The Rise Of A Queen

Chapter 4

~Adira~
May 5, 2017 5:15 pm

The last few days have been dreadful, between training and school I do not know which hurts more. As promised by Cadmar, Conroy does not show up to school. That means I endure after school detention all by myself along with the usual misfits.

Rumors have spread about me that are absolutely ridiculous. It's either they say something about me or do nothing at all. Every morning I have multiple letters addressed to yours truly, either death threats or a new conspiracy theory about me.

I do not care however, I have much more things to deal with in my life.

Things like today.

Today the Northerners arrive to our land, present and future Lords. We have an annual meeting with the Lords, they come to our lands for two days we feast and celebrate, they return home. This is the first year the future Lords will accompany their parents.

I am anxious to meet them, I hear they are all warriors of the highest regard, brutal, fearless and charming. Whenever I meet new people from the society it usually turns out in a disaster. They look at me funny when they are expecting to see another boy instead of a young girl in a puffy ball gown. Times have changed since five years ago.

 In front of the wall length mirror, I struggle in reaching the zipper on the dress I'm wearing. Shimmery, silver and fitting with a dropping neckline mocks me as I try my best to reach the damn thing. Some girls came in to do my hair and make up minutes ago and left abruptly after. I personally wish to wipe the sticky muck off my face.

A knock on the door drags my attention to a figure in a tux. He smiles as he makes his way in closing the door behind him. I lift an eyebrow at him and purse my lips before returning to the task at hand. "I do not remember telling you to enter Cadmar."

"Save it Adira." He chuckles coming to stand behind me. His hands go to my zipper pulling it upward. With a small smile his hands lightly rests on my waist. " you look beautiful Adira."

" You do not look so bad yourself." I give him a pat on his shoulder before grabbing my shoes. Minutes later I am ready to leave with a slightly depressing Cadmar at my side.

Upon reaching the ball room I notice that there are three huge black SUV's parked outside. They must already be here. Walking down the stairs I see a hundred bodies bustling around in the circular room, in the middle is one long table with cutlery and wine bottles placed expertly on the surface. The room's noise dies as I make the last step with a click of my heel. Oh how I hated this.

Donovan and the rest of the Lords stand followed by the Northerners. Making a line facing each other they all regard me. Our line starts with Donovan, Trenton, my father, Harold, Cayden, Cadmar, Mika and then I.

The future Lords regard me with curious eyes. All four of them are tall and intimidating. The youngest age must be about twenty, I hear it is a tradition of age to be introduced into society, for them that is. The second future Lord is looking at me as if I am a rare animal on display at a zoo. The attention from everyone makes me bristle in my spot slightly. After introductions we sit for dinner in the order we were lined up in, my mother and other siblings take the seats after me.

I feel eyes on me from across the table as I'm talking with my mother, social events are not my bread and butter. Turning I find three pairs of Northern eyes on me. Shaggy light brown hair and growing beards with shinning, bottle green eyes. They all look so similar I wonder if they are brothers. The one opposite to me smiles mischievously at me while the rest sit back and stare. Squaring my shoulders I smile back at him and see his shoulders shake with a chuckle.

It's hard to eat when people constantly stare at you, everyone stares at me for some unknown reason. The whole table except for my family burned holes through my skin as if they were trying to figure out what exactly am I.

It was time for the dance and it was my time to escape. After all the food was cleared and everyone got up to dance and party I made my way outside. The nights air was refreshing as the cool gusts of wind hit my face. I could hear the chatter and laughter from inside. It was better for me to be alone.

"You are very peculiar Miss Levrin." A voice sounds from behind me which makes me jump. Turning around on my heels, bottle green eyes shine at me with a wide grin to match.

"Sorry for startling you, my name is Nicholas by the way." His hand shoots out to clasp around mine, he slowly brings it to his lips placing a light kiss on it.

" I am Adira, it is nice to finally meet you, Nicholas."

"I know who you are. Quite beautiful, a lot more beautiful than I imagined you to be. My brothers' feelings are the same." He smiles.

"Your brothers? How may that be?" I ask, confusion written on my face.

"We do things a little differently in the North, like you Southerners do. We have compromised." He gestures to me.

My face drops with his answer, not quit liking the double meaning it has. "Ah so you're like the rest of them. Is that why you and your brothers stared at me all night?"

"We are simply curious to see such a phenomenon in real life." His voice mirrors his excitement.

"Phenomenon." I say with a humorless chuckle. "I suppose I am. I should've known that was what people thought when they stared at me for hours on end."

"Please take no offense. When I heard there was a female Lord living in one of the societies I became so fascinated with the idea that I started doing research."

"Research? You've been stalking me Nicholas?" I take a step back.

"Not exactly you my queen, but on queen Raena of Italy." He says as his hands clasp in front of him before moving to his back.

I freeze, what on Earth is he talking about. "Who? Nicholas what are you suggesting?"

Suddenly he gets down on his knees with his head bowed. I take a few steps back from him, I think he has gone mad. He starts muttering to himself.

"Nicholas what are you doing? Hurry up and stand so we can go inside." I say gripping the fabric of my dress. My heart stops as he pulls out a diamond encrusted dagger and puts the sharp edge to his wrist.

My eyes widen and my lips move to make a sound.

"You are feared my queen." He mutters cutting a horizontal line across his wrist. Blood starts to drip down his arm and onto the floor staining it with red.

I scream as loudly as I can as he offers his bloodied hand to me. He stands now and walks slowly towards me. I match every step he takes forward with one going backward.

"Understand this, you are feared. They fear you, when it is your time make me your loyal subject."

Heavy footsteps make their way to us. Nicholas's eyes dart to someone behind me.

"Put down the dagger Nicholas!" A pair of hands grab me and start pulling me backwards and away from a bloody Nicholas.Tears blur my eyesight as I'm being escorted back to my room. Everything is fuzzy and it feels like I'm moving in slow motion.

I stop to lean against a wall trying to breathe in as much air as I can. I stay like that for a moment before my vision sees black and my limbs go limp.