The golden steps of the Corellian palace glistened brightly as the crisp rain drops pelted against them. Swiftly, a small figure made her way up to the cold steps, barely taking any time to see whether or not they would slip, but rather considering greatly if anyone had seen them. No matter how long it took, she was determined to reach the top, undetected.
After all, who knows what someone would do if they saw someone of her status wandering outside in the pouring rain. It would be preposterous, shameful, and not to mention extremely embarrassing. In fact, the thought terrified her so much that she began racing up the stairs, stumbling over the wet marble, her shins slamming against the lubricated marble, nearly sending her tumbling down. The speed in which she was traveling was so great that the brown silk hood she had been wearing slipped off her head, unprotecting her voluminous, long,dark brown hair from the fierce rain.
Upon reaching the marble doors of the castle, the girl of 16 took one more glance around her, her deep, dark blue eyes scanning the area for anyone that could have followed her.
"Ah Princess! Nice to see you have returned, your mother has been talking about you the whole afternoon!" Her attention turned to the speaking solidier that stood at the palace gates. The queen was many things, but forgiving was not on her long lists of talents.
"How wonderful you would give me such intelligent insight, Ogen!" The striking features of the young woman's strong face feigned approbation, as she made her way past the stout man to sneak into the castle.
"Simply trying to help, your highness!" Ogen called after the glistening princess. Again, his sarcasm betrayed the truth in his words, and again, the princess had detected it.
The intricate double doors embedded with her family's crest in the middle towered 6 feet above her, tall enough to intimidate perhaps the emperor himself. Lightly, she raced her fingers across the Corellian crystal that created the handle for the palace, taking in a deep breath for the wrath to come. Perhaps, she thought, she won't be that angry. Which may of course be a possibility. All in all the princess had not been doing anything extremely condemnable, and it was certainly a possibility that the queen would not indeed get infuriated for her absence. Yes, that could've have very well been the case if she hadn't been the daughter of a Carita.
She tugged the doors outward slowly, however it was not long before she could her her mother's booming voice.
"Kierana!" Before she could even think, even step inside, her mother was already pacing towards the poor girl.
Her mother's lengthy light blonde hair was piled upon the top of her head, adorned with a golden framed crown filled with circle, blue crystals, and bore the family emblem in the center.
"Listen." Kierana attempted to come across courageous, but found her throat drying faster than the deserts in the outer rim. Her mother effortlessly stood there, cognizant that her daughter would not take long in her striving to defy her.
"No, you listen." The queen shot back, after seeing that her daughter would not try to speak again. "I know exactly who you were with and what you were doing. You were imbecilic enough to actually believe that you can really hide from me! I could've gotten you at any time, I just thought that I could trust you to be responsible enough to come back home at least two hours before dinner!" The ear-deafening voice echoed throughout the entrance hall of the palace, nearly convincing Ogen to come in to help the princess.
Without any hesitation, Kierana hung her head in guilt, her bleeding blue eyes swimming with shame. The princess' throat was so hoarse, it was a miracle she could even choke out her next question. "What is my punishment, mother?"
The queen roundabout went hysterical at her daughter's sudden formality. Correspondingly to her daughter, Jaina was another type of person that often conveyed a ruthless exterior, though was in truth a whimsical, funny, and compassionate human being. Hey, that's what happens to you when one is the queen of 24 billion civilians in the Correllian core systems.
"Well Kiera," (it was a name only her mother used, if someone else were to use a nickname for Kierana it would most likely be Rana or Ki,) "I suppose there is one risky job i could assign you that would perhaps make up for your insolence." The tone in Jaina's voice had transformed drastically, now taking on a lighter and airier vibe.
"Anything, mother dearest." Kierana responded, a grin forming across her face pondering what silly act her mother could possibly have in mind.
"Since you almost missed it, you are going to have to get ready quickly for dinner, and get your brother from his room for dinner as well." The queen spoke charismatically, in order to portray the "sacrifice' her daughter would have to commit to complete this task.
The princess' body grew stiff once more as she mocked a fearful tone, "But mother! His majesty is working." Making sure to accentuate the stupidity of the fact that her 8-year old brother had told them he was not to be disturbed while he was "working".
"That's why I have bestowed you with such a task! I know it will be perilous, but who knows you may survive with your head!" Jaina quipped back at Kierana, on the cusp of laughter.
"Well then! You have certainly found the right soldier for the job!" The princess remarked slyly before embarking up the stairs in search of her brother.