Royal Temptations

Chapter One

Royal Temptations

Rania breathed in deep as she pulled back the string of the lethal weapon fitted nicely in her rather rough hands. Her eyes scanned the area slowly, searching for any unseen threats that were willing to make themselves known. When she was finally satisfied that there wasn't another presence lurking somewhere in the shadows of the trees; she focused her attention on the oblivious creature grazing in front of her. She took in every single detail of the animal she was about to take life from. It deserved her recognition for the purpose it was deemed to serve. She promised herself years ago that she would be grateful for what she took, vowing to never take more than she needed. Always just enough. She took in the animal's strong sturdy legs, it's rugged tusks, it's chest as it moved up and down with every breath, the way it's eyes would dart around, searching for any threats just as Rania had done moments before.

Her father wasn't present at the time, so neither was his scolding. Rania knew the exact lecture he would provide her with. It is just a pig, would be his starting line. Soon leading to the aspects of how this is just the way life went. It's not just a pig though; it was a beast.

And it was about to serve it's purpose. She breathed in a deep breath ready to let the arrow fly. She started counting down in her head, just as her father taught her when she was a child. Three, two, one.

"Rania!" The excited squeal that came from behind her was startling.

Whoosh. The arrow flew through the air slamming into the twisting trunk of the willow tree inches above it's head.

"Lilith." Rania smiled, despite the lost of a good meal just moments before. She scooped her little sister up in her arms, letting the bow clatter onto the grass at her feet in the progress. She started to twirl Lilith around, dancing around the small clearing within the willow trees. She gazed down at her with a small smile as a giggle escaped Lilith's plump red lips.

Feeling slightly dizzy herself, Rania set her little sister back onto the forest floor and smiled even wider when she stuck her bottom lip out in a small pout.

"How are you feeling, my Lili Flower?" Rania had to speak louder than usual, as the wind was picking up and she assumed it would try to be greedy and carry her words off. She collected her hand carved bow and unstrung it while she waited for her sister to answer her question.

"I'm better! Daddy says we'll get mail tomorrow with the results from my test, do you think I'll pass?" Lilith frowned slightly before scrunching her face up in complete worry.

Rania turned from her little sister, she couldn't help the horrible feeling that had made itself at home in the pit of her stomach. She ignored her sister's question, unable to be truthful about her suspicions yet still unable to lie to the little angel currently smelling flowers from the wild bushes behind her.

"Come now, wouldn't want to keep the boys waiting." She started walking back to her awaiting home, her foot steps silent to the ears of humans.

Rania pondered on her worrying thoughts as she focused on the familiar crunch of Lilith's trailing footsteps metres behind her. It was only a week ago that her family travelled to the closest doctor. It was a three hour journey by train and the trip cost a fortune. The trip was splendid, the scenery breathtaking, the experience was something Rania could never forget. It was just the reason for the trip that caused her to stutter in her wake.

She looked down at Lilith who now travelled close by her side. She studied her, thinking she may not have many more similar moments to be grateful of her presence.

Lilith had the darkest locks Rania had ever seen. They reminded her of the beautiful raven birds, that her father despised so much. It fell in perfect little curls that would brush against her shoulders slightly as she walked. Her baby blue eyes, almost as pale as the snow in the winter, lit up like Christmas lights in the holiday seasons, whenever something unusual passed by. Her lips looked blood stained almost and stood out against her deathly pale skin just like-

Rania. They stood out just like Rania stood out in Syria. Rania had yet to meet a blonde haired, blue eyed Syrian. It seemed she was the only one; a lonely species slowing ebbing towards the state of extinction.

"Race you?" Rania challenged her sister, finally coming up with a solution to distracting her sister from the worries of her results. She shouldn't have to worry about such a thing. She was only six years of age.

Lilith didn't even reply as she took off running in the direction of the now visible house. Rania quickly followed, close on the little girl's tail in a light jog. They both let out breathless laughs, letting it echo throughout the forest as they bounded towards the steps of the porch. Lilith reached the steps first and stumbled up them, wincing at the loud squeaks that protested under her feet. Rania quickly followed, only more gracefully; not letting a click of sound let out below her.

Just as Rania expected, Lilith didn't stop. She hurdled through the screen door, letting it slam against the wooden panels of the wall. A faint call to her father was evident to Rania's ears as Lilith disappeared from sight.

So unlike Lilith, Rania took her time: lining her worn hiking boots up neatly next to the rather large ones of her brothers. She leant her bow against the wall, running her fingers over the carvings of the forest before leaving it in its place. The detail was exquisite, something Rania put years of work into.

The door squeaked softly as Rania made her way inside. The sound was impossible to avoid, even for someone as lethally quiet as Rania. She travelled through the corridors of her home with a new found purpose. It was her idiotic brothers that were left with the responsibility of watching Lilith; although that wasn't the only source of Rania's anger. This was the third time this week a similar event of Lilith roaming the forest, alone, had occurred. Each time on her brothers' watch.

"Ashur! Sebeen!" Rania hollered in a rather mocking tone. She waited beside the bottom of the stairwell as she listened to the loud thumps of her siblings' footsteps as they bounded down the stairs. With the dark look Rania was giving them, the boys knew they had done something terribly wrong. They quickly prepared to flee as Rania took a slow step towards them, she was playing with them and they knew that.

"Rania? What's going on here?" Her father quickly interrupted with an amused smile plastered on his lips as he entered the room with Lilith. The sight before him couldn't help but cause him amusement. His children always seemed to be fighting, whether it was for play or not.

"Nothing father." Rania smiled sweetly, watching her father shift the weight of Lilith who was playing with the locks of his hair. The scene quickly made the thought of punishing her brothers vanish from her mind. It was too humble of a sight to disturb.

The family was gathered there for a while, chatting away about anything that would come to mind. It was a perfect moment, one that Rania wished she could capture with one of those expensive camera's. Or even draw on a canvas; if only she had the natural skill of painting like her eldest brother Seb.

The blissful moment was soon brought to an unwanted halt as Lilith slithered to the floor, loud coughs racking through her frail body. Rania was snapped out of her day dreaming as everyone in the room rushed to her little sisters side, worry evident on all their faces. It seemed Rania really did have a reason to be worried about Lilith's test results.

Rania quickly joined her family as Lilith collapsed to her knees, only to be quickly scooped up by their father. Fear quickly settled upon the family's faces. 

_____________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Royal Temptations! It would be greatly appreciated if you could show your support by voting below!

Thankyou,

Rachel