False Destinies

Chapter 1

I woke with a gasp when I heard a loud crash outside my door. My hands immediately grasped the knife's handle underneath my pillow. If the king's guard was here, then they had only minutes to escape. I mechanically rolled out of the cot and slipped on my tunic and cotton gloves. I rushed out the door and peered past the wall hand on my blade. Walking into the kitchen I beheld the sight before me. There was porridge all over the walls, the kitchen table, and the floor. My shoulders relaxed as I let out a bark of laughter when I saw my mother chasing my younger brother and sister around the house. I quickly tuck the dull blade into my waistband under my tunic. My siblings were twins and they were always up to no good. As they tried to rush out the door, I caught one in each arm and lifted them.

"What in the world is double trouble doing so early in the morning?" I muse as they giggle and try to squirm out of my grip.

"Let us go, Ria!" Luc shouts. "We want to play!" Elira agrees.

Mother pulls out a wooden chair from our rickety table and sinks into it. I let them go and the twins shriek and dash outside. Mother uses her apron and dabs her bronze forehead hunched over and sighs. The wrinkles around her russet brown eyes seemed more prominent and the dark circles under her eyes seemed deeper today.

"Are you okay, mother?" I ask her pouring some water from the clay pitcher and bringing it to her.

"They have too much energy," she responds warily, tucking back a few strands that escaped her dark braid. Her hands shook as she grabbed the cup from my hands. "I can't keep up with them." she huffed.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" There was word in town that the queen was seeking to re-marry after her husband passed away. She wanted to re-marry to a prince in a province past Eraydien. On top of that, it was that time of year where every family had to offer up something of value to the queen in exchange for her protection. It was called a rite and the only thing it accomplished was population control. Those who refused to pay were thrown into the mines or worse outside of the wall. "Or maybe you're just getting older?" I reach out to grab a tart from the table in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I'm not an old woman Ria" she slaps at my wrist. "Watch your words. I'm your mother. No tarts first thing in the morning"

"Why?" I pout. "Sugar is good for my mind and soul." I reach for them again. "Plus only father and I eat them. It would be such a waste to not eat them."

"I don't know where you put all those tarts," she crosses her arms. I didn't understand how, but she had the perfect figure I envied. I had to do hundreds of sit-ups and push-ups to even remotely look in shape.

Licking the remnants of the tart off of my fingers I pat her shoulder. "Mother," I say. I spot an old rag on the chair opposite of me. I grab it and start cleaning up the porridge splatters on the floor.

"Why can't we learn how to fight? I've been practicing and-"

"Practicing? I told you it's too dangerous Ria. A women's place is at home.

"But-" I argue looking up at her standing before me now.

"End of discussion. I do not want to hear you utter such words again. You hear me, young lady?" I sigh internally nodding and continuing to scrub at the stains. She was right in part. The fact that I carried a blade under my breeches was enough for the queen to have my head. Even if we tried to learn how to fight, there were eyes on us outside of the walls of our home watching our every move. Women in Miroadia were expected to cook and clean and men were expected to work as we lived in the olden days.

"Leave the cloth, Ria." her features softened. I get up and face her seeing the worry in her expression. Guilt floods me as I chew the inside of my cheek for asking her a question I already knew the answer to. "You know I only want you to be safe." she cups my cheek. We both knew there was no way that she could guarantee that for me. Or for the rest of my family. Death lurked over South Miroadia like a heavy fog that we couldn't shake. You couldn't avoid it no matter how hard you tried. It would only be a matter of time before it caught up with us too.