Chapter Seven
Damien woke in the morning, in the hopes of not waking me. He silently moved out of the bed, and quietly put his weaponry belt and shoes back on. When I wrapped my arms around his waist, he realized that I hadn’t been asleep. “Good morning, Princess.” His voice was livelier than it had been the night before, but it was also cautious. “Did you sleep at all, then?”
“For a little while, maybe. I can’t really tell.” I sighed, and felt my body ache. “Not really.” I corrected, and tried to prop myself up. The room was lit by the natural light streaming in the windows. It was not as early in the morning as it had been yesterday, but it was still early. Guards still stood sentinel outside, spears erect. “What will happen to Selene?” I asked him, suddenly. Afraid for the manipulated Fae, I wouldn’t be able to think about much else until I knew her fate. “She’ll be treated, and then moved to new duties outside the castle grounds,” he said, his voice low, unfazed. I nodded. At least, then, she wouldn’t be killed.
I looked at my arm. The pink mark was still vividly there. It would help my case with the elders, if they thought that this was a ploy. Damien aided my attempts at getting up, and then, weakly, I walked over to the chest once more. I picked one of my finest dresses, an ocean gray gown that sparkled and moved when I did. The sleeves were long, and the long draping ends went down to the bottom of the dress. My long dark hair was going to be in the way, so, sighing, I realized that I needed Aloriel.
Luckily, there was a knock at the door, and inside stepped Aloriel. “Just in time,” I laughed weakly. “I need your help.”
She calmly took a bone comb and boar brush and tamed my long hair. Then, braiding it, she wrapped it around my head until only a small amount remained, which she tucked neatly in. My look was almost complete, except the necessary mark of my rank. The metal band that she placed on my head was bright and gleaming silver, and it curled around itself in ivy patterns. Placing ear decorations on, I was complete in only a short while.
Damien took a second look when I walked over to him. It had been a while since I had dressed this finely. My wings glowed in the daylight, out here on the balcony, and even the guards were looking. The glances made my stomach turn, and placing my hands in Damien’s, I took small pleasure in the kiss he gave me. “I need to go to the garden,” I said to him. He nodded, and then excused the guards from his duties. “Do you need to walk, or can you fly?” He asked.
I sighed. “I can fly, I think.” I gave my wings a few quick flutters, and getting into the air was easy. We made it to the garden with little trouble, and once we were there, I knelt at the my parents’ monuments. In my soul, I begged for guidance. I missed them now, more than ever. The wound on my arm throbbed, and my mind went numb as I knelt there.
Minutes passed like this, before something magical happened. Before my hands, appeared my father’s sword. Unnamed, and made by my father himself, it had been buried with him. On top of it, my mothers tiara. Both looked the same as they had been before my parents had died. Now, they were here in front of me.
Tears fell before I could stop them. My father had once told me that his sword’s soul had chosen him in a dream, and he had created it’s body. ‘It will come to those it wants to,’ he had told me only shortly before his mysterious death. ‘And it will be loyal only to that person.’
My mothers tiara was simply just the tiara, though it held a lot of meaning to me. I had insisted that she be honored by keeping it, though now I supposed that she had wanted me to have it, regardless. A sob shook out. Damien gripped my shoulder gently. “Princess,” he whispered. “They are looking for you, out on the grounds.”
I looked up. My ear loops jingled in the breeze. “They know that’s happened. I’m sure of it.” I picked the items up, and held them close to my heart. My eyes dried, and when I finally left the garden, I knew I had my parents strength to aid me. I took the sword, and at my waist, I took the belt and fastened it. I kept my mother’s tiara in my hands, and held it close to my heart. I walked to the first caller, and found a Water Fairy looking at me, her ice blue eyes and silvery blonde hair glowing in the sunlight.
“The elders are looking for you, Princess.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Dianne.” She nodded, and then flew off.
Damien landed seconds after the encounter. “You know you’ll need training to wield that, right?” He asked. I looked at him coyly. “As if I couldn’t take you,” I said, and he arched an eyebrow. “You know you couldn’t.”
I sighed.
Walking to the great halls once more, I saw that the tables had been centered by the servants and other workers. The Elders were seated at their appointed seats, and the final seat at the head of the table was empty. I stood there for a brief moment, and composed myself once more, making sure my dress was smoothed out and that my father’s sword was sitting appropriately. Aloriel stood in a corner, and Damien nodded to her. Her head was bowed in respect, but her eyes grew wide when she spotted the sword, and what I held tenderly in my fingers.
“Princess Mira, please,” The Fire elder called from the front of the room. Damien bowed out of respect for the elders, and then walked with me up to the seat. He stood behind where I sat, and I watched Aloriel leave. She was probably off to either watch Galen, or tend to my rooms. My mind flickered back to the human prisons, and the injuries I’d healed on her.
The elders called my attention once more.
“That is your father’s sword.” The Fire elder was agape, and all the others were, with the exception of the Wind elder, who sat calmly in her seat, watching me from across the tables.
I nodded calmly, but did not reply verbally. What would I say about it?
“It appeared before her this morning,” Damien’s voice came from behind me, low, and careful. I didn’t look over my shoulder at him, instead, I unsheathes the unnamed sword and placed it delicately on the table. The red leather wrapped hilt looked every bit as new as the day my father had made it. Throughout the fights my father had been through, this sword hadn’t aged a day. Exhausted, the simple motion of placing the sword made my world fade into black and white momentarily, and I sat back down carefully, keeping my illusion as carefully as I could.
The elders shook their shock away, and then decided at once to get down to business. “Your brother disappeared last night, after an attack on you in your quarters. His accomplice and personal guard, Selene, is in the dungeons awaiting her punishment,” the Wind elder spoke calmly, her pure silver hair tied back in a decorative tail that draped over her shoulder. Her clear crystal decorations glittered in the sunlight steaming through the window, but her mood seemed as dark as the shadows through her calmness. These were dark times, and now the child king who had caused them was nowhere to be found.
“But we are now in need of a crowned leader, Princess.” The Water elder spoke through his thick beard. “We’ve already decided that we cannot wait for Nero to return. You must take your crown back,” his voice was like a musical brook, but he too was in a dark mood. Everyone here was. Damien’s breathing was audible to me from behind my chair. Closing my eyes, I let my breathing calm and match his. My hands touched the sword, which felt warm under my fingers. I opened my eyes when I had reached my decision to go forward with it.
“Yes, I’ll take back the throne.”
The elders nodded in agreement. “The coronation, however, must be done with this,” I held out my mothers tiara. The Wind elder gasped when she realized who’s it was. My mother had been from the Wind Fae, and this tiara had always had great meaning. “It appeared with my father’s sword. I believe it is my parents way of giving their blessing, Elders.” The Wind elder looked as if she was about to cry, but I was too tired to feel empathy. My reactions were slowing, and as I stood to excuse myself, I leaned against the table with my injured arm. The wound throbbed, but as I gripped the hilt of the unnamed sword, strength surged back into me, and I sheathed it carefully at my hip.
I would have to train with it – Damien had been right.
Not today. I was too weak.
Turning to Damien, I didn’t look back at the elders as I left the hall. I walked the paths to my rooms calmly, with my chin held erect, though my mind was growing duller by the moment. I kept my hand on the hilt as I walked, and servants parted as Damien and I went past. They bowed quietly, then moved on as we did.
“Firebird.”
“Did you say something?” I whipped around on Damien, but he looked shocked when I did. “No, Princess.” He looked on edge, like I really had said something out of the blue. “Are you alright?” He asked hurriedly. I didn’t respond, instead, I looked down at the sword. It’s warmth had grown, and I now was fully aware of the amount of energy that was flowing through me. “I am Firebird.” The sword, I realized, was communicating with me. “So that is your name?” I asked aloud to it, but no response came.
It was silent once more.
Damien grabbed my arm gently. “Are you alright, Mira?”
I looked into his eyes calmly. “My father’s sword’s name is Firebird.” His eyes narrowed, but then he nodded. “It spoke,” his voice was low, but not questioning.
“Yes.”
My room was freshly cleaned, but I payed little notice as I threw myself onto the bed, sword, tiara, and all. I was too weak to think about even falling asleep. By the time I could have, I was already gone.
Damien woke in the morning, in the hopes of not waking me. He silently moved out of the bed, and quietly put his weaponry belt and shoes back on. When I wrapped my arms around his waist, he realized that I hadn’t been asleep. “Good morning, Princess.” His voice was livelier than it had been the night before, but it was also cautious. “Did you sleep at all, then?”
“For a little while, maybe. I can’t really tell.” I sighed, and felt my body ache. “Not really.” I corrected, and tried to prop myself up. The room was lit by the natural light streaming in the windows. It was not as early in the morning as it had been yesterday, but it was still early. Guards still stood sentinel outside, spears erect. “What will happen to Selene?” I asked him, suddenly. Afraid for the manipulated Fae, I wouldn’t be able to think about much else until I knew her fate. “She’ll be treated, and then moved to new duties outside the castle grounds,” he said, his voice low, unfazed. I nodded. At least, then, she wouldn’t be killed.
I looked at my arm. The pink mark was still vividly there. It would help my case with the elders, if they thought that this was a ploy. Damien aided my attempts at getting up, and then, weakly, I walked over to the chest once more. I picked one of my finest dresses, an ocean gray gown that sparkled and moved when I did. The sleeves were long, and the long draping ends went down to the bottom of the dress. My long dark hair was going to be in the way, so, sighing, I realized that I needed Aloriel.
Luckily, there was a knock at the door, and inside stepped Aloriel. “Just in time,” I laughed weakly. “I need your help.”
She calmly took a bone comb and boar brush and tamed my long hair. Then, braiding it, she wrapped it around my head until only a small amount remained, which she tucked neatly in. My look was almost complete, except the necessary mark of my rank. The metal band that she placed on my head was bright and gleaming silver, and it curled around itself in ivy patterns. Placing ear decorations on, I was complete in only a short while.
Damien took a second look when I walked over to him. It had been a while since I had dressed this finely. My wings glowed in the daylight, out here on the balcony, and even the guards were looking. The glances made my stomach turn, and placing my hands in Damien’s, I took small pleasure in the kiss he gave me. “I need to go to the garden,” I said to him. He nodded, and then excused the guards from his duties. “Do you need to walk, or can you fly?” He asked.
I sighed. “I can fly, I think.” I gave my wings a few quick flutters, and getting into the air was easy. We made it to the garden with little trouble, and once we were there, I knelt at the my parents’ monuments. In my soul, I begged for guidance. I missed them now, more than ever. The wound on my arm throbbed, and my mind went numb as I knelt there.
Minutes passed like this, before something magical happened. Before my hands, appeared my father’s sword. Unnamed, and made by my father himself, it had been buried with him. On top of it, my mothers tiara. Both looked the same as they had been before my parents had died. Now, they were here in front of me.
Tears fell before I could stop them. My father had once told me that his sword’s soul had chosen him in a dream, and he had created it’s body. ‘It will come to those it wants to,’ he had told me only shortly before his mysterious death. ‘And it will be loyal only to that person.’
My mothers tiara was simply just the tiara, though it held a lot of meaning to me. I had insisted that she be honored by keeping it, though now I supposed that she had wanted me to have it, regardless. A sob shook out. Damien gripped my shoulder gently. “Princess,” he whispered. “They are looking for you, out on the grounds.”
I looked up. My ear loops jingled in the breeze. “They know that’s happened. I’m sure of it.” I picked the items up, and held them close to my heart. My eyes dried, and when I finally left the garden, I knew I had my parents strength to aid me. I took the sword, and at my waist, I took the belt and fastened it. I kept my mother’s tiara in my hands, and held it close to my heart. I walked to the first caller, and found a Water Fairy looking at me, her ice blue eyes and silvery blonde hair glowing in the sunlight.
“The elders are looking for you, Princess.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Dianne.” She nodded, and then flew off.
Damien landed seconds after the encounter. “You know you’ll need training to wield that, right?” He asked. I looked at him coyly. “As if I couldn’t take you,” I said, and he arched an eyebrow. “You know you couldn’t.”
I sighed.
Walking to the great halls once more, I saw that the tables had been centered by the servants and other workers. The Elders were seated at their appointed seats, and the final seat at the head of the table was empty. I stood there for a brief moment, and composed myself once more, making sure my dress was smoothed out and that my father’s sword was sitting appropriately. Aloriel stood in a corner, and Damien nodded to her. Her head was bowed in respect, but her eyes grew wide when she spotted the sword, and what I held tenderly in my fingers.
“Princess Mira, please,” The Fire elder called from the front of the room. Damien bowed out of respect for the elders, and then walked with me up to the seat. He stood behind where I sat, and I watched Aloriel leave. She was probably off to either watch Galen, or tend to my rooms. My mind flickered back to the human prisons, and the injuries I’d healed on her.
The elders called my attention once more.
“That is your father’s sword.” The Fire elder was agape, and all the others were, with the exception of the Wind elder, who sat calmly in her seat, watching me from across the tables.
I nodded calmly, but did not reply verbally. What would I say about it?
“It appeared before her this morning,” Damien’s voice came from behind me, low, and careful. I didn’t look over my shoulder at him, instead, I unsheathes the unnamed sword and placed it delicately on the table. The red leather wrapped hilt looked every bit as new as the day my father had made it. Throughout the fights my father had been through, this sword hadn’t aged a day. Exhausted, the simple motion of placing the sword made my world fade into black and white momentarily, and I sat back down carefully, keeping my illusion as carefully as I could.
The elders shook their shock away, and then decided at once to get down to business. “Your brother disappeared last night, after an attack on you in your quarters. His accomplice and personal guard, Selene, is in the dungeons awaiting her punishment,” the Wind elder spoke calmly, her pure silver hair tied back in a decorative tail that draped over her shoulder. Her clear crystal decorations glittered in the sunlight steaming through the window, but her mood seemed as dark as the shadows through her calmness. These were dark times, and now the child king who had caused them was nowhere to be found.
“But we are now in need of a crowned leader, Princess.” The Water elder spoke through his thick beard. “We’ve already decided that we cannot wait for Nero to return. You must take your crown back,” his voice was like a musical brook, but he too was in a dark mood. Everyone here was. Damien’s breathing was audible to me from behind my chair. Closing my eyes, I let my breathing calm and match his. My hands touched the sword, which felt warm under my fingers. I opened my eyes when I had reached my decision to go forward with it.
“Yes, I’ll take back the throne.”
The elders nodded in agreement. “The coronation, however, must be done with this,” I held out my mothers tiara. The Wind elder gasped when she realized who’s it was. My mother had been from the Wind Fae, and this tiara had always had great meaning. “It appeared with my father’s sword. I believe it is my parents way of giving their blessing, Elders.” The Wind elder looked as if she was about to cry, but I was too tired to feel empathy. My reactions were slowing, and as I stood to excuse myself, I leaned against the table with my injured arm. The wound throbbed, but as I gripped the hilt of the unnamed sword, strength surged back into me, and I sheathed it carefully at my hip.
I would have to train with it – Damien had been right.
Not today. I was too weak.
Turning to Damien, I didn’t look back at the elders as I left the hall. I walked the paths to my rooms calmly, with my chin held erect, though my mind was growing duller by the moment. I kept my hand on the hilt as I walked, and servants parted as Damien and I went past. They bowed quietly, then moved on as we did.
“Firebird.”
“Did you say something?” I whipped around on Damien, but he looked shocked when I did. “No, Princess.” He looked on edge, like I really had said something out of the blue. “Are you alright?” He asked hurriedly. I didn’t respond, instead, I looked down at the sword. It’s warmth had grown, and I now was fully aware of the amount of energy that was flowing through me. “I am Firebird.” The sword, I realized, was communicating with me. “So that is your name?” I asked aloud to it, but no response came.
It was silent once more.
Damien grabbed my arm gently. “Are you alright, Mira?”
I looked into his eyes calmly. “My father’s sword’s name is Firebird.” His eyes narrowed, but then he nodded. “It spoke,” his voice was low, but not questioning.
“Yes.”
My room was freshly cleaned, but I payed little notice as I threw myself onto the bed, sword, tiara, and all. I was too weak to think about even falling asleep. By the time I could have, I was already gone.
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