A/N: Photo of Darcy Le Roi, but with golden eyes :D
***
The sweet song of birds echoed from the well-maintained garden around the Beauprés' white mansion, filling every corner of the stately home with life and tranquility. As the captivating rays of the morning sun chased away the shadows of the night, its light penetrated through the arched glass windows along the hallway. Its warm glow reflected on the white marble floor and gave a spotlight effect on the portraits hanging on the wall.
Even though the morning scenery was heart-melting, Zoe rushed through the hallway, her eyes fixed on the huge double doors far ahead. She always admired how its black color complimented the embossed silver vines of roses, especially the leaves carved from emerald stones.
Seeing the roses reminded her of her mother because it was her favorite flower. Due to that, anywhere she turned, there were roses; from paintings to vases and furniture, even the fragrance of the hallways didn't escape from her love.
At the thought of her parents, anxiousness bubbled inside her.
"It's been a while," she whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I can't believe sermon will be the first thing I will hear from them."
The peculiar event last night paled her sleepless azure eyes, making her eye bags to look more pronounced. Her head pained even more from the memory of her futile research. Just thinking about the eyeless creature looking back at her gave her goosebumps. But what remained a mystery to her was the young man's words.
"I thought of testing your skills," he said back then, "but it seems that you're completely incompetent. If I hadn't killed the tracker, you're probably dead."
She could hear him whispering repeatedly like a ghost haunting the living.
"Could it be that those two are aliens? And I just witnessed the bravery of the superhero protecting us in secret?" She slightly shook her head with a grin, but her heart told her otherwise. "I should just ask Dr. Hughe... and Gilbert too. He definitely knows something."
Upon seeing her approach, the two servants pulled the doors open. Zoe cringed from the sudden brightness of the luxurious chandelier hanging above the long antique table. No matter how many times she experienced it, she always forgot to avert her eyes.
Unlike the all-white corridor, the dining hall was painted in olive green and outlined with gold. Crimson curtains beautify the windows on both sides of the hall, each one neatly tied by golden ribbons to allow viewing of the green landscape outside. Even with the dark paint and decorations, the whole room was bright due to the morning sun pouring from the windows.
Zoe let out a deep sigh and inhaled, the scent of freshly baked pastries whipped away the sweet fragrance of roses in her lungs, and caught her stomach squealing in hunger. Her heart briefly calmed with the buttery aroma, only to speed up again.
She didn't want to see her parents like this. She would definitely be scolded, then end up cowering, accepting everything they threw at her. The feeling of being powerless to defend her beliefs wasn't the best way to start her morning.
She locked her red hair at the back of her ear and quickly paced the room, her boots creating faint squeaks as they slid on the polished floor. Her eyes automatically drifted at the enormous portrait by the far end wall.
It was a pale yellow-green shield marked by a golden fleur-de-lis with a lion and an eagle standing by the sides. Their family crest. The story behind it was the only fairy tale Zoe knew that was real.
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Fantasy|Book#1|Chronicles of Mamoria| A story that was forgotten by history. A secret kept for hundreds of millennia. A dark heart sheltered by the light. A young prince who gave up his pride to protect his people. And a teenage girl who was destined to lo...
