My world is different from yours,those books you read about vampires and werewolves,vampires and werewolves aren't fiction here. 100 years ago vampires and rogue wolves teamed up to eliminate the human population,going through one town at a time killing everyone insight. Several packs of werewolves thought this was wrong and retaliated against the rogues and the vampires causing a massive war many human and wolf lives were lost. The remaining of the eight wolf packs became royalty,the humans built eight castles across the United States to show their gratitude.A castle for each pack. A ninth castle was built this one bigger than the others.Royal Academy, a place for the children of the royals could learn and mingle without being in danger of the threats outside the castle. Humans that remained were put into six different groups.Emeralds,Rubies,Opals,Jades,Pearls,and Garnets. Emeralds being the highest class and Garnets being the lowest. Emeralds were business owners,factory owners,doctors and nurses. Rubies are managers of businesses and employees. Opals are hair and makeup stylists musicians and dancers.Jades are in the same line of business as opals except opals are higher class than them hired to very formal higher class events while jades are hired for lower class events making less money. Pearls are farmers,delivery men, teachers,and mechanics. Garnets are maids,butlers,smaller farms,and other servants.
Me and my family are Garnets, mom before she had married dad had been a Ruby her father owned a major clothing line they were traveling for business and stopped at a small diner for directions.Dad was delivering bread,corn,and tomatoes to the diner when she first saw him and immediately fell in love.They would meet secretly late at night on Saturdays eventually Dad proposed to her,of course she excepted but her parents didn't approve and she hasn't heard from them since.Julianne, her sister was kind enough to send a greeting card at Christmas along with a box of sweets every year.
"So did you sign up?"Anna asked me as she picked the last of the corn handing it to me. I took it from her putting it in the basket and we made our way up the field to the house.
"Sign up for what?"
"The scholarship to Royal Academy." Anna laughed then nudged me with her elbow.
I rolled my eyes they did this every couple of years letting us commoners sign up for a scholarship and 5 lucky winners were allowed to attend the school,they did this to remind us that the royals still cared about us by giving us a better scholarship.If you ask me it was just a set up to keep the royal lineage going because every year it was always five girls and every year at least 3 of the five girls end up getting married to a duke,and rarely a prince. "No,no I haven't and I can't sign up now because all the applications have been collected." I announced giddily. Anna glared at me then squinted her eyes to look at me.
"You need a new pair of contacts I can see the purple in the brown."
"What!!"I reached up touching just beneath my eye. "Dad just got these for me."
Anne snickered. "Just kidding!"
I huffed taking corn cob from the basket throwing it at her but that just made her laugh harder. "You know for a fourteen year old you are awfully mean."
"I only learn from the best."
"Summer!" Mom called from the porch waving her arms frantically an envelope in her hand.
I quickened my pace walking over to her while laughing. "Mom if you wave your arms any faster you might start flying."
She smacked me with envelope lightly letting out a small laugh before taking the basket of corn from me placing the envelope in my hand. "Mail came for you." she announced as she walked inside I followed after while looking down at the envelope. It was addressed to me from Royal Academy.
"It must be a mistake I didn't even apply."
Mom pressed her lips together while taking the corn out of the basket. "You applied for me." I sighed. Turning the envelope over I saw that she had already opened it. "And you read the letter for me too."
"You've been accepted and you are going."
"So I have no choice in the matter. I don't want to go I'm human I'll stick out like a sore thumb there, plus you are always telling me to keep my purple eyes covered what if I lose my contacts while I'm there what will I do then?"
Mom reached under then counter then tossed a small box into my hand."Already got you covered, I had your Father go into town and buy you a new pair just in case you lost the old ones."
"How long have you had this letter?"
"...3 days......You are going to need plenty of rest tonight you are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning. I already picked out the best dress you have so you can look nice."
"Whatever happened to free will." I grumbled crossing my arms over my chest.
"One month."
"What?" confused I looked up from the floor at Mom.
"One month. Just go there and if after a month you still don't like it you can come home I promise.Deal?"
I sighed then nodded."Deal."
"That's my girl,take this down to the diner for me please Blue needs some more corn. Tell her it's a gift and refuse the money if she offers it to you." Mom ordered. I nodded walking over to the counter managing to grab a dish cloth and put half a loaf of bread in it and stuff it in my bag while her back was turned. Mom smiled turning around handing me the basket full of freshly washed corn cobs.
"Be back before dark.I'm making your favorite dinner baked potatoes and steak."
"Will do." I gave her a warm smile heading out the door down the dirt road making my way into town.I made a turn going down a small hill into the forest walking over to the small cabin to anyone else this would have looked abandoned and inhabitable but it made do for Danny and his little sister Ashley. I knocked on the door twice pausing in between knocks to let them know it was me. The door opened Ashley moved a side letting me in closing the door behind me. A full sized mattress was pushed in the corner of the cabin some candles sat in the window sill melting down the wall. There was several stacks of books piled high against the wall across from the bed a small table next to it that held their silverware and plates a barely working stove sat right next to that. Danny sat in a deflated bean bag chair in the farthest corner away from the door trying to make the tv work.
I hugged Ashley before making my way over to Danny."Hey." When he looked up at me his steel blue eyes softened he gave me a warm smile.
He tucked his dark brown shoulder length hair behind his ears before standing up giving me a hug. "Hey."
Once he let go of me I took the half loaf of bread out of the bag handing it to him. "You might want to make it last it'll be the last you'll get for a while."
"If you are running low on bread then take this back keep it for your family me and Ashley can manage."
"No no it's not that,you can keep the bread and take some corn too. I grabbed several corn cobs from the basket handing them to him and he passed them off to Ashley who quickly went to start cooking them. "It's just that I won't be around for a while. I've been...I've been excepted to go to Royal Academy."
"Oh wow Summer that's great." Ashley turned away from the stove to smile at me she was actually happy for me. Danny just stared at me. I shifted under his gaze uncomfortable.
"I thought you said you didn't want to go that you hated the royal academy,that it was just a set up to keep the royal line going. What changed your mind?"
"Danny I still do hate the academy,my Mom signed me up without telling me and I got accepted. She just try it out for a month and if I don't like it after a month then I could come back home." My heart broke a little as I looked at the betrayal in his eyes. "I just want to make my Mom happy."
"Really is that it because I think you want to go there and fall in love with a prince and ride off into your happily ever,never thinking anything about Garnets ever again just like the rest of the girls that go there!" Danny yelled.
"I would never!" I yelled back.
"Daniel! Don't you dare ruin this for her, this is a great for Summer it will give a chance at better education. How could you treat her this way after she was kind enough to give us food over this past year!"
"It's fine Ashley. I should go Mom wants me back before dark."
"Yes go." Danny grumbled then plopped down in his beanbag chair going back to his task that he had been doing before I arrived. I walked out the door closing the door behind me before making my way towards the diner.
"Summer wake up today's the day,you're going to the Academy!" Anna yelled jumping up and down on my bed.
"Were you always this much of a morning person?" I turned over so I was laying over my stomach,putting my head under my pillow.
"No no none of this we have exactly one hour before they are coming to get you and we need to get you ready." She pulled me off the bed we both tumbled onto the floor on top of each, we stared at each other for a second before bursting out laughing. Anna got out from underneath pulling her blonde locks into a pony tail. I got up off the ground she grabbed my hand pulling me out of our room into the living room where Mom was waiting. Spread across the coffee table were all the hair supplies we had which wasn't much. Mom smiled widely at me patting the cushion of the chair in front of her.
"Sit." she commanded.
Sighing I did as told sitting in the chair Mom quickly pulled my hair out of it's ponytail beginning to brush my hair. "Oh my Anna I'm going to need your help!" Mom called to Anna who had wandered off. Dad sat in the corner of his room in his blue easy chair which I am surprised hadn't fallen apart yet reading his newspaper. He looked up at me smiling in amusement. Mouthing help to him he did nothing just chuckled returning his attention back to his newspaper. Traitor. I closed my eyes trying to take a nap to escape the torture they were doing to my hair.
"Done!" Mom announced I opened my eyes she handed me a mirror and I was actually impressed they had pulled my hair back into a neat pony tail then braided the pony tail intricately pinning it into a bun.I couldn't help but look at my eyes the violet color was unique and beautiful in it's own way but it attracted to my attention to myself,that's one of the things you didn't want to do when you are in one of the lower social classes. "Contacts!" Mom yelled to Anna. Anna ran off again then came back with the clear plastic case that I kept my contacts I put them in quickly then put the mirror down. Anna held up a royal blue knee length dress then straps were thin glittery silver that crossed in the back a thin piece of white lace wrapped around the middle acting as a belt. I had seen Mom wear this dress plenty of times when we went to eat the diner yet it still look brand new. Mom motioned for Dad to get out of the room. He got up walking back into the bedroom. Mom and Anna helped me slip into the dress carefully making sure not to mess up my hair. Anna handed me my black pair of flats the nicest shoes I had. I put them on. I turned to Anna and Mom.
"Well how do I look?" I smiled.
"Stunning as always." Mom smiled wiping a tear away.
"Aw Mom don't cry." I laughed.
"There is one last thing you need to complete the look." Mom walked off so it was just me and Anna in the room.
"Make sure to take care of Mom and Dad for me while I'm gone okay?"
"Of course but I think Mom can handle herself,I'm pretty sure she can handle Dad too."
We both laughed.
"When you stay you realize you will be gone for two years right?So make sure you write me as often as you can." she gave me a threatening glare."Or else I will come up there and embarrass you."
"If I stay."
"When." Anna corrected.
Mom came back into the room holding a small black velvet box. She handed it over to me then gestured for me to open it.
Carefully I opened the box inside were the diamond earrings that Mom wore at her wedding which had been small and right in the backyard but she wanted to look her best,as always. So her sister bought her a pair of diamond earring to make her feel special on her special day.
I gasped. "Mom I can't take these,these are yours."
"Yes you can and you will." Mom took the box from my hands taking in the earring out putting them on for me. She stepped back to look at me smiling. "Beautiful."
There was a knock at the door. "That's them." Mom said going to get the door. I followed after her.
A tall man with blonde hair cut extremely short and wore a black tuxedo stood out the door he was almost taller than the doorway he had to be at least 6'6 maybe 6'7. "I am here to take Summer Rouge to the Academy."
"Yes of course."
I stepped forward and the motioned for me to walk with him. I made my way outside to a black limo.He opened the door for me looking back once both Mom and Anna blew kisses to me. I fought back tears giving them a small smile then got into the limo.