Chaotic

Chapter 8

"Theo, welcome back!" 

I looked around the room to find men and women working away on computers. The left wall was almost entirely covered with wooden cupboards, and the only part that wasn't wooden was made of glass - it was a mantlepiece containing guns and intricately made knives. The room was otherwise, quite bare. A row of glossy white desks and chairs stood out from the rocky interior, and the computers felt out of place in a room that looked so ancient. The only dash of color to the room was an enormous poster that hung high on the right wall - the symbol of Escait - the Snowflake on Fire.

"Say, who is this?" The man who had greeted Theo suddenly tensed up as he noticed me hidden behind Theo's 6'2" frame.

"Holy shit." A woman gasped. She seemed to be older than the rest of the group, and her deep brown eyes widened as she stepped forward towards me. "It is the princess!" She exclaimed, bringing a deep blush to my cheeks. I wasn't used to that word yet, and I didn't think I was going to get used to it anytime soon. A part of me was exhilarated, but a part of me still believed that I was only Avalon Jones - and nothing else. I hadn't quite wrapped my mind around the idea of Escait - it seemed more ridiculous by the minute. 

The old woman touched my cheek gently, brushing back a strand of hair that had gone astray. 

"I am Marta, my lady, I was your caretaker when you were younger. You still have the most beautiful eyes - enchanting, I used to call them."

The red of my cheek deepened as I gave her a small smile, not quite knowing what to say. I had no memories of the woman; I was pretty sure that I remembered no one on this strange land.

"You can catch up with her in sometime, Marta," Theo said softly. "But right now, she had better go meet the Rexer."

Marta nodded, and with one last look at me, she stepped away. 

Theo lightly put his arm on my back, urging me to walk. We stepped out of the room into a widely different environment. The room was huge, but it was plain - with only computers, cupboards and people to fill it. The corridors we had just entered were long and royal - navy blue carpet lined the floor and a beautiful maroon wallpaper adorned the rock walls. On a closer look, I realized that the Snowflake on Fire was inscribed in the wallpaper at equal distances. The ceiling was made of solid rock, and the place was essentially the proof of the fact that I was in a castle. It was beautiful - it was every fairy tale I never believed in.

Halfway down the seemingly endless corridor, a person finally came into view. His clothes were similar to those of the people back in the room - casual, dark and fitting - nowhere near my definition of royal, but then again, Escait seemed to have different traditions. A badge on his shirt caught my attention - it looked like it was made of Bronze, and was shaped like a coin with the words Cidel Conseil pressed on it. The coin had spokes - or arms - poking out of it, making it look like it was the centre of a snowflake. Clever. 

"Son, is this...?" The man trailed off. I realized that he did look like Theo's father, though I was usually shit at identifying facial similarities. What I did catch though, was the unusual voice and the beautiful accent that had drawn me to Theo.

"The princess." Theo confirmed.

"My lady!" He gasped, bowing down at once. 

"Please don't do that." I murmured, uncomfortable.

He got up and gave me a smile, commenting on how similar I looked to my mother.

"The same hair, and those beautiful eyes. Oh, one never forgets your eyes. Your parents have been waiting for years now, my lady. Go now, bring them the happiness they've been deprived of for so long. I am so proud of you Theo."

"Please call me Avis." I said, smiling as Theo gave his father a hug.

"Come." Theo said, taking my hand. I let him lead me to an enormous wooden door, with carving so detailed I could stare at it all day. A guard stood outside the door - if he was a guard that is. My image of a guard consisted weapons - a gun, or a sword maybe. This one had neither. He did, however, wear a badge that was similar to the one on Theo's father, except that instead of the snowflake, this one had bronze flames rising from the coin. The words Cidel Conseil were lacking from his coin - the imprint spelt Escait instead.

He gave me a thorough look, before nodding at Theo and letting us step inside. 

"Oh my God!" A woman exclaimed at the far end of the aisle. She was dressed in a red gown that went all the way down to her knees and then ended in a split, showing off the pants underneath. It was the crown on her head that set her apart - she had to be the queen. 

Theo led me down the aisle, but the woman engulfed me in a hug before we could reach the end. 

"My baby!" She exclaimed, not letting go of me. I stood there awkwardly - I was not used to these bursts of affection and I didn't know the woman claiming to be my mother. 

She stepped back soon, cupping my face with her palms. As I finally saw her face, I realized why everyone called me the princess. I really was the splitting image of the queen - the exact same hair, similar freckles, and the eyes. My eyes had a greater purple tint than hers, but the similarity was visible. If genetics and looks meant anything, then this woman was surely my mother. My mother. 

Tears flew freely down her cheeks as she hugged me again; and this time, I hugged her back. She let me go as a man came to her side - the king. He wore a crown that looked like golden branches - it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. He gently held my face before throwing his arms around me. He was my father, the one who had waited for me for thirteen years. When he set me free, he pulled Theo in for a hug.

"Thank you." His voice had a happy ring to it. "Thank you so much"

"It was my duty, my lord." Theo said, smiling.

"It was never your duty, Theo, only your determination." The king replied. "I will never be able to repay you for it."

"You don't need to, my lord. The only reward I ever wanted was finding your daughter."

Placing a hand on Theo's shoulder, the king - my father - gave Theo one of the most warm smiles I had ever seen on a person's face. "You shall be rewarded Theo," he said, his voice firm. "I'm afraid that I shall always be in your debt, but I shall award you the best I can."

He gestured a young boy standing at the corner of a room and the boy came up to us, a bronze rod in his hand. One end of the rod was embellished with a crystal snowflake, and the other with golden flames. Theo's eyes widened as he immediately bowed, propping himself up on one knee. 

"From this day onwards until all your days to come, I proclaim you to be the youngest member of the Cidel Conseil and the personal Warrior of my daughter, the princess, Avis Rae Black. You shall be in charge of all decisions related to her as she makes her journey through this land and its traditions."

The king lightly patted Theo's head with the fiery end of the stick, and then the snowflake end. Theo remained bowed, his eyes shut. 

"You may rise now, son."

Theo rose to the king's smiling face, a sense of happiness and pride on his own. At the king's nod, Theo stepped away lightly.

"You probably have a million questions, my sunshine. How would you like a tour of the castle as we answer your questions?" 

"I would like that very much." I replied, smiling as my parents took me into my new life.

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So this was an awfully late update, and I'm sorry, but I'm hoping you'll bear with me as I take you through Escait and Avis's new life! Also, this book might have a bit of French in it but French is only my third language and I'll rely on Google Translate sometimes, so if I make any mistakes please correct me :)

(Photo of Leana Black, the Queen, above.)

Don't be a silent reader, please vote and comment! 

Love you all,

- Isandra

P.S. I've got a second chapter on the way, it should be up in a couple of days max! :)