RavenGuard

Part 6

        "Why?" I repeated, pushing myself up off the sofa, standing a few feet away from the old wizard. 

        "Whatever do you mean, my dear?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face. 

        "Why take me from everything I loved when you know that pain first hand?" I knew that the my illusion of composure was quickly disintegrating, yet I fought off the oncoming flood of pure emotion anyway. 

        "Because I asked him to." A new voice cut through the air, originating from the entryway. It was female, calm and curteous, yet with a sense or purpose. She carried an air of authority with heras she approached. Her dark brown hair was in intricate braids and twists pinned up behind her head. She was clad in a regal blue dress with exceptionally detailed embroidery around the seams. The emblem stitched over her right breast, a flag bearing a dragon, spider, wolf and bird, seemed vaguely familiar, yet I couldn't quite place it. 

         "And who the hell are you?" I snapped, my posture growing agitatied and hostile. 

       "Cana, I'd like you to meet Her Royal Majesty, Queen Isabella." Eon said, standing and dropping to one knee in a formal bow. 

        I tried to back up as she floated towards me, but her amber gaze left my feet nailed to the rug. She stopped within a foot of where I stood, soft pink lips curved into a gentle smile. Her pale skin was flawless and she didn't look much older than me, but she had been on the throne for almost twelve years already. 

      "So you are Miss Cana. It's nice to finally meet you." She reached out and took one of my hands, holding it between her smooth palms. "My preminition was correct. You will have a very important role to play, I can feel it." 

        I yanked my arm free and stepped back, until the backs of my thighs rested against the window ledge. "What do you want with me?" I spat. "Why am I here?" 

        "That's what I'm here to tell you, but I can only do that if you sit down and let me explain." She said. My eyes flicked back to the wizard and I sat back down after a slow nod. My hands shook almost uncontrollably, despite my attempts to clench them together on my lap. 

        "Where would you like us to begin?" Eon asked, perched on the edge of his seat. 

        "Who am I, really?" I said after a deep breath. The Queen nodded to the old man, who began with a sigh. 

        "When this nation first came into existance, it was only a few small villages and it needed to keep the royal family safe. The first queen, Lucinda, had four men hired, each with their own special talents. These were to become the first four noble families. 

        "Each family was given a job to do based on their specific skills. The Dragonheart clan were warriors who vowed to fight off any enemy of the land, and so became the first mighty generals. The Spiderfells knew everything about everyone, and kept the Queen and her councils informed about the status of the surrounding countries. The Greywolves desired to lock away the evildoers of the world, and were charged with hunting down the nation's most wanted criminals." 

        "What does this have to do with me?" I interjected anxiously. The Queen looked at Eon for a moment, and then back to me. 

        "Your ancestor made a blood oath to Queen Lucinda, my ancestor, promising to protect the royal line for as long as he lived. His sons and daughters, and grandsons and granddaughters for generations after pledged the same oath of service, and continue to do so until this very day." She continued after a moment of silence. "Cana, you are a Ravenguard."