Child of the Moon

Chapter 1: Dragomirs

         Somebody tapped my shoulder insistently.

          I opened my eyes to see my twin, Arianna, standing over me. She had rich, layered auburn hair that fell gently around her shoulders. Golden highlights were clearly present. Her eyes were a warm, rich brown with a ring of gold.  Arianna’s skin was tanned, almost brown. She wore a simple aureate gown and gold sandals. A gold bow rested in her hair. I smiled up at her.

         With some urgency, she told me, “Get up, Lily. You must get ready to work. Today we must go Hunting with Matthiew.” She grimaced.

         I sighed in understanding. Matthiew was our older brother. Neither of us liked him; he was cruel and merciless. He had an obsession with Hunting and with harming gentle souls, such as Arianna and I. Arianna’s kind brown eyes looked pained. I rose. “I will hurry, Arianna. Today will not be the day Matthiew torments me.”

         She nodded. “I must go eat,” she said hesitantly. When I nodded, she looked relieved. “Once you are ready, meet me in the Dining Hall.”

         Again I nodded. With one last understanding look over her shoulder, Arianna was gone. I sighed, as I looked around the room I shared with Arianna. It had golden walls, as did much of the palace, and soft hardwood floors. Two beds, each with a golden comforter, and a dresser were present. Besides a small nightstand, the rest of the room was bare.

I stepped into the bathroom to change and gazed at my reflection in the mirror.  My blond hair usually has many strands that escape my side ponytail- today was no exception- and my bangs hang to my eyes. I always prefer to wear purple, but the clan rules clearly stated that golden clothing was mandatory. I constantly wear my silver sandals with a heart charm, when no Sun Spirit can see me. A delicate necklace, shaped like a rose adorned with a Larimar gem, hangs around my neck. My eyes are a piercing purple when they aren't clouded over from my daydreams. I'm fast and agile, but I'm also not very strong physically and am reluctant to harm anything. I hide most of the time, preferring to avoid my tormenters- my family.

I sighed again as I thought of what awaited me outside of my bare room. Everyone in my family was down to earth and connected to the sun. They all gladly wore the Dragomir Clan uniform of a simple aureate outfit- it fit them. However, whenever I wore gold, it looked horrible and simply wrong with my purple eyes. I opened my dresser drawer and distastefully eyed the golden gown that awaited me. Defiantly, I selected a strapless, fitting, purple gown that I had sewn myself. Truthfully, I had sewn the golden dress myself, as I was forced to, but had made myself a purple dress as well, which was strictly against the clan rules.

After I had gotten ready, I ran to the dining hall. It was cheerfully decorated in soft gold and white. Round tables made of gold were dotted throughout the room and surrounded by simple white chairs. A buffet was served in the back of the massive room. In the front was a raised platform with a throne. It was already bustling with so many members of my family that it was easy to slip in almost unnoticed.

         My mother sat regally upon the throne of gold in front of the warmly decorated dining hall. Her eyes, the same color as Arianna’s, were cold and calculating. She was a petite woman, but obviously held power. Jezzine wore a lavish golden gown and her hair was wound into a majestic bun on the crown of her head. Her feet were tan and callused, and she wore no shoes. Her physical appearance was close to Arianna’s, but her demeanor was quite different. Jezzine was a phlegmatic ruler. The slight smile that played over her lips was sly, and the light in her eyes was shrewd. A golden tiara rested pristinely upon her head and she held her chin high. Whenever I looked at her, I saw a cold, calculating ruler, not a mother. She had no care for us. She cared much more for how things appeared than for how it made her children feel. To her, we were just more subjects to be ruled over. As she noted me, her feral smile disappeared. Her cold gaze pierced me and I cringed.

         I saw Arianna sitting alone, and I rushed to join her after grabbing food. I sat, and Arianna smiled slightly. “What are we Hunting today, Arianna? I hope Matthiew is not planning something awful...” I trailed off when I saw Arianna’s scowl.

         “We are Tracking small animals, he says. I am afraid of what he will do to them once he finds them... And only you and I are to go with him. Why do you think he wishes that to be so?” she questioned sarcastically.

         “Oh, dear,” I whispered. “What can we do though?”

         “Nothing,” Arianna replied gloomily.

         “Hunting has become an obsession for him.” I noted dryly.

Arianna nodded. “To him, it is no longer simply about feeding the clan. It is to show his power.” We finished the rest of our meal in silence. Several minutes later, she stood, and I scrambled to follow. “We must go meet him.”

         We walked through the hallways of the palace, which had soft, chestnut-colored walls. Depictions of the sun and daytime hung on the walls and golden carpets adorned the floors.

         My mother walked out from one of the rooms- her office. It was a bare room, I knew, that Jezzine worked in some of the time. What work a dictator was forced to do, I did not know, for I was not well versed in politics. However, I knew that she spent much time in her bare little office. it  Her chilling gaze was directed upon us. I shrunk back.

         “My twins.” She smiled with fake warmth. She held herself with power and dignity, but her cold, cunning disposition was almost tangible. Her voice was as glacial as ever. She lifted one amber eyebrow at us. “What work are you doing? For surely you are doing something to benefit the clan,” she spoke acidly.

         Arianna cleared her throat. “We are on our way to go Hunting with Matthiew,” she said, her voice only quavering slightly.

         Ignoring Arianna’s response, she glared icily at me, her faux smile slipping from her face. “What are you wearing, Lily?”

         I held my chin high, refusing to be intimidated by this tyrant. “A dress, Mother. One that suits me.”

         “It is against the clan code. I will not permit it to happen again. The next time you wear something so- so- disrespectful, there will be consequences.”

         “Yes, Mother.” I replied meekly, my earlier courage fading.

         Jezzine waved her hand dismissively, entirely loosing interest. “Go then. I have far more important matters to attend to than idle chitchat with simpletons. Go!” She shooed us with her hands. As we walked away, I heard her mutter, “Stupid children.”

         We reached the front gate without further incident, and soon a very tall man walked towards us- my brother, Matthiew. He had the same cunning light in his eyes as his mother, but was much taller. He loomed over Arianna and I. He wore a simple, golden hunting outfit and no shoes. His hair was the tawny color of his mother and sister’s. A quiver of arrows and a bow were slung over his back and a predatory smile was present on his face. He hunted often; it had become a passion. He enjoyed the kill, and not just for food. He was a danger, one to be feared.

         “Come, little sisters,” Matthiew commanded. We followed him meekly as he strode calmly out of the front gates, right into the woods. He stopped in a small clearing.

         He cocked his head slightly to the side. His focused eyes held a dangerous light. “A deer is not far away. Wait here.” I wanted to stop him, but I had not yet developed any powers. I was weak and could do nothing. He seemed to grow and take on power as he notched the bow. His steps became light and silent and his eyes shone with a hungry light. We heard the quiet snick of his arrow leaving the bow. We heard the innocent animal cry out in pain, and we both silently cried for the poor animal. I could just see his predatory smile and the dangerous glowing of power that had consumed his eyes. We fled. We ran back into the palace, through the antique hallways and into our room.