Bloodline of a Tempest

Chapter 12

The sound of her footsteps echoed through the entrance hall. The light coming through the glass dome left her blind to her surroundings. Nema kept walking, on and on, gliding through the soft mist of her disappointment like a ship with thorn sales. She had walked right into the trap, a fool that she was, for keeping the council of her silly, credulous heart.

'I did what I had to do!' Demian's words were a torment.

Life was hardly ever fair to anyone, even less to those like her, but for once, Nema believed that she could get away with stealing a star she found fallen on the ground.

The light that was burning on her palms has died away. Nema glanced at her skin where the bluish light of the runes still painted the words she couldn't understand. Maybe beings like her weren't meant to be loved, not because of their ill faith but because the curse that was trapped inside them deserved no kindness and no mercy.

Most people never learn their worth, oblivious of their blessing.

A little sob fluttered inside her chest. 'Trusting fire-feeders,' she whispered to herself. It wasn't even about miserable thirty coins, for she learned how the cruelty of men knows no bounds if you allow them to define your worth for you, it was about how easily he betrayed that one moment of truth they shared.

'I did what I had to do!' He had said as if that could ever suffice.

Something was shaking trough her as if all of her bones were being set anew and her heart was struggling to find a new rhythm.

Nema stopped walking only when she reached a wide staircase. She looked up but there was nothing but light.

When she turned there was a wall of hundreds of soldiers before her.

Nema held her breath. She kept very, very still.

An entire army was watching her every move, half of which with origins the books about magical creatures knew nothing about.

In the first row, soldiers were holding their spears and shields, their eyes burning under the helmets. Their spears were still resting on the ground but the look in their eyes was everything but amiable. There was a group of centaurs observing her and archers with golden feathers on their leather hats. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the Watchers with their whips ready to draw the life out of her.

The adrenaline kicked in and Nema almost chuckled.

Did they need this many soldiers to kill her? Was she this dangerous? Was Demian doing Atria a favor for bringing her in?

Her lower lip trembled with a fresh memory of pain. Did he saw a monster that was to be feared or just someone he could sell for a good price?

No one moved for a long time until finally, six figures emerged from the crowd, all garbed in pale gold cloaks with hoods that covered their faces. They formed a ring around her, their hands hidden inside the sleeves of their tunics, but behind each of their polished colorful masks, there was a pair of golden eyes that observed her with curiosity. One of them even smiled at her. Nema couldn't smile back.

She tensed at the sight of commotion amongst the soldiers. Four mages were pushing their way through the crowd, two women and two men, dressed in indigo with looks of urgency pointed at her. The first one to approach her was the mage who grabbed her arms in front of the fortress. He kept darting angry looks at her as if she was the reason for his displeasure. His name was Cay. His fellow mages called him many times to step back but he didn't listen.

Suddenly Nema felt the goosebumps rising on her skin.

The army turned towards the staircase in a trained fashion. Nema heard a sound like a whisper of the forest when the leaves shiver on the wind and the silence inside the hall was so sudden and complete she felt as if she lost her sense of hearing.

Nema followed the gaze of the others to the place where the glaring light resided.

'My dearest!'

The sound of a metallic voice descended upon them with the heaviness of a thunder cloud. Nema looked about to see all eyes filled with reverence and adoration pointed at the moving rays of light. It looked as if the very sun shone from the top of the stairs.

So it's true, she thought. There is a king. The King Castor, the most feared and adored being in their universe.

No matter how hard she strained her eyes, Nema managed to distinguish a silhouette and nothing more. He was tall, she guessed.

As if on cue every breathing being inside the hall boomed: 'Long reign king Castor!' And with the third chant, everyone descended in a deep bow. Even the centaurs and even the dreadful Watchers. Nema bowed too. The only sound inside the hall was coming from the angry mage Cay. To the utter horror of those around him, he was grunting something in his beard.

'Rise, rise, my loveliest!' The voice called from the stairs and hundreds of soldiers rose to their full height, standing at attention. Those six beings in golden capes gracefully glided over the marble floor to stand on both sides of the staircase, their eyes pointed towards the light. Nema couldn't see their expression under their masks but it seemed that all of them trembled with excitement.

'My loveliest!' The voice called. Nema saw that some of the soldiers were sobbing. 'This is a blessed day for us all,' he said. 'This lovely girl is our Asteralt. Bow to my successor!'

It took her a moment to understand what he just said. Suddenly every last soldier turned on his heel until the army was facing her. When they bowed it looked like some tremendous wave ready to crush her against the walls. 'Treasure her, my loveliest, she is your future queen!'

It felt as if the marble floor tilted and she almost lost her footing. 'Queen? Queen? Me?' Her thoughts were racing. She was looking about in absolute agony, watching those adoring looks now resting upon her. Those few soldiers now were sobbing even louder. 'Please, don't,' she whispered to no avail. The only sight of normality was the angry mage who kept grunting and shooting angry looks at her. Nema kept her eyes on him,clinging to the sight of familiarity.

'Me? A queen? King Castor's successor?' Nema was very careful to breathe in and out at normal intervals because she was ready to faint just like that time when she saw the chimera in the forest for the first time.

Suddenly the light disappeared and where the king was only minutes ago was nothing but stained glass window.