Everland √

· Chapter Twelve ·

Chapter Twelve

After a long, hard day of magical training, Maariya walked with Kason to the dining room, still wearing her training suit. They were laughing about some silly jokes that the kids told that didn't even make sense. Maariya shook out her hands, which were a bit sore from so much moment and energy usage.

"Did you like it?" Kason finally asked.

Mar nodded. "Oh, yes. Very much." She looked up at him, right into his bright blue eyes. He smiled. "Kind of...never mind." She wanted to say kind of like you.

They reached the dining room, which wasn't very far from the training room. "Will you be eating with us?" Maariya asked Kason when he stopped right outside the room.

He shook his head. "No. The royal family and their guests eat first. Servants, trainers included, eat later."

"That doesn't seem fair," she protested. Kason shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." He waved and was gone. She entered the dining room.

Yacoub ran up to her. "Maariya! I've explained everything to your family. They said that they'll gladly ally with Everland and Frwen and fight to save all kingdoms." He looked her up and down. "What are you wearing?"

She looked down and laughed. "Oh. This is my training suit. It was so much fun, Yacoub! My trainer, Kason, is the nicest guy ever. He taught me how magic was caused by strong emotions, and he helped trigger them, believe it or not." While she talked, Yacoub's eager smile gradually turned to a frown. "But I can control wind, earth, water, and fire! It's incredible. Really." When Maariya stopped rambling and looked up to see the prince upset, she asked, "What's wrong?"

He waved a hand. "Nothing. It sounds like you were amazing. I'd like to see you do magic sometime."

She nodded. "Of course! Maybe you can come in tomorrow."

"I'd love to." There was a lull in the conversation, and the Yacoub said, "Do you think we should sit down?"

"Oh, right! Yes, I think we should." They took their seats silently, directly across from each other.

Annia and Bucephalus soon entered, each sitting on either side of their older sister. "You were great, Mar!" Annia exclaimed. "Like when the wind went whoosh! and your fire went boom!"

"Yeah! And did you see me, Maariya?" Bucephalus asked.

She nodded and put an arm around his shoulder. "You were great, Ceph."

Meanwhile, Annia was still talking. "And then with your water, when Kason kissed you, it was so pretty!"

Yacoub, who had been listening the whole time, nearly spit out the drink he had taken a sip of. "Kissed you? Really? He doesn't even know you!" He sounded furious.

"Well, it didn't actually mean anything," Maariya insisted. "It was just to help with my magic. And hey, it worked! And that's all that matters." She set her hands on his. "Promise you'll talk to me later?" He nodded wordlessly. "Good."

Just then, the king and queen entered. Queen Perchiny was wringing her hands and looking grieved. "Maariya, we have some news."

The princess perked up. "Oh?"

"Indeed," Nicolais said. "You see, a messenger from Everland came, and it seemed most urgent..." He trailed off, not wanting to have to be the one to tell his daughter.

"Your...Er, your adoptive father, King Dratensen, um...passed away."

This time, drink was spit out onto the table. "What? He wasn't even ill! Or old! How did it happen?"

"M-murder."

Maariya's heart dropped like a stone. The man she had thought of as a father for sixteen years had been murdered. And she didn't even get to say goodbye. She teared up as she reached down into her shoe to touch her birthday knife he had given her.

"D-do you know who d-did it?" she said with as much strength as she could muster. She closed her eyes and squeezed Yacoub's hand.

"Now, they don't know for sure, but the queen, Lorraine, was found next to the body. There was blood on her dress and a knife beside her."

No.

"No!" Maariya yelled. "Mother loved him! She would never do that!"

"That's not all the messenger said," the king spoke up. "He also mentioned that the queen's eyes were black. Not their normal brown."

Black. That could only mean one thing.

"The demon. It's inside her."

···

Queen Lorraine sat in her throne, her knuckles white as she clutched the arms of her seat. Since she had the highest ranking in the kingdom, she was not hanged for murdering her husband. She only had to lose a leg, and the demon let her feel the pain the whole time. It had absolutely no sympathy.

Now, Lorraine was waiting for the messenger to come back. She had sent him out so Maariya could know the truth. She knew that the girl was smart enough to figure it out. Then she could do something about it. The demon would leave her soon, and Maariya would defeat it once and for all.

The young man came running into the throne room. "My queen," he panted, "I have delivered the news. The girl's parents will tell their daughter."

Lorraine felt sharp pangs in her heart when he said the girl's parents and their daughter. She herself had almost forgotten that Maariya was not her child. After all the time they had spent together, she still found it safe to say that she was.

"Thank you," she said tightly. The messenger bowed his way out. "Don't make me hurt anyone else," Lorraine begged once he was gone. "Please. There is nothing else you can take from me. My daughter and husband are already gone."

You are forgetting that she was never really your daughter, the demon said. But you should not worry, young queen. For soon enough, I will leave you for someone else. Someone even closer to the princess. And it is in that body that she will have to kill me.

···

Chapter Twelve of Everland by MaraudersPotterhead

Published at 7:59 p.m. on November 9th

1004 words

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