The Necromancers

Chapter eight

"You can call me Ophelia love." The queen smiled at me. I would have been worried about such hospitality from her had I not heard Nyx addressing her as Ophelia too.

"Uh.... Ophelia I would like to leave here for sometime. I cannot stay here. It's getting harder as each day passes by. My mother's death still haunts me and I cannot function with having all these thoughts in my head. I would like to leave for sometime. I promise I will be back by the ball. In fact I'll be here before it. but just until then I would like to leave. If it's not too much trouble that is." I rambled.

Somehow I needed an excuse to escape the palace. There was so much for me to do. I had to find answers and of course the task that ma had assigned for me. And for it all I had to move away from the palace. There was enough money on me to last a month if spent carefully. Ma had left a lot of questions unanswered and I was here at the other end trying to piece everything together. It was excruciatingly tiring but I had to do it for my sake and for the sake of this kingdom, which I was unknowingly putting at stake.

"I knew her. Your mother, Glenda. We were in the same neighborhood, I remember her. Although she wasn't ever nice to me or any other kid, she was not even nice to her own sister, Morana. But I thought I understood her. Taking care of yourself and your little sister from such a young age was a scary task. Especially in our world, where there is a creature lurking at every corner waiting to just pounce on you. She was resilient. She was strong. But life made her cruel. It changed her and not for the better." She looked lost in the past and I never understood what this was all about, why was she telling me about ma all of a sudden? "Anyway, darling, it's your home too from now on. I know the change is too much but you do whatever you wish for here. As long as your actions don't hurt others around you."

"Sure. Thank you." I turned around to leave but stopped and said over my shoulder, "when I get back I would love to hear more about my ma from you. If you don't mind, that is."

"Absolutely not. I would actually do it with some company, Sorin is always busy with politics and I usually get bored all alone." Ophelia smiled brightly at me and I wondered for a brief moment as to why my mother was never that way with me. But I brushed away the thought and cursed myself for comparing the two women.

"Thank you Ophelia. I mean it." And with that I walked back into my room only to crash into a sturdy chest on my way back. Of course out of all the people that I could crash into it had to be Drystan. He steadied me with his hands on my shoulders and stared me into the eyes. His dark brown eyes silently questioned me and I found myself having the urge to explain myself but I restrained.

"Where are you going?" Drystan asked in his low and raspy voice.

"Out of the town for a while." Even though I knew he was telling the truth, I couldn't help but feel paranoid at his sight. Ma had specifically mention him, the prince of our kingdom, there must have been something that he has to do with her murder. I couldn't trust him easily.

"Where?" He asked with more force causing me to frown.

"That is none of your concern Prince." I spat and made my way around him.

"Do you even know where you will go? Have you ever faced the real world on your own Astoria? Do you know what you are supposed to do when you find yourself in trouble?" Although there was genuine concern on his face, I couldn't help but feel that he was mocking me.

"As long as I come back alive it doesn't matter does it?"

"It does matter."

And there it was again. The looked filled with so many emotions that I couldn't understand how one was capable of feeling so much. Because on one hand it was him, who felt too much and on the other hand it was me, who couldn't feel a thing. Life wasn't fair. Life had never been fair. I couldn't sit around and decipher each and every emotion behind his eyes so instead I decided to shake my head at him and walk away from there.

I had things to do. Stuff to pack and places to be. None of these things included me spending some time with the future king of the kingdom of Angus.

When I had packed all the bags of mine, I stared out the window and wondered what my life will be after this. What all challenges would I have to face before things eventually begin looking a little easier.

I was paranoid regarding everyone. Even Nyx, no matter how far we were with our friendship, a part of me couldn't stop thinking that she had ulterior motives behind being my friend. Apart from myself I would not trust anyone. At least not in the near future. Trust came with heavy prices and I had nothing to pay for it. There was nothing of me left to give to this world.

And Drystan was wrong. I can live on my own in the big world. I do not need someone trailing after me anymore. I was dependent on my ma and now that she isn't here I have no one to trust and I wouldn't bother with putting so much of my trust into someone else's hands. Whatever I do from now on, I will be doing it on my own. I am strong and I can fight whatever life has to throw at me. I will do well and I will be myself again.

"Hi Astoria." Nyx said from my open door.

"Hey. Come in."

"Well, I wanted you to meet someone." Nyx smiled at me and then motioned to someone behind her. "This is Alessi. She is my best friend and now our best fr-"

Before she could complete her sentence I flung myself at Alessi. My eyes couldn't believe themselves. This was the same girl who was there for me always, who stood up for me and told my bullies off. My sweet sweet girl. My soul sister.

She is alive. She is here.

I could feel the burn of tears behind my eyes as she gripped me tighter. Silently assuring me that she is here. With me. I hadn't lost her. My girl was still here. Alive and happy, hopefully.

"Shh.... I'm here love. I'm right here. It's all okay." Alessi cooed in my ears.

I pulled away slightly and studied her. Not much of her had changed. Her olive skin was still as I remembered, soft yet taut. Her honey brown eyes were just as soft but now mixed with a touch of fierceness. And her strawberry blonde hair was in a neat French tail, but I remembered she loved them open. Her aura hadn't changed at all. She was still the same loving girl in whose arms I always found comfort.

Just like how I studied her, she studied me. She knew me better than I knew myself and that was something that we both took pride in.

"How have you been? Where were you? Ma told me that you-" I began blabbering but she cut me off.

"I guess we have a lot to talk about don't we?" Alessi looked behind herself and shared a look with Nyx that I understood as compassion. And then while holding my hand she began pulling me towards my bed.

Guess it was going to be a long night.