BLOOD SPARKED: An Irman Chronicles

CHAPTER 2

My sisters left for their chambers but we'd meet before the stairs. They told me father is in for a surprise too.

I left my room wearing my everyday hiev'n, a dress wore by female hildans that is designed as a robe of silk with supposedly intricate design, usually depicting a story or some type of flower or a mythical beast. The dress, with its sleeves, extended all the way to the floor and slits appear on both the sleeves, particularly on the elbow, so that we can move freely showing a flow of layers and layers of thin material, usually chiffon.

Currently, I'm sporting a mint green hiev'n, my favorite color, with an intricate design of vines of purple wisteria flower as if creeping from the bottom of my dress up to my shoulders. In Hildegarde many women follow the Language Doctrine of the Dress, wherein each color and design has a meaning behind it. Noblewomen though, choose their own specific color for their hiev'n that they would often sport for their many dresses.

When I was first brought into the castle, the Royal seamstress has had asked me of mine. I chose mint green for it reminds me of the seafoam on the beach near my grandmomma's house. And she told me the color suits me very well especially my eyes.

And with my Mint green dresses, each bore different designs, flowers, beast, a story, as a message of what I want to convey. Wisteria meaning 'love', 'support', and 'long-lasting'.

As we joined on the stairs, I saw my sister, Althea with her floral pink hiev'n depicting a story of harvest, which means abundance. And Audrey wearing the Hildegarde colors as her representative. Silver and white. Though there are ceremonies where we have to sport the same colors, Audrey chose her color aligning with our flag.

We were at the foot of the staircase when father rounded up at the corner.

"Adira my daughter, when have you returned, were you even planning on tellin' me your back, young lady!" Father scooped Audrey as if she was the little girl many years ago. After setting her down he embraced us three in a bear hug.

"Oh, my daughters are reunited and back together after so many years, only to be separated again." He said kissing us all on our forehead. "But I know you're all up to something good, your mothers' would all be proud of you three."

Instead of the small dining room, we usually use father led us to the pavilion outside overlooking the mass sea behind the Haroldene keep. In there we saw a table set up for three. Father asked one of the helpers to fetch one more seat for Audrey.

Compared to the seasons in the north, right now it is December, while they are in their Winter, we in the south are celebrating our first month of summer. Where a stretch of the cloudless sky could be seen with the gentle breeze of warm air, clearly tasting of saltwater. Many Hildans' would probably be asleep if not are in the beach spot in Hildegarde. They wouldn't declare us the sea capital back in the days if it weren't true.

While Hildans' are very much limited in venturing other kingdoms, foreigners too are not allowed to step foot in our kingdom due to some incidences way back in history, excluding special affiliations. This is also the reason why many of our citizens are majorly from the water and air elemental, and a few from other classes.

After weeks of grieving when I was first brought into the castle, my life essentially went back to normal, or as normal as it could be. News of my grandmother's death came to the public and many are sad over her death.

And since I was formally introduced as her heir way before, I was forced to live up to the title, and with no living family, I was sent to the castle of Hildegarde and became a royal ward. So, it wasn't really a problem hiding my identity as a daughter of the king. Information only a few of the members of the court knows.