Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 19: Part 1

My knees burned; that's all I could think about. The burning, itching, stinging sensation of the raw skin on my knees. It was from kneeling for so long. It was common. Although Halvor said, I had stayed at the Tree of Souls much longer than anyone before. I could tell that everyone was curious about what had happened and why it had taken so long.

Even Leda continued to eye me as if looking for any physical indication that I had come out different on the other side of the ceremony. I had; I could feel it in my bones. My eyes and my powers had been opened in a way that I had never felt before. The knowledge I had from communication with the gods and my ancestors only proved to me that my actions were correct. But to everyone else, I simply had scraped and bruised knees.

Leda's gentle hands felt like caring caresses against my face as she applied powders and paints around my lips, cheeks, and eyes. My face was soon transformed into a face I hardly recognized simply for the fact that she looked so much older. I realized with a start that it wasn't actually the makeup, it was merely me. I looked older, I felt older. The stress of the past few months had left concerned creases almost permanently carved into my forehead. My eyes held a look that said that I had seen things and that I knew things now. They were the eyes that meant there were darkness and real-life experiences underneath.

Leda moved onto gently curling the strands of my hair and pinning them into a low bun. A few strands were purposely left out to frame my face. Despite the white robe I was currently wearing, Leda was an expert at making me look royal.

My eyes traced her blond hair and the smooth, tanned planes of her face. Bright purple pigment surrounded her eyes, and a neon orange followed her lower lash line making her blue eyes pop. She was the embodiment of the tropical waters she was born into. She painted herself in the colors of coral reefs and brightly colored fish, and her eyes were the perfect cerulean blue of never-ending waters. In her concentration, she bit onto her lower lip.

I felt a small pang in my heart realizing that I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Leda. She had indeed become a vital person to my life in Erivale; she always felt like the sister I always wanted.

"Leda," I said softly. She paused in her prep to look at me through the large mirror of my vanity.

"Yes, Amberleigh?"

"I need to tell you something. I can trust you not to tell anyone, right?"

"Yes, of course, Amberleigh."

"This isn't some palace gossip secret, Leda. No one must know what I tell you, lives will be at risk."

"Amberleigh, you are making me nervous, what is going on?"

I sighed and turned around in my chair to face her. I grabbed one of her hands in both of mine. "I'm leaving. After the coronation, I'm leaving."

"W-what? How can that be? Why?"

"No one knows, save for those who are leaving with me. I would like you to be one of the people who comes with me."

"Why? I mean, I can't just up and leave."

"I have come across a lot of information in my short time here at the palace. King Heinrich and Queen Luciana have been corrupted by power and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Their plans have mostly been smaller scale, with the subordination of the other races, but after the coronation, they planned to take my power for their own."

"No, no. This can't be."

"I know it sounds crazy. It is tough to believe, but it's true. I'm leaving to join the rebel cause so I can bring peace and equality back to the lands of Erivale. I want you to come with, the palace is dangerous."