CHAPTER TWO

She placed a hand on my shoulder as I looked down sniffling. “It can be quite terrifying to marry someone, especially in your case. Regardless, I'll be by your side when and if you need me.” 

I sat sniffling as she rubbed my back. “What if the rumours are true? What if he really is dangerous?”

    She stopped rubbing, being silent made it clear that she was deep in thought. “Well, you have one thing he doesn’t have that you can protect yourself with.”

    “What would that be?” I turned my head to peer at her as she stood; still with the brush in her hand.

    “You have magic; something no one else seems to have across the countries, your powerful princess, why not just put a little fear in him?” Aris’s tone comes out mischievous and I finish sniffling.

    “Do you think that would work? Putting fear in him I mean.” I asked as I pulled my knees up onto the chair to my chest.

    Aris walks over to the vanity placing the brush down, then turns to face me leaning against the wall crossing her arms against her chest. “I don’t see why not, it worked for a while with king Rinstin until everyone else found out.” She let out a sigh as the memories slowly made their way back.

    I tightened my grip, Aris has a point, I can easily protect myself from Senya but not against an entire kingdom and army like my mother had tried.

"Look how that turned out, she's dead," I reminded her.

Aris went and grabbed my nightgown out of the closet. "I know that, but don't show him your fire, just do it without him realizing it's magic." 

"I never thought of that," I said admittingly. "Aris?"

"Yes, miss?" 

"I want Isla to be out of the kingdom before we leave." My tone was serious as I watched her lean a hand on the table holding her weight behind her.

"I mean it," I say quieter.

"What are you planning, princess?" She asked, tilting her head watching my face.

I stood up then and shook my head before speaking. "It's none of your concern, just be sure she does as asked." 

"If that's what you wish milady," Aris replies, sounding more concerned than before.

"It is." I state.

 She came over to help me dress for bed, pulling the gown over my head as she spoke. "I'm surprised you don't want her to be here to say your goodbyes,"

"I want her to meet us by Halidyn Forrest tomorrow." I clarify, muffled by the fabric over my head she pulls it down and I pull my hair from underneath.

"You have to give me more details than that, mom is going to need a reason. You know how she is." She places a hand on her hip as she waits for an explanation.

The way she is holding herself looks just like her mother when she doesn't take a simple answer, I sighed. I should know better to think Aris wouldn't ask questions.

"I'm taking you both with me to Alastia, I don't want anyone to know. The two of you aren't maids to me, Aris. You're family." I finally say while looking back out over the courtyard.

what will I ever do without my view of the darkened courtyard, my own quiet space.

The sun is gone now and the moon replaced it.

I turned back around her hands clamped together in front of her as her face twisted into trying to keep herself together.

"M-miss, do you really mean that?" Tears began to run down her cheeks.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. It's only the two of you I actually like having around. The rest of them compare me to my mother too much." I say placing a cool hand on my forearm modestly.

She wipes her tears and sniffles away as she makes her way over to my bed. Pulling back the silk linen, stepping back as she waits for me to get in, I slip under the sheets and cover myself. 

"Ella and I will be the ones to get you ready in the morning to leave," I groaned at her words while laying my head back in annoyance.

Ella was harsh and hated caring for me, I thought dad would at least be kind to me on my last morning here. 

"Does it have to be Ella? Can't it be Zayanna?" 

Knowing well enough that whining won't do any good she replies; "Don't tell Ella anything about my plans for tomorrow." 

"Ella and I aren't on speaking terms milady so tomorrow will not be easy for me either," Aris replies with a sigh.

"That sounds like a lovely conversation." I patted the mattress to tell her to sit and she began to laugh, making me smile sadly.

"I will tell you all about it another time, miss; but right now you need your rest."

She had a smile on her face as she turned and strolled toward the door turning off the light switch. I didn't want her to leave but I know she's right, we have to get ready to leave at eleven o'clock in the morning.

She turns off the light as she makes her way out the door. "Good night, Princess," she whispers, closing the door.

"Goodnight, Aris," I whisper back as the door is already closed and she was gone.

Once she left my heart sank. I was completely alone in my room alone with my thoughts.

I closed my eyes as my eyelids began to feel heavy.

Dreaming.

Screaming of angry townspeople hollering about happily killing my mother, their queen, a witch, a traitor in their eyes. Mother was tied to a wooden cross as the executioner began to set the wood pile underneath her to flame. 

Sticky tears and snot ran down my face as I screamed for her, reaching out for her. The smell of smoke was prominent while the flames tauntingly licked up her legs threatening her to swallow whole. 

She smiled sadly at me, whispering something I couldn't make out.

The guards holding my body back as I was trying to get away to go to her, the smell of burning flesh was enough to make anyone nauseous. My mother screamed in agony and I try to turn my head away. I couldn't watch, I couldn't, but the guards forced my head forward as our father told them to make my brother and I watch. Fear filled my heart as I looked at my brother.

 Mave was silent, nearly emotionless. She got swallowed by the flame. Her skin was blistering and cracking.

Her wails turned into a demonic moan, her once white long hair is now singed black falling off her now blackened skull. Mother's eyes sunken into her head.

I keeled over as I gagged and threw up as my sanity was fleeting.

"I can't take this anymore, stop it! Stop this please! I beg you!" Spit dripping from my face

 The guards let me fall to my knees.

Everyone cheered around me as she took her final agonizing breath. She was gone, my mommy was gone. An ironic end for a fire using-witch. 

Her heart filled with hate for the kingdom and tried to burn it to ashes hours before, but she didn't deserve this, no one did.

"Mave," I cried out his name as he turned away. His head faced downward as he makes his way back to the castle from the town square.

Everyone dispersed as they gossiped and spoke down about mother, some acting as if it was a casual Tuesday.

I wiped my mouth off as my legs trembled to try to stand.

I staggered after my big brother calling his name but he never looked back and I couldn't keep up, tripping. I cried as I watched him walk past the burning huts.

"Time to wake up, Princess." I heard behind my closed eyelids as the sun showed beams of light into my face. 

I sat up and felt nauseous, without having a chance to move I threw up on the left side of the bed. The dream was a memory, an awful painful memory. My face drenched in sweat as I continued to gag. I heard hurried footsteps and a soft hand on the small of my back rubbing gently. I automatically knew who it was.

"You're so dramatic." I heard Ella say in an annoyed tone.

"Are you okay, miss?" Aris asked softly, my heart hurt from my dream. I pulled my legs into my chest placing my hand over my eyes.

I have to stay strong. I can't, I can't let anyone see me like this. A sob came from my chest as my heart broke all over again. I cried, I couldn't breathe my silent sobs as the drool fell I couldn't stop. My pale white face turned beat red as I tried to breathe.

Ella sighed, while Aris tried to take my hands away from my face to calm me down.

I pushed her hands away from me, finally taking a breath, another sob escaped between my lips.

Aris pulled me into her more forcefully this time, not letting me try to get away she held me tightly as my sobs turned into soft hiccups.

"Was it another nightmare?" Aris asked as I finally began to pull myself together, and I nodded in response.

"Ella, go grab her a glass of water please," Aris says gently.

Her arms were still wrapped around me, loosening her grip.

Ella didn't move; she just crossed her arms and leaned on her opposite foot.

"Now." Aris raised her voice, making me jump. She never raises her voice. 

Without another word I could hear Ella's footsteps as she left.

Sniffling, I lifted my face off her chest and Aris let me go, I still felt disoriented.

Aris went and got me a tissue and I took it graciously.

"I'm sorry," I said as I wiped my nose.

"You have been through alot, you have no reason to apologize." She sat beside me on the bed as Ella came back in with a tall glass of water.

Aris took it from her and passed me the glass, my hands were still shaking; she brought it to my lips and I took slow sips.

I began to feel better, but my eyes felt sore from crying.

As the taste of water cooled down my burning throat the pain in my chest began to subside.

Ella didn't say anything else as she went to get my bath ready, pouring buckets of hot water inside the iron Aris helped me slip out of my nightgown.

My skin raised prickled goosebumps from the feeling of the morning breeze coming through the opened window. "It's really chilly today," I muttered as I tiptoed barefoot towards the bath.

"Quite," Aris responded, striding toward the window and closing it with a thud.

Ella held my hand as I stepped into the piping hot water, bubbles floated around me, taking a deep breath as I submerged up to my neck underneath the water.

She began to wash my arms and back, as Aris washed my legs and the rest of my body.

    “You must be so excited for your marriage this evening.” Ella sparked up a conversation, Aris and I exchanged a look at how naive she was. “I heard the prince is, oh so handsome and strong too.” She gushed as if a school girl gushed about her crush.

    “If you like him so much maybe you should go ahead and marry him,” I replied, washing off the soap suds.

    “I’d love to but the prince wants a princess, not a scummy maid like myself.” She washed her hands off in the water.

I submerged my head and the rest of my body as I rinsed off, my white hair matting to my head. The heat of the water forced my thoughts and fears to disapear in those small minutes until I came back up, the burning of my skin felt good as it numbed against the cool air.

    “You should be thankful it isn’t you that is marrying the prince.” I finally added as she put shampoo in my hair a little too roughly. “What I mean is the prince is not a nice man, especially to his own people, so can you imagine being his wife?”