A Kingdom of Sins

Chapter Two

I woke from the shadows in a quite dark cell. All that could be heard was a set of feet walking towards me. I collect my strength, stood, and patted the dirt off my deep violet dress. I would have instantly escaped if they had not put anti-magic gloves on my hands. Lydians picked up different technologies. They learned pretty quickly that to keep us at bea they needed a way to disable us. Away to take away our fighting. I heard rumors that the first time they were tested they killed the Fae. They improved a lot scenes then, slowly making them less lethal but still the pain was excruciating. It was like blades were stabbing all around my wrist. If I hadn't trained so much I would of probably passed out from the pain.

"I never thought the famous Astra user would be so... young," a deep voice said, as I stood tall waiting for a face to the words. Joe continued to walk towards me. To my happiness I was spot on. He was tall, had to be at least 6:10. He was probably the stiffest fighter I had ever seen. I was taught technique but also learned how to fight out side of the box, he probably learned the exact movement, how to plant his feet so that he became a mountain. To my annoyance he continued to talk, "you've been offered a great chance young Lady. His Majesty has taken quite an entrance into your unusual blend of Astra and Dark Magic." I stood up, flattening my deep violet dress underneath me. My cloak was laid beside me. I grabbed, my hands full of haste. It could be a trap, but it wasn't.

He waited in silence, probably hoping for me to let my emotions take control and say something in anger. I stayed silent. I was mad but I new not to give someone power over you, not to give them what they wanted. "Urg, no response." I grinned a little. He had wanted a response so that is exactly what he is not getting. "The King has asked to meet with you so you better listen." He unlocked the standing cell door, expecting me to just walk out or make a run for it. Ha, I mentally laughed, a dark joke edging it's way in my brain, my curiosity will be my downfall! "Huft, I sadly can't let you sit in that cell all day." I crook my head to the side. The King must want my death to be on display, I assumed, a crimson warning to anyone who fled from Torchwood or Ilustrem. After Joe rolled his eyes he walked in and took my forearm. His grip was like still, something that could not be broken. As he led me up to stone steps, he said nothing. He made sure to make as many turns and useless trips as possible. As he took me around the stunning castle I made sure to take in everything, an escape twisted it's way in my mind.

Ceiling were high, even though they were spotless I could see the Fae blood that lined them. The dying sunlight flickered off and on, falling thru the glass to grace our presence. The marble shined as our steps encoded through the halls. There were slits in the walls where different halls intercepted. There were stairs that went up and some that went down but I could not tell if this was my fourth or fifth walking up and down the same flight. It was dizzying, even though Joe was taking me in big circles everything was blending together yet it wasn't. Things stuck out like knifes, courtyards, open meeting rooms, long thin corridors that had no place in a palace like this, and windows that overlooked the world.

After a whirlwind of turns we stop. Two ginormous gold doors stand in front of us. I wish with all my heart that Noah was here to melt them. A few minutes of silence later he finally spoke, "don't make eye contact. Do show respect. Don't look at any of the royales." It was like I was less than them. I know that's how people in Lydia think I just could never wrap my head around it. I wasn't a soldier in some army, or a machine with a steel heart, I was living and I don't have to list to anything they told me. The tall gold doors open and with one push from Joe I walked in, waiting to see how they would kill me.

I fell into a bow, my flat velvet dress wrinkling. He waves his hand ordering me to stand. I do as I am told. Joe walks over to me yanking my midnight colored hood off my head, showing my fiery orange hair. The sight of my hair caused a flash of joy to flare up in The King's eyes. So he must of remembered me, I concluded. "You have not been sent to die girl, so stop worrying." It was a strong voice, booming through the whole palace. The voice came from and older looking man with gray curly hair under his silver crown. Two younger more attractive boys stood to the right of him. One tall with combed brown hair. He stood with confidence racing through his blood. Mace. He was not what I always thought he would grow up looking like. I always imagined the rounded curve of his young face and his eyes that used to be so filled with color and happiness. My mind rejected this new idea. He, in my head, was still the young boy I had known. His eyes were now gray, scared from growing up under all the weight of his father's choices. He, not to my surprise, was taller, probably around 5,7'. Memories of me bugging him about how I was taller forced a smile on my lips. Though he seemed stiffer, like he lost his childhood charm, no not lost it was destroyed, left to burn in the darkness from the night ten years ago, he seemed to hold himself differently. He seemed almost handsome, something I never thought could happen to someone who would chase me around trees and, unlike Noah and Ash, ask me about training. None of it surprised me that much, I knew one day we would all grow up, leave the light and innocence of childhood for the darkness the hid the world away.The other stood quietly, obviously younger. He was nothing like his brother. Instead of maturity their was this almost deadly air around him. I heard rumors that he would pull deadly pranks on the staff. I wish him luck if he tries one on me. His deep brown eyes staring right at me. I looked around the room trying not to make eye contact with any of them but he healed my eyes, only for a split second or two. I couldn't see till I stood up but the older one, Prince Mason, looked exactly like Mace. So that's who he reminded me of, I though. I was an idiot for not noticing. I knew Mason as one of my closest friends, and I knew him well. It was push pins in my heart, I should have recognised him.

I should have known.

"Then if you don't mind me asking Your Highness, but why am I here," I hated acting clueless and polite but I knew if their was any chance of me getting out of here not in a body bag I would have to be nice. They wouldn't likely put me in a body bag they would probably just burn the body or live it for the birds to eat after the hanging. It was almost funny, laughing at my death as if I had faced it millions of times. But like The King said I wasn't here to die. According to him I was going to live, but my soul would likely die. I would be hidden behind the darkness, oblivious to the outside world. And I cursed myself for being happy about, but all that was going thru my mind was going to be seeing Mac- Mason again. Working with him everyday actually. Yet according to romar he wouldn't remember me. It had swept the streets a few month after Noah and I arrived, only a month after Queen Alice was murdered. People said Prince Mason had forgotten everything. It was choked up to a bad concussion but Fae's knew the differences. We knew it was magic manipulation, but that would mean Mason was Fae and, even though he came from a Fae family, he has never shone signs of magic.

"You have been brought here because of your magical ability to merge magic types," I stood there frozen like stone. Noah had warned me I would get caught. I never thought it would happen though. I didn't want to be The Kings experiment, again. I knew I wasn't a freak but to them I was probably the freaks of all freaks. But to my delight he did not stop the conversation there, " You will guard my Son's life. Sadly he is very curious so I don't believe I can get him to stay in the palace. I thought a magic user would be great protection." He looked to the older one who gave a quick shrug. " You will be allowed full use of magic. In return for your service you will be allowed to live." Full magic use, the thought made my heart fly with joy. I would definitely end up punching the Crowned Prince though, he seems so snotty. I knew him when he was young, he didn't seem bad but with how Lydia was ran these days I think he might have changed.

"Jackson will you please take the Lady to her room," as the king said this the shorter brother walked over to me. I heard stories of girls falling in line to do whatever the prince would ask, but I felt that I would be different. At closer look his eyes were quite different from Mason's. I knew the Queen had died a few months after the attack but some part of me thought that Jackson and Mason would be perfect meriors to Ash and Noah. All of Torchwood royal blood but two looking for the next cat to burn and the other two looking for someone who needed them. The thought of Ash sends the typical choke to my throat.

Jackson walked me to my room, it was silent torture. But he finally spoke, "You are not here for me," He could tell I was relieved by this, as I let out a breath, "I can tell you don't like me. You will be needed tomorrow for a hanging," he practically laughed well saying that. Who would laugh about putting someone to death? Much Less in the face of someone who could a) kill you in you're sleep while being many miles away and b) is the same blood as that person. I pinned my hands to my sides, keeping them from ripping out Jackson's throat while he walk away. I want, so much to see him and the rest of them dead, hanging like birds in the wind, but that would do nothing. All that would happen would be anarchy. An what good could come out of that? A new corrupt leader.

My room was smaller than I thought it would be, but bigger than my one at home. Their was a white bed and a wooden desk. A bathroom sat with a few dresses on the other side of the room. To my happiness there was a jet black grand piano sitting there. It had been ten years scenes I'd felt the ivory keys under my fingers and it sent a shiver of remembrance down my spine. The bed was a cloud beckoning me to sleep, so I Instantly fell into the darkness filled with questions all of which nibbled at my feet. As I slept sort answers crawled into my mind. Like stormclouds they were temporary, none of them ever explained why anything happens. If there ever was an answer that explained everything wrong with this world than it would be more than gold, snacked away by the Gods who never would want us to know such knowledge.