The Dorston Fall [Book I in the Dorston Legacy]

Chapter 3 - Blessing

Slamming her door shut with a yell, Katelyn paced around her chamber; exasperated to be so helpless. At this moment, Gods knew what her father was enduring. Bone crunching torture. Humiliation. Starvation. A cold, dark, rat infected dungeon. And here she was, safe within the castle walls; surrounded by his so called loyal servants who were determined to let him die...so they could live. After everything he'd done, his people weren't prepared to risk their own necks to save his. Her father would do it for any one of them. Why does he being the King make any difference? He was...is a human being, just as everybody else was. Flesh and blood. Fragile.

With her father's sword still in hand, Katelyn gazed down at it; its power and encouragement fading into darkness. Now, she felt nothing but shame. She'd spoken out against her mother, shouted at her in front of the Lords.

What a sight that must have been,she thought half with guilt and the other with glee. In their confrontation, Katelyn felt a power emerge from within her; an authority she never knew existed. She felt almost like a Queen, the Queen she'd always wanted to be, what her family wanted her to be. And now it was gone, sucked out of her like a storm. She felt exhausted, her throat raw from fighting her mother. It was wrong to contest her. Katelyn needed her. They were blood, survivors in the King's absence. If they lost their confidence in one another, the kingdom didn't stand a chance.

Sighing, Katelyn threw the sword on her bed and walked outside. The summer sun disappeared behind a curtain of rain clouds, the strengthening wind danced violently around her. The mood over the castle was bearing heavy on her; as if she carried the entire world on her shoulders. There was no denying the desolate situation. Her father was in the custody of the Justice. Belran had no ruler. They had their Queen, but her power stretched only so far. Then they had their reluctant princess, who wanted nothing more than to get her father back. Now, recovering from her anger, Katelyn saw the truth in her mother's words. Her father, the stubborn man, would never surrender to a foreign ruler and a common one at that. He'd rather die. She knew her forefathers had fight long and hard to keep Belran in Dorston rule. Who was she to put their struggles aside for the sake of her own vanity?

Tears threatened and her chest felt tight. Chilled, Katelyn wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to silence her pounding head. Then a cry on the wind and she looked up. She saw two eagles flying, dancing circles around one another. She smiled, her family's crest coming to life. They had such grace in their flight, and power in their becks and talons. It left no doubt in her mind why her ancestors chose the creature as their emblem. Another cry and Katelyn gasped, seeing one mate dive toward the ground. She darted to the edge of the balcony, watching in horror.

"Pull up, pull up," she chanted desperately. Then a shriek and the mate thrashed open its wings. The wind whisked him up; carrying him away from the ground, away from death. Katelyn laughed, as the eagles were reunited; locking talons and crying happily.

As they started to fly out to the horizon, side by side, Katelyn felt her heart fly alongside them. All her life, she'd wanted to fly; to see her father's kingdom and more. She grew up hearing of the spectacular water features, lakes and mountains. She wanted to do more than hear stories. She wanted to experience the land in person. She wanted to meet the people, who would one day be hers to rule and protect. She wanted to make her own mark in history. And she knew she couldn't well do that stuck in Sella.

"He who flies is strong and true," came a voice suddenly from behind her. Katelyn turned and was startled to see her mother standing by the balcony door. She looked composed but dull; her eyes sore and pink with tears.

"Mother, I'm so sorry for my earlier behaviour," Katelyn whimpered, running and clasping her hands. "I was just so angry. I didn't mean to disappoint you."