Sword and Shield (GxG)

Chapter Two : The Wildling : Rikhata-Nia

Oh. My. God. If I have to put up with this princess hating on me just because I dont like guys for the rest of my life... Hang me now! Lilian is far better for me than any man could ever be, and I love her more than the princess will be able to love the one she is told to. Everything about her just sets me off. Her snobby attitude, her kissing-up to her mother, the way she looks at me with disgust. The girl has problems, so the whole kingdom has a problem. Why are people letting her take the throne? She'll have the homosexual population put on display in the town square so people can dump their waste and rotten food on us, she'd let them damn us. What is wrong with loving the same gender! It was man who said he must love woman, why cant woman say she may love woman! Woman said she would love man, so why cant man say he would love man! Humans wrote the rules, who says they cannot be amended?!

"Get off" Evangaline shoved me off her horse, almost having me fall flat on the trodden dirt, but I land on my feet. Before me is a castle ringed with walls of stone behind us, a gate of black metal closing behind us as we walk across the draw bridge. The castle itself is nothing whimsical, only enormous, make of desolate gray rock with cracks snaking around the enitre exterior, vines growing where they could and blooming with small rose buds. 

"Welcome to Storm's Break" the queen nodded at me. 

"Mother, she cannot be allowed in holy ground! She is of the devil!" Evangaline snarled, throwing a triumphant glare at me.

"Evangaline! Quiet yourself! The only true practice of the devil is exectuing an unjustice, and she has done no such deed" the queen responded sharply.

"I saw her kiss another woman!" Evangaline persisted. "See? She isnt even denying it!" She smirked at me.

"I will not deny I love a woman. It is true and I will not cower under the beliefs of others" I stood taller. The queen smiled faintly.

"Love is free, Evangaline, she is free to place her's where it please her" the queen nodded at me supportively. 

"It is wrong, disgusting, evil!" Evangaline persisted.

"I will have you saying no such things. Hush your mouth" the queen held her hand up to silence Evangaline, who was red with anger and humiliation. "As a queen you will give your subjects the respect they deserve. She has done no more wrong than any other Guardian in this castle" the queen led us through the gates, all the while Evangaline glared at me.

"She is not leaving, Evangaline, so I suggest you stop acting like a child" the queen glanced over her shoulder. "Now, Rikhata, do clean yourself. Your next event will be at noon. Evangaline will show you to your room. Evangaline, I expect you to act politely"

"Towards her?" Evangaline spat the last word.

"Yes, Evangaline! You will behave or you will be diciplined! Am I clear?"

"Yes, mother" Evangaline lowered her gaze. Evangaline stormed off, and I ran after her. We passed a multitude of doorways, gates, halls, sanctuaries before Evangaline stopped and turned down a passage into a garden. 

"This is the Orchard. Remember it" Evangaline grumbled, walking me out into the decorative field. An owl roosted in a tree close to us. I stepped closer to it. "Dont go near it! You will scare it off, demon" Evangaline hissed.

"Please come and rest" I whispered in my birthtongue. My father taught it to me before he died. The owl woke and swooped down, landing on my outstreached arm. 

"You cursed it!" Evangaline snarled.

"I asked it to come. I have cursed nothing" I ran my hand over the owl's wings, colored light gold. "It is free to come and go as it wishes" I held the owl to my shoulder and it took it as a perch. Something rustled a while away and the owl flew off.

"Witch. Devil. Sin" Evangaline sneered at me. At the same time a birdlike shadow fell over her and decended down. She screamed at the impending figure, though I stood still with a grin.

"You took your time." I mused as the bird, a falcon, landed on my shoulder. 

"What is wrong with the girl? Has she never seen a bird before?" the falcon replied. Ky, the falcon, was one the only animal I've met so far that could speak. 

"I do not know. She is a stranger to the world, it seems" I shook my head. 

"What are you saying?" Evangaline spat at me. 

"You cant understand?" My whole famiy spoke this tongue, as did Lilian, maybe the princess is less than she seems. Which is already low in my eyes.

"No, demon" she retorted.

"Then you're the first"

"What is the bird?"

"My friend. Her name is Akyrah"

"It has a name?" Evangaline looked skptical. The queen appeared at the enterance before I could reply. She gave me a beildered look and smiled before she walked away. I was left not knowing what she'd meant by it.