I stood before the target, sighing softly as I raised my bow. I drew back my arm, checking the wind before releasing my arrow. There was a small rush of pleasure when the arrow struck the bullseye, but it was short-lived. I heard clapping behind me and turned to spy my sister Aurora approaching from the doorway of the Keep.
"Excellent form as always Taya," she remarked, lowering her hands as she smiled.
"Thanks," I replied, blushing as she smiled at me.
My sister was always radiant in my eyes, as she had received all the best qualities of both our mother and father. Her hair was a brilliant white gold, which fell into large soft curls around her face and I was always envious of her curvy proportions along with her soft features, all of which she inherited from our mother. Her shocking violet eyes surveyed me deeply, a smile on her round lips.
"But have you been practicing your aim while in motion?" she asked, walking over to the paneling that controlled the practice field. She pressed a few buttons changing the spells that commanded the speed, distance, and variety of targets. The targets now began to move, flitting about the field, leaving a trail of magic behind them as they danced in the air.
Aurora opened her hands before her, summoning her own personal bow into existence. Her fingers were awash with power as she aimed the bow, letting loose a flurry of magic arrows, each one hitting its target with ease. The targets disappeared with a satisfying ping noise and Aurora lowered her bow, smirking softly.
I scrunched up my face, muttering under my breath. "Show off." It seemed like her personal bodyguard, Ime, had been giving her lessons again. He was a master marksman no matter the weapon but his specialty was the bow.
Aurora swayed suddenly and I rushed forward in an attempt to help her. She waved me off, shaking her delicate hand as she smiled thinly.
"You've overdone it again!" I chided, watching her closely in case she suddenly felt faint again.
Long ago, before I was born, a plague had swept through the kingdom, catching Aurora and my father in its unyielding devastation. My sister nearly died and the plague stole from her most of her stamina. She had been told she would never fully recover and yet still she pushed herself in an effort to please our father.
"I am fine, really," she told me, returning her bow back to its magical hiding place. "Please, take your turn."
I gave her a look but eventually complied, raising my own bow to take aim at the fast-moving targets. Unlike my sister, I chose to pull physical arrows from the ground. I was a little slower and ended up missing the last bullseyes on the target, but I was satisfied nonetheless.
"Oh, very good," Aurora commented, clapping happily.
"Yes, well, we can't all be as perfect as you Aurora," I sniffed, turning to stick my tongue out at her. It irked me sometimes that even with the limits of her stamina she still bested me in most things. I knew that wasn't fair but I was still bitter.
"You're doing very well, I mean that," she stressed, placing her hands on her hips. "Honestly sometimes you act as though I never work hard for my own success."
"I'm not saying you don't work hard," I groaned, twanging the string on my bow playfully. "I'm just saying some things come easier to you dear sister."
"Hmmm, this coming from our father's favorite child," she sniffed. I could tell she was trying to make a joke, but there was a hint of pain behind her comment.
I rolled my eyes, shrugging my shoulders in an exaggerated fashion that was very unbecoming of a princess. "Oh by all means, if you would like to trade places," I laughed. "You can have my wraith summoning blood and impossible to control lunar powers as well."
Aurora placed her hand before her mouth, giggling at my mannerisms. "No, thank you."
"Darn."
She paused for a moment looking off into the field. "Are you still having problems, summoning the magical energy to make your own light arrows?"
"Oh, I have plenty of energy, so much that I tend to hit more than just the target," I responded bitterly. This lack of control was a sore subject for me. It also tended to destroy any bow I was using, much to our bowyer's frustration. "Wanna go take a walk?" I asked, smiling widely. "We could use the secret tunnel! Maybe sneak into town?"
"No, I'm afraid I have other engagements," Aurora said primly.
"Oh, okay, I see. No time for your dear younger sister," I joked. "I can take the hint!"
Aurora stared at me for a moment, hesitant to speak her next thought. I could sense her trepidation. Sometimes pretending not to know what people were feeling was the hardest part of my life.
"Speaking of engagements," she began, glancing up toward the sky.
"No, we're not," I bit back, knowing exactly what she wanted to speak of.
"Alpheus and I were talking and-"
"And you decided you are both madly in love and want to run off together? As your sister, I will not stand in the way of your true love."
"Taya."
"Please don't worry about me," I sighed dramatically. "I'll find a way to move on."
Aurora's face fell into a scowl as she looked at me. "No Taya, honestly. Please be serious."
"Perhaps I was," I muttered, turning to fetch my fallen arrows. Usually, we had a servant on hand to pick up any wayward arrows, but I liked the exercise. I didn't get far before my sister caught up with me, not wanting to end our conversation where we left it.
"You can't put off this marriage forever," she said bluntly.
"Watch me," I snapped, grabbing at my arrows angrily.
"Is this about that boy?"
I stopped mid-grab, surprised by her insight. My stomach dropped at the thought of him. It had already been several years but his last words to me still echoed in my heart. I snatched up an arrow and kept moving. When I didn't respond to my sister she pressed on, unrelenting in her advice.
"In a few short years, you will be fifty and an adult by our laws."
"Happy Birthday to me," I whispered.
Aurora reached out, grabbing my arm to stop me from avoiding her. "You will be fifty and father will see you wed."
I looked up at her, scowling slightly. "Your point, dear sister?"
She stopped, her face falling as she looked at me. I was alarmed by the fear and sorrow I felt rolling off of her. Even with those feelings she still smiled, a loving expression that mirrored our mothers was now etched into her beautiful features. I felt bad for snapping at her and opened my mouth to apologize when a voice called to us from across the field.
"Hail, beloved daughters!"
We turned to see our father, the King, standing at the edge of the field, Captain Enki at his side. Aurora released my arms, waving as she began walking back over to the other side of the field. I followed, sticking my collection of arrows under my arm.
Speak of the devil, I thought, glancing at my father. We both curtsied as soon as we got close enough, keeping our heads down until our father spoke.
"How are you both doing today?" He asked, in the way for pleasantries.
"Very well, my lord," Aurora answered, her voice demure. I nodded to show I agreed, not in the mood to talk. I was afraid of another lecture about my engagement or a possible scolding about how my lunar powers were not progressing.
"Taya?" my father pressed.
"Happy, as always my king," I said with a fake smile. I glanced over at Enki, standing silently just behind him. He always looked so regal with his short beard and long flowing green and silver hair tied back into a braid. "Captain Enki, always nice to see you. What brings you back to the castle?"
The older Earth Elemental looked over at me, smiling softly. "I have just returned to help oversee the knights' transition home. Then I must return to my home for personal matters."
My heart skipped a beat at the news of the knights, I had no idea they were back in town already. I worked very hard to keep my face pleasant but neutral.
"Congratulations on your victory, the gods have blessed us all it seems," Aurora said.
Enki's face grew somber, as he replied. "I'm afraid it will never be a true victory, what with all the lives that are lost in the process. I pray that we can learn to control the threat better in the years to come."
I felt my ears burn at his comment. It was supposedly my destiny to use my powers to help control the masses of wraiths known simply as The Fallen. I always felt bad that I hadn't gotten full control of my powers yet, which so far include night vision, poison purification, and not much else. I could summon wraiths easily with my blood but had little to no control over them yet. I had not yet reached my full maturity when my powers would really take hold, so I was always told not to worry and keep training. I still felt bad for every loss of life due to a wraith attack. It all weighed heavily on my heart.
"Did many die in this last set of battles?" I asked trepidly.
Captain Enki looked down at me, a wave of worry washing over him. "A few, Princess, as to be expected."
"Oh, I will pray for their families," I said lamely.
"We both will," Aurora added, placing her hand on my shoulder. My father let out a huff, apparently not pleased with our choice of conversation.
"I apologize if I upset you, Princess," Enki noted with a small bow.
I shook my head, clutching my arrows tighter.
"It might please you to know your friend Casimir made it back alive," my father added, glancing down at my face. He always hated to see me upset. "I'm told he did very well fighting in the war."
"Really?" I asked, trying to keep the rush of happiness out of my voice. My heart exploded with joy knowing now that Casimir was still alive. I grinned as I glanced at both my father and Enki. "Well, that is no surprise, seeing as he was trained by Captain Enki!"
"You flatter me, Princess," he murmured, blushing slightly.
"Well, you're the best!"
My father let out a booming laugh, slapping the royal guard on his shoulder. "I am jealous, the best she says."
I crinkled my nose, smiling as I spoke. "Father is pretty good too."
"Just pretty good," he lamented. "Perhaps you should watch your old man fight a few wraiths and your opinion might go up?"
"Father, no!"
They all laughed and I smiled, but as the merriment faded away a small sense of dread crept over me. I wondered what Casimir would be like after his years at war. Would the young man I grew to love be gone, replaced with some hardened warrior? Would he even want to see me after our time apart? Perhaps he found another woman to love on his adventures out in the world beyond this castle. Was this love I clung to just a childish fantasy after all? I had to find out.
---------------------------------------------
I awoke feeling restless as I had not slept well at all. I sat in my bed trying to recall what had happened in my latest dream, but the memories just slipped past me no matter how hard I tried to cling to them. A feeling of dread came over me as I stared at my school uniform, hanging on the hook outside my closet. I wasn't looking forward to school today at all. I had a strong desire to call in sick, but I knew that I couldn't. It was the smell of cinnamon and vanilla that pulled me out of bed and down the hall into the kitchen.
"Who made these?" I asked, spying the pile of delicious-looking french toast on the kitchen table. Grandpa was pouring a cup of coffee when I walked in, he smiled as I approached.
"Good morning birthday girl."
I grinned as he leaned over to kiss me on the cheek, saying thank you as he handed me a mug of coffee. I noticed he had already filled the cup with cream and sugar, which was thoughtful.
"Casimir made breakfast," Grandpa admitted, answering my previous question.
"Did he now?" I said sniffing the air curiously as I wandered closer toward the table. "Looks amazing. Did you already eat?"
"I had a snack this morning, but I decided to wait and eat with you," he replied, sitting down in his usual chair.
"Aw, that's sweet," I murmured, joining him at the table. It was especially nice of him since he got up many hours before me to begin his chores. I noticed there were only two place settings and was slightly confused. "Is Casimir not eating with us?"
"Ah, no, he already ate," Grandpa admitted. "He is out fixing one of the weak spots in the fencing."
"That boy works too hard sometimes," I grumbled.
"Well, it is his job."
"Still, he didn't have to do all of this," I said, gesturing at the pile of fluffy french toast I was piling on my plate. I grabbed the raspberry jam and spread it liberally across the top of my first piece.
Grandpa chuckled as he too began making a generous pile of toast on his own plate. "I think he felt bad that he didn't get you a gift."
"Oh, well. Then his delicious gift of food has been accepted."
We ate in silence for a while, enjoying our meal while it was hot. We began chatting about our plans for after school which consisted of a commemorative photo in the orchard and then dinner at a place of my choosing. I was debating between Chinese food or something from my favorite diner when the alarm on my phone beeped. It was time to get ready for school. After my fifth and final piece of french toast, I groaned and pushed back from the table. I excused myself to go change into my uniform, yawning loudly as I slapped on some makeup and styled my hair. I was arranging my books in my backpack and Grandfather was cleaning up the morning's dishes when Casimir burst in from the back door.
"Master Enki, the police are coming up the road!"
My jaw dropped in disbelief and I ran over to the window near the front door. There were indeed two police cars and another vehicle that I recognized as the detective's car, barreling down the dirt lane towards our house. I was suddenly terrified, knowing deep down inside, that when that many cop cars showed up at your house, they were not just here for a simple chat. I pushed the curtain closed and turned to see my Grandfather standing next to me, glaring out the window.
"Grandpa..."
"It will be okay," he assured me, opening the door to step outside. Casimir and I followed close on his heels but he gestured for us to stay on the porch as he walked down the steps to meet with the cops. Detectives Thompson and Johnson approached him first, their faces determined. Without thinking my hand shot out to grab at Casimir's for comfort and he gripped my fingers tightly.
"George Hartmann?" Thompson asked, glancing up and down at Grandpa.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"We have a warrant to search your premises," he responded, holding up a sheet of paper. Grandpa took it from him, frowning as he read it.
"What is this about? Are you the men who questioned my granddaughter before?" he pressed, glancing between the two detectives.
"Sir, I'm going to need you to step aside while these men search your house," Thompson said, raising his arm. The older detective gestured for him to stand back, while Johnson jogged over to us, ordering us down from the porch. I ran over to my grandfather, clinging to his arm tightly as I watched the police stomp into our home. At some point during their search, I began shivering in the cold and my grandfather insisted they allow me to get my coat and return outside to wait. They had been searching for another ten minutes when Johnson came back outside to join his partner, who had been watching us dutifully.
"No luck so far," he said with a sharp shrug of his shoulders.
"What are you looking for? What is this all about?" Grandpa demanded. Johnson glanced over at him, glaring intensely as he did. He was anxious and worried, I assumed because his search wasn't turning up the evidence he wanted. The younger detective's face perked up suddenly and he slapped the arm of his partner, pointing down at Grandpa's shoes as he did.
Thompson walked closer to us, his eyes locked on Grandpa's feet. "Sir, I'm going to need to see those shoes."
Grandpa grumbled slightly but complied with their demands, bending over to undo the laces of his boots and then handing them over to the cops.
"Same tread, the same type of mud," Johnson mumbled to Thompson, who nodded his head.
"George Hartmann you are under arrest for the murder of Tobias Burke," Thompson said plainly. As he spoke his partner pulled out a set of handcuffs, moving to Grandpa's side so he could cuff him. I was shoved away from my grandfather, crying out in sharp protest as I stumbled away. I felt my stomach drop as Thompson continued to read him his Miranda Rights. I wanted to shout in protest but at that moment I found I was paralyzed with fear. The cuffs barely fit over my Grandfather's wrists and I saw him wince slightly as they were tightened. Johnson steered him away from us, pushing Grandpa over to the awaiting cop car.
"No!" I finally yelled, rushing to follow.
"Diana, wait," Casimir called, close behind me.
Thompson moved to block me from rushing past him, but it was Casimir who stopped me. Tears of frustration filled my eyes, but I didn't pull away from his touch.
"He didn't do anything, he would never kill anyone!" I yelled, but my cries fell upon deaf ears.
Thompson gave me a hard look, I could feel his irritation as he looked over at me. "Miss, I'm going to need you to calm down."
"You have the wrong person!" I insisted, rubbing at the newly formed tears in my eyes.
Grandpa looked back at me, smiling sadly as he was guided into the patrol car. "It will be okay, Diana."
I bit my lip, willing myself not to burst into tears as they slammed the door closed. I felt Casimir's hands on my shoulders and I took a step backward, leaning into him as the Detectives turned their attention fully on me.
"Ms. Massey, we're going to need you to come down to the station with us for questioning," Detective Johnson stated.
"You too Mr. Reynolds."
I knew better than to argue but I hesitated as I watched the patrol car carrying my grandfather take off down the drive. Eventually, I relented, letting the cops place me in the back of another car as I tried not to cry.