"Announcing Lord Titus from the House Macanthos, and for the first time, Captain Steven LeRoux and his daughter Kaida LeRoux. Bow before King Tiberius of House Calore, Sixth of his Name, Descendent of Caesar, King of Norta, Flame of the North, Protector of the Disputed Lands, Guardian of the Crown and Crest."
The announcer paused and continued.
"Bow before Queen Elara of House Merandus. Bow before Prince Tiberius of House Calore, Seventh of his Name and King Regent. Bow before Prince Maven of House Calore."
Maven watched as the guests before them fell into deep bows.
He and Cal had decided to shadow their father for the day, watching how he conducted his royal duties.
His mother requested to join too, tired of being kept out of the loop, and tired of being an afterthought.
Maven could relate to that.
His father had been raving about something the Grand Maester said could turn the tides of the War in their favour, and put those 'pesky Lakelanders' back into their place.
Maven looked to the Captain who would be going on this voyage for the King.
He stood tall and proud in a royal blue navy coat, golden war medals decorated his chest, family heir looms.
Then he noticed his daughter, Kaida wasn't it.
She was wearing a high-neck, long sleeved Ruby gown with a boned corset across the midsection, adding some texture to her ensemble.
She had deep brown skin, dark brown eyes and full lips.
Her hair was long and full, the colour almost as black as his own.
At first Maven thought she was a Silver. She looked so sophisticated, how could she not be?
But upon hearing that she belonged to no House and had a common street name, he was puzzled.
He had never seen a Red like her.
He was now officially intrigued.
"Captain, we all know why you've been summoned here today. I just wanted to wish you the best of luck. Do this for me, and for this country, more importantly, and I will bestow on you anything you desire. No matter the red blood that flows in your veins. When you have what I need, bring it straight here. A warning, Captain, you do not want to betray us. It happens. The corruption infiltrates, slips through the gaps and spreads. Especially with those long weeks at sea."
The King's voice carried through the throne room.
"Stray from your designated path..."
The King's hard eyes looked to Kaida with purpose
"And she will be thrown into the arena."
"Oh darling, there is no need for those threats so soon. This man is risking it all for this Kingdom. His daughter will be in our safe hands. He is trusting us with her, we should do the same and show him the same courtesy."
The Captain agreed with the Queen and swore fealty to his duties, his arm beating across his chest.
"Captain, bid your daughter goodbye. And be on your way. Lord Macanthos, escort her to her chambers."
The King ordered, signalling the end of this meeting.
The Captain hugged his daughter tightly, and smoothed back her hair.
Kaida couldn't talk, a lump forming in the back of her throat.
Just like that, he was gone.
Maven looked at her, alone and left to the Silver vultures.
There was no fear in her eyes, or excitement.
Just passiveness.
Kaida looked at Cal as she began to leave, looking for a hint that he recognised her, a sign maybe.
He gave nothing away, and turned to leave.
So two nights ago they were both masquerading as commoners.
They had caught each other in a lie, in the fictional world they had created for themselves.
In this fantasy they were both small and insignificant commoners.
Truthfully however, they didn't belong to that world of pubs and taverns and lamp lit streets.
They were children of Silver.
Cal through his title, Kaida through her ancestry.
————————————-
"Your things will be brought to your room tonight. I bargained for one of the quieter chambers for you. One in the West Wing, overlooking the Sea. I thought you might appreciate that. You deserve to be comfortable here."
Lord Macanthos led her down sweeping hallways, some looked identical, the only things changing being the portraits on the wall.
They walked past several guards, their red capes swishing from side to side, and they walked past many Red servants, who all had the same plain and pale uniform, devoid of real colour.
"Thank you, Macanthos. I do appreciate it. I was just wondering; what exactly am I going to be doing here all day?"
"Glad you asked. I managed to get you a job in the East Palace Library, internally known as 'The Tome'. One of the Maesters needed an assistant. In the Tome that's where they keep all the books about the Houses and their abilities. Silver scholars often pick up books there, or young Silvers learning to control their gifts. You will work there for 4 days out of the 7, and have 3 days off. On one of those 3 days off, you will report back to me. Update me on any troubles you have, and if you do happen to get letters from your parents I will hand them over to you then."
They passed by a balcony in a secluded section of the Palace, it overlooked the rocky cliffs and the South Sea.
Shortly thereafter, they had arrived at what Kaida could only assume was her room door.
The passage here was narrower, it was more cosy, Kaida thought.
"Any questions?"
"Yes, how will I know where to go tomorrow? I have no idea how to get around this place."
"I'll send a servant for the first couple of days to walk you around. They will show you all the key locations. Anything else?"
Kaida hummed.
"Actually, there is one more thing. What is the arena?"
She remembered the King had threatened to throw her in there if her father 'strayed from his path'.
Lord Macanthos looked down, the first time Kaida spotted any sign of doubt coming from him.
He cleared his throat.
"It's a place where the Silvers go to train and duel. A few prisoners are kept in the dungeons below. Kaida, you won't need to worry about that. I promised your father I would look after you. I intend to keep that promise."
"Thank you, that's all for now."
She mustered a smile but it did not reach her eyes.
————————————-
Kaida's first week went by excruciatingly slowly.
She began developing her routine.
10am-7pm : Monday to Thursday, she would be in the Tome, working under the Maester - a stern old man who shuffled around in a long brown robe.
Kaida actually didn't mind the Tome.
It appeared small but had many long passages that conjoined at the entrance of the library, which was an octagonal shaped room absolutely stacked full of books.
Some were even kept behind glass cases.
There was an upstairs to the Tome, but it seemed dim and unkempt.
Mostly just an archive of old records and scrolls on the history of Norta.
Kaida was never asked to go up there anyway.
The rest of the Palace was all sleek and modern but stepping into the Tome was like stepping into a whole other time, an older time.
It was all mahogany and oak, giving it an antique aesthetic.
Most of the time Kaida was just stacking books, skimming titles and even flicking through the first few pages of some volumes.
'A guide to Pyromancy' by Lady Magna Calore
'The Hardest Wounds to Heal' by William Blonos
'A Brief History of the Houses and their Abilities' author : unknown
Kaida looked through the titles of the books she was currently ordering. The last one caught her attention.
Lord Macanthos did say she should learn the Houses.
This was exactly what she needed.
'The perks of working in a library'
Kaida thought to herself as she traced the leather spine.
She finished up her work and took the book of interest to the centre of the Tome.
The Maester stressed it was necessary to always have records of the books borrowed.
She began taking note of her loan.
"Kaida."
"Yes?" Kaida paused from writing.
"I hope you took note of the young Iral boy that borrowed the book on espionage."
The Maester didn't even bother looking up from the scrolls he was engrossed in as he sat comfortable, behind his huge wooden desk.
"I did, as soon as he borrowed it."
"I trust that you would have. Records are-"
"Of the utmost importance."
Kaida completed the phrase she heard him tell her more than a thousand times.
The Maester looked at her over the rim of his half-moon glasses.
"Right, yes. You know you don't have to stay until 7 every day. You've completed your tasks. You can leave now."
Kaida saw the Maester's attempts at being nice, although it came across as dismissive.
She noticed that was the case with most Silvers.
"Thank you, Maester."
She swept up her book and began the walk back to her chambers.
————————————-
The next day was her day off. She met briefly with Lord Macanthos, who handed her a letter from her mother. She took the white envelope back to her room and carefully opened it.
Dear Kaida,
We miss you back home. The house feels quiet without you. We await you and your father's return and we pray that it is swift. Francis is already starting his apprenticeship, and there was some talk of Andrew being conscripted, but if he learns how to sail, the Navy will be safer for him. Work is a bit slow at the moment, so I made some new gowns for you. They've been shipped. I hope you like them. Stay strong, and stay safe, Kaida, my darling.
Love,
Mum
Her Mum always kept it short and sweet. Kaida's hands shook as she set the letter down.
Her eyes glazed over as tears threatened to spill. She sniffed and released the clear droplets, letting herself give in to her emotion.
She missed home severely. She thought of her mum and her brothers, then her father somewhere at sea.
They were all split up, and the day they were reunited would be joyous.
The fact that she didn't know exactly when that day would come made her feel hollow.
Kaida couldn't stay in her room right now. She needed to clear her head, so she set off on a walk.
She didn't get very far as she stopped at that familiar balcony overlooking the Sea. The perfect location for some self-reflection.
It was a stormy night, and the wind whipped furiously past her. If she focused she could hear the sound of the waves crashing torrentially against the chalk cliff-face below her.
She watched as each new wave vaulted over the previous one, as if it were a competition.
Kaida sighed deeply as she took of her cloak in one smooth motion. She needed to feel the cold. Her fingers brushed over something rough in her cloak pocket.
What was that?
She reached in and fetched out a crimson blade from a small inner pocket.
She remembered now, she couldn't wear it around the Palace so she had stashed it away in her pocket.
When she went back to her room, she decided she would display it on her dresser.
It was too beautiful an item to be kept in the dim, dark pocket.
Once more she admired the blade, turning it over in her hands.
Her mind wondered to Elias.
Elias, the blacksmith from Dreichtown. It seemed like so long since she had met him.
If only he could see her now, cosying up to the Silvers and being swept away in their decadence.
She wondered if he was waiting for her return.
The blade was quickly concealed again.
Kaida doubled over, resting her elbows on the ledge.
Her eyes looked out across the bay, and she imagined herself floating out in the middle of the ocean.
Truly, she had never felt so utterly alone and unacknowledged. A pit of misery slowly growing within her core.
Her mental state was teetering. As headstrong as she was, she had bouts of fragility. Battles within herself.
She sighed again.
————————————-
Maven was taking a stroll around the West Wing, the quietest area of the whole Palace and the part closest to the Sea.
He needed to clear his head.
The family dinner that night had been disastrous.
His father had directed all of his attention to Cal.
They spoke and laughed and debated.
'Like Father, Like Son'
Maven thought cynically.
Amongst all this, he caught his mother glaring icily at the King.
At one point she tried to interject but was completely spoken over and shut out.
It was painful to witness, and by the end of it they all retreated to their separate chambers.
Cal shot his brother a grin and patted his shoulder, then proceeded to walk together with his father, both of them deep in conversation.
Maven tensed.
How could Cal be so oblivious that their family was broken. So naive.
Maven turned right, strolling down a long hallway, hands clasped behind his back.
He passed by several paintings - portraits of the Silver elites.
He stopped to observe one, of Queen Xanthe Dragovic Calore - an ancient warrior Queen from a time closer to Caesar's.
Her eyes burned fiercely and the crown imbedded itself into her dark tresses.
Maven imagined himself in the crown, it's fiery twists and turns coming to an end at razor sharp points.
He thought it would suit him, no disrespect to Cal, but what did he have that Maven didn't?
Maven shook his head and carried on walking.
That's just the way it is.
Cal was born first, therefore it is his birthright.
He took another turn, nearing the end of his midnight excursion.
He reached a balcony, overlooking the sea and paused.
There was a girl already there, with her back to him.
She was humming a sea shanty and had rested her arms on the low ledge.
The ocean breeze slyly picked up, her hair swirled in the space behind her.
It was a cool night, but she had discarded her cloak beside her, letting the wind ruffle through her plain gown.
Maven stepped onto the balcony, clearing his throat as he did so.
Kaida spun around quickly, eyes wide in shock.
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Author notes :
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girlssssss, they've met! Finally !
As always thanks for reading, and tune in to the next chapter to see how their first meeting goes 😌
Don't forget to comment, share and vote !
*Special shout out to Ramona and Emily for their continued support*