It was finally time. I’d waited so long for this day to come. I paced nervously around my room. I was finally turning sixteen, which meant I would participate in the final Bloodline Ceremony. I failed the first two, which meant I either had Emvelo or Isilwane blood. I was hoping to pass this test so that I wouldn’t end up a No-mage, but I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. If I was anything like my friend and mentor, Kai, then I wouldn’t feel too bad having no magical abilities, but I wasn’t as skilled as he was. I had to pass this test or else I would be letting my father down. Since I was a princess, I felt that I needed magical abilities to amount to anything. My twelve-year-old sister had Imvelo blood in her and could control all different types of plants. Compared to her I was nothing.
“Your Highness?”
I turned to my handmaiden, Carwen Grayire, who was sitting on the small sofa I had in my room.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I just…” I began as I stopped walking. I sighed. “I’m just anxious.”
She stood up and walked over to me.
“Shall we go for a walk then? It might make you feel better,” she answered, brushing off my dress a little. I nodded in agreement. “We could go by the training yard and see Kai too.”
Seeing Kai would be nice. He always knew how to put a smile on my face.
“That sounds good.”
We left my room and began walking through the massive palace hallways. The walls were a beautiful cream color and large portraits of past princesses and princes adorned them. Faint traces of gold designs laced the walls as well. It was simple but elegant. I enjoyed walking out every morning and seeing all the kind faces in the portraits. Even though they had long since passed, I felt a connection to each of them and it provided me with some comfort as we continued to walk. We turned to the left down a new hall and left the palace through a large doorway. Since it was turning spring and the weather was nice, the maids had left the doors open. The large, wooden doors led from the west wing of the palace to the garden.
We walked down the wide, cobblestone path that was lined with rose bushes and then entered a tunnel made from trellises. It was covered in moonflowers and morning glories. The moonflowers had closed, but the morning glories were opened wide, allowing for their sweet aroma to waft gently in the breeze. The morning sun glinted through small openings in the thick vines and cast small spots of light on the ground. The wind that was gently blowing through the tunnel tickled my face and brushed a few strands of hair away from my cheek. When we finally came to the end of the tunnel, we turned down another path off to our right that led to the training grounds. The training grounds were surrounded by a large wall and contained a small building that stored weapons and equipment. Just behind the wall of the training grounds was where the arena for horseriding was located. When we entered, we found Kai standing in front of a target. He had a bow in his hand and his quiver was strapped to his side. He was a tall, broad-shouldered boy with light, honey-colored skin. His lustrous, coffee-brown hair was pulled back into a half bun and fell to about his shoulder blades. The golden strands of hair that were scattered throughout his head gleamed in the sun. He had a small braid tucked behind his long, pointed ear.
I watched as he readied his bow. He slipped an arrow into its place with his long, elegant fingers. He looked up at the target and took a deep breath. He raised his bow and paused for a moment before releasing the arrow. It cut through the air and stuck right in the center mark. He turned and looked at us. His face lit up as his iridescent eyes fell on us. His eyes were constantly changing colors and that day they were a rich purple color.
“Lady Carwen,” he greeted as he walked over to us. “Your Highness. Happy birthday.”
“Thank you, Kai,” I replied, smiling. “That was an excellent shot.”
“Why thank you!” he answered playfully. “I have to keep my skills sharp if I want to turn you into the kingdom’s toughest queen one day!”
“Oh…well I don’t know about that.”
“Ah, come on! Have some confidence in your teacher!”
“It’s-it’s more of a lack of confidence in myself. It’s not you. You’re amazing at what you do and you’re a wonderful teacher,” I explained. His face became serious.
“Are you still worried about the ceremony?” he asked.
“Yes…I feel like if I don’t have Isilwane blood, then I’m gonna let Father down and-”
“Princess,” he said, cutting me off. I looked up at him again. He had a sympathetic look on his face. “You won’t let him down. You won't disappoint him or anyone for that matter, even if you are a No-mage like me. You’ve shown our kingdom just how great of a queen you will be without powers one day. You’ve worked so hard to become the person you are and your father is proud of you because of that. So don’t be anxious about it, okay? I know it’s nerve-wracking, but Carwen and I will be there with you.”
“He’s right. And Kai and I are proud of you no matter what,” Carwen added. I smiled.
“Thank you both. I feel a little better now,” I replied.
“Good!” Kai exclaimed. “But just to make sure you don’t stress all day long, how about we go into the city? I’m sure your father won’t mind at all since I’ll be accompanying you.”
“Don’t be so full of yourself,” Carwen laughed. Kai grinned as he slung his bow over his shoulder.
“I’d love to,” I answered. “I’ll go ask Father.”
Kai, Carwen, and I went back into the palace and went to the throne room where my father was. When we entered, we all bowed.
“Atarah, my darling, how has your birthday been?” the king asked as I stood up.
“It’s been very good, Father,” I answered.
“That’s wonderful to hear! I’m excited to have dinner with you and your sister tonight to celebrate. I’m sure Lady Carwen and Kaido will be joining us as well?”
“We wouldn’t want to intrude, your majesty,” Kai replied. The king dismissed Kai’s statement with a wave of his hand.
“Nonsense! You wouldn’t be intruding at all! In fact, I insist that you join us tonight to celebrate!”
Kai bowed a second time.
“That's very kind of you, my king,” Carwen said, bowing again. “We would be honored to join you.”
“Splendid! Now, what is it that you came to ask me?”
“Your majesty, I came to ask if you would allow me to take Atarah into town today as a way to celebrate,” Kai said in response.
“I don’t see why it would be a problem. I’ll allow it as long as you take one more guard with you. It’s not that I don’t trust you, Kaido, I just want to ensure that my daughter is safe.”
“I understand completely, your majesty, and I thank you for allowing this.”
“Well, off you three go then! Go and enjoy this wonderful day, my love, since we will be beginning our journey to the Amakrist tomorrow!”
I bowed again.
“Thank you, Father!” I exclaimed. We turned and exited the throne room. Kai looked at me with excitement.
“Are you excited?” he asked. I nodded.
“Yes, I am. Thank you for offering to take me.”
“Of course! We can’t have you be stressed all day.”
“Yeah,” Carwen agreed. “And besides, you don’t get to go out often so this is a good birthday present too!”
Kai left Carwen and me to find someone else to go with us. While we waited, we went back to my room and we both changed into more comfortable dresses. I grabbed a satchel and some money as well. I then had Carwen braid my hair so it wouldn’t be in my face. As I was pulling a few strands out of the braids to define my face more, Kai knocked on the door. We went out to join him. The guard he had asked to accompany us was a younger man and also happened to be Carwen’s significant other. His name was Elwin. He was a few years older than Kai, but not nearly as good-looking. He just looked…plain. That was the best way to describe him. He had long, dirty blonde hair adorned with many small braids. He was a slim, lanky man with pale skin and dull blue eyes. A pair of gold-rimmed spectacles were perched on his upturned nose. He reminded me of my old, wrinkled geography tutor that smelled like musty, wet books all the time. I honestly didn’t know what Carwen saw in him.
“Shall we get going?” Kai asked after Elwin had formally greeted us.
We left the palace and made our way down toward the city. We found tons of stalls and wagons lining the road when we reached the main street. Vendors were selling many different items and foods. Voices intermingled with the sounds of music could be heard all around us. The air smelled of freshly baked goods and well-cooked meats. Small children wove through the crowds and were laughing and playing together. A few young girls stopped and stared at us as we walked by. One pointed at Kai and whispered to the other. They giggled. Kai smiled and waved at them. They squealed happily and jumped down from the crate they were standing on. They ran off into the crowd still giggling. Kai laughed.
“I can see you’re just as popular as me,” I teased. “Even though you’re only a peasant.”
“Well, what can I say? When you have princely looks like me, then no woman can resist you,” he responded charismatically. I looked up at him. The sun caused his hair to shimmer and his eyes had turned a dark blue. He really was one of the most handsome beings I’d ever seen. I smiled and returned my gaze to the street ahead of me.
We walked around and looked through different market stalls and shops along the street. Kai bought me a small, silver pendant with the moon and a bunch of tiny gems that looked like stars. He told me it brought out my eyes. As we came to the intersection of two streets that was the home to Luz’s Fountain, we found a small wooden stage standing in front of us. A group of young children was sitting around it listening to an older gentleman dressed in traveler’s clothes. He had a fiddle tucked under his left chin. As we approached the stage he began to play an upbeat and happy tune. After a few moments, he began to sing along with his music.
Oh, the first king of the Elves was a glorious man!
At the age of sixteen, his story began!
All the deeds that he did were noble for sure!
His heart was among the purest of pure!
Our glorious lord, Khuldrako was he!
Started this beautiful country, you see!
The man danced across the stage as the words formed a beautiful story. Some children were clapping along while others were staring up at the strange man with fascination. I recognized the song he was playing. It was an older children’s song that had been passed down for years. The song was about the first elf king, Khuldrako, and how he was the greatest king in history.
He had rich coffee hair that was sprinkled with gold!
His eyes, like a shifter, changed color, it’s told!
Voice like a harp and strength of a giant,
Khuldrako remained a king most reliant!
One child turned and found us standing behind them. He squinted at Kai for a moment until realization dawned on him. He tapped his friend’s shoulder and then pointed at Kai. This started a chain reaction that continued until all kids were murmuring to themselves and turned towards Kai. The gentleman on stage noticed this and his music stopped for a moment. He looked at Kai and his face lit up.
“What a charming young man!” he exclaimed in a boisterous voice. “It seems you have stolen my crowd! Come closer! Come closer!”
Kai stepped close to the stage and the man pulled him up onto the platform.
“Look here children!” he called, getting the kids' attention again. “This handsome young man looks just like our legendary king! What a coincidence that he was here while I was singing my song!”
The children clapped and cheered. The man placed Kai in the center of the stage. It didn’t surprise me since Kai looked very similar to the former king. The only difference between the two was that Khuldrako had Isilwane blood and could turn into a dragon while Kai was a No-mage.
“Stay there for me while I finish my tune, why dontcha!? You can dance and do whatever you like to show the kids a good time,” he said as he tucked his fiddle under his chin again. He began playing and dancing around Kai, who looked down at me and shrugged. He suddenly reached down from the stage and held his hand out to me.
“Will you dance with me, your highness?” he questioned. I nodded shyly and took his hand. He pulled me up on stage with him and we began to dance together. It was my second time dancing with Kai. The first time I did was at a ball that my father hosted. We didn’t dance for long so I never really knew how good he could dance. He spun me around a couple of times before pulling me close and continuing to dance. We were moving pretty quickly since the man’s music was fast and I was getting dizzy. Although my head was spinning, I was able to follow the rest of the man’s story that he sang. The second part of the song talked about Khuldrako’s ability to turn into a dragon. This was a symbol of one of his greatest achievements as king, which was uniting the warring Elves and Dragons. The Dragon’s country bordered the Elves and we were at war for a long time until Khuldrako came to power. His unique ability was a sign of the end of that war.
The man stopped singing and the end of the song drew near. Kai spun me around again and then, as the final notes of the song were played, pulled me back towards him. He caught me just as the man played the final note. We both froze in place, breathing heavily. I heard the children cheer and others began to clap. Kai looked down at me, panting. He held my right hand in his and his left hand was on my hip. I was gripping his forearm with my other hand as I stared up into his eyes. He smiled.
“I-I didn’t know you were such a good dancer,” I breathed. He laughed.
“You’re very good too! Sorry if I jerked you around too much. I’ve got a tendency to get lost in the music.”
“You don’t need to apologize. It was fun,” I replied nervously, suddenly realizing that my heart was racing way more than it should have been. The man came over to us and put his hands on our shoulders.
“You both are wonderful! That was a beautiful dance! Please! Let me give you a little from what I earned!” he exclaimed as he held out a small metal tin. Kai pushed it away.
“Absolutely not. We can’t take your hard-earned money. We were glad to come up here and dance just for the fun of it. Seeing these kids smile is rewarding enough,” Kai replied as he let go of me. The man’s eyes suddenly teared up.
“You really are like him, aren’t you? May the three Queens bless you, young man!”
“Thank you. And may you receive blessings from the Queens as well. Your music was wonderful and spreading joy to these children is such a beautiful thing to see.”
It was so strange to hear Kai’s voice in such a formal tone. He always spoke to me informally since we were close. As I watched him speak to the man, I noticed how he carried himself just like my father did. Like a king. I felt my face flush as I began thinking about one day Kai ruling as king with me. It was a stupid dream that I had.
“Your Highness?”
I refocused my attention on Kai.
“Are you not feeling well?” he asked.
“Oh! No! I'm fine! Just worn out from dancing. That’s all!” I answered quickly.
“‘Your Highness?!’” the man suddenly screamed. He fell to his knees as he bowed. “Forgive me for not noticing sooner! My sincerest apologies!”
“No, no! It’s quite alright. Please stand up!” I replied anxiously. I never really knew what to do in situations like this. The man stood up.
“Well we should get going, sir. It was nice meeting you,” Kai said as he shook the man’s hand. “Before we go, what is your name?”
“Ah! I am Noralf! And you are?”
“Kaido Farriver. And this is her highness, Princess Atarah,” Kai answered, motioning towards me. The man bowed again.
“It’s an honor to meet you both. Please forgive my rudeness earlier and let me extend my thanks to you for joining me in my performance.”
“Of course! We enjoyed it! Please, inform the palace of your next show and I'll be happy to make an appearance again!”
“Your offer is most appreciated! You will make a wonderful leader someday, young man!”
“Oh…thank you, I suppose. Well, we best be off. Good day to you, sir!”
Kai gently grabbed my wrist and led me off the stage. We met back up with Carwen and Elwin. Elwin didn’t seem too impressed with Kai’s performance.
“You put the princess’s life in danger! How could you be so reckless, you Western peasant!” he snapped. Carwen elbowed him.
“Be nicer,” she demanded calmly. He muttered to himself and glared at Kai through his stupid-looking glasses.
“I wasn’t in danger,” I answered, trying to keep my voice calm.
“I had everything under control, Elwin. You don’t need to worry,” Kai replied casually as he began walking down the street again. I walked beside him. Carwen walked beside me and Ewlin placed himself beside her.
“Don’t be so full of yourself! Just because you’re favored by the king doesn’t mean your fit to be the princess’s personal guard! You have had no real knight training! You’re just some glorified page or squire!”
“That may be so, but the king still trusts and respects me so, as in your duty as a knight to the king, you have to respect his decision to place me as her trainer and occasional bodyguard.”
I stifled a laugh as I looked at Elwin’s enraged face. He was a real stickler when it came to rules and such and he was honestly annoying, but Kai always put him in his place in the absolute nicest and most respectful way possible. That was another thing about Kai that I loved. He never disrespected anyone even if they absolutely trashed him. He would simply smile and respond with something kind towards them or a simple ‘I’m sorry you feel that way.’ There was nothing about Kai that I disliked or that bothered me at all. He just seemed…perfect. Too perfect to be honest. But one thing was for sure. If I was going to be queen one day, I would want Kai to be my king.
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