Dripping Wings

Blood-Seal

"So, Aestus, are you traveling with us?!"
A model-thin fairy, wings fluttering in excitement, said to the girl she was currently draping her arms over.

"I doubt my father would let me, Kell." Aestus suppressed a grin, her flawless poker face present, and shifted in her cousin's arms to face her," Unless your willing to have ten elite guards crammed inside the caravan with us." The only sign of Aestus' jesting was the twinkle of mischief in her sapphire eyes that her cousin, as well as best friend, Kellda, easily spotted.

Kellda responded with a wink, " If it's the good-looking ones, you know I'm more than willing, girl."
Aestus gave her a knowing look and let out an amused laugh, completely sure there was more truth than jest in that statement.

Her closest friend had her usual confident smirk on as they walked through the palace halls. 

From the first time that Aestus and Kellda had been introduced seventeen years ago, they had easily found a friend in the other.
Kellda, being the daughter of the ruler of Domus, King Hestaun, had always been flocked by those who saw her as an opportunity rather than a possible friend. No one challenged Kellda or ever disagreed with her ten-year old opinion, and she grew up surrounded by fake smiles that she returned in the like. Wanting to see how far their masks would hold, she instigated absurd and pointless opinions, all of which were expected to be returned with bewildered, bobbing heads and empty words of agreement. It started out so, to Kellda's familiar dismay, but one day a strong, young and feminine voice protested her antics.

Aestus had been that voice, a voice that dared to truly challenge her. A voice that didn't hold the haughty confidence of a noble nor the stutter of a meek servant, but of a young girl with a strong and honest spirit. Kellda had found someone worthy of her friendship, and was more than pleased when her uncle had later on introduced Aestus as his daughter, and her cousin.

Kellda instantly took an innocent interest in the younger girl, intrigued by her few shiny scales and flexible fins. Amphibious beings had never ventured to the kingdom on elevated, flora-filled plains, despite their common ability to take legs.
And Aestus appreciated the blatant and honest opinions that Kellda was always eager to share. She didn't stare warily like most did at her foreign features, or try to poke and prod like many young fairies. Kellda was genuinely curious about Aestus as a hybrid, a girl, and as an individual.

"But seriously. Please tell me you get to travel with us."

Aestus gave a solemn sigh, "I'm not sure, Kell. Father is quite adamant about me staying as close to him as possible ever since that incident."

Aestus had only been eight at the time her mother had been kidnapped. She and her mother had been settling in at their vacation cottage in Pix Woods during autumn, hoping to spot a rare Goldwing pixie.
Hiding between gowns and silk clothes, she had anxiously watched her mother try to fend off the attackers through the keyhole.
Intimidating magic auras that insinuated ill intent had suffocated the small space of her mother's room, revealed that the unwelcome strangers held high tier magic. The familiar warmth of her mother's brilliant and stark magic had also begun to unveil itself in soft whispers of fear and courage, a reflection of her emotional state.
Aestus own magic had wanted to burst out, sensing her mother's distress. But her mother had felt her daughter's spiking anxiety; she sent a pulse of soothing comfort so strong that it lulled Aestus to a deep sleep.
She had only stirred when something warm and big had held her, only when she was coherent did she see it was her father. He had sensed the flurry of overwhelming emotions of his Entwined, hastily excused himself from a meeting he had partaken in, and had soared to them on his broad, silver wings, soldiers closely behind. But by the time he had arrived, the house was torn apart on the outside as much as on the inside, the attackers were gone, and so was his beloved mermaid.
Ever since that day, Aestus was never aloud outside the palace grounds without at least two Faer Guard at her side.
Investigators, who had long ago given up the search for her mother, had speculated that the kidnappers may have been targeting Aestus instead, due to the ravaged an upturned state of the once-quaint cottage . And said speculation made the second prince, Daemascus, even more so protective of his daughter.

Kellda smiled at a passing female pixie. She bowed back flustered, small, yellow wings fluttering.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask, right?" Kellda encouraged, tactfully drawing her cousin away from her disheartening memories.

Aestus looked up and admired the high, jade dressed, marble ceilings ," I have been summoned by Father anyways, I might as well," She responded, grateful for the diversion.

"'Yay! Imma' go stretch my wings, see you later?"

"It's going to be hard to avoid you." Aestus answered with a dramatic sigh.

Kellda gave her a fake pout and waved as she ran down the hall, her vibrant honey-blonde hair bouncing with her steps. Transparent yellow wings covered in intricate golden swirls, a trait royal heirs possessed, appeared on her back as she leapt with a laugh into the air and called the attention of the nearest guards. In a heartbeat, four guards were around her, more than used to the heir's spontaneous flying routines.

Shaking her head, Aestus chuckled at her cousin's antics. She continued her journey to the throne room, where she had been summoned, humming a lullaby her mother used to sing. Upon arriving at the entrance of the throne room, she sent a warm smile at those who stood guard outside, receiving flushed faces from newer guards, and knowing but friendly grins from older ones.

"Tussie! There you are! How's my little winglet?" An older, burly dark-skinned man, with a wide grin and sharp brown eyes full of affection, wrapped his arms around Aestus and pulled her into a crushing bear-hug.

"Your Majesty, help!" Aestus called out in playful agony to her uncle.

"Don't hug my niece to death, Daemascus, that's an order," The king hadn't even needed to divert his attention from his counselors conversation, used to many years of the same scenario.

Aestus' father let out a baritone chuckle and released her." It'll take a lot more than an old fae's hug to get Tussie down."

"I'm not so sure about that, Father. They say 'with old age' wisdom is supposed to come, but your hugs are only getting more constricting." Aestus interjected with a grin.

Her father remarked, an air of 'parental superiority' present, "Hey, this 'old man' has to use wisdom to decide whether or not you go with your friends to that certain event the pixies are flittering about!"

Aestus blinked.

"Wait. You're considering letting me go?" Aestus looked up at her father in anticipation, a hopeful shine in her eye.

He lost the playful twinkle in his eyes, "I actually don't have much of a choice in whether or not you may go." Her father replied in a somber tone.

"What... What does that mean?" Aestus inquire warily. She knew had father's reserved tone could only be ill-boding.

He took out a white envelope. A blood-seal of what Aestus recognized as the Consort Gala crest - two arms interlocked with a crown in the background- adorned it.

"Aestus," Her father sounded dismayed to speak his next words, " You've been personally invited by the Magicus Council to attend the ball."

Invited? No-one was ever invited to do something by the Council and given the leisure to turn it down. Aestus was sure that no matter what pretty word or figurative literature was included in the invite, it wasn't a choice. It was an order.

A/N:
Oops. Been a while y'all. But I'm back!  And I hope you liked this chapter, it was archived for a while cuz I couldn't decide how to end it. The book is writing itself apparently, lol.

EDIT: I went back and revised a few things - the story hasn't been changed though, only improving the writing.