My Majesty's Captivation

Chapter One

"Ma, Ma, wake up," I whispered as I gently shook my mother's shoulder. Her wispy, graying hair draped over her back in strands. I shook her again and received a grunt in reply. It was an hour until sunrise and we needed to begin preparing for breakfast. I stood and stretched my arms and legs, getting ready for the daily marathon. Each day at sunrise, the royal family gives out three hundred loaves of bread, supposedly one per family. But there are greedy, greedy people out there, people that would kill for more than thrice their share.

I walked over to my younger brother's cot and woke him as well. The seven-year-old yawned loudly and reached over to play with my black hair. It was the only thing that we had in common and the only thing I inherited from my father. See, he was a foreigner, my father. He washed up half-dead at my mother's feet when she was collecting shells for the market. She often told me stories of how she'd nursed him back to the land of the living and taught him our language. She always said my brother Dmyr looked like him, with his darker lips and high cheekbones and deep brown eyes. I, on the other hand, had my mother's ice blue eyes and full, rosy lips.

"Come on, now. You get to help Mademi make shell coils today," I cooed. My fingers tickled the child's chin and he giggled like chimes on a windy day. We lived near the Main Market, a place where foreign merchants, farmers, fishermen, butchers, and other vendors made their livings. My family, we were not exactly a part of that community. But we were still paid to do odd jobs every now and then. I usually helped deliver groceries to various nobles' houses, while my brother and mother took on less strenuous work with the craft guilds.

"Do I have to? I would rather play with you," Same as always, he stared at my with his big, mahogany eyes and pouted his lips. He even tilted his head. Cute. I laughed softly and tousled his already tangled hair.

"You know I'll play with you later," I pulled him out of bed and lightly nudged him to the changing screen and water basin, where my mother was already washing her face. Dmyr whined and slumped his shoulders. With a chuckle, I helped him change into some loose slacks and a rough cotton shirt. "Wash your face and eat something before you go,"

"Morning Anyré," my mother greeted, her tired eyes smiled. "Day after day, you become more of a lady. I'm sorry you have to go through this mayhem every week. I promise, as soon as I get better, I will-" She stopped abruptly and hacked loudly, her body racked with every breath. Dmyr brought her a towel to wipe up the blood.

"Ma, you just worry about calming that cough of yours. I'm only thirteen; I can handle the work," I guided her over to the bench where I poured her a cup of water. "Here," I handed her a red flower with a white center. "Eat this. It should abate your coughing until tomorrow," She looked at me with sad eyes. Her slender hands cupped my cheeks and she placed her lips on my forehead.

"One day," she whispered. I smiled at her with furrowed brows, confused at her words.

"Now, go. The Guard will be out soon," She straightened her back and spun me around, giving me a slight push towards the door.

"Bye bye An-An," My little brother shouted from the back of our cottage.

"I'll be back soon," With that, I jogged out into the clearing and sprinted to the castle gates, where thousands of other children and adults were standing. Already, there were scuffles for a position closer to where the Guard would be passing out bread.

The sun peeked out from behind the Nomerst Mountains, illuminating the sky with streaks of rose and ribbons of gold. At that moment, the gates opened, allowing a small platoon of soldiers clad in dark, leather armor and dull, silver breastplates to pass through.

"GET IN LINE" Captain Suuji commanded. His voice bounced off the cobblestones and reverberated throughout the main road. Immediately, as per usual, a bloodbath broke out between the starving and the jobless. I skirted around the edge of the skirmishes and tried to stretch as tall as my adolescent body would permit. It was not uncommon for children to be trampled by the onslaught of desperation and starvation.

Already, guards were dispersing to break up the miniature battles and merciless beatings of the underaged for a higher chance of receiving bread. I struggled against the masses to reach to front, when a heavy stone came crashing down on my head; the impact forced me onto my knees. I felt panic seep into me from my toes to my eyes as blood trickled down my cheek and dripped onto my thin overcoat, dying my vision red.

A rough hand grabbed my forearm and lifted me up, dragging me out of the clamor. I stumbled and crashed into a solid chest belonging to a someone clad in soft cotton. A strange, ambrosial scent caught my attention. I finally looked up at the stranger, blinking rapidly. My eyes barely registering anything beyond crimson and a rough outline of a tall man with captivating green eyes. Before I could register what was going on, the stranger pulled me through the gates, easily slipping past the line of guards. Perhaps it was the blood loss, or the shock of an act of kindness, but by the time I could reorient myself, I realized we were inside the castle.

"Wait!" I stopped walking and yanked my hand out of the stranger's grasp, the heat of his touch lingered, outlining the mark of a man. I hastily swiped at the blood on my face, some of it in the process of drying. "Who are you? Why are we here? It is forbidden for commoners to enter the royal palace," My eyes darted frantically, searching for a way out before a guard could throw me in jail for trespassing.

The sun had already risen and shone brilliantly through the stained glass windows, casting a myriad of colors on myself, a brilliant kaleidoscope pooling around the stranger, amplifying the mystery about him. Vivid shades seemed to drip from his being, painting him like the god he looked.

He did not reply. He only plastered on a seemingly kind smile in attempt to soothe me, but I knew that there was no emotion behind it. His eyes revealed nothing. The stranger took a few steps towards me, his white tunic stained with drops of my blood from our earlier collision. Without meaning to, I flinched and retreated. Perhaps it was the nuance of being alone with a man adorned with my blood or the rumors of the aristocracy having a fondness for young girls' innocence.

For every stride he made, I took two backward. Fear manifested in my mind as I involuntarily conjured the stories of the disappearing women of the Capital. The ugly whispers of the markets took hold of my mind as I became the imagined victim of all scenarios. My fingers tingled with adrenaline; I felt a slow burn creep into my calves from staying on my toes, prepared for flight in the event of attack. Still, the stranger said nothing. We kept advancing and retreating, a perfect image of a cat and mouse, its prey.

With a jolt, I became aware that I had wandered into a corner with nowhere to go but further back only to delay the inevitability. My steps became unbalanced and I tripped on the edge of the furnished rug. I fell, landing heavily onto the ground. The carpet did nothing to shield me from the marble flooring underneath. With a panicked mindset, I did what most commoners would do when faced with a pursuer of evident noble descent. I cowered, throwing my hands in front of me and squeezing my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impending strike.

But nothing came. Slowly, I opened my eye and snuck a glance. The stranger was sitting cross-legged, his chin rested on his palm. A mixed look of mirth and curiosity blatantly written on his countenance. He was close enough to prevent an escape, but far enough so that he would not be able to touch me.

"Why do you hide from someone who has no intent of doing you harm?" His eyes were playful and upon inspection, I found that he had the most radiant eyes. The irises were mostly emerald with flecks of gold, which caught the natural sunlight in the most beautiful way. For the first time, I was able to look directly at the stranger.

His face was slender and unworn with a square, lightly bearded jaw; an ebony mane tumbled down past his ears in unruly curls. He seemed to be barely at the age of a man, and yet his toned figure indicated otherwise. Underneath the billowy fabric, I caught glances of defined muscles and tan skin, causing me to blush deeply.

The stranger cleared his throat with a small, amused grin and I brought myself back from admiring his outward appearance. I swallowed once and prepared myself to answer his question when a platoon of soldiers led by Captain Suuji stormed in the wide corridor and surrounded me. The dozen members of the City Guard pointed their broadswords at me as the disgruntled captain took a place next to the stranger.

"For the love of the Nine, could you please refrain from bailing on your duties to play with commoners and for ONCE act like the Crown Prince?"

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Picture: Jhakar (aka Crown Prince)