The Butterfly Crown

Out Of The Ashes - Avala

Avala

My arms were heavy, it felt like they had been sewed to my mattress, my vision and head were stuck in a place far away from Melar, the ground on which I was standing on was tottering, the breeze of sea air was dancing over my skin, I was shrouded by stardust.

The night sky throned over me like the king of a wildling tribe and I was sunken into his beauty. He would be the death of me that was certain, but the calm of the sea reassured me over the fact that it was worth it.

What better way to die than under the starry sky?

I wanted to touch the brightest star, I wanted to mold with it even may its heat burn me to ashes. I wanted to become the beauty of it and I wanted to hold it dear to me, but I was still standing on a ship's rail heading nowhere.

I was intrigued by where the ship who bring me to which adventures would await me, a kingdom of stars perchance? Or the battle of cold November mist?

My mind contained so much consciousness that I knew I was dreaming and I was determined to stay asleep. I wanted to see a castle made out of star dust.

.

However I was sleeping in a castle made out of iron and someone was very eager to get me out of my silky bed. Voices were rushing to me from very far away and when I started to slip out of the obscure cloud of my dream, although I tried everything to resists, I was back in my room.

My body still felt as heavy as multitudinous stones, I would have given everything for another couple of minutes, but the voice that was repeating my name was agitated and loud. Senses started to leave the ship, I have been standing on and returned to me.

"Princess Avala, you have to wake up!". With the little force in my body I fumbled for a cushion near me and threw it into the direction of where the voice was coming from.

Master Eachann had told me that before our time people used to have mechanic devices that would produce sounds in order to wake the people up. Just a simple touch could stop the device from ringing and therefore most people overslept. Throwing my cushion was my kind of stopping whoever tried to wake me.

Astonishingly I felt cold hands on my arm. My servants never touched me unless it was important. As I finally opened my eyes they fell on a ruffled Edan Duncan. I was quite pleased with the fact that I might have hit him with a pillow.

"I'm not standing up, sleep gives me the little bit of salvation that I crave. We are all doomed to die anyways, I decide to spend my time with things I enjoy - which sleeping is a part of them. Goodbye, Sir Duncan", was all I had to say to him.

Regularly I would have mumbled drowsy, but Edan Duncan's presence had made me alert. I couldn't really focus on my surroundings, for the look on his face I had to compose all of my concentration.

"There is no need to ravish me with your existential humor today, your serene highness. My visit is of tremendous importance", he informed me.

I wasn't really sure whether he was incredibly nervous or furious, his whole body seemed to be shuddering due to tension. And all of a sudden the pieces started falling into place - well so I thought. Keeva was finally going to be queen of Melar, Teliassen, the big scary North and own the estates of 'whatever' and 'I don't care'. But could dear precious Edan Duncan really be so upset that I was a little late to my sisters coronation? And why wasn't he not just bawling at some maid to wake me up and get me ready? What could have set him off so much that he appeared personally.

I glanced at his face, his pale skin was reddish, his round eyebrows raised and his jaw clenched. He was hesitating to tell me something significant.