Under the Water (Book 1)

two

Scarlett's POV

My name is Scarlett Imperium, heir to the Aurum Imperium's throne.

In the Aurum Imperium there are 3 main levels, the Inner, the middle and the outer levels. I am a royal ( inner circle ) and the future queen of the Imperium, one of the three capitals of the domes.

There are legends saying before we lived in the Imperium we lived outside. That people ruined it and only the most wealthiest, successful people came together to save people. The royals live in the middle, the bankers lawyers doctors etc. live in the middle. Last of all is the outer level. The farmers, blacksmiths and poor people. I don't know much about them, inner's don't mix with outers.

As my maid reappears from within my closet and puts me in a ruby red sleeveless dress. After it is zipped, buttoned, they comb out and straighten my hair leaving my auburn long hair falling at the middle of my back. The sparkles on the dress seem, bland and boring. Outside, the gray sky seems boring and dull. The tinted water is lifeless and colorless.

I slip on my black cardigan on my way out my door into the hallway of the 3rd floor I see my brother Kaidenn.

"Sister. I'm going to the duke of the lake today, you know to go see my friend."

I nod at him and walk down the stairs to breakfast. Sitting at the table is my Mother and my one of my sisters, Becca.

"Your father is in his office and wishes for you to see him after breakfast." Becca gives me a sad smile, because we all know that when our father tells other people to give someone a message, we are in trouble.

"Great." I mumble in responce and stare down my bacon and scrambled eggs on the fine china we own.

Moments later my other sister, ( the other twin ) walks into the dining room, wearing a small, thin crimson dress with long, velvet, flowly sleeves. She matches my sister Becca wearing the same dress, except navy in color.

We all sit in silence and eat our breakfast and mom leaves, then Becca, then Amy, leaving me alone. I breathe in the utter slience of the room before taking a deep breath and heading to my fathers study.

Perched in a huge leather chair my Father, the the ruler sits anxious. Not showing fear, I stride and sit in the chair opposite from him.

"Scarlett. I've been waiting." He has a pile of paperwork on everything scattered across the long table before us.

"I had to eat breakfast, I'm here now." My "Dad" wasnt always cold. Before I turned 13 he was like any other father. But now the looming reminder that he could lose all control over to me in a blink of an eye.

15 years old and I still don't feel ready to rule. I might not ever be ready to rule. But it will happen.

"Rebs are attacking everywhere in the outer piers. Our supply of food is being ransacked daily. We have to do something to stop them. Anything." His once all milky brown hair, has grey streaks in it. Rebs attacking haven't been unusual but the way that he says these words ring with ache, worry, pain and I desperately want to wash away all his sorrow and problems.

"What are we going to do?" I ask, and a sad smile creeps up his face.

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this but if there are more reb attacks, we might have to go to the outer piers." I gulp and suck in my stomach. I don't want to go to the outer piers.

All inners worst nightmare is to go to the outer pier. The worst of our society. They say that the rebs attack at night when nobody is around.

My Father and I chat about what we are going to do and I leave the room back to mine with a sense of worry and annoyance of why we have to have rebs and what they would attack for. The Inner pier is doing a good job at ruling the Aurum Imperium, right?