One Dark Destiny

Queen Calliope Chapter 3

Rolanth

Calliope is in her room when Evangeline bursts in. She doesn't bother to look up from her desk; she knows who it is. The morning after Beltane, Calliope has done all that she can to conceal her tiredness. After her performance last night, she wandered into the Westwood house Library, simply out of habit. She had no will left to face anyone. Nova knew she was there, but no one else. Apparently Evangeline could not be bothered to find her, so of course she has plenty to say now.
"Calliope, where have you been?" She says, voice sharp and scolding.
"I was in the library," Calliope replies, still not looking at Evangeline.
"What were you doing hiding in the library? As I am sure you can imagine, there are things that we need to discuss."
Calliope almost laughs aloud. Discussion is hardly the right word. There are things you must criticise about me, she thinks.
"I was not hiding," she says, looking up at Evangeline.
"But you would know that if you had only looked."
Evangeline sighs. She takes Calliope's face in her hands. Calliope wants so badly to slap her icy hands away.
"Calliope, you must try harder," Evangeline says.
"A Queen cannot afford to look a mess in front of her people. I will get Nova to do your makeup."
She pulls back and Calliope wants to scream.
She wants to grab Evangeline and make her feel what she feels. She wants to yell that her makeup is wrong and her hair isn't pretty enough and she doesn't look like a queen.
She takes a deep breath.
"So, Calliope, your performance," Evangeline sighs.
"Could you tell me why it is that you chose not to follow the plan that I and Lilith set for you?" she asks,
"And instead chose to do your own little show?"
"I am sorry Evangeline, but I believe that my little show was quite well received by the people of my city," Calliope replies.
"That is besides the point," Evangeline says harshly.
"You must learn to be disciplined, Calliope. I am trying to make you into a Queen, but some Queen you will be if you cannot listen to anyone."
Calliope sighs tiredly, what little energy she had already wasted on Evangeline.
"I am sorry Evangeline, I was not thinking," she says, turning back to the mirror. She has had Nova do her hair in her two buns again, and she is wearing a sleek black dress made from light black satin and tied with a fabric rose at her waist. The dress is simple, and Calliope has no doubt that Evangeline will object.
"Calliope, you must get to your training. Phaedra will be by the orchard. Do not keep her waiting." Evangeline always refers to Master Ineyla by her first name. To ensure that she is above her, Calliope supposes. Evangeline turns to leave, pale Arctic blue dress swishing at her ankles.
"Oh, and please make a little more effort with your clothing choices. That dress is hardly fit for a noblewoman. You are a Queen."
There it is.
The door slams behind her. Calliope groans. Evangeline never hesitates to remind her that she is a Queen, that she must act like it, dress like it, that every thing she does is wrong. She slaps he hand down on her dressing table and buries her face in he hands. But Evangeline is right about something - she must meet Miss Ineyla soon for training. Starting to stand, she notices something on her desk. Evangeline has left something for her. She picks it up, examining it in the light. A shining silver necklace, with a blue jewelled pendant carved like a lightning bolt. Another one of Evangeline's efforts to take away the things that Calliope likes. She growls in frustration and throws the necklace to her side, placing a hand over the necklace she is wearing. The crystal has been intricately shaped to look like a five-pointed star, and she has had it since she can remember. If Evangeline thinks she can take that away, she doesn't know nearly as much as she thinks about Calliope.

"Focus. Try to feel the earth beneath your feet."
Master Ineyla's voice swirls in Calliope's mind, as she tries to concentrate. Master Ineyla, Calliope's teacher, stands opposite her, closely observing her movements.
"Close your eyes," she says.
Calliope presses her eyes shut, breathing smoothly. She has tossed her shoes to the side, and her feet are bare against the wet grass. She tries to focus on the feeling of the grass, of the ground that surrounds the orchard, that surrounds the whole of Westwood house.
Suddenly, the ground starts to shake a little, trembling beneath them. Calliope strains, already struggling with the effort.
"Control it, Calliope. Feel the ea-"
"Argh!" Calliope drops to the floor. The ground stills and she groans.
"The earth is so hard here," she says.
"That makes no difference. You cannot blame all of your mistakes on the earth. The earth simply is."
Calliope stands, brushing wetness off her dress. She does not like earth. Hard and stubborn, she has never been able to do much with it. It bothers her, since she knows what a formidable weapon it could be. She has only to look at Master Ineyla to know it. She must have the strongest affinity for earth in Rolanth. Calliope has seen her lift boulders, throw rocks with her mind. And yet Calliope cannot even move a stone. Of all of her elements, earth is by far the weakest. She does not know why, but Evangeline says that surely it will come with practice. But she has practiced.
"Again!" Master Ineyla says, stamping her foot on the ground and making it shudder. Calliope breathes in. Breathes out. She closes her eyes and imagines the ground cracking in front of her. She can almost see the sharp, jagged lines sprawling across the floor of the orchard. She tenses, willing the earth to move. It starts to tremble, she can feel the vibrations in her whole body. She groans and strains harder.
"Ahhhgggghhh!" she yells, giving up. She grits her teeth and digs her nails into her palms.
"Oh come on," Master Ineyla says, walking over to Calliope.
"There's no time for that. Do you want to learn or not? Because I'm not going to teach you if you won't even try."
Calliope marvels at how Master Ineyla addresses her. She is the only person that Calliope has met who does not speak to her like a Queen, but just like a girl. Except for perhaps Evangeline.
And she doesn't mind it. She doesn't mind being told that she is doing things wrong once in a while. Except by Evangeline.
Master Ineyla is quite tall, with medium length dark grey hair that reminds Calliope of the mountain rocks that tower over Starfall Lake. She has clear, sharp looking hazel eyes and looks like she could easily fight several soldiers. Calliope finds that she has a great deal of respect for master Ineyla. She must be older than Evangeline, but strong, and could take her out with no problem.
"Are you paying attention to me? Good Goddess, why do I even try?"