The Ordinance

Chapter 3 - Natalia

The next day was difficult for Natalia, her food refused to stay in her stomach for long, since she was so used to tiny, disgusting prison meals. All in the palace were constantly asking her if she was alright, and her youngest brother, Gregor, kept badgering her for details about prison.

"Did they have cots?" he asked.

"No."

"Was it cold?"

"Yes."

"Could you use your powers."

"No."

"Did they beat you?"

"Yes, and I'll do the same to you," she threatened, hands glowing with heat.

He'd stopped asking questions after that, and Natalia wished she could do the same thing to everyone who asked, "Are you alright?" She told one of her handmaidens that it depended on what her standards for life were, but she'd only recieved a pitying look.

Please, I am one of your leaders, do not look at me like I am a weeping child, she thought every time she passed someone in the hallway.

The only one who seemed to understand was Lakeland, but even he seemed to look at her with doe eyes whenever she entered her rooms.

But the hardest part was falling asleep, every time she closed her eyes, she was trapped in that absolute darkness again. She'd tried turning on all the lights in her rooms, but even that didn't work. Great, she thought, now I'm scared of the dark, just like a child. In truth, she had been scared of the dark as a kid. She would sleep next to her brother on the nights when the nightmares became too real, or the darkness had threatened to swallow her whole.

"I can't do it," six year old her had said to Maxon; at the time he was ten.

"Can't do what?" he'd asked, rubbing his eyes after being awakened from a deep sleep.

"Fall asleep," she admitted sheepishly.

"Why not, Talia? It's really early in the morning."

"I know," she was looking at her feet, ashamed of how scared she was.

"Have you been awake all this time?" he inquired.

In the dim lamplight, Maxon could see Natalia's small figure give a tiny nod.

He feigned annoyance, "Come here, little witch."

She crawled into his bed, head against the foot of his king-sized four poster.

She fell asleep quickly with her brother close to her, and she could've sworn he was humming their mother's lullaby.

She wanted to do that now, but she was too tying to prove a point. The prison hadn't affected her like everyone assumed it had. But she was wrong, and more than any torture they'd put her through, she'd missed her family, Maxon especially.

The next morning she told her handmaidens that she wanted to bathe alone, so she took the time to tend to her wound more.

Unlike her brother, with his specialty in Healing, she had fire abilities, which did not aid her in situations such as this. Still, she'd rather not have anyone treat it but herself. So, she bathed and bandaged herself alone. She also, finally, had the chance to wear apparel form her own closet. At last! May the Gods bless this closet! She tore open the doors of her closet. She dressed herself in a short, red silk dress and black wool cloak. She put on black flats and tied her raven hair into a tight Dutch braid, leaving two strands of hair exposed by her ears. She wore no jewelry, save for her late mother's old anklet, placed close to where the mark on her ankle that symbolizes she had fire abilities was.

There were marks on every Faerie that told anyone who knew anything about Ancient Runes what that Faerie's abilities were. Most Faeries had one, but some, such as the members of the royal family, had two. Natalia's other mark symbolized her gift for battle. Her father had had that one as well. Oh, the irony of being killed for your gifts, she thought as she exited her rooms.

She made her way down to the banquet hall, where she saw each of her brothers were already seated for breakfast.

As Natalia started to make her plate, her second oldest brother, Dorian, teased, "Hey, Natalia, I know girls your age like to watch their figure, but I think you've been trying to hard." He received laughs from most in the room, but notably not Maxon.

"Yeah, Dorian, maybe you should try my diet too. Gods know you need some sort of diet change," she retorted, smiling sweetly as she nibbled on some of her hash.

Truth was, Dorian needn't any diet change, he was perfectly handsome, just like the rest of the Northfall boys. Both Dorian and Gregor had much lighter hair than Maxon and her, but they all shared the same olive skin and sapphire eyes. Each of them were tall, but Maxon was the tallest among them, standing at six and a quarter feet tall. Faeries Girls were constantly pining for each of their attention, Too bad Dorian and Gregor had the manners of five year olds.

Dorian's jaw was visibly clenching and unclenching in frustration.

"Let's try to be civil, shall we," Maxon pleaded from his seat at the head of the table.

"You're right, Maxon," Dorian said, the pointed his focus towards Natalia. "We should try to set a good example for our people."

Natalia responded calmly, "I am setting a precedent for justice, Dorian."

"You've got quite the idea of justice, sis." Gregor piped up from beside Dorian.

"Yeah, some revolutionary idea there, Natalia," Dorian said her name like a curse. "Do you know all the shit we went through to save your sorry ass from that prison?"

Natalia's eyes widened with anger; she could feel her pulse rising.

"Hands off the table, witch, before you burn down this place too!" Gregor yelled.

Natalia had been gripping the table too hard, and her powers were making the sacred wood of the table smoke at her fingertips.

"Don't EVER call me a witch again!" Natalia shouted. She stormed out out of the room, cloak rustling behind her.

She could hear her youngest brothers' curses as she left the banquet hall, but she knew if she turned around to face them, she might actually set the palace on fire. It and all the people inside who pitied and teased her as she had her backed turned.