Aquamarine [On Hold]

Chapter 1: Lilith

            Crash!  I jumped up and fell out of my king sized bed.  I yawned and then growled.  What could my brother have gotten himself into this early in the morning?  Groggily I looked around her room.  I swiveled my head to my custom made $200 Bow&Arrow alarm clock so quickly I wouldn’t have been surprised if I got whiplash.  I was going to be so late for school, on the first day too.  I ran straight toward my bathroom and started to brush my already bleach white teeth.  Someone knocked on the door. 

            “Come in,” I yelled once I finished rinsing my mouth.  I grabbed a brush from the slightly bumpy coral countertop and began to yank it through my long blonde hair.  Mom would have been appalled and told her that princesses didn’t rush.  They combed their hair gently and ‘ladylike’.  Her sister walked through the doorway while putting in an earring.

            “Lilly really?  It’s the first day.  Mom would have a fit if she saw you like this.”  Arianna said frowning. I sighed and put the brush down.

            “I know, please just make sure that Logan hasn’t destroyed the kitchen.”  Arianna’s frown grew deeper. 

            “What are you planning to wear?” Arianna asked gently.  Wow I must really look bad.  I had no idea what I was going to dress in.  The same thing had happened last year and the year before that when I was beginning Coral Academy like Logan is.  They have a dress code but it’s as relaxed as it can be because they trust everyone to make the right choices.

            “I don’t know now please check on him.”  I repeated with a dramatic wave of my hand.

            “Anything for you, your majesty.”  Arianna curtsied grinning. 

            “Back at ya, your highness.”  I smiled.  I couldn’t help it.  Arianna always knew how to make me feel better.    I pushed Arianna out the door and locked it. 

            Once sure that Arianna was gone, I shuffled over to my closet.  It was bigger than most people’s houses and had enough clothes to fit multiple armies yet nothing perfect for starting the school year.  I walked inside and over to my first rack of clothes.  All of them were color and type coordinated. The rack in front of me was filled with lime green T-shirts.  Passing every hue imaginable of green shirt and style, I tried to find my way to the white and cream section. As I looked through the never-ending isles I thought back to the perfect hours leading up to when my life would change forever.  I had been so excited for my birthday ball and hated that the summer was ending.

            I walked down the largest staircase ever trying to find Arianna because she had my book on Aquamarinian gods and their sacrificial ceremonies for church.  I every year I had to study it and every year I hated it.  With the family secret following us like a giant sign over our head saying ‘Hey come sacrifice me to a god’ I was always nervous.  I tripped down the last steps huffing for breath and found my father waiting for me.  Darn.  I thought that the birthday ceremony started later than this.  He smiled his cheesy grin as I took his arm.

I gasped when I saw the ballroom.  It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.  There was this extremely extravagant chandelier that made the dance floor sparkle with multicolored lights.  All of the tables were set up along the edges of the room for the guests to sit at when they needed a break.  People had already almost completely filled the room.  A pathway to the center of the dance floor cleared as I walked.  The Anthem of Aquamarine came on.  My father and I started the ceremonial first dance.  He leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

“I am so sorry that your mother couldn’t be here to see you.  She had to check on the border to the forbidden lands.  She wanted you to know that she is so proud of you.” I smiled, forgave my mother silently, and looked at him.  He hadn’t changed very much in the last few years.  Father was starting to grow a few grey hairs but other than that still had his freshly cut dirty blonde hair.  Once the song ended I needed to sit.  The anthem may have been a normal pace but there were a lot of movements.  It had taken me forever to memorize them all.  My dancing instructor had told me that I had to be moving some part of my body at all times.  Martin says that being a good dancer is important because your enemies will almost always know the art.  They will perform the dance of death with you at the receiving end if possible. My feet were killing me.  I didn’t really want to take off my high heels though because they made me feel more like a princess.  I knew I really was one but who cared if the reason was childish?  Just because I was royal didn’t mean I had to seem ‘regal and sophisticated’ all of the time.  Once I found a seat at an empty table I smoothed my dress down.  It was white satin with a corset top and long skirt.  It made me look more tan, which I needed desperately with my extremely fair skin.

“Excuse me?”

I looked up in surprise.  I hadn’t noticed anyone walk up.  Now that the person was standing right in front of me though he was impossible to miss. Standing before me was the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen.  He had blonde hair like almost everyone on Aquamarine, but his seemed lighter.  It was almost a white-blonde and looked ruffled as though he had just woken up.  He had these eyes that seemed to be asking a million different questions at once.  They were a green color one shade lighter than my own.  Gorgeous (as I now decided to call him until I found out his real name) was taller than me by a good six inches and had definitely finished filling out his body.  He also had a deep, even tan only someone who spent most of their time out doors could gain.  I was instantly jealous.  I opened my mouth but then closed it blushing furiously.  I couldn’t stop staring at him even though I knew he would notice..  Based on the responding blush he had.  What was I supposed to say to him?  ‘Hey I think that you are the hottest guy that I have ever met.  Where have you been all my life?’

“May I have this dance?” He asked clearing his throat.  Was he really serious?  He looked serious but I wasn’t sure.  I nodded slowly.

“Yes, I would love to dance.”  I tried to reply smoothly but wasn’t sure if it was believable.  Gorgeous broke into a grin that made my knees want to turn to jelly.  He had the most adorable dimples ever!  Right then a slow song started.

“That’s our cue.” He said still smiling.  Gorgeous held out his hand and led her to the dance floor.  Guys were never this polite.  I hadn’t ever seen him before or I would have remembered it.  True I didn’t know every one in my kingdom but there was only one school for children my age and he looked to be about seventeen.  I smiled as I pictured seeing him at the start of the school year and enjoyed the dance.  At the end of the song he kissed my hand, making me burn fiercely, and disappeared in the crowd of partiers.  I stood there flustered for a moment and then frowned.  I had never found out his name.

There was another crash and I shook my head.  No time to stroll down memory lane I thought as  I focused back on my task.  I chose a white blouse and some jean shorts.  Man, I was going to be late.  When you are late you draw attention to your self.  I didn’t need to draw that kind of attention.  That’s because number one: I was supposed to ‘set an example’ and number two: I didn’t like all of their focus on me.  It was embarrassing the way that some people stared.  I got a pair of wedges and slipped them on.  Then I gracefully ran into the door on my way out.

I sprinted down two flights of stairs and into the kitchen.  While I leaned on the counter gasping for the air that would revive her lungs I watched my brother.  Logan was sweeping.  I could hear him grumbling under his breath as he did so.

“Mornin’ squirt.  What happened?  I frowned and kissed his cheek.  He had a cut on his leg that needed to be bandaged.  Logan swept glass into a dustpan and I opened the trashcan. 

“Bianca happened.  She heard me open the fridge and had a spaz attack.  You would think that she had never eaten before.  She ran and tripped me while I had a glass of orange juice in my hand.  I then proceeded to fall and that’s how I got the cut.”  Oh.  Bianca was the dog dad had gotten Logan and I when Arianna graduated high school. She got a nice car and we got slobber.  I would never trade up Bianca though.  She was as sweet as they came.

“I’m so sorry.  I haven’t fed her yet so she must be starving.  I’ll make you some orange juice to go for your first day of high school.  Would you like a bagel?” I asked already plugging in the toaster. 

“Sure.” After we grabbed our breakfast we ran to the car.

“Took you guys long enough.” Arianna groaned.  She started the car and pulled out of the castle’s private lot.  I knew that Arianna’s morning class had started already and smiled guiltily.  At least she wouldn’t have to drive to three schools like last year.  Since Logan was starting high school he now went to Coral Academy with me.  I glanced to the back seat at him.  Logan, Arianna, and me all had straight golden hair like our dad but the vivid light green eyes of our mother.  We drove into the parking lot at the castle’s dock and got on Uncle Seth’s Yacht.  It only took about five minutes to get to the island which held our school.  Once there it was a ten-minute walk to the actual Academy.   I enjoyed every minute of it.  I loved the outdoors but couldn’t go out that often unless I was with my archery team.  I nibbled on my bagel as we walked.