Obscure Old Tales

Chapter 3: The Snow Child

The office was oval shaped, white ivory wallpaper in a soft silver geometric pattern, in a light grey frame a painted the imagery of the forest covered in white snow, large windows in a black iron frame lit the hall bathing the interior in natural light that made a celestial sight as if the sky could filter in through the open the window.

A week and a half had gone through from the coronation ball.

Raeb had techno-glass tablets reviewing documents and plans, the projection orb in the center of the desk displayed his summit with the governors of dozens of states inside the kingdoms of Nevermoore, municipal districts sent their farewells flooding the message board as Raeb closed their session.

Raeb sighed as he turned off the monitor, and a loud sigh scaped his lungs. His strength leaved his body, the performance of decor and uptight royal behavior dissolved as his breath crawled away from his chest, taking off his blazer and setting it on a chair, Raeb rolled up his sleeves, he materialized a napkin and erased the make-up that covered his bags, eyeliner and mascara and disintegrated with the snap of a finger once the pristine swipe had gone black.

Not so far off, there was a copper-colored mini cart filled with empty dishes and bones, bottles and glasses empty, crumbs from deserts and cakes lingering on the main tray.

He sighed.

"Shajae"

His advisor came into the chamber, her earrings dangling on each step.

"I need something to eat, Oh and bring my sister in."

"As you command"

She bowed and began to access the catering services of the palace, not soon after an android came in to retrieve the tray with the dirty dishes.

Far up, on the fifth level atop the main building the royal chambers hosted Bianca's room, there in secrecy she kept her plans to herself as well as many trinkets and memories from times long gone before the crowning. Shelves displayed bionic birds, levitating aircraft replicas, crystals in cool tones: Magenta, seaweed green, icy blue, all shimmering in splendid incandescence providing discreet air conditioning to her room.

Her furniture was all ivory-white, while the wallpaper was a creamy lemon green with the motif of a birch forest, a holographic node in the ceiling tweaked the lights so that the illusion of the outside world would seem realistic, providing occasional leaves falling, and at night glimmering little fireflies. Her room a simulation of a forest she had seen in her dreams, she always ran in those dreams though she didn't know from what.

Bianca had sat on her desk, where she tinkered with a prothesis, the limb in question was a left arm to which she had attached a small laser beam powered by a psionic amethyst, in theory this would allow the user to work on smaller, meticulous operations and surgeries, it had been a personal project she had from before the accident, she wanted to help her dad's blood clots, but now... well there was no revolutionary instrument that could save him.

Bianca sighed as once again, the integration pattern to the nerves busted out and failed.

"Oh, come on."

She resumed her efforts without paying attention to how her brother's advisor nocked and knocked on her door looking for an answer.

"One minute."

She spoke as she pulled on her bath coat, as if she had thought of taking a bath before her visit.

"Yes?"

"The king requires your presence, my princess."

Answered Shajae

"Where?"