Caged Birds Will Fly

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Chapter Three: A Battle for Survival

H E L E N
The rest of the banquet is dull, but Lydia insists I stay. I slump in my seat. Sterling grabs the flare of my skirt, leading me to the seat near the front. I wait. At last, the Prince returns to give his speech. His suit is a crisp blue; a sash draped over his shoulders. He looks over us, his gaze is soft but slightly mischievous. My sisters seem likely to faint at any moment, I, however, want to go straight to the courtyard...that is before I hear what the Prince offers. "As you all know I am Prince Aurous Capital, Crown Prince of the Capital, and today I propose a game for all the ladies.", I glance up at him. He smirks. " We will have a battle competition". I gasp; normally women don't partake in any type of athletic game. It is deemed too "manly" and not "feminine" enough of an activity. He leads us to the courthouse and uses his magic to summon a battlefield. I am indeed impressed. He explains the rules: "You must use either magic or weapons. No foul play. No trash-talk. Trickery is allowed. You cannot kill your opponent. The winner is the last woman standing. She will get a special prize and a couple of weeks' stay at the palace."
The rules sound simple enough, and I am ready when he starts the game. Someone next to me whispers that this was for them to know how powerful the future Empress is. I don't want to be the Empress, but this seems like the perfect chance to secure my spot. Noblewomen rarely get to show off their skills.

My first opponent was a blonde-haired girl with velvet eyes with a slender and curvy body. Her purple dress was floor-length and form-fitting. We were the first battle. We put on our combat uniforms. Mine, representing the House of Matthews, is a pale red with orange armor; her, being from the house of Grimm, was a dark purple with lavender armor. She had to beat me in combat, a thing we both specialized in. She sped through the dirt, barely making a sound. Her knee curved upwards as I slid sideways, barely missing a blackout. I used to fight the boys in my village, so I knew how to beat her. I dodged her next attack but let her bruise me. She swung her foot, making my mouth bleed. Rosy blood trickled down my mouth to my chin. I grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it into her face. She stumbled back as I brandished my leg underneath her. She fell back with a thud. I won; I rubbed my arm, which hurt more than I originally thought. The Battle Competition had officially started. I battled Strom-Wielders, Flashers, Twins, Water-Bearers, Terrain-Breakers, etc. I watched the other battles, occasionally letting my gaze travel to the King and the Royal Knights. I stare in the crowd, my gaze on the Crown Prince; he snickers, covering his mouth, but I see how his shoulders tremble. How dare he! Naomi is a combat specialist and a member of the ESOW(the Elite Society Of Women). I remember when I was being beaten by the palace maid, the attacks leaving bruises on my arms and legs; the door was opened when she walked by, I called out for her, but she looked at me and left. I still remember the pain of rejection in her eyes. I will never forgive her! For our battle, we fought with swords, a Knight's specialty, but it seemed that in this department she lacked some. We both equipped and began. I stared into her azure eyes; a Noble versus an Orphan. If I was to prove worthy to King Richered, I had to win this battle. Naomi glanced at her mother, then at me, jealousy in her eyes. Her sword wobbled in her hands. She drooped it, letting bolts spark at her hands. She paced towards me, sending lighting at my feet. I dodged. My power was still too weak to be used so instead I used my sword to block her attacks. She managed to throw me off-balance, landing upon me. She balled her fist, creating a ball of lightning targeted at my face. At that moment, a memory, of my previous life, flashes between my eyes. Mother handed the tiny bundle to me; I stared at my new baby brother's face. He gazed at me from his bundle. Dad smiled, "His name is Celeste". I shook my head, "No... I'll just call him Eli". I giggled as he wrapped his tiny fingers around my pointer finger. Tears stung my eyes, and something flowed through me. I would not let her win, I needed to win this challenge if I ever hoped to find Eli! My body glowed gold, making pale pink-grey wings sprout from my back. I shrieked at the crackling pain. I flew upon her, letting my hands become white spears. I lunged into her chest, letting bright blood splatter from her chest. She wiggled under my grasp, trying to summon her lighting, then crumbles to the ground. Her eyes dimmed, glossed with a shimmery layer. My pinkish blood flowed from where she had hit me, and I stumbled, placing my hand over the wound. I had won; "Wait for me... Eli", I choked, then let my knees buckle to Gaia herself.

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For the next few weeks or so my family stayed at the palace as a reward for my victory; either way, they would still get the reward. They just wanted to prove that I, an orphan presented to them by the Queen, was an insufficient part of their household. Typical. The maids took great care of me, and in 10 days I was properly healed. I opened my eyes, blinking sourly. They had band-aided me perfectly. I scowled... and thanked them bitterly. They also invited me to dinner, probably thought I was going to marry the Prince. Ha! I lay down as the maids peeked through my closet. A maid came to my bedside carrying a teapot. "I was watching you...you were amazing", she smiled, "I am glad that you will be rewarded the title Sage". I stared at her. She didn't seem to have hidden motives, "What's a Sage?". She thought to herself, "It's hard to describe, but a Sage is a rank higher much like a Dior but from a noble line. They are very respected". So that's why they wanted Naomi to win, so she could be the Sage! I stared into space as they brought out the dress; it was a pale-yellow dress with a high jeweled collar that prickled my neck. It was beautiful but didn't suit a tomboy like me. Instead, I wore a shorter version with combat boots. "What is your name?", I stared at her as she smiled so purely, "Mao". Her tail swayed from side to side as they exited the room. The desk held a calendar; "It has been a long time since I came here", I whispered. The soft breeze whirled my black hair, "It's grown so long now". I took a band from the drawer and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. I wandered through the library, where I found the Prince resting. I ignored his presence and grabbed the Book of Arms, it's pages never failing to astound me. Pictures of Knights and Princesses; stories my mother told me when I was younger. The place was still and quiet. The figures chasing the lamp, casting a movie before my eyes. I turned the book to its front, carefully tracing my fingers across the embellishment. The Code of Arms was a brooch that only the Knights could wear; it was made with ten gems: three reds for Hestia, Hermi, and Ardor; three blues for Nepti, Aquaria, and Jade; two greens for Gaia and Nevermore, and two gold for Capital and Cierra. They were the Priests of Creation. My head was filled with pictures of the Academy, each more captivating than the last. "Hello there". I looked up, brought away from my fantasies. His golden eyes meet my cerulean ones. I felt like I was standing in front of a fox... and I was the prey. I gulped. "What book are you reading?". My answer was to simply ignore him. His eyes dug into me, urging me to tell him about the Book of Arms. He seemed more interested in the girl who would read such a book, but I couldn't care less. His face was lighted, turning his skin to gold. He really is handsome, I thought. I shove the thought away. I stand up, "If you excuse me, your Majesty, I will be leaving". His golden eyes stare at me, "I'll see you at dinner". "I hope not", I muttered under my breathing, half-hoping he wouldn't hear. I marched down the hallway, turned the next corner, and stopped. My heart beat fast. I knew that I should get on his good side if I was to find Eli, but I couldn't figure what he was thinking. In this world, most men would be uninterested in a girl who isn't frail, scared, or naïve. No man wanted a girl who would prove to be in her own mind, I should know. My heart broke as I remembered all the times' people would say, "Women should just sit and help their husband. Their purpose is to bear their family a son". I strutted onto the courthouse, pretending I was a Knight-in-training. It was the only thing that could calm m down; my heart reached out to him, even though I begged it to stop. The dreadful chilled air did me no good, nor did Lydia calling me back in.