyond the princess, her nose flared at her half-brother; her golden-white hair glowing like fire in the light, her frame shaking with each breath she took. "That girl is no princess. Only an attention-needing dog. A useless leech here to steal our family's name. Is this all it takes to marry a prince? To run off helplessly and collapse in the arms of a prosperous country? She c--"

Rosa stopped mid sentence as one of Amelia's eyes caught the light behind Andrew as she stepped forward. She moved silently to stand beside him, their hands brushing against each other. Amelia stood stiff. Rosa growled within herself.

Amelia lifted her head, baring her pale face and glowing eyes.

Her nearly white skin, dark hair, and straight stance seemed to frighten Rosa, but above all were her eyes. They bore directly into the girl's light orbs, and she stumbled back a step.

With her full authority, Amelia's voice rang out clear and aimed at the girl standing in front of her. "Go on," she ordered. "Please, enlighten me. I'd like to hear more of my entrance," she said hoarsely, in an accent so foreign she fought to speak straight, still daring the other girl to challenge back.