Søren's child (Ash Princess fanfic)

Chapter six: Amiliy

I trace the ink on Ampelio's letter. His words, though a little soppy at times, remind me so dearly of him. I do hope his next letter doesn't contain quiet so much soppy poetry... I've written and sent my reply, posted as early as possible so that it reaches him a soon as it can. Fortunately, I've heard that Princess Yana is also writting Ampelio letters, so mine shall not create unwanted gossip. Not that I would mind. The more surrounding me and the heir to the throne of Astrea, the better. If only we could start gossip. I don't want to hide mine and Ampelio's relationship but we must. He is a Prince. One day a King. But it has not been decided whether Kings marry or not, so I still have a chance. Queen. I taste the word on my lips and the dream in my head. I have always wanted to be a Queen. To be powerful. I guess I'm just fortunate that Ampelio is kind, generous, honest...not to mention in love with me. How ironic that he's going to stay with my parents. Well, adopted parents. It's not as though I'm allowed to forget it. It took quite a while before the court started saying Lady Talvera when addressing me. Many still don't. They can't get over their silly birthrights and blood-line. Don't they remember the war. No one had any birthrights then. Not until after the war when Queen Theodosia graciously gave estates and land to a few brave women and men who served by her side in the war. It's one of the things I like about her. She understands what it is to rise from nothing. 

I glance back at Ampelio's letter, 'My dearest Amiliy. Not a day passes when I don't think of you.'

Probably because your staying with my parents. They have an annoying habit of mentioning me. 

'I see you face where ever I go, Whenever I close my eyes, there you are. waiting for me.'

I knew I shouldn't have let Heron paint all those pictures of me and put them around the house. I hope I remembered to move the one with the ostrich before I left...

'And every time in my dreams, we're back together. Whispering our love, to one another. 

Was that the truth? 

Or just a dream?'

I can't wait to see you,

My sweet Amiliy.'

Gods his poetry is terrible. Though it does make we wonder.

Was is the truth?

I never would have thought I'd fall in love with Ampelio. It was always my plan to marry him and become Queen, right since the day I understood what it all meant. I just never thought I'd fall in love with the heir. I had merely wanted to be friends until that day in the hedge maze. It's true, I had been trying to make him fall in love with me that day, but never the other way around. It was only when we kissed-

"Lady Amiliy Talvera?" I spin around, composing myself lighting fast and opening my door to find...

"Princess Yana, pleasure to see you, how many I be of service?" I drop into a neat curtsy. Her face is neutral, if a little stony. "I wish to speak with you...regarding my brother." It takes all my composure to hide the ever so slight flicker of fear in my eyes. I was sure of convincing the Queen to allow mine and Ampelio's love, she would understand and cares a great deal for Ampelio. But Princess Yana? Convincing the ice princess, as people have begun to call her since Ampelio left, to accept me as Ampelio's lover is something I'd rather not have to attempt. "Regarding how?" I ask lightly, moving aside to allow her into my receiving room. She remains standing in her odd way, neither warm nor cold. Indifferent almost. Unemotional. But there's something different about her today. I can't place it. "He wrote to me yesterday, explaining your feelings for each other." By the flatness of her tone I'm almost surprised she knows what feelings are. "And exactly what were our feelings for each other?" I ask, purposefully oblivious to her meaning. Taunting her. Seeing just how far she'll go before she breaks. "He told me.. you were in love." Her voice breaks when she says 'love' and her voice sounded strangled. I suppress a grin. It actually sounded painful for her to say that!  "Well if Prince Ampelio said so then it must be true." I smile innocently and bat my eyelashes. I know it irritates her, I've seen her shiver when I do it in front of Ampelio. I don't do this out of menace, not really. She's just so easy to wind up! Many people don't like her because she's Kalovaxian, but that's not why I do. I mean, my own father is half Kalovaxian himself, but shes just so cold, like she really is made of ice as the nickname suggests. However, today she seems more... nervous? Dangerous. I bat the thought away. She's never really been much of a bully or a threat. But she's not soft either. I honestly do not understand her. "Well then, I'm sure my Mother knows." Neither her expression, nor her tone has changed. Is, no... is she trying to blackmail me? I almost laugh in her face. It may be true that I'm not one of the most eligable women, but that's hardly good leverage to blackmail me. "Not at the moment, Ampelio thought it would be better to tell her when he got back."

"But you both knew you were in love before he left."

"Of course, but there wasn't time to-"

"Nonsense, there is always time." What is she playing at? 

"I-I suppose, but we didn't want to bother Queen Theo-"

"No. Mother always has time for Ampelio, you know this." Yana says firmly. But, was that... hurt in her voice? Quite frankly I didn't know she was capable of hurt. "It was you," she continues, her voice taking on a hard edge, "who didn't want to tell the Queen. Why?" I gape at her. What?

"W-what is this?" I ask, eyes wide in fear. Gods, she is trying to blackmail me! I underestimated Princess Yana. At my own expense. "Just a simple question." She says, suddenly smiling innocently. She was pushing me. Seeing how far I'd go before I broke...Hadn't I just done the exact same thing to her? "Well.. I-I wasn't sure-"

"You didn't know if he'd want you, did you?" Yana wasn't smiling now. I fact I believe it was surprise written over he face, with a touch of sly pity. The little bitch. "You didn't know if Ampelio, of all people, would break tradition to take on a Queen?" she laughs, "You fool." She crosses her arms over her chest, sneering, "And to think, you actually thought you knew him."

"Excuse me?" I gasp, unable to keep the fear from my voice. 

"Well," she says, clearly beginning to enjoy herself, "to be honest at first I though you were using Ampelio as leverage for power." she drawls. My mouth shuts with a click. Dam it. "But if you were you would have spoken to Mother about it." she examines her nails with a bored expression, "Either you're stupid or you're trying to break him for some reason." 

I narrow my eyes at her. How dare she! "Now look here!" I snap, "I love him and he loves me and we know each other better than any Kalovaxian accident." I look down at her, wrinkeling my nose like she's a dead spider in one of my shoes. I'm angry at her snobby taunts and embarrassed at letting myself get defeated by petty little Princess. She flinches, "I see." she says softly then turns to face me again, "If," she says, meeting my gaze with shockingly soft blue eyes, "if you really loved and knew Ampelio." I open my mouth to protest but she talks over me, "If you truly knew him. You would know that he will do anything for the people he loves."

"Even when they're Kalovaxian?" I snap, but half-heartedly. I think I'm beginning to truly see Princess Yana. She smiles sadly, almost to herself, "Half."

"What?"

"Half-kalovaxian, Lady Amiliy." I roll my eyes,

"Well yes but-"

"Like you're Father." Her eyes are sharp, cutting the truth to my heart.

"Adopted Father-"

"So you do not love and respect him?" I sigh, internally. Dam she's good. My silence is all the answer she needs. "And so," Yana adds, so soft I almost can't hear her, "is Ampelio." Then she glides silently out the door. I'm left standing there. Stunned dumb. 

Ampelio is... Kalovaxian?