Anya

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

   During the night, Heinodis had started and the constant streams of rain against the palace and the high whistles of the wind were distracting and had kept Anya up all night.

   Staying up when she was already tired was just another annoyance to Anya but it also gave her enough time to plan out what she was going to say to her grandfather.

   When she was a little girl running around the castle, Anya doted on her grandfather and would not hear a bad word said against the man but as she grew older and became more involved in what happened around the lands, especially when she started her training to become Queen. The rights of the fairies and helping the extreme poor in the Zafiro faction were just two of the causes she became passionate about but it was through this that she discovered how brutal a man he was.

   One could argue that his old age was making him crazy and it certainly was a factor but that did not excuse the manner in which he executed, figuratively and literally, his plans. He just did them without blinking or caring. He was holding onto the throne with a steel grip and he was not going to let go soon and with that came paranoia, a devastating consequence of holding onto a crown.

   But last night, having a party despite the hundreds of people who were outside and forced to take cover in their badly made houses was cruel and do it in celebration of the storm that would take someone’s parents away from them was downright vicious. It was also during the night where she was kept awake, that she decided she was going to confront her grandfather at breakfast about his actions and make him explain them.

   She had never confronted him head on before, she had also gone behind the scenes and encouraged people to join groups in which they could help their faction and they had always been peaceful but now, she felt that he had gone one step too far.

   Climbing down from the window, her feet felt toasty and warm against the under-floor heating which were provided by the fairies to maintain the flames of the mini fires and changed into her daytime wear, which consisted of a beige bodice with sleeves and an olive green skirt. She placed her feet into the matching green flat shoes that were made by the goblin Ugo who was a great friend of the family, well he was before he was sent to Anceps like the rest of the goblins.

   Although most goblins were cruel creatures, Ugo was an exception and when her grandfather sent him away in May she felt horrible. She had confided so much in the creature and he made beautiful items with his limited powers but when he was taken she felt guilty because she knew she could have done more to save him and she didn’t.

   Not angering her grandfather and letting him on to what she was doing was one request that her grandmother and parents begged of Anya and she had always listened to them. Before last night, she would never have even tried doing what she was going to do this morning but now she had this fire burning in her, just waiting until it can be truly lit up and when she see’ her grandfather it will have its chance.

   Out in the hallway of the palace, she wandered the two doors down before knocking on the door to make herself known and wandered in without waiting like usually.

   Before she could see her sister, she heard her mumbling to someone, thinking it was her servant she stepped into the room fully. “Lara…Oh my wonder!” Her hands were clasped over her eyes and she was frozen on the spot.

  Slowly uncovering her eyes, Anya could not believe what she was seeing. Her sister Lara with one of the servant boys. Her sister. And a servant boy. She was against the high class – low class divide and believed anyone could marry whomever they desired but seeing her sister in a compromising position was more than shock.