Girl of Water and Fire

To The Castle

     The next dawn, I climb into an elegant carriage with gold accents. My dress plumped around me as I took my seat, the deep navy ballgown with gold matching the carriage displayed my family's colors. The dress was horrid, showing too much cleavage, yet it stayed conservative in the skirt.

     The white stallions began trotting forward, making me lurch. My mother, sitting diagonally from me on the plush black velvet seats, managed to maintain her stunning posture.

     She frowned at me while she said, "I guess those years of training did not pay off, your sister, however, managed to actually learn the skills taught. Everly is quite amazing, isn't she? Oh and that blonde hair, just like mine." She twirled a strand of her long, blonde hair around her index finger.

     Once my younger sister was born, I was completely out of the picture. Actually, I don't think I was ever in the picture. Everly was the golden star of my family, owning both, mother's and father's, favoritism. Mother always cared about Everly more than me, I was almost sure it had something to do with my 'profession' she and father forced me into. It was actually very ironic, she made me this monster, yet always looked at me with disgust when I arrived home after finishing my work.

     The carriage continued on, bumping slightly on the dirt road up to the beautifully built castle.

     We were on our last part of our journey when mother grabbed my chin, hard enough to hurt. I held back my wince as she spit, "I swear to every god that will listen, you better behave and do all in your power to not become Chosen."

     She leaned back, but I stated without stuttering, "Daniel said that it's not up to me. That it was decided long before, even my conception."

     He didn't say the last part, but I added it in to make my point more convincing. I've always been good at lying.

     Mother, who usually looks disgusted by the mention of Daniel, just gazed out the window.

     "We will see, Aella." Was all she said.

---

     As the carriage pulled up to the castle overlooking the sea, I glanced out my window. I have been to many Royal houses, many retreats, and overly complicated vacation homes, but nothing like this.

     The turrets broke the clouds, while the roof shattered the sky. There were too many sections and courtyards to count, too many balconies and bay windows to put a logistic number on. The castle, painted a welcoming gray, rest on a powerful hill, asserting a view of Arolir Bay, a bay filled with shimmering turquoise water.

     I stepped out of the carriage, helped by one of the many guards. Funny, how I could probably kill them before they drew another huff of air.

     My feet landed soundly on the cobblestone pathway, along with my mother's, as I admired the arch I was about to pass under, also made of cobblestone but decorated with curls of roses and thorns.

     I made my way under the arch and through the grand doors of the castle, stretching over fifteen feet tall. I took a deep breath before commanding the doors be opened.

     The pale marble made my slippers click along the hallway as I enhanced my surroundings, my assassin's training taking over, forcing me to memorize the ways in and out.

     A portly man seemingly emerged from the shadows, "Hello, my ladies," he exclaimed as he bowed, his large belly tucking under him, "I will be your escort today, the plan is as follows: rooms and free roaming at ten, luncheon at one, with the noble families, dinner and ball at six, Choosing at eight." He listed the schedule off robotically. I wonder if he memorized the words exactly.

     "Follow me to your rooms if you will," He led my mother and I down wide and bright hallways, turning left, then right, right again, another left, and, finally, a right. We halted at two pairs of grand doors across from each other, my mother's and my rooms.

     "Lady Lucinia Verel," he said, addressing my mother, "Your rooms will face the bay." He nodded at her as she disappeared within the rooms.

     "Lady Ares Verel, the prince requests a meeting with you," He took off back to where we came from, and I had no choice but to follow him.

     "But, this isn't part of the schedule, I thought I would be in my chambers for the morning." I exclaimed while he just continued walking.

     "You will soon, your chambers are right across from your mother's, and they have a spectacular view of the rose garden, Lady Ares." He avoided the topic of discussion- the prince.

     "I prefer Lady Aella, if you may." I corrected.

     He stopped suddenly, blushing a furious red, he bowed as her stuttered, "Yes-yes, of course Lady Aella, a-a very pr-pretty name."

     He seems... scared of me. My mind clicks, realizing that a shape has formed down at the end of the open hallway.

     My escort bows at the figure then scurries off, leaving me and the man in the shadows.

     "A-ella," said the man, tasting my name on his tongue, "I very much prefer Ares, to be blunt."

     He stepped out of the shadows gracefully, revealing a thin, yet athletic, boy about my age. His hair the color of raven feathers, disheveled and unkept. His full mouth was set in a small smirk, while his pale fingers tapped against his thigh. What made me recognize him, were his eyes of burnished gold. The royal eyes.

     I flushed and curtsied sloppily, bowing low.

     He tsked, "Now, no need for that Ares."

     "I would very much prefer Aella, Your Highness." I proclaimed as I rose, determined to be more graceful.

     "Whatever you wish, Ares," He said with a wink.

     I huffed a little sigh and asked, "So, apparently, you wished to see me?"

     "Oh, that, yes. I've decided to meet the seven daughters in my council room, and since your escort has... left, I guess the duty falls to me." He offered his arm, and I cautiously approached Prince James and took his extended arm.

     "Ares," he said again, I withheld my sigh, "Now, why would a pretty thing like you be given a name after the god of war himself?"

     "That's a great question, and one I don't know the answer to." I replied.

       "Hmmm, interesting." Was all he responded.

     I pulled away to look at him, "What?" I questioned.

     "Funny you don't know the origin of your own name-"

     "My father told me once he thought it signaled strength and loyalty." I interrupted, the lie slipped off my tongue, not wanting to tell him that Daniel chose my first name, that would lead to too many questions.

     "Oh," he mumbled with a grin, "two other things," I almost rolled my eyes, "First, if I called one of the other daughters a 'pretty thing' they would have fainted, I know from experience. Second,-"

     I cut him off again, "You know from experience? So you didn't just 'run into me' on your way to the council room, you're trying to meet each of the daughters."

     "Smart, too. You're the last of them, if you wanted to know. And, as I was saying, none of them interrupted me, not even once. You did it twice." He said this with relative casualty, no anger hiding under the covers.

     I blushed again, forgetting who I am talking to, "Sorry, Your Highness."

     "No, no, it was rather a nice change." His grin only widened.

     We continued the rest of the way in peaceful silence, stopping in front of large wooden doors.

     "Here we are." James said as he motioned for the doors to be open.

A/N- I might just post all that I've written, or a good amount, to give whoever is reading this (btw so happy that you are) a substantial storyline. :) Also, Wattpad undoes the tabs I have in my other document and they're really annoying to put back so I may just stop soon.