Flames left behind

15{Power}

  I woke to an abrupt start, a fine blanket of sweat covering my entire body. I looked around, and I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn't in the wasteland anymore. It took me a second to remember where I was, and one glance at the green ballgown placed out on the dresser brought back all of the memories. The strange man. It wasn't my ideal place to be, but at least I woke up to a lovely sight. I'm pretty sure I even heard a cat purring. Maybe that was just my imagination. Yeah, most defiantly my imagination drifting away from me. Maybe I was going crazy. It's a high possibility. 

  I decided to put the dream behind me, shoving it into the deep depths of my mind. All taken care of. 

   I swung my legs out of bed and tried to locate a shower. I stepped behind a green door and gasped at the sight. It was beautiful. It was white marble, laced with gold flecks spacing out the room. The shower was massive, but I decided to opt for a bath. I felt dirty and pinched myself to not think about the dream. 

  I sat on the edge of the bath waiting for it to fill while slowly adding scented soap to it and sighed. This is the best treatment I've had in a long while. The last time I pampered myself like this was... Well, never. I never really needed to doll myself up to look good, I already had the natural look. The kind that girl's envy when they see you in the mall, the kind that makes the boys heads turn when they see you on the streets, regardless of if their girlfriend is clinging onto their arms. I use my beauty as a weapon, and it comes in handy. Quite often more than not.

  I sighed again, and let my clothes slip to the floor soundlessly. I took a glance of myself in the mirror. A sheen layer of sweat covered me from head to toe, my freckles that dusted my shoulders and nose were darker against my pale, ivory colored skin. My cheeks were flushed, and I looked at my eyes. Maybe one day I could grow to love them again. 

  I loved them as a kid, thinking I was special, and it separated me from the other kids. Until I was bullied, by both my peers and my teachers. I begged my stepparents to get me contacts, but it never worked. It never occurred to me that the other girls might have been jealous of me, but its too late to go back and ask now.

  I slipped myself into the tub, resting my head against the edge of it. I let my body soak up the floral scent of roses and lilac, yet not enough to remove the trace of lemon. Lemon. Lemon reminded me of Ronin. Ronin, with his deep, velvety voice, his rich black hair, and not quite tan skin that was too pale to be dark, but too tan to be considered pale. And his gray eyes, much like my own, that had an outer rim of gold. 

  I was startled out of my thoughts when I heard a knock on the door. The strangers voice called out. 

  "Ambrosia? Are you in there?" His voice was muffled due to the barrier of doors and walls.

 I muttered a curse under my breath, directed at him for ruining my peace. 

 "Mhm. Bath."

"Oh alright, just report to the drawing room when you finish, we have some... things to discuss. Business awaits us."

  I grunted and heard his footsteps quietly retreating, a cane clicking behind him. Oscar went everywhere that he did. 

    I sat in the tub for a few more minutes, but finally pulled the plug to the drain, and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my body. I looked at the pale green gown on the dresser but went to the closet to hunt down something better. I wanted to shine, to be the main attraction.

Pink flowing? No. Red strapless? No. The crown caught my eye. It was silver, with blue gems and intricate designs on it. It looked about 3 inches high, maybe an additional inch. 

  I leafed through the dresses and stopped on a blue one that caught my eye. It was a deep blue, to be more precise. I pulled it off the hanger, draped it over my arm, and layed it flat on my bed. The blue contrasted with the silver of the crown and was the same shade of the blue gems. 

  It flowed long and had a little trail attached to it, and the top was a fitting strapless, almost like a corset. Silver and blue flowers decorated the bust, all around, and the same pattern traced along the waist of it, just before it flowed down freely. The fabric was pinched just under the waist, and it spoofed out just enough to touch the ground. 

  This is perfect. I want to wear it, and I shall. I slipped off my towel and trudged the dress to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror, the dress halfway zipped up, until I realized I was stuck. I can't reach the rest of the back zipper. 

  After several seconds of me grunting and struggling, I set my sights on magic. If I just thought hard enough, it..might...work.

  There was a pop and a zip, and I looked at myself red faced, looking much like that of a tomato.

I did it. I used magic successfully. "YESSSSSSSSSSSS." There was a bang on the door, the disruption coming from the one and only Oscar. Damn him and his stupid cane. 

"Quiet down and hurry up in there, Lord Emrick and Lord Ronin are waiting."

  I halted in my celebration. Lord Ronin? As in Institute Ronin? No. The name is just...popular. Just in case, I searched the closet for anything to enhance my beauty. I want this man to kiss my feet, if it's really him.

  I found some elbow length, finger lace gloves, the same shade of blue as the dress. It went together perfectly. My hair dried in auburn waves, and I pushed them off my shoulder letting them cascade down my back, feeling the brush of the ends tinge against my waist. I brushed on mascara, giving my lashes more volume, and threw some silver glitter all over me. I looked stunning, once again. Flashbacks of Isabelle getting me ready played through my head, but I pushed them away and set out in search of heels. None were to my liking. Maybe I could... Magic some to life?

 I close my eyes and thought about the perfect heel, shaping it out and pictured it in my head, and I heard a clunk.     

   I slowly peeled my eyes open, one at a time, and gasped. The prettiest pair of glass heels sat in front of me. They had a beautiful blue rose wrapped around the heel, and detailed images of glass lace and flowers covered the body of the shoe. Then I slipped them on, letting the cold take over the soles of my feet. I stood at about 5"3 now, but a glance in the mirror confirmed that I looked like a Queen. A queen that could kill you with a look. I am power.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I was escorted to the drawing room by some big, muscled burly man, with gray eyes. I didn't want to put much thought into it, his eyes, so I let it go. 

   I swayed into the room and looked at the faces staring up at me. A round table, again, and faces of shock and admiration reflected back at me. I spotted the stranger, Lord Emrick, and then my eyes fell on someone else. Ronin. The Ronin. I let my face reflect coldness and sat as someone pushed my chair in for me. I felt like royalty, and I knew damn well I looked like it. Maybe I was being dramatic, but that was always my specialty. 

  "Lady Ambrosia. Pleasure of you to join us on this fine evening," Lord Emrick greeted. 

I smiled as he took my gloved hand and kissed it. 

"Oh no, Lord Emrick, the pleasure is all mine. It's not as if I had a choice anyways. Only time to stall. And please, drop the formality, call me Amber. You weren't being very formal when you got a servant to kidnap me from my own bed anyways." I smiled sweetly and fluttered my hand at his expression. 

  His smile was forced, I could tell. "Well, Amber, it's only fair for you to call me Emrick, as you are queen. A stubborn queen, but a queen nonetheless."

For a hint of flattery in that sentence and to bask out the insult, he added, "And might I praise, you look very marvelous this evening."

  I tried to stop it, but the blush crept up my cheeks anyways. Once we were settled, he began talking, acknowledging everyone that sat at the table. They all had gray eyes. No way this was a coincidence. 

 "Thank you everyone, for joining me today. I'm here to talk about my reign. Many have tried to overthrow me, overpower me, but that will not be happening. We will cleanse the world of its impurities, like the, good guys, we are." He gave me a stare as he said good guys, and I smiled.

 It wasn't until he looked away and I focused directly on everyone's eyes that I realized.

  This was a group of faeans.