Things I Wrote at One Time or Another

The Arcana - Book 0 - The Fool (Attempt)

A/N: One of my many attempts to start writing Luca Amarsi's (my Arcana Apprentice) backstory. This is really old so a lot of the names and aspects of the characters and plot are different to what I have now. King Derres is King Taurus, Andreas is Adrien St. Augustine, Arianna-- I change her name a lot. My options at the moment: Parvana, Fatima, or Paloma.

His cry echoed through the palace halls, swallowing up the silence that riddled throughout servant lips and royal ears. His grip was tight around the fingers of his ailing mother, her weary smile a soft song. His survival came as a surprise to the Doctor who delivered him and a terrible omen for the maids who watched in awe and horror at the King's bastard son. Nonetheless, he cried out healthily and fervently for the supple breast of his mother, and devoured in silence, his strong little hands growing soft and gentle along her skin.

The King arrived later that evening, returning from an expedition outside of Sedona. He entered the Palace with quiet determination, each step sure and composed. But it was clear in his eyes he knew not of what to come. He passed his Queen in the main parlor, her neck craned towards the window in silent rage. Her eyes were dull as they gazed outwards into the garden, the summer sun washing over the colors with vibrant care. Orange blossoms scattered along the front gates towards the greenhouse where they housed their animals. Tigers, elephants, monkeys, and many other exotic pieces caged and freed simultaneously in their garden prison. She held her fan against her chest, catching eyes with a tired tigress in her rest.

Servants scurried out of the way like fearful mice from the houseman and watched their King hurry his way towards his mistress's cage. Her room was on 3rd floor of the palace, furthest from his chamber as demanded by his Queen. She shared the area with the servant's quarters and was given little freedom to leave it. The King's presence gave great apprehension to the dwellers as they guided him to her room, past the draperies and tightening hallways. He crossed the thresl=hold and pushed away the curtain to reveal her.

Arianna sat amongst the duvet and sheets of her bed, the sweat dried and dabbed from her skin by the maids. Her hair a curly mess that fell past her shoulders and curled along the rivets of the white cloth. Her golden skin reddened at the tight of the King, her gentle hands caressing the fragile scalp of her son. She glowed, like an Empress of the Sun, her chapped lips red and torn from her pain, her hazel eyes watered and glossed like the sun after rain. She said nothing as he approached her, slowly with hesitance.

Almost like a second thought, a maid quickly approached the bed for him and took the young babe from his mother's arms. Arianna looked on, almost heartbroken to be apart from him, as the maid placed the young boy in the King's coarse, untrained hands. His knuckles softened under his skin and cloth, observing the resemblance between he and his mother.

"He looks nothing like me." Was all he could think to say.

"I'm sorry," Arianna said, almost embarrassed. She knew not of how to answer him.

"No matter," The King said, "This will do."

He turned towards the maids, "He will stay with his mother," handing him off to one of them. He turned back to Arianna as she retrieved her son, her gentle lips curling into a welcoming smile as his eyes opened to her presence. "He is strong," she whispered softly to the King, hoping it would appease him. If it had, he showed no sign. He merely watched them. "Raise him well, he is to be prosperous." As the Aurors had predicted for him, the son of a King will be born to a Magician's daughter under the sun. He will become powerful as he grows, the blood of a magician flowing through him. He will raise kingdoms, defeat tyrants, and bring immense wealth to any kingdom he resides in. He will be everything he is meant to be. King Derres would make sure of it.