Post by Kismet on Nov 15, 2010 8:13:41 GMT -8
"Roesia..."
"Yes, Mama?" The eight-year-old girl was buried under piles of blankets; her bed seemed to consume her body whole. She rubbed at her eyes, a yawn escaping her pouty lips.
"It is time to go, little angel."
Roesia smiled, placing her hand on her mother's pallid skin. "Yes, mama... in the morning, yes? We will go in the morning." She closed her eyes, her psyche becoming slumberous. Streaks of red painted the sky--blood would be shed...
A hand grasped her tightly, shaking her awake once more. "What is it, mama?" The little girl asked, struggling to keep her eyes open.
Her mother picked her up, wrapping some blankets around her. "We have to go, little angel."
The little girl frowned, not quite understanding what was going on. "Alright, but you will wake me in the morning, yes?" The elder woman--whom the younger girl was a striking image of--nodded sadly, smile faltering. The girl, satisfied, put her thumb in her mouth, allowing herself to drift back into the realm of dreams.
The woman hurriedly placed the petite thing in a basket. With fervent glances backwards, she made sure to take off her necklace--a golden amulet, with a large sapphire protruding from its base. Words, in some sort of ancient, long forgotten language, were engraved on the back. She slipped the necklace on the girl's frail neck, watching her sleep for but a few seconds--savoring the quite moments, before the cruel reality sank in. She was selfish to allow herself to even glance upon her lovely daughter. She knew she would never see her kin again; but she had no other choice. Only one of them would come out of this alive... that had been decided before the dawn of time. Why was fate such a being of murderous intent?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flames consumed the royal house of Erolea. Silence was the only accompaniment to the glorious sight; shadows ran past as the lone living heir was taken away--far away from her parents' enemies; far away from everything she had ever held dear.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Scarves swayed around her slim form as she ran through the streets, apple in one hand, bread of baskets in the other. "Thief!" The cries echoed off of the walls as she quickened her pace.
Where was she going? She could have sworn she'd come through this way--ah, there he was! "Caleb!" She yelled out, motioning. He smiled mischievously at the sight of her running, making eye contact before he too began to ran. She happily followed him--though weariness was already setting in her bones, she ignored the pain from the constant pounding of her feet against the harsh pavement; from the pain of the basket, weighing down her arm.
Finally, the two of them came to a stop. Sheltered by raised canvases and hidden in a place not many ordinary folks knew of, Roesia finally knew she was safe. Settling on the ground, legs crossed, she set the bread about as if it was a grand feast to behold. And it was--children of all sorts gathered round almost immediately, grabbing this bread and that. They came out of crevices, and cracks in the walls--there was numerous hidden doors in this establishment, leaving her unsurprised.
She unpinned the scarf from around her face, letting her hair loose. It had grown long and untamed in the past couple of years; curly, it fell down to her mid-waist. Her eyes, however, were what usually captured the people's attention--the bright purple of amethysts, they were said to be quite rare and generally hereditary. Roesia knew who her parents were--though she had tried to forget the night, she found herself never quite capable enough of the feat. Indeed, the burning flames and the quiet reassurances of her mother's silken voice still haunted her nightly slumbers.
Ailwin and Marsilia came up in front of her, their smiles warm and their eyes alive. "Have you heard of any news?" Roesia said in a hushed tone, once the two were in reach. Marsilia was her maid--Ailwin her guard. The two had accompanied her through the good and the bad. Though their service had technically ended at the slaughtering of the king and queen, they had proved themselves loyal by staying at her side. She was extremely grateful for it.
"Yes." Marsilia whispered. "They say that your uncle has become sickly, and that his son is soon to take his place. Furthermore, the Silusian king has loosened his hold over our country--the citizens have recently become acquainted with freedom unknown to them for years." Roesia's eyebrows furrowed together. This was indeed good news; with her uncle out of the way, she could easily reclaim the throne and avenge her father and mother. And with that old bastard--that old bastard who had dared to attempt to conquer her kingdom--with him slackening his iron fist...
She was, after all, as agile and strong as any boy--she was, after all, as clever and quick-witted as one. She had trained herself to become guarded; she had trained herself to be able to fight. Surely, the day was coming soon... when she would be able to prove herself; when she was able to reclaim what was once hers.
"The drawback?" She asked, knowing that there was one.
Ailwin looked awkwardly to the side. "Your cousin has gone to Regina for diplomatic matters. Lys, as you know, has been downtrodden since your father was usurped. The diamond trade is not quite as good as it was; the blue stones do not sell for quite as much. And it does not help that your uncle has been trading our precious stones to Silus for free because of their tyrannical presence--he is too afraid to make a move against them, knowing full well that if he does, the country will no longer be his." Roesia fingered her amulet quietly, thinking. What was she to do? Travel to Regina to confront her cousin? And what would she do after that? Reclaim the throne, set things right, and once and for all force the Silusian people out of her country... No, no--they thought her dead! But she couldn't wait forever, in these lonely shadows...
She stood up, a smile full of mischief wide on her face. "Then we'll go to Regina. It's about time they were made aware of my existence."
OOC; This is Kismet from the Caution request. <3 Hope this is alright! <3
