Girl of Water and Fire

Ares Aella Verel

a/n- this is my first story so thanks for reading! this first chapter was written when I didn't really know where the story was going, but, at least I believe, the more the story continues the better the writing is and the more direction it has! (currently being reworked and edited)

ch. 1- Ares Aella Verel (edited!)

My navy slippers cause gravel to scatter from my heels, the trail of my baby pink dress following quickly after. I stop to admire a few of the blossoming flowers, my ivory gloves gently brushing over the surface of the petals.

I give a small, sad small at the contrast the stark gloves had to the scarlet that had covered my fingertips just a little earlier.

"Aella, your mother requests your presence in the living room," smiles a maid.

"Thank you, Marcella," I gently say, and begin walking the path to my mother, dreading the conversation we were about to have.

The high, arched ceiling of our mansion causes the heel of my navy slippers to reverberate through our main hall. Stained glass windows litters the wall to my left, as black and white tiled floors greeted my slow moving legs.

"You called?" I question to the strict woman standing at a transparent window and looking through it.

My mother scared me when I was a child; a scowl consistently showed on her features, harsh words always issuing from her thin lips, and her eyes filled with hatred when she gazed at me.

She turns, blue eyes like ice and hair like winter, "The Choosing is tomorrow."

"I am aware," I state.

"And you know what that means, Darling, do you not?" She asks, slowly moving towards me, her black dress pooling on the floors.

"Yes," I mumble.

"And what does it mean, sweet, sweet Aella," she hisses, eyes narrowed.

"I will not get Chosen."

"You will not, and I do not care what you have to do to not receive the honor of being the next Queen," she says as she takes another step towards me.

"I will not," I repeat.

"You will not, so you can continue, your," she gestured with a hand, "occupation for us.

"Of course," I nod, hating that she still created a swirling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"You are dismissed," she issued, turning her back to me once more.

I nod, although she could not see it, and ascend the marble staircase. I walk through the twirling hallways of our stately mansion to finally reach the door to my room.

My mother always hated that she had to assign me to a decent bedroom, so she found pleasure in assigning me the one farthest away from anything and everything. But I didn't mind. I did not want to be close to everything or anything.

I open the white wood door, and take of my shoes while I made my way to my tan canopy bed,  collapsing.

I lay on my right side and glance out of the bay window that beheld a small pond surrounded by lilac bushes and buzzing bees. I give a smile as a stood up on aching feet and walked over to the window, to prop it open so I could hear the sounds of nature.

I sit on the blush window seat and gaze out at the spring landscape, loving the breeze that ever so often came in to brush my brown hair from my eyes.

The peace I find in nature is surreal, but I hardly get to enjoy it due to my mother, Daniel or some other outside force.

Daniel. Shit.

I groan as I stand up and stick my feet into my slippers once more, grabbing a silk sky blue cloak, even though it was spring.

I choose to take one of our white stallions to the blacksmith's shop.

Handing my horse to a near stable boy, I continue my way across the road and through the throng of people littering it.

Heat rushes to greet my face as I open the rusted door. Some gaze at a Noble Daughter entering a lowly blacksmith's, some do not. I couldn't care either way, too tired from my kill this early morning, which was not only physically draining, but emotionally draining as well.

"Daniel," I call.

After a few moments, a rugged looking man appears in the door, "Ah Ares, I thought we were done for the day."

"I did as well, Master Daniel, but I must inform you that The Choosing is tomorrow and I am required to attend."

"Oh yes, I was well aware that you will not be able to work for me tomorrow."

I internally sigh that I made my way to town to relate something that did not to be related.

"Go back home, Ares, and take your time at the castle, if you do end up staying. Visit me when the coast is clear and suspicion has it's eyes on someone else."

"What if I do get Chosen?"

"Don't."

"That does not help me," I say as I venture farther into his shop to take a seat in a creaky wood chair.

"You're welcome," he rasps, as he makes his face to continue the weapon he was working on before I arrived.

After a minute of silence, I rise and intend to leave the shop without another word.

"Good luck," he calls once I am almost out of the door.