Burning Castles | ✓

Prologue

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∞ | Prologue | ∞

Town's Center, Vonsworth

Ayla Beckar liked going to town especially on a Sunday afternoon.

Everything new came by on Sunday and hence, she would have more opportunity to spend and get nicer things for herself and her husband and their home. But the main goal was to find a lavish and expensive gown for the anniversary ball of Vonsworth next month. The Regnant, Mabuz Ryker was hosting it in Murstein Keep. There was a Regnant in every great city and there were five cities in total. In each city, there was a castle where the Regnant stayed with his Astutes.

Astutes were the advisers to a Regnant of each city. They helped in making big decisions regarding the people and finances and other things.

It was good to be part of the privileged - the Affluent. She was one by birth and her station had risen further when she married her current husband Jonathan Beckar, thus making her one of the wealthiest women in Vonsworth. And not to mention, one of the most envied people in the city.

Ayla adjusted her sunhat that matched the vibrant yellow hue of her dress as it brought out the gorgeous complexion she had. Fiddling with the diamond choker she had on while striding down the street, Ayla wrinkled her nose as she took in the sights of the city. Yes, Vonsworth was and is one of the great cities but it still contained filth.

The Destitutes.

Ayla's skin crawled at the thought of those parasites.

Every city had them. They were scum. Dirt. Filth. Ayla didn't even consider them human. Why should she when she was better off than them? To her, they just existed to annoy her. In fact, Ayla felt that they were worthless. Most of them were beggars, leeching off the richest person they could find as they sat about all day, wishing that they were part of the Affluent.

Ayla had no respect for them, she thought that they all deserved to be removed away from the city so that she and others like her - the Affluent - would be free to move about the city without them spoiling the sights or their shopping trips with their filth and dirt.

It was just a pity that they breed like cockroaches, she mused as she kicked aside a woman who was begging for spare money to feed her baby. It didn't matter. They were Destitutes. Ayla hoped that more of them would just die or disappear so that she wouldn't have to be contaminated by their filth.

Looking down, Ayla inspected the hem of her skirt and found that the woman had left some blood on it. Enraged, she turned around and kicked the woman even harder. "How dare you ruin my skirt? This is actual silk, not whatever filth you wear on your horrid self!"

The Destitute cowered beneath her, her thin body - almost skeletal was wracked in pain as Ayla landed one vicious kick after another. Ayla may be small but she was determined to show them where they should be - beneath her feet as always.

Satisfied with the women's pitiful sobbing, Ayla sniffed in disdain and sneered hatefully. Her day was officially ruined. Spitting at the bowed figure on the ground, Ayla whirled around and ran into a small figure.

"Watch where you're going!" she spat as she dusted off her clothing. Looking up, she was slightly relieved that it was a Medial and not a Destitute because if it were, she would have requested that they would be hanged.

A Medial was one who was a mix of an Affluent and a Destitute. Sure, Ayla thought that Medials were an abomination but she tolerated them much more due to the Affluent blood running in their veins.

"I'm so sorry Miss. I haven't seen where I was walking. I apologise for running into you." The Medial before her bent her head and Ayla inspected her.

Brown hair was pulled away from her face and braided into a complicated style and the Medial was wearing a medic's cross on her forearm over her knee length dress.

Ayla forced a smile on her face, she was in public and couldn't be rude to a Medial, especially since she was a medic. Medics were respected here in Vonsworth and she was not going to have people discuss her actions if she mistreated one.

"It is fine. I must apologise as well for not looking where I was walking." The apology was said insincerely but Ayla couldn't care less. She was an Affluent and hence better off than a mere Medial.

Especially a Medial with Destitute blood in her veins.

The Medial smiled and bent her head in respect once more before quickly walking off. Ayla sniffed haughtily and looked down at the Destitute on the ground whose sobs had now tapered off to whimpers.

"You stupid creature. I'll make you pay," Ayla hissed venomously before stalking off, her tight black curls swinging in the wind as she left the broken woman on the ground.

She wasn't aware of the cold calculating eyes watching her.

* * *

It was only about two days later when Ayla realised something was wrong.

First, she was tied up and she could not move at all. It felt like she was paralysed. Second, she wasn't at home in the Beckar Manor. Ayla had no idea where she was. But she was sure of one thing, she was a prisoner.

She had no idea how long she was in that dark place, unable to move a single inch until a door opened and light filled the room. Ayla looked around and in utter horror, she could see shelves of jars containing what looked like human or animal parts.

It was then Ayla knew true terror when a figure stepped into the room and closed the door. Once again, darkness reigned and Ayla could hear the person moving about. The clinking of jars echoed in the empty room and was that a knife scraping against another?

Panicked, Ayla tried to scream as loud as she can but her throat was simply not working. The only sounds she could make was a few muffled sounds.

A warm hand patted her cheek condescendingly and a feminine voice crooned softly, "Shhh, it won't hurt much. You won't even be aware of anything."

With that, the hand was gone and the figure was back to whatever she was doing near the shelves. Squinting through the darkness, Ayla could see that her kidnapper was tall and on the back of her head was a series of complex but elegant braids.

A prick on her neck made everything turn blurry and Ayla was barely conscious when she realised her kidnapper was the very medic she had run into just the other day in town.

The medic with Destitute blood.

How utterly revolting.

An urge to shiver passed before she lost every sensation in her body. Ayla wanted to move, scream, thrash about but it seemed that her body just wasn't responding. Soon enough, she lost consciousness. 

* * *

A/N: Yes, this is the first part of this story of mine and I would love to hear what are your thoughts! It would be updated weekly and I hope that it isn't too confusing or strange for you readers. Please let me know your thoughts concerning this chapter! Give me a vote too to let me know how you feel because this is very new territory for me and it's remarkably odd to be writing this.

Have a Happy New Year seeing this is posted on 1 January 2017!

P.S. This is dedicated to @RoseGold_Princess for her earlier comment! :)