Sooo I may have started another story while I was working on LOTE... Please don'y be mad! I HAD to get this idea off my chest before I could write anything for my other work. If you get involved in this story, be aware that my priority will be Living On The Edge, but I will update this when I can. Thanks guys!
A young blue-haired woman sat in the middle of a grand circular room atop a mound of colorful pillows. Her delicate hands were skillfully braiding a younger girl's pretty black hair and her mind wandered among the hustle and bustle of the noisy harem. There were many other women and girls present going about their busy evening, none of them paying much mind to anything but their own business. Levy's thoughts drifted about the room and she found herself admiring all the diversity present in the palace's cortege. There were girls as young as ten and as old as 50, skin pale as moonlight and dark as night, and body types as skinny and straight as a pin and big and curvy as a pear. And they were all beautiful and talented. Some were playing games, others played music or danced, some simply sat and talked amongst themselves while others still flitted about the room exiting and entering through the marble archways that made up the rooms walls- or lack thereof.
Their chambers sat in a part of the palace that faced both the afternoon and morning sun and there, in the middle of the room where the light was concentrated and warm, Levy liked to sit. There was a prism at the center above the glass roof and all day the light focused on the prism. Beams of light and color decorated the room; Levy thought it was simply magical. While most of the other woman preferred the magnificent panoramic view of the valley and forests below to the South, Levy much preferred the sun's direct gaze and the view of the endless sky towards the ocean to the East and the very distance peaks of the misty mountains to the West.
In the late afternoon light, Levy's gaze flitted from now darkening deep blues and purples of the Western skies to the bright reds, oranges and yellows of the Eastern set and was still able to properly finish her young friend's intricate braid. The girl turned to Levy, large emerald eyes sparkling with excitement and appreciation. Levy smiled sweetly at her honest face.
"Oh Levy! Thank you so much!" She gushed reaching to grasp Levy's hands in her own. "Do you think I'll be chosen tonight?"
Levy gave the girl a once over. At 15 summers old, she was already filling-out nicely into her new sequined magenta top and, Levy noted with approval, that even at her young age, her matching sequined skirt sitting snugly in place on her now flaring hips really emphasized her slender waist and gave her body a womanly appeal. Fanea still had about 5 years before her buyer could take her (whoever he was), but her choosing would occur that night along with the other girls her age and she was the image of perfection and beauty. The girl spun giving Levy a complete view of her outfit down to her little magenta slippers. They twinkled as she twirled and Levy nodded her head in assurance.
"I'm sure you'll be chosen tonight, Fanea! And now," Levy stood, a twinkle in her eyes. "It's time to decorate! And I have the perfect jewelry for you to adorn your hair with. Do you remember that sliver star belly ring I showed you a while ago?" Fanea's eye's widened and she nodded her head vigorously. Levy began leading her towards the inner palace. "Well, I think it would match your ensemble perfectly." Fanea squealed and ran happily into their main quarters, somehow weaving without issue through the throng of women in the crowded room. She danced her way to the chambers the older women inhabited and directly to Levy's messy table where she settled herself on a cushion and eagerly awaited, all doe-eyed and practically jumping in her seat, for Levy to glide over to her section of the big oblong room.
Levy giggled at the girl's exuberance and reached for a little unassuming wooden chest sitting at her bedside. Placing it on the table in front of herself, levy waved a hand over the chest and upon hearing the click, opened the lid and began sifting through her jewels and gems. She didn't many compared to the other women, but the few she did have were simple, delicate and sparkly. Levy admired a few of her pieces as she searched for Fenae's gift. After another moment of combing through her things, she found all she was looking for and deposited everything on the table between her and the younger girl.
Fanea gasped. "Oh Levy, I couldn't." She breathed staring longingly at the jewelry.
Levy smiled adoringly. "Do you remember when you first came here?"
Fanea turned her head in thought then squinted her eyes. "Not really. But I do remember your face." She nodded and returned her attention back to Levy.
"Well, you were very little. Couldn't have been older than 2 summers. And your case was unusual because Mistress just did not take in girls under the age of 5. You were the first since I had arrived at that age exactly, and have been the only one since." Levy thoughtfully placed a finger on her chin. "Anyway, I just happened to be walking by when you saw me and ran to me!" Levy laughed at the memory and Fanea bowed her head embarrassed. "I was only 9! And yet, you latched onto me and cried your little heart out-" Levy sighed and placed a reassuring hand on the girls forearm. "I'm getting to the age where I just won't be able to participate in the Choosing anymore, my jewelry will be of no use to me at that point as it can't be sold and if the Mistress is gracious with me, I won't be allowed to wear jewelry as a member of the palace staff. This," Levy said pushing the jewels to Fanea. "Is just the beginning."
The girl stared at them in wonderment for a moment then reached out and plucked a little silver star from the pile. She looked sheepishly to Levy who nodded reassuringly and smiled. Fanea took the barbell she was currently wearing out and slipped the star pendant into place.
"Once upon a time," Levy began to her already captive audience. "There were four brilliant kingdoms. And each kingdom was brilliant for its own unique reason. The Kingdom of the West," Levy pointed behind her. "Was ruled by a benevolent Queen Dragon, Lady Grandeedey." And with a swirl of her hands Levy produced an image of swirling winds enveloping a small blue dancing feminine figure. Everyone gasped and exclaimed, mostly the younger girls, but even some of the older women were staring transfixed at the moving image above their heads. "She was the eldest of her five siblings, the most peaceful, and the most kind. In her era, her kingdom was known for their prosperity and longevity; which they shared with all who would seek to gain from it."
"The Kingdom of the North was ruled by the candid Prince Regent Lord Metallica." This time Levy flicked and rounded her wrists creating an image of a figure radiating dark masculine strength and poised still and aristocratic. Levy had always imagined that his eyes, which the stories usually described as red as blood and sharp as a pin tip, were actually a less severe shade of red and very kind. She portrayed her version of the 1st Dragon Lord as a dark shadowy figure with lightly glowing red eyes and set the images of the siblings together in the air. Levy glanced over the faces of her enthralled audience as the figures interacted as if actually alive. "This King Dragon honored honesty and strength above all else. Not just physical strength either, he also valued strength of heart. It's said of the folk who hail from the Northern Dragon Kingdom, that in their era and even still to this very day," Levy exclaimed excitedly. "The metals they create are the purest in the world. Their strength comes from ingesting it and it's a wondrous ability very few in the kingdom are born without."
Levy thrust her arms above her head, held her palms to the fading glow of the sun and channeling a fiery red burst of energy, produced the powerful and vivacious figure of the Prince and King Dragon of the Southern Kingdom bathed in flames. His figure roared silently and Levy felt that if she were to ever really hear a Dragon roar it would be ear shattering- at least that's the impression she had of the 2nd Dragon King in her stories. "This is Lord Igneel. He ruled his spirited subjects with a jovial and adventurous determination. And as you know people from this Southern Kingdom are known for their ambitiousness and Can-do attitude."
While the smoky red figure of Igneel exchanged pleasantries with the figures of his older siblings and took his place next to King Dragon as 3rd in line, Levy made a fluid, wavy motion with her arm and from her fingertips poured the image of the last Queen Dragon. "Lady Dylainia was a woman of great wisdom. Her Eastern coastal kingdom is a place of true magic and mystery; and it's said that her subjects are all mystics of the sea. They're often portrayed as healers and scripts." Now everybody's eyes were on her instead of her figure. Levy knew it was because they were all thinking about her own lineage. Most of the girls here were either abandoned by their families or sold to the High King at a young age and so few knew which region they were from or if they were even of the country. Only the few who were older upon their arrival or those who possessed the characteristics of the Dragon regions knew their ancestral home.
Although the kingdoms no longer truly exist and their rulers are long gone, the rare qualities born to those from the regions still exist. They're not as prominent as they used to be, but the magic is alive and Levy was living proof. Smiling graciously, Levy addressed her audience's silent question. "As many of you know, my magic is of the sea. Though I can manipulate the other elements as well, I am strongest when it comes to water and fluidity." The youngsters' eyes were as wide as saucepans; the adults just looked on in interest. "Anyway, Lady Dylainia was a fair and just ruler and she loved her people very much. Now, the last King Dragon, he-"
Levy was cut off from her story by the chiming of the evening bells and her audience sighed in collective disappointment. When the evening bells chimed signifying the beginning of the Choosing all the women and young women of Age in the harem were to report to the palace ballroom. It was a grand affair and though it wasn't always a especially happy event every woman hoped that the man who chose her would be someone wealthy and kind.
But of course this is real life and it's common that those chosen find themselves under the care of someone either cruel or indifferent. Indifference is much preferred in most cases, because if the Master doesn't care than she's free to mind her own business. Unfortunately, even this can also be dangerous due to the fact that an indifferent Master might leave his Charge no protection and unprotected woman are subject to all sorts of miserable things these days. Especially women in their position.
From the moment they enter the King's Harem, the girls are taught proper etiquette for their station. They're also taught various arts like reading and writing, some are taught how to properly prepare foods and those with magic are taught to utilize their magic for entertainment as well. But everyone is taught music. Dancing and singing are the prominent entertainment choice for the aristocrats of their era. Lessons in the pleasuring of a man are taught as well. However, that is taught when a woman turns 17 and only if she is especially unique. Having an extraordinarily beautiful face, being gifted with the talent of magic, and singing or dancing or having the Master whose chosen you request the skill are the qualifications. Not being qualified in this was the most disastrous thing a woman could experience. It made them valuable and nobody wanted to be stuck in the castle.
In the outside, the atmosphere might seem happy and wonderful, but life in the harem was difficult. For many like Levy, it's the only life they've ever really known, so thinking about their hardship isn't a common occurrence, but that didn't make the training and palace assignments any easier. The women were taught that man's word is final and absolute. There's nothing to be done about their circumstances and so they must bare it.
Levy sighed. She hoped that Fanae would be successful tonight, she didn't want Fanae to worry about being Chosen for too long. Now that Levy's 17th summer was almost up she worried that maybe she'd be sold to the trade anyway. It's been two years since Levy first performed and while she's had a few bites, no one has taken enough interest to claim her. Some girls are Chosen at ten years old and the oldest woman was 22 before she was finally Chosen. Madam had threatened to sell her to the trade if she couldn't pay back the cost of her upkeep- which she wouldn't have been able to do. Levy heard horror stories about the trade market. At least within the walls of the King's Harem she was relatively free to mind her own business. Out in the trade, it was highly frowned upon to educate women the way they were here and were treated poorly. Not that the palace treated them much better, but Levy felt that she had walls in place and outside the walls the Harem she had to put up her own protection. If she didn't have the Harem to seek emotional refuge in, she wasn't sure she could handle the stress. To keep up the act for a few hours in the halls of the palace was draining, add in the physical demand and Levy often wondered back to their chambers exhausted in every way a woman could be. She hoped tonight would be short, and she hoped to be chosen.