Asaíra's part of the middle class in a land where status is all that matters. But love causes her to break all the rules with great consequences. Once her King chooses to use her mistake to his advantage, Umærium has yet to feel the wrath that Asaír...
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Picture of Mabel
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The fireplace crackled as the last of the burnt wood turned to ashes and the golden glow it emitted slowly dimmed. I stared at the piece of note I held between my fingertips. It was my last resort and here I was, reconsidering my actions. I slowly began to unfold the paper. What for? Probably to read the message I'd written for the twentieth time.
I glanced at the trash can in the corner of the room, overflowing with crumbled bits of paper. I sighed. Had I been an upright friend to Asaíra, we would have never been in this situation. But I was too consumed with King Cadmus' proposal of longlasting existence. "For the betterment of Umærium," he preached. I sighed.
I couldn't blame myself entirely. I wouldn't. A person should only be responsible for their actions. I had nothing to do with this. I did my part as instruction. The outcomes were out of my control.
Anything for an easy way out. What more could a person ask for? Asaíra had it, and she threw it all away for an abominable Paurz. Look how that ended. I chuckled and glared at the note. Did she really deserve this?
The sound of several footsteps trudging in unison from outside the walls of my house cut my time short. They were coming. I cupped my hands to my lips with the paper inside, and softly whispered, "Apó stáchti se aftín." With that, I threw the paper into the last flame of the fireplace and watched as the heat devoured it, crumpling it into ashes.
I turned in time as the door flew open and in marched the King's officials. I stood with my arms crossed behind my back and an austere look. I almost grinned once I saw their faces. They were who I'd been my whole life: void of any emotion, just carrying out their usual orders. But being on the other end of the stick didn't feel any different.
"Läera?" one of them said with uncertainty. His cold, coal black eyes indicated he was a Paurz working for the palace. He resembled Dekel. Brooding, incredibly handsome and obviously precarious. He was probably given my name without a face to match it with. I nodded, confirming who I was. "You need to come with us." They all stood aside, giving room as I walked out the door and into the awaiting hovering ship. No one uttered a word once the doors closed us. I caught a glimpse of the utopian environment before we boarded. Everything here was based on a routine here, so I considered this 'exciting' as the ship flew at warp speed.
Within seconds, we came to a halt, and the door opened, revealing the seemingly never-ending staircase of pure silver Europium leading to the palace. Rubies engraved the railings to remind all the others who ruled, glowing in the light of the Asar.
I was basically on my own from there. The ship sped off, leaving me at the bottom of the stairs. I grabbed the hem of my vermilion dress and proceeded. It felt like forever but time waited for no one. There were two more officials waiting at the very top. I was surprised to find King Cadmus waiting within the midst of them. He seemed dour for the moment until we made eye contact. His lips pressed into a thin line.
There was something chilling about his demeanour. You'd think it was from his signature crimson eyes of the Royauz and his shoulder-length mousy hair with streaks on grey. Or from the amount of unquestionable power he held over our world. But no, it was from the unflappable image he put up of himself for everyone to see. We all knew that something was churning behind those palace doors. We all knew that something anomalous had passed down from generations in that royal family. Yet all we could do was stand on the sidelines.
Without a word, King Cadmus turned on his heels and walked towards the huge Europium palace doors; the officials followed closely behind. I kept a steady pace behind them, observing the cryptic portraits that hung on the tall walls. They were laced with gold frames and held high enough; I often wondered how he kept them spotless. He was an odd collector of sorts.
Another grand door opened and we soon entered a wide space, a room with soft red carpet all round, beige walls, a grand fireplace, and two large, beige sofas.
A large window was present with the red curtains drawn back, allowing natural light to flood into the room. I soon noticed Queen Delphine and Mabel, Asaíra's mom, in the room. They seemed posed where they stood, like pawns. The doors closed behind us as the officials left the room.
"Läera, glad you could make it," Queen Delphine said after she acknowledged my presence. King Cadmus had sat down, watching us intently. Mabel simply stood behind Queen Delphine.
"I didn't have a choice," I said with a shrug. "And I don't know where she is," I added, answering the unasked question. Queen Delphine simply smiled and raised her hand to sweep a chestnut coloured loc of hair behind her ear. Her scarlet eyes gaped vehemently.
"We know." I raised a brow. "Please, sit." Her hands motioned toward one of the sofas. I sat on one, while she and Mabel sat near the King. "I'm afraid Asaíra has gotten herself in some predicament. She stole a powerful gem from her parents and has jumped through all sorts of different dimensions. I can't imagine what pain she must be in. All she needs is a little reasoning." I narrowed my eyes. "We simply want her to come home." Queen Delphine glanced at Mabel. "Her family misses her." My eyes landed on Mabel, whose entire posture screamed guilt.
"What exactly do you need me for?" I queried.
"We need you to ensure her safe arrival." I bit the inside of my cheek. "And the baby as well." My eyes snapped up to glare at Queen Delphine.
"The baby?" I questioned. She sighed and looked away. King Cadmus stepped in.
"The baby disappeared the night before Asaíra vanished as well. We think she took her." I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it.
Sabaire, I thought. I could imagine Asaíra was very angry, but taking the baby out and about several dimensions was beyond her. Or had I assumed wrong? "We're just worried that she would do something drastic and harm herself and the child," Queen Delphine stated. I took in her perfect stance, but I only saw porcelain. Something so perfect and dainty, that could be broken as quickly as it was made.
"But how do I even find her?" I asked.
"We know where she is." Mabel had finally spoken. I found it strange her husband wasn't in this room. "She was briefly on Aspeon, but now she's on Earth." I frowned. Why would she want to go there? Their technology was nearly 200 years behind time and there was absolutely nothing new to explore. "I don't know what she's up to, but I can imagine she's hurting emotionally. Just help me bring her back." Mabel seemed on the verge of tears.
"You can go with our son, Orion. They were supposed to be courting. Maybe she'll listen to him," King Cadmus added. I gulped to push back a scoff. "You live in two days." The doors opened and a guard walked in. "Dern will take you to Orion. They're discussing matters upstairs." King Cadmus motioned for me to follow the guard with a pressed smile.
I nodded, got up and followed the guard through the marble halls and up one last grand stairwell. There was a large sitting area at the very top with many desks and chairs and a large black screen to the front. High-speed computers were perched on every desk. Orion occupied one chair and in another sat Ramona, Asaíra's older sister. Her fingers drummed the armchair as she stared nervously at the wall. Her pale hair was pulled into a low bun, a few strands falling at her eyebrows.
"Ah, she's finally come." Orion stood, wearing dark blue pants and a white dress shirt. His silky cocoa hair was pulled into a low ponytail, at the nape of his neck; flame-coloured eyes seeming drained. They were most likely here the day before. "We have one day to get ready," he said. I frowned, puzzled.
"But your father said two days." Orion nodded.
"Yes, I know. But we need to get in and out of there as quickly as possible." He walked over to a desk filled with papers. "And the longer we wait, the more time we waste."
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Thanks once more. I admire your loyalty for coming this far. Thanks for the read!
