The Kingdom of Ash

Chapter 3

I picked an orange from the tree and put it in my basket, Cayleighana smiled and whistled as she picked the strawberries from the bushes nearby. When she had finished, she picked up her basket and moved onto the other bush which was full of fruit.

"Someone won't be missing any fruits," she called out with a laugh.

"The chef will be happy." I agreed.

"Us as well, the fruits are really nice and sweet." She said.

"Mind teaching me how to do my hair?" I asked I threw her an orange.

"Sure," she replied

I couldn't help but agree with her statement - the fruits we grow are some of the best I eaten, and I climbed down from my branch with my basket, when all of the oranges in that section where picked. I grabbed the basket and climbed another branch, I sat there picking oranges until Caylee called me down to eat. We didn't go to the dining hall, we sat in the garden eating the fruits that we had picked, as there was a lot.

'I wonder what you're learning today,' Caylee said as she created a flame on her pointer finger, transferring it to me. The colour of the fire changed from a dark red to a light red. 'Probably the transfer of fire.' She added as she noticed the look of awe on my face.

'I don't know yet, that's part of the fun, not knowing.' I said, with a smile.

'Yeah good point.' She replied. She looked out to the rose bushes that I planted with Mave. I climbed back up the orange tree but Caylee sat there staring at the bush unspeaking, unmoving, not even whistling.

'Hey Caylee... you OK?' I asked her.

'I can't help but think about the day you have to go out.' She replied.

'I'll be fine Caylee, I'm only going to the Dynastien empire, that's it. Plus, I'll have the Princess, I have my weapon's training and you know I have- 'I started before she cut me off.

Tears started slowly streaming down her face as she shook her head. 'There's something I need to tell you Ash.' She spoke quietly. I climbed down from the branch I was on and sat next to her on a lower branch, listening. 'On the year the Prince's and Princess' of all the kingdoms turn 30 they are made to challenge one another in a magic duel, they fight two on two, then one on one and the losers of that fight will end up beaten bloody, hence the reason why your mother always wore long sleeves. If their magic is strong enough then they heal themselves and are sent back to the kingdoms, if their magic isn't strong enough, they either die in the cell or they get executed at the crack of dawn the next day. It's a lot worse for those that have siblings, as the stronger or older one will end up having to battle their siblings, and then kill the youngest or weakest.'

I gasped in horror, that left me ten years, after that I may as well throw myself to the wolves.

Wolves I thought If can learn to communicate with wolves I may stand a chance. I was glad for the fact that I didn't have any siblings. As if reading my mind Caylee spoke again. 'Actually, you do have siblings, two sisters. Me and Mave.' She said as the tears poured down her face. 'We're triplets.'

My heart started to beat twice as hard as before.