Aimai

Chapter Four

A pounding on my door had woken me up. I made an elders promise to repeatedly stab whoever was on the other side of that door.

"Ruyara, it's time for your fitting." My mother's voice rang throughout my suite louder than usual.

"Mother, I told you a million times. I don't want to attend the ball." I sat up slowly to see her opening my curtains, letting in the beaming sunlight. 

"You must go. It is your birthday. A very important one must I remind you. You are going to be this kingdoms next queen and to be queen you must be betrothed to another."

"Why do we even have that dumb law? It's ancient." I rubbed my eyes and yawned my last words.

"To ensure that our kingdom is well prepared and in good hands with two leaders. Men are in charge of the heavy lifting and the women...well they do not partake in those matters." She said as she flattened her puffy dress at her sides.

"In other words, queens are just pretty faces even though I am the one of royal blood with the right to rule, not the man."

"We didn't make the laws, dear. Our ancestors did. Please, understand this is a duty and honor to our people." She sat on my bed and placed her hand on my own.

"What about the duty to myself, mother?" My eyes left our hands and met her crystal green eyes. I never realized until then how much I looked like my mother except for my hair and my eyes. 

"It is the one sacrifice we have to make for the many. When I was raised, I had to learn many things. As expected, I was very resistant as well. Your father and I had no choice but to join together for our species especially when there was a war. Our people rely on us to protect them and guide them. Now it will be your turn." My mother's lips formed a faint smile. 

"Why not Elowen? She seems to want the crown more than I do. The people surely favor her as their queen than me. Rightfully so." I whispered my last two words but I was sure she heard them. 

"Elowen is very impressive, I agree. However, she is not the first born and rightful heir."

I scanned the room and saw no sign of Kai since I was woken up. He usually spent the mornings hunting. Small vermin was his only way to get sustenance because his magic rendered him unable to do so to anything bigger than the palm of his hand. I decided to ask my mother the forbidden question I knew she didn't want me to ask.

"Why was there a war, mother? It isn't in any of our books and over the years, no one wishes to tell me or know much details. Not even Kai." My mother's hand left mine and she stood up slowly.

"Details that are not important any loner, Ruyara. Look towards the future. I suggest getting a head start on preparing yourself." The door shut behind her too fast before I could've formed a response.

Shortly after my mother left the room, I dragged myself into the bathroom. My shower had taken longer than usual. I wished for the day not to happen. I slipped on royal blue satin lace undergarments that left little to the imagination as my breasts were hardly contained and a line of the material was all there was that revealed my bare bottom. Val was really shameless. She prepared me as if the man chosen was going to see me naked the moment I was alone with them. She acted like such a saint to everyone else yet she constantly told me she can scent the sexual tension between Kai and me from the opposite side of the castle. She was older than me but sometimes it was like dealing with a teen fae in heat. 

Casually, I threw on a robe and didn't bother to close it as I untangled my wet onyx locks with my fingers. My feet took small steps out of the bathroom as I fought to gain control of my hair. My silk robe slipped off one shoulder as I walked. Only then did I realize Kai was sat on my bed with his back leaned on the headboard and legs were straight on the sheets with his ankles crossed. His bulging biceps stuck out as his arms were crossed over his chest.