Abandonment is one word to describe Evelyn Ward's childhood.
Known as an orphan freak and paranoid schizophrenic, she was dragged through years of therapy after admitting to hearing whispering voices and seeing creatures and living shadows.
...
My mother was waiting for me in the main foyer, dressed in her usual attire of a flowing gown -- this one a soft ivory. With little adornment other than a woven belt of golden thread cinched around her slender waist, it was simple, but it's understated elegance far outshone the embroidered dress I had donned.
"Evelyn dear!" Her beautiful face lit up with a radiant smile as she beheld me descending the staircase toward her. "You look positively lovely this morning. Are you ready to meet with our guests?"
Not yet completely used to her endearments and praise, a light blush crept onto my face alongside my timid smile. With an answering nod, I linked my arm through hers and let her lead the way to the meeting room which I had not yet been to.
Nydea and Elelas followed us down the corridor, their whispering footsteps echoing on the marble floors the only sound reminding me of their presence.
"So, Mom... What exactly is this meeting about? Why did you want me to be here too?"
She patted my hand in a reassuring gesture. "No need to fret, darling. It's only a simple meeting to discuss our border security and the training of our Demon Hunters. Lord Lavonte, and his wife, Lady Cordelia, run the finest training academy in Terradstrum, and we hold regular meetings to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep our land, and the human realm safe. And you will be attending as well because you are Princess, and will one day be Queen, and these will be your responsibilities. And now that you've had some time to begin adjusting to living here, I believe it's time for you to start meeting other nobility and interacting with others."
I nodded, but she must have felt me shaking like a leaf, as she stopped walking and turned to face me.
"Relax, Evelyn, my dear." She rubbed her hands over my shoulders to soothe me. "There's no need to be nervous. They're lovely people, and I'm certain they'll adore you just as much as I do. And you mustn't do much or talk much if you don't want to. You can just watch and listen if it makes you more comfortable."
I tried my best to summon a smile and nod but inside I hadn't calmed even a tiny bit. Maybe, as my mother had said, there wasn't anything to worry about, but I wasn't a people person. I had never been any good meeting people and had a terrible tendency of making a fool of myself -- a tendency made even more prominent when I'm nervous, and being worried that I'll be nervous just makes me more nervous and then I end up making even bigger a fool of myself. It's why I've always hated the parties Chelsea loved to go to. And those were just regular people, here I was meeting nobility -- a lord and a lady. Sure, as a princess, I shouldn't be nervous, but I hadn't gotten used to being a princess, and I was sure they would be expecting to meet a princess as regal and elegant as my mother, not, well... me.
"You will be perfectly fine, Evelyn." She kissed my forehead and tucked a stray lock of blond hair back behind my ear. "Now come, we don't want to be late."
Elelas stepped ahead of us to open the large wooden doors at the end of the hall. Inside, sunlight streamed in through the windows, washing the room in a golden light. As we entered, the man and woman seated at the large, round table stood up to bow.
"Your Grace," they said in unison.
"Lord Lavonte, Lady Cordelia," my mother responded, inclining her head to each of them in turn. She gestured toward me, standing stiff as a board at her side. "This is my daughter, Princess Evelyn."
With their stares now focused on me, I rearranged my features into what I hoped looked like a warm smile and forced my frozen limbs to relax a little. "Hi." My fingers wiggled a timid wave that had me cringing inside. "It's a, uh... It's a pleasure to meet you."
Lavonte dipped his head, his golden eyes sparkling. "Ah, the pleasure is ours, Princess." There was no trace of false warmth in his welcoming tone, and with his sun-kissed skin and golden hair to match his eyes, his presence was reminiscent of the golden sunlight that warms you on a perfect summer day.
His wife, Lady Cordelia's appearance was quite the opposite. A petite woman, nearly a foot shorter than myself with a head of wild raven curls and almond eyes that held the same warm glow as her deep tawny skin. With her delicate wings of shimmering gold fluttering behind her, she stepped forward to place a soft hand on my cheek. "Princess Evelyn... You are as wonderful and lovely as your dear mother. What a blessing it is to have you back with us." She turned her smile to my mother. "Aurora, we should be hosting a ball to celebrate her safe return."
"You are always far too eager to celebrate, Delia," Aurora chided, though a hint of a smile curved her lips. "But perhaps a celebration is warranted, but only if Evelyn should feel comfortable. And for the time being, we have important matters to discuss." She gestured at the table.
"And you are far too serious. You and Lavonte both need to learn to live a little more."
"Delia, love." Lavonte stepped forward, shuffling his dusk-gray wings behind his back so only the tips of the gold-tinged feathers peaked over his broad shoulders. "The Queen is right -- we can discuss celebrations later. It is a miracle to have the Princess back with us, but our priorities should be with keeping her safe so she cannot be taken again."
"Oh, I know that!" Cordelia swatted her husband on the chest. "I was only trying to lighten the mood a bit. Poor Evelyn here just looked so nervous, I thought a bit of friendly conversation might ease her nerves a bit. Right dear?" She turned her charming grin back to me.
And she was right. The easy flow of their bantering had relaxed me more than I was willing to admit. My hands were steady, and my heart rate had mellowed to the point where a smile rose easily to my lips. "I don't like parties though," I asserted because really, the thought of a ball in which I would be the center of attention was horrifying.
Cordelia laughed a soft chiming sound at that as she sat and patted the seat next to her. I joined her -- as did my mother and Lavonte -- and sat quietly while they talked.
The meeting was simple, as my mother had told me to expect. They filled the time with discussions on patrols, how many Demon Hunters should be guarding the Shadow Gate, and whether or not they should place more guards here at the palace. But it didn't take long before my attention was drawn away from their talk.
A growing unease wormed its way under my skin as a familiar tingle rose up my spine. I glanced behind me at the door. Nydea stood, feet fidgeting, wings fluttering the same as she always did when she stayed still too long, while Elelas stood next to her with his arms folded behind his back, with his topaz eyes focused on our group.
My gaze roved around the room, searching for the cause of my discontent. As my search turned up empty, I started to think that maybe it was just my nerves resurfacing, but a flicker seen out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.
My heart leaped to my throat as I looked up at the domed ceiling and caught sight of the shadow creeping closer in a lazy spiral. It stilled as my eyes focused on it, and a harsh red light flared from within its inky depths as it plunged downward.
Straight at my mother's chest.
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A demon getting into the palace during a meeting about security? Oh, the irony of that. How do you think it got in? What is going to happen? Let me know what you think in the comments - I look forward to hearing your opinions!
