Lady of Lies

Chapter 1

Ellia Quinn sat at her vanity, looking at her reflection in the mirror as the maid did her hair. Today is the day, she thought. I've waited for this day my whole life, and it's finally come. The maid twisted her long, raven black hair in an elaborate up-do. What if I don't get a good color? Her hair was fastened into place with a bejeweled comb. What if I don't even get a color? At last, her hair was done.

"All done, Miss," the maid, Lila, said. "You are looking beautiful, as always."

"Thank you Lila." 

Lila started to walk out the door, but hesitated. 

"What's wrong?" Ellia asked. 

"Are you ready for your Coloring?" Lila questioned. She always seemed to have a way of knowing exactly what was wrong. 

"I'm really nervous," Ellia replied truthfully. "Can you tell me what happened at your Coloring?"

"You know we're not supposed to talk about it. I'll go get some chocolate, it helps calm the nerves."

Lila left, leaving Ellia alone with her thoughts. Lila had always been a sort of mother figure to Ellia. When she was younger, Ellia's mother had been struggling. Her health was failing- so was her sanity. Eventually she got the help she needed, but not before scarring her daughter physically and emotionally. Since her mother wasn't there for her, Ellia turned to Lila for help with everything. They developed a close bond, and Lila had been her caretaker ever since. She couldn't remember a time when Lila wasn't there for her. Even now, Ellia couldn't help but think how much she'd rather have Lila take her to her Coloring than her mother.

Ellia looked around her room. The walls, painted light grey, were covered in portraits of her and her friends from when she was younger. Her bed was still piled with stuffed animals to help her sleep- she often had nightmares. All of these sights made her think about how the next time she stepped into this room, she wouldn't be the same Ellia Quinn. No matter what happened, she would never be the same.

"Here you go Ell," said Lila, coming back in the rook with a tray full of chocolate. "Eat up- we don't want you to faint when you get there."

"Please, Lila," Ellia begged. "Just tell me what to prepare for."

"Your tutors have already told you everything you need to know. It is against our law to tell you anything further about the ceremony," she said gently as she looked at Ellia with a kind gaze. "I know how it feels to be waiting for your Coloring. I guess I could tell you what happened to me right before the ceremony..."

Ellia nodded and smiled.

"I was so nervous the night before that I didn't sleep a wink. On the morning of my Coloring, my parents had a huge feast made. But I didn't eat anything. If I'd known what Color my eyes would become, maybe I would have. Then, right before I was supposed to go up and get my Color- I fainted," finished Lila with a laugh. "That's how I know that chocolate works."

Ellia was skeptical, but didn't say anything about it. Instead, she said, "I'd better put my gown on- I have to go to one more tutoring session before lunch." Lila helped her slip into a beautiful grey dress, the exact same color as her current eyes. It was a very simple dress, made of silk and with a heart neckline. The skirt barely brushed the floor, giving her the allusion of floating. "Thank you Lila. I hope I see you soon." She hugged her, then she walked out of the door into the corridor.

"Ok," said her tutor, Professor Kisling, one hour later. "Final question, then you can leave." Ellia sighed but agreed. "What are the 5 eye colors, and what do they represent?"

"The first one is brown- it's the most common, so it represents the peasants. They usually end up as merchants or in different trades."

"Correct."

"The next most common is blue, and hazel. They are sort of the same thing, hazel is just slightly lower than blue... usually people who get these are middle class, and become doctors, or work in the palace... or become tutors," she finished.

"Go on."

"Then is green. This represents the nobles. Usually if your family has a long line of green eyes, you will get them too. The nobles are just under the royalty."

"And the last one?"

"The last one is purple. It's becoming increasingly rare, because it's the symbol of the monarchy. It's even rarer when two people around the same age get purple eyes- that's why the current king and queen are so special."

"Good job Ellia! You are dismissed... and good luck at your Coloring."

Walking down the hall to the dining room, she passed a half-closed door. She peeked her head inside, and saw her mom whispering with her dad.

"Are you ready for today?" her dad asked.

"Am I ready?" her mom repeated. "You remember my Coloring."

"How could I forget?" he said with a smirk. "You had half of the officials holding you down."

"I've never been more nervous in my life. What if I had gotten brown eyes? Then our relationship would be over."

"But you didn't get brown eyes, Cece. You and I got green eyes- our daughter will too."

"I hope so," finished Cece, her mom. They turned to leave, and Ellia quickly walked away from the door down the hallway.

I never thought to ask about my mom's Coloring, thought Ellia. The officials' rules stated that you weren't allowed to tell the events of your Coloring to anyone but your immediate family, and she knew the story of her father's Color very well. He said that at his Color Banquet, he had accidentally given the Head Official a black eye, as he had been so nervous that he knocked the poor man into a table headfirst. She always laughed when he told the story. But her mom, on the other hand... she had never mentioned her Coloring, and Ellia had been too afraid to ask. If I get a good color, I'll ask my mom about her Coloring.

Ellia made a quick stop in the drawing room to write a note, and when she entered the dining room her parents were waiting for her. She looked around and took and sharp breath. It was stunning. The dining room was decorated with flowers and crystals everywhere. On the table was a feast of her favorite foods. Covering a portrait of her and her family was a banner that said Happy Birthday. And in the center of it all was a huge cake.

"Surprise!" shouted her dad, as he hugged her.

 "Dad! You did all this?" exclaimed Ellia.

"With the help of Lila," said her dad. "Do you love it, or do you love it?"

"I love it!" laughed Ellia. "Is this all because of my Coloring?"

"And your birthday," her mom explained. "We wanted to give you a day to remember, no matter what happens later." She tried to give Ellia a hug, but she pulled away. A hurt look flashed across her mom's face before she hid it. 

"Thank you so much. I don't think there's any chance of me forgetting this moment."

She and her parents feasted on all of the delicious food, and then it was time to go. Ellia walked out of the main door and got into the carriage. As it drove away, she didn't look back.

~~~

A/N: Hello!! Thank you so much for reading this! Lady of Lies is my first story, it started out on Quotev and then I moved it here. I would love it so much if you would vote my story, almost as much as I would love it if you left me comments! Questions, concerns, criticism, anything! You can even ask me my favorite color, I'll respond to anything and everything!! Also, a follow= a follow back. Thank you guys again, have a great day, and I hope you enjoy Lady of Lies!!