Emera - A Graceling Realm Book

1

Emera had never seen someone's face drop as quickly as his did.

"Ok, this might look weird, but I swear that I wasn't going to the castle. You see, I was running from some big, burly, mean men. I dove here so I can save myself and, well, I severely injured my leg."

He looked a little scared and hesitantly added a, "Lady Princess."

The way he looked was hilarious to her; she couldn't help the fit of laughter that rumbled through her. He glared at her as she shifted him and moved his head into her lap, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Emera was a curious girl; her mouth often got her into trouble. Grazing her soft fingers over his forehead she spoke:

"I am a plain girl, please refrain from addressing me as 'Lady Princess', a simple Emera would be fine. Also, I am a curious girl. If it doesn't bother you, what it your grace and would you mind telling me your name?"

The boy looked surprise at her display of simplicity and lack of interest for her royal title.

"Lady Emera-"

"Emera is fine. Pretend I am an acquaintance."

"E-Emera, my name is Noah and my grace is the ability to heal quickly." He stated.

The female graceling cocked her head. If he has extraordinary healing, she thought can he not heal himself now?

"I know what you're thinking." He said, "It's not like some magical ray, it happens like normal healing, but way faster. And with the way my leg is now, it would take at least a day for me to heal up, and quite messily to." He stated shifting his leg and wincing. "I would need a profession healer for stitches."

Emera smacked herself on the forehead, surprising herself and a bystander walking by. "I am so sorry, where are my manners? I sat here interrogating you, and in that time someone could have stolen your limbs and I wouldn't know!" she jumped up fast, scolding herself as Noah's head hit the ground with a soft thud.

She bent down and carefully scooped up Noah in her arms, slowly she started making her way back home.

She ignored his attempts to wriggle out of her grip, "Shh, Noah. Go to sleep, dream of your family and when you wake it'll all be ok."

His eyes drooped as her words floated around him, "Emera, what's your grace?" he said as he fell asleep.

That night he dreamt of his mom cooking the greatest feast he's ever seen.

***

"Emera you know you're not supposed to be out this late, in addition to that you brought a strange boy here too!"

"Mama don't call him strange, he was hurt! Do not tell me you wouldn't help him either!"

"It's too late for this nonsense."

"See, see! You would!"

A soft moan came from the floor and all arguments died down. Noah was slowly coming to his senses, his eyes opened a crack. Where was he?

"Mama, this isn't my room." He mumbled, quickly the recent events fluttered into his mind. He sat up so fast he passed out again. In a moment Madlen, the graced healer, went back to caring for him.

It was about noon when Noah woke up, Emera felt relieved and less tense. Regaining her posture she sat at the foot of the bed. He sat up and looked at his casted leg, Emera, and then around the room. Struggling with the blanket, that make Emera smile, he got up and sat next to her. He was so close that their arms were touching, it tickled. Leaning against her he let out a suppressed giggle. Emera nearly forgot that he was drugged for pain.

Suddenly, she felt dirty. She had to get away, with the thought in her head she stood up and turned around. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes as she spoke.

"Good day." Emera said, not one hint of emotion in her voice. She turned and left, closing the door she raced to her room.

Not again.

Heat rose to her cheeks as she saw maids, as well as her own mother, ripping her drawings off the wall. Were they odd, were they scary? Yes and definitely. They were from her nightmares; the problem with her grace was that she couldn't give herself good dreams. Ever since her eyes set, she had never been blessed with a good dream, and because her grace was very similar to Saf's, he couldn't give her good dreams either.

She ran up to a maid and violently ripped her drawings from her hand, the maid stood there, and the fear in her eyes were prominent as papers littered the room.

"What are you doing?" Emera growled.

"P-Princess Emera, what a surprise! Your mother has asked us to c-clean out your room." She said, her voice shaking.

The room was deathly quiet as Emera stared from the maids to her mother.

"All you, except my mother, sleep. Expect the monsters on my walls to be crawling through your heads" she said as one by one the maids dropped to the ground.

"Mom, explain why you always do things like this."