What lies underneath

Chapter 1

8 years later, Naomi had matured into a smart, fast, and strong child. She had fought and trained since the start of her life, and she was proud to say that she was one of the most lethal girls in her training.

Sitting on the bench, Naomi popped another chocolate into her mouth. She was on her break, so she indulged herself. Shortly after, a knife came whizzing straight at her head. She caught it. Rolling her eyes, she stood up, twirling to face her opponent. "Rose, you really need to practice your knife throwing. Your aim is the worst, and you could've killed me" she says, hands on her hips. The other girl, Rose, scoffs. "Yeah right, as if you would let yourself be killed by a mere knife. You're the best in class, don't tell me you're that easy to beat Commoner. Or are your weak commoner genes kicking in?" says Rose, smirking. "Of course not. But if you're looking for a battle, go find a weaker opponent. I'm not in the mood to humor you, and you know I'm going to win!" responds Naomi, avoiding the challenge but insulting Rose all the same. Rose pouts, and Naomi walks off triumphantly. It was a special night, and she had no time for battles. Today, she would receive her knife. Her own magical knife.

All blood royals received their knives once they turned 8. Your knife, or dagger, is a beautiful thing, engraved with rare jewels, and it connects to your soul and your magic. It is stronger than any kind of steel and can cut through the hardest things as smoothly as butter. And once you received your power, your dagger would connect to it and it would use your power to help you with attacks. Daggers were awesome, and Naomi was excited to get one! She hated using training daggers, they were just... so plain, so easily broken, so useless. But magical weapons would make her powerful and unique. They would make her unbeatable! No one would ever mess with her again. On the downside, after getting your dagger, they would be separated by their strengths and skills, and they would learn etiquette alongside the art of killing. They were blood royals, after all, not blood warriors. Even though Naomi was aiming to be seen as a strong and unfeeling opponent, she knew that she would miss the other blood royals, like Rose. As annoying as she seems, she is actually pretty nice when you get to know her.

But, Naomi was also excited about the new change. She would be sent to one of the noble villages, where she would also learn to become a lady. After all, they were still royals, and if they were to become queens, they needed to know proper manners.

Naomi hadn't been out much, so she was quite excited to see the world with new eyes. She would be free to do whatever she liked, as long as she practiced being a royal. Boring. But all blood royals, during their mannerism time, in the meantime they would kill all the scumbags that they found so they would continue practicing fighting. Of course, any unfortunate idiot who had committed a great sin, even if they had killed countless humans, stood no chance against a blood royal. None. Especially now that they would have their daggers.

Naomi smiled, excited at the aspect of exploring the world.

Suddenly, one of the nannies yelled for the children to come. The high priestesses had arrived, and they brought their magic water that would give you your magical dagger. She had heard of the process before, but was excited to experience it herself!

She ran to the main room, wanting to be the first to get her dagger.

The priestesses in front of her were beautiful, with long healthy hair and glowing complexions. Their outfits were made of silk and other luxurious materials, and they held an aura of power, holding a magical bowl in their hands. Naomi was taken aback, but still, she pressed forward eagerly, trying to push herself through the other blood royals gathered around.

Suddenly, one of them says: "Which of you would like to go first?" the woman says, raising her eyebrows. The children forgo all manners and begin acting like the 8-year-olds they are, and not like the warriors they should be. "Me!" They shout over and over again, trying to be heard over each other.

The priestess hums, looking around. Naomi stays quiet, accessing the situation. Finally, the priestess's gaze lands on her. "You there, come with me, it is time to receive your dagger" Naomi quietly walks up to her, surprised, but excited. The other girls stare at her with such naked envy that she wonders why they aren't green. They enter another room, leaving the other priestesses to choose another girl. The priestess sets her bowl down and tells Naomi to sit down.

The priestess then takes out a bag, and sprinkles something into the bowl, causing it to glow. She waves her hands over it, chanting something under her breath. "Put your hands in," she orders Naomi. Naomi obeys, sticking her hands in, awaiting her dagger. The room turns cold for a second, and then the bowl begins glowing. The room's atmosphere feels magical, even though it is just a simple storage room. Naomi closes her eyes, letting the priestess do her work. The water is warm and inviting, and her hands feel... magical. After a few moments, Naomi opens her eyes. "So, is anything going to happen?" she asks, impatient. Suddenly, her vision goes white, and her eyes begin to glow gold. The whole room illuminates, and Naomi starts to feel something shaping in her hands. The water inside the bowl begins to grow even brighter, and the gems on its side light up. Red gems, green gems, blue gems, white gems, gray gems, icy blue gems, a variety of colors join the water, and finally, Naomi can feel herself holding something. Her eyes stop glowing, and so does the bowl. She pulls out her new dagger and marvels at its beauty.

It's gold, engraved with rare and beautiful gems, and it's all hers. She has never seen a weapon so beautifully crafted, and now, she is ready to fight, to train, to become the best. Smiling, she stands up and thanks to the priestess, feeling energized, and walks out the door, taking the belt the priestess gave her. Once she exits, she puts the belt on and slips her dagger into the slip. She is ready.

She is a blood royal now, and with her dagger at her side, she is ready to become the future queen. Being a commoner won't stop her.

***

Over the years, Naomi matured from a young child to a woman. Her features became sharper and prettier, but so did her strength. She was one of the prettiest girls in town, but what lay underneath was not so pretty. She was a blood royal at heart, looking sweet and innocent by day, but killing ruthlessly at night.

The young woman looked at the balcony, staring wistfully at the faraway mountains of Varian. It was her last day being 17, and tomorrow, the Ascension would be near. Soon, she would get her powers. But soon, she would be facing death every single day. But, for a crown, maybe it was worth it. The girl smiled, sipping at the drink she held in her hand. "To tomorrow, and what comes after. To Varian" then, she drank it all and headed inside.