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Chapter 5
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2022-02-02 23:40:22I nodded, realising that I could have trusted him with how I felt, though because my sisters had never requested such a thing from their guardians, I was afraid to ask, to entrust him with my feelings. Although now I see that my actions were foolish and rash. “I’m sorry guardian, it is only that I did not know how you would react and no other princess has ever requested such a thing; so I did not believe it to be possible. I had been contemplating it for a while.”
“I do not need to hear your excuses; I only ask that you come to me about anything that is an issue. Do you understand?” Derrick questioned, releasing his grasp on my chin.
I nodded as my guardian took a step back, believing his words to be reasonable; if I would have told him about my wishes then there would not have been an issue, only instead, I went behind his back and did as I pleased. This is not how things work, not how things have ever worked.
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I began to speak after a moment of silence, pushing my coppery hair over my shoulder; my tone light and low. “Guardian ... Are you going to tell my father?”
“If your father hears the gossip or if you begin to disobey any further orders, then I will speak to him about it. But until then, this stays between us.” Derrick informed me blandly, his piercing amber eyes almost appearing business-like; just as they did when he greeted the council.
I tilted my head in curiosity, wondering why he used such a tone against me; such a distant and unloving way of telling me that my secret is safe as long as I abide by the rules and laws that had been set in place. I knew that his heart held no care for any of the men on the council, their words harbouring no care or truth. Unlike Derrick and I, they were fake; only remaining by my father’s side to keep the comforts of having a place beside the king, using him to get the power and greed that all of them craved.
So then, why use the exact tone against me, the lifeless gaze that showed no affection? Perhaps this time I had stepped over the line, awoken something in my guardian that caused him to turn away as he did, to blank my presence as if I were not there; to hate me in such a manner that made my heart sink. Did he loath me as he did them? Had I caused one of the only people I truly cared for to lose all affection for me?
I jumped, recoiling back a step when he turned to look at me; a strange glint in his eye. Something that would send fear rushing into the mind of even the most fearless of people, something ... Dark, unnatural. Taking a soothing breath, I looked closer; pushing the fear that had began to surface back into the far corners of my mind, my smile appearing flawless; my eyes showing no feeling.
Derrick spoke slowly, a flawless smile of his own appearing in the corners of his mouth; the man I knew as my guardian slowly reappearing behind the strange darkness, the evil that I couldn’t explain. His tone appearing light and pleasant, “Now Sanctus, we must leave to see your father soon, please; continue with drying your hair.”
I nodded mutely, thinking of my reply with care as my mind persisted in focusing on his glare; knowing that it was behind the gleaming smile that played on his lips. I began to speak slowly, once again placing my hands before me and entwining my fingers together, a subtle act of my standing in the kingdom. “Yes guardian, I have wasted much time already, I’m afraid that we mustn’t keep father waiting any longer than we have to.”
Derrick bobbed his head, carefully adjusting his shirt before speaking; his eyes filled with a hatred I could never understand. “No, we mustn’t. Hurry off with you.”
I turned away from my guardian as he left the room, quickly grabbing a small comb from the vanity mirror; tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I moved to begin combing my hair as I forced my breathing to slow, my heart continuously thumping against my ribcage in a panicked movement. Strange, I had seen that look very rarely, most when we were in the presence of others around the castle; but never towards me, nor as brutally as it had shown moments earlier.
I moved with the grace of my sisters as I twirled my mass of coppery hair into a tight plait, the length cascading over my shoulder as it sat just bellow my breast; keeping it in place with a simple black hair tie wrapped around the end of the twisted style. I smiled truthfully at my reflection in the vanity mirror, my baby blue eyes locked onto the plat in awe, each twist of my hair reminding me of my mother. Of how she often wore her hair in the style I did now, no one else in the kingdom daring such a simple look.
I finished quickly, just as my guardian had instructed, silently following him down the winding halls on the castle; my mind replaying the strange glint in his eye over and over. Unable to let the unnatural feeling that plagued my every thought go. I would have to find the meaning behind it somehow. Behind the predatory hunger that moulded into his actions on occasion, changing his behaviour in a drastic and chaotic manner. Perhaps he had a secret of his own, something that he did not wish to share. Not even with me.
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My guardian strolled towards a pair of towering black oak doors, crowns carved into each one with the vast etching of a stags head; the sign of the last king that controlled these halls before my father. His nation vast and powerful. Yet, like many others;riddled with constant war. The last king became injured greatly in battle, eventually dying in his bed only hours after naming my father heir after having no kin of his own. My father of course had been surprised bythis, taking the throne with ahumble and love filled heart; later marrying my mother who had remained as one of the ladies in waiting after the death of her king. In his birth land, my father had been the fifth son born, having no rights to the throne of heritage of anything other than a small amount of land as a lord in my grandfather’s kingdom. But, that was not what the warrior had intended to do with his life, and instead, when this land was riddled with war and the old king called out for ass
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“It is perfectly reasonable, what with your sisters constantly demanding that you be polite and respectful. Though they bore me. I fear they do not have your spark Sanctus, not like your mother.” My father sighed, his smile remaining as he adjusted his black robes, each piece of clothing he wore crafted from the finest cotton; yet easily manoeuvrable in battle.I smiled up at his armoured breast plate, once again noticing that he still wore the armour of the stag after all these years, vast antlers reaching across his broad chest. I shifted my eyes towards the sheath by his side, the large jewel at the hilt of his long sword breathtaking as the red shone through his black cloak; informing me that he still did not trust the members of the council enough to remove his weapon in their presence. Smart. I believed that each one of them would betray him were they given a chance, taking the throne for themselves and even selling our secrets to other nations.
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“Calm yourself daughter, I will not harm you.”I lifted my head to gaze at my father, his eyes no longer showing any hints of anger, hisradiating blue eyes filled with only care. I laid my head against his chest, attempting to calm my tears. I knew that he would not harm me as he did to those who faced him on the battlefield, though not allowing me to fight seemed to hurt more than any strike I may face. He loved me and that I would never doubt, but the prospect of fighting seemed important to me, moreso than anything else. Why could he not understand that?“I know that you want to fight, but I do not want you to be harmed Sanctus. I do not want to lose you as I did her.” He whispered softly before planting a soft kiss onto the top of my head, his arms wrapped around my shoulders.I gasped lightly, now realising why he seemed so cruel, why he lost his temper in my presence when he never had before. He was afraid. My fath
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Sanctus. It appears to be amazingly simple as it slips from your tongue, when you voice the letters and form a word, and yet, it was much more than that, each letter forming a story. A life. It was a name, one that screamed with promise, with a bright and prosperous future. It was my name, the one that I was given on the day of my birth, a name fit for someone of my standing; one that radiated elegance. My father, the king had chosen it from many others; from thousands of possibilities that loomed. Though I scarcely think of what I could have been called and smile upon the one he had chosen, the one he believed suited his youngest child; that fit his daughter like a saddle on a horse. In the old tongue of our language, the word directly translated into ‘pure’ someone who believes in doing no wrong, a person that will do anything to avoid injuring another. I smiled at the thought, but my heart sank, my name would always mean pure. But I would not remain that way forever,
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Whoare you kidding?– I asked myself harshly, my smile fading –your father will never allow you to fight, you have just barely turned thirteen. I can’t fight in the war. I’m not even trained.My head snapped towards the door as a soft knock echoed through my chamber, someone calling for my attention from beyond the safety of my solitude. “Sanctus?” a soft voice called, “May we enter?”My smile returned at the voice, knowing that it was my eldest sister Marcella. I replied slowly, shuffling towards the edge of my bed as I kept my voice soothing and low. “Of course, sister, please come in.”The door clicked open at a hesitant pace, my smile remaining as I moved to wrap a silk black night gown around my shoulders, the night dress seeming almost inappropriate in the presence of my sister. I turned to glance towards Marcella, her crystal blue eyes scanning the chamber before landing on me, h
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Continuing to smile, I turned away from the vanity and crossed the pristine bathroom, steam rising from the cooling marble bath. I shuffled towards the small chair where I had left my emerald green gown, flexing my toes on the icy white tiles; my smile growing as I was filled with happiness. Normally I would avoid dark colours because of my pale skin, though for some reason, the dress reminded me of my mother. Of the portraits I had seen of her in the castle; in them she always wore dark red’s or green’s the shades causing her pale skin to almost glow, her red cheeks standing out above all else.Drying off in record time, I stepped into the gown, careful to tie the small black sash around my waist. I giggled, almost childishly as I fell in love with the silky fabric, twirling in a small circle. It seemed strange to be doing it on my own for the first time in my life, with none of the ladies in waiting there to judge my every movement; their scr
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“Calm yourself daughter, I will not harm you.”I lifted my head to gaze at my father, his eyes no longer showing any hints of anger, hisradiating blue eyes filled with only care. I laid my head against his chest, attempting to calm my tears. I knew that he would not harm me as he did to those who faced him on the battlefield, though not allowing me to fight seemed to hurt more than any strike I may face. He loved me and that I would never doubt, but the prospect of fighting seemed important to me, moreso than anything else. Why could he not understand that?“I know that you want to fight, but I do not want you to be harmed Sanctus. I do not want to lose you as I did her.” He whispered softly before planting a soft kiss onto the top of my head, his arms wrapped around my shoulders.I gasped lightly, now realising why he seemed so cruel, why he lost his temper in my presence when he never had before. He was afraid. My fath
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“It is perfectly reasonable, what with your sisters constantly demanding that you be polite and respectful. Though they bore me. I fear they do not have your spark Sanctus, not like your mother.” My father sighed, his smile remaining as he adjusted his black robes, each piece of clothing he wore crafted from the finest cotton; yet easily manoeuvrable in battle.I smiled up at his armoured breast plate, once again noticing that he still wore the armour of the stag after all these years, vast antlers reaching across his broad chest. I shifted my eyes towards the sheath by his side, the large jewel at the hilt of his long sword breathtaking as the red shone through his black cloak; informing me that he still did not trust the members of the council enough to remove his weapon in their presence. Smart. I believed that each one of them would betray him were they given a chance, taking the throne for themselves and even selling our secrets to other nations.
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My guardian strolled towards a pair of towering black oak doors, crowns carved into each one with the vast etching of a stags head; the sign of the last king that controlled these halls before my father. His nation vast and powerful. Yet, like many others;riddled with constant war. The last king became injured greatly in battle, eventually dying in his bed only hours after naming my father heir after having no kin of his own. My father of course had been surprised bythis, taking the throne with ahumble and love filled heart; later marrying my mother who had remained as one of the ladies in waiting after the death of her king. In his birth land, my father had been the fifth son born, having no rights to the throne of heritage of anything other than a small amount of land as a lord in my grandfather’s kingdom. But, that was not what the warrior had intended to do with his life, and instead, when this land was riddled with war and the old king called out for ass
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I nodded, realising that I could have trusted him with how I felt, though because my sisters had never requested such a thing from their guardians, I was afraid to ask, to entrust him with my feelings. Although now I see that my actions were foolish and rash. “I’m sorry guardian, it is only that I did not know how you would react and no other princess has ever requested such a thing; so I did not believe it to be possible. I had been contemplating it for a while.”“I do not need to hear your excuses; I only ask that you come to me about anything that is an issue. Do you understand?” Derrick questioned, releasing his grasp on my chin.I nodded as my guardian took a step back, believing his words to be reasonable; if I would have told him about my wishes then there would not have been an issue, only instead, I went behind his back and did as I pleased. This is not how things work, not how things have ever worked.Start here
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Continuing to smile, I turned away from the vanity and crossed the pristine bathroom, steam rising from the cooling marble bath. I shuffled towards the small chair where I had left my emerald green gown, flexing my toes on the icy white tiles; my smile growing as I was filled with happiness. Normally I would avoid dark colours because of my pale skin, though for some reason, the dress reminded me of my mother. Of the portraits I had seen of her in the castle; in them she always wore dark red’s or green’s the shades causing her pale skin to almost glow, her red cheeks standing out above all else.Drying off in record time, I stepped into the gown, careful to tie the small black sash around my waist. I giggled, almost childishly as I fell in love with the silky fabric, twirling in a small circle. It seemed strange to be doing it on my own for the first time in my life, with none of the ladies in waiting there to judge my every movement; their scr
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Icarefully pushed the steam from my large vanity mirror as I wrapped the towel tighter around my small frame, barely able to see the form that stared back at me in the glass. My deep coppery hair cascaded in damp waves down across my shoulders, moulding with my pale skin as it slipped down my back. The bright colour of my hair caused my skin to look almost white, the shade white and seemingly lifeless, the dark freckles around my nose and cheeks more distinctive. Though I was not the only one with fair skin, my sisters having a similar skin tone to mine; though slightly darker as they spent more time outdoors. Leaving me to my lessons in etiquette and mannerisms, yet; with all the time that I spent with my private tutor, I never seemed to get anywhere. To learn anything more than I already did about being in my standing of society. But I never fully saw the point, the hours spent learning how to stand or speak as my sisters did only drowning my mood in the urge to run; t
A wolf in sheep’s clothing Chapter 2
Whoare you kidding?– I asked myself harshly, my smile fading –your father will never allow you to fight, you have just barely turned thirteen. I can’t fight in the war. I’m not even trained.My head snapped towards the door as a soft knock echoed through my chamber, someone calling for my attention from beyond the safety of my solitude. “Sanctus?” a soft voice called, “May we enter?”My smile returned at the voice, knowing that it was my eldest sister Marcella. I replied slowly, shuffling towards the edge of my bed as I kept my voice soothing and low. “Of course, sister, please come in.”The door clicked open at a hesitant pace, my smile remaining as I moved to wrap a silk black night gown around my shoulders, the night dress seeming almost inappropriate in the presence of my sister. I turned to glance towards Marcella, her crystal blue eyes scanning the chamber before landing on me, h
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Sanctus. It appears to be amazingly simple as it slips from your tongue, when you voice the letters and form a word, and yet, it was much more than that, each letter forming a story. A life. It was a name, one that screamed with promise, with a bright and prosperous future. It was my name, the one that I was given on the day of my birth, a name fit for someone of my standing; one that radiated elegance. My father, the king had chosen it from many others; from thousands of possibilities that loomed. Though I scarcely think of what I could have been called and smile upon the one he had chosen, the one he believed suited his youngest child; that fit his daughter like a saddle on a horse. In the old tongue of our language, the word directly translated into ‘pure’ someone who believes in doing no wrong, a person that will do anything to avoid injuring another. I smiled at the thought, but my heart sank, my name would always mean pure. But I would not remain that way forever,
