Seven Stories

Chapter 1: Stormy Weather - A Quiet Place

Footsteps down the hallway, and giggles resonating from wall to wall. The ancient drapes and tapestries hung placidly in the everlasting obscurity of places in the castle that no one ever visited anymore. Everything was disproportionate here, even more so than in any other part of the palace. The old queens had had a desire for grandeur that the means of the Territory were then able to meet.

Nearly tripping on the rim of an enormous carpet threaded with gold, Karen caught herself on the antique reproduction of an elvish warrior's armor. Only Lii's mastery of air, as she reached the room too, kept it from falling apart on the ground.

Karen only laughed louder, and jumped away from Lii's grasp.

"You haven't got me yet !"

"Just you wait, you little royal brat !"

Karen hurried down the hall, that was too big to reach the far door very fast anyway, and Lii ran after her. She was more trained, and her muscles were more developed than the thirteen-year-old's, but the Queen was fast as a wisp, and the willingness to escape was burning inside her, had always been, maybe even more so than Lii.

They reached a staircase spiraling up, carved in black stone that looked like obsidian rather than marble, and Karen was already racing up the steps.

"I thought you were tired !" Lii shouted, laughing way more than she was panting.

"Move up, slow-paced Eria, come and get me !"

"Slow-paced... Oh you are gonna regret this."

They were flying by the tiny windows it he walls, ignoring completely the elaborate artwork covering them, shaping scenes from battles and wars Karen was supposed to know by heart. Catching up on the young girl, Lii unclasped her staff from the straps in her back, and waved it in front of her. Electric blue streaks of light shot up the staircase, the sharpness of its color reflected on a myriad of small mirrors placed on a fresque for effect.

Lii heard Karen scream and then swear. She laughed openly.

"Watch that mouth of yours, young missy !"

"You sound like my mom ! Now get me down !"

Lii climbed up a few stairs, and sure enough, the little Queen was there, floating in mid-air on her back, her knees up and her high pink socks revealed by her drawn up purple skirt. She kicked a boot in the air, which made her initiate a barrel roll that Lii stopped by grabbing her ankle, still laughing.

"Come back down, your Highness."

She made a movement with her staff, helped the Queen get on her feet by placing a helpful arm around her waist, then stored the staff back.

"You cheated, Lii" the little Queen smiled.

"I did."

"It doesn't matter, really. I got you were I wanted."

Lii lifted an eyebrow.

They were standing next to the mosaic of mirrors, which Lii now saw were in the shape of tall trees. In the forest of reflections, there were precious stones incrusted in the wall, glowing faintly.

"Not this way, dummy."

Karen pushed a door on the outer wall of the stair case and Lii followed her through. When she was out the doorway, she looked up, and saw the stars. They were on a small terrace facing west. Far away, hundreds of kilometers away, fogged up and blurry, she could make out the monotonous shape of the Fortification.

Lii squinted in the direction of Light, but as she had expected, the fog covering the land was too thick to see the Wood through it. However, the floating drops of water diffused the candle and magic lights from the city underneath. The closer to the palace, the higher the density of dreams, steady, yellow glows. This was where the wealthy lived, in their buildings of black and blue stones, among their perfectly aligned streets. In the distance, the lights were scarcer. Where they drowned into the mist, they progressively left their place to the stars. Here in the Territory of Shadows, the constellations were not quite the same as up there in Light. Lii had learnt them, though, and even though she missed the Lion and the King she'd spent hours observing with Ti, she was still mesmerized by the beautiful stories the people of Shadows had shaped in the night sky.

"Are you cold ?" the ginger voice of the little Queen rose timidly behind her. Lii turned and offered her a big, frank, cheerful smile, and pulled her into her arms.

"It is perfect, Kay" she muffled against the girl's white hair as she protested half-heartedly.

"I know you like the outdoors" Karen said, but what she meant was "I know you need access to these kinds of out-of-reality bubbles", and that was how Lii understood it. "Thanks for the gift, Kay".

"Sure thing". The little Queen broke away from the hug. "I need to go downstairs. The old turtle is waiting for me. Apparently they want me to change my mind on the subject of the policy towards Light."

"No wonder" Lii snickered. The young Queen was incredibly daring, and so kind-hearted it scared her Counsellors to the Moon and back. Lii herself loved, however, what she was trying to achieve, even though she was not completely sure it was worth the try. "I'll be there when you're done, just meet me back when they're done boring you".

The Queen smiled, walked back, and waved before disappearing down the stairs. Lii kept watching the door fondly for a few seconds before moving to close it.

Then she laid down on the cold floor of the terrace, lighting up a small fire to keep her company. She rested her head on her crossed arms, and with a smile on her lips, closed her eyes.