Mailee and Soren stalked down the halls of the Palace of Ashia. The heavy sack clenched in Mailee's hand swung with every step, banging every so often into her knees. Despite the dirty clothes they were, the guards didn't stop them as they strode toward the King of Ashia's council chamber. They knew very well who the two were.
They approached the open glass doors, their cloaks sweeping behind them. The guards posted on either side straightened as the two gave them a nod before entering the council chamber. Mailee's back boots were nearly silent against the red marble floor, but Soreness were not as silent compare to hers.
On the throne in the center of the room sat the King of Ashia, his dark gaze locked on the sack dangling from her fingers. Just as both royals always done, the two dropped to one knee before his throne and bowed their head.
Queen Veronica stood beside her husband's throne--and Mailee could feel her eyes fixed on her. Mailee looked up at her father from the shadows of her hair, taking in the lines of his face. For all the expression he showed, she might as well have been a stranger. But that was expected, and it was just part of the game they'd became so skilled at playing these past few years after the marriage announcement. The king spoke.
"Rise." Mailee and Soren kept their chins high as they stood up and faced him. The King waved a hand at them, the obsidian ring on his finger gleaming in the evening light. "What has happened?"
Mailee reached a hand into the sack and tossed the serve red head toward her father. No one spoke as it bounced, a vulgar thudding of stiff and rotting flesh on marble. It rolled to a stop at the foot of the dais, milky eyes turned toward the chandelier overhead.
Veronica straightened, glancing away from the head with a hand over her mouth in disgust. Soren just stared ahead and not looking down at the witch's head.
"It was all lies by this Iron Witch. There was no prize. She loved other beings into a magic free realm, place a spell to bind her victims' magic, and then steel their life force before she eat their flesh." Mailee explained. "She did put up a good fight." Their father leaned forward, examining the witch's smiling face and the clean cut in the neck.
"Pity." Mailee gave her father a blank expression, though her throat tightened. Soren on the other hand had a distant look in his eyes. Their father's lips curled, but he did not speak. Beside him, Veronica shifted. "Very well, then," he murmured. Mailee remained still as his eyes rover over her, Soren, and then Soveliss that was still wrapped around her neck barely hidden in her hair with Nooroo.
After a too-long moment, he spoke again. "In three weeks time, you and Van will go to the temple to say your vows together. Before then during that three weeks the tradition of Teatira will be performed."
Mailee clenched the sack so tightly her fingers ached. Veronica was staring at her husband now, as if this was the first she was hearing of this, too. Mailee shoved her growing anger down, down, down, until there was no possibility of him reading it on her face.
Her father drummed his fingers on the arm of the throne, still studying her closely. "Teatira will start in three days after today." Mailee stiffened at that, but her father waved his hand in a dismissive way.
Her father gave her a slow smile. "You will behave and see to it that you stay inside the palace grounds until the trip to the temple." Mailee just stared ahead, willing herself to calm, to breathe. "Do you understand?" She nodded, submission, yielding, gracious.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Mailee had avoided the courts of the kingdom--especially Van--for so many years, and now she was in the thick of it. "Wonderful." Mailee looked away but still fought the rage that build inside her chest. At least, her father lifted his gave to the ceiling.
"Take that head and be gone." He pointed to the witch's head. Mailee swallowed her twinge of disgust. She scooped up the head by its dark hair and stuffed it into the sack. With only a glance at Soren, whose face had gone pale, she turned on her heel and left with an irritating hissing Soveliss on her shoulders.
Mailee knew she had to get out of the wedding before three weeks to the temple. Mailee knew that she was the greatest living threat to her father, the one person who could raise an army capable of standing against her father. That's when she saw her way out by using the Teatira and she will bet that Soveliss would gladly accept the task.
For she is Crown Princess Mailee Galanodel First Princess of Ashia. No, she will make it known that er life is her own and nobody's else to control.
She will be Lasair Damhsa and she will not be broken.
((This ends the first book of "The Guardian Series". Second book of the series is " The Phoenix Guardian".))
YOU ARE READING
The Mirror Guardian
Random((Book One of The Guardian Series.)) She was the Flame of Light craving peace... They say she is powerful. They say she is the Flame of Life. They say she instill fear into the hearts of many. It is even said that the Devil himself is afraid of her...
