Awoken

^-^-^Chapter 1^-^-^

Pushing away the curtain and entering our living quarters, I saunter up to father confidently and sit beside him. He doesn't even notice that I am here.

"Father?" I ask. It came out timidly as if I were afraid of how he would react, but soon I straighten out, realizing who I am speaking to. "Father. I need to talk to you. It's about the Pikti."

He didn't acknowledge me in the slightest. I huff.

"Father, this is important. They are wanting to take over the clan. They are wanting me to marry Hatuma." Again he does not answer. He only nods his head and continues staring at the fire. I join him. After a few moments, I voice the thoughts that had been swirling in my head all day.

"Do you even care, Father? Do you even listen? This clan is failing, and the others know it. They will soon come for your crown, and all you can do is sit here in your own pool of self-pity. Well, I've had it, Father. I need you to listen to me. I need you to try at least, to save this clan and the people of it. They are depending on you Father. They are depending on someone who would rather wither away to dust in his old chair than go out and help the people that need it most." I was getting worked up again, and I stand, beginning to walk out of the room and back out into the world where there was fresh air.

"I have heard the rumours." My father's raspy voice suddenly sounds and I jump, turning around. The voice grated against my ears, the guttural quality of it sounding as if he had not used it in years; this was true.

"You have?" I was so ecstatic to hear his voice again that all thoughts of hate towards him dissipates. Has he been listening to everything I have been saying? Will he actually do something? Will he fight against the other clans to save ours? 

"I have. And I want you to go through with it." My rising heart suddenly plummets into the gaping cavity of reality.

"What?" I say, dumbfounded. He cannot seriously think that way...can he?

"You can hear perfectly well, my daughter. I want you to go through with it." I shake my head in disbelief.

"You cannot honestly think that way, Father. Marry Hatuma? Allow them to take over our clan? You know that war will break out. You know that the people of our clan will fight back. Do you honestly believe this?" My hands slowly turn into fists. I knew he didn't care for the clan anymore. I knew it.

"I do honestly believe it, child, for I know it is the only way for this clan to get back on its feet again." He suddenly turns his head to me, but his eyes are not filled with love as I had often fantasized, but with betrayal and ire. "I know that my clan is failing. I know that I have not listened and have let this clan crumble. But you will not saunter in here as if you are above me. I don't see you doing anything to help it. You vent your anger on me and go out and pout, but you do not change anything. Do not think that this isn't your fault too." I flinch, seeing the truth in his words. My eyes begin to burn.

"I've tried Father. But I am not their leader. I am not the Emperor. I have no power over the other clans. I have no right to sit at their councils. I journey into town every day and smile and greet those in our clan. I visit every trading post there and make sure to leave a few coins every once in a while. I see the grief and pain on the faces of our people and I can do nothing to stop it. You are the only one that can and you don't." My father abruptly stands, and I can practically hear his tired bones creak.

"Do not speak down to me, princess, and tell me the things I am not doing. I am still the Emperor of this clan and I still sit at the councils. I still write letters to those around our clan and try to fix things. I realize that I may not be doing enough, but you will not waltz in here and expect me to do everything. This clan has been failing ever since your mother died and you know it." At the mention of my mother tears brim at my eyes.

"Yes I do know it, but can you please stop placing the blame on Mother. She did nothing wrong." He begins to stalk towards me and I feel like a child being scolded again.

"Yes. She didn't do anything. But leave me here. Alone. To deal with the clan that we had built together." The tears begin to run down my face and I shake my head.

"It wasn't her choice Father. She had no way to change it. How can you blame this on her?"

"Because it's your fault she's not here." He spat and I flinch. "Had you turned out better, perhaps I could've forgiven you. But look at what you have become? A swordmaster. Bah. Those lies and dreams that Frey put into your pretty little head have never done any good for you, me, or this clan."

"Do not bring Frey into this. Don't place this on me. I know that I haven't turned out to be the perfect daughter, but I have damn well done more for this clan than you have. You don't think Mother's and Frey's deaths have affected me. You don't think that I stay up late at night and try to stay awake so that I may not be haunted by nightmares. You don't think that I love this clan as much as you do. You are so wrong, Father. Those thoughts and dreams have kept me going on. They have kept me visiting the people of this clan, while you sit here and wither away, leaving me behind."

"As if I leave you behind. You cannot even take the time to greet me when you come home."

"Because you never answer me, Father!"

"Yes, well, it would be nice to see my daughter once in awhile. And not only when she has something to complain about to me. So yes, Esmira, you will be marrying Hatuma." His voice begins to rise. "You will join our clans together. You will fulfil your duty. And you will become the heir that I want you to be, not this sorry excuse for a daughter I have now!"

Tears were now streaming down my face in rivers, betrayal and pain stark in my mind, as I flinch at every would he spits at me. He heaves in heavy breaths as he turns to sit back in his worn out chair and stare at the fire again as if nothing had ever happened. I continue to stand there, my hands in fists as my knuckles turned white.

"I'm glad to know that my father doesn't love me for who I am, but who I am supposed to be." I reply quietly, then rush out of the tent and into the oncoming night. 

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Hey Guys! If you are still with me...great!

Above I have posted a picture of the young Esmira in the prologue. Or at least the closest thing I could find.

Thanks so much for reading! Vote and Comment, please!

- Ries