Chapter One
My father, loyal and committed, General of the Gold Legion. My mother, kind and talented, an artist in the rankings. My brother, bold and fearless, a Sentinel in the King's court. Then, there is I. Born to General Priam Arven and Lady Ophelia Jean Samos, Lady Aselia Chariot Arven.
Ever since I was a child, I have lived on a schedule.
7:00 - Breakfast & Grooming / 8:00 - Lessons / 12:15 - Lunch / 1:15 - Leisure Time / 2:00 - Mental Training / 3:45 - Physical Training / 5:15 - Dinner / 6:00 - Leisure Time
Sleep and repeat. Now, that I'm an adult, my schedule is finally starting to clear up. Maids continue wake me up with breakfast every morning and help with hair and makeup, but there are no more lessons. No more dance practices and no more dusty old books to dig through.
"Smile, Aselia," my mother said as she straightened out my skirt. "You've got to be nice too. One of the lords out there will be your husband one day."
"And one of the ladies just might fight me for him." She gave me a flat look and rolled her eyes.
Once a month, a house hosts a lunch gathering, a youth banquet known as the Converging. This event exists for two primary reasons. One that parents focus on is that their child can interact with children who wear other colors. These interactions can form into bonds, and these bonds turn into future allies. Having a greater number of friends and allies places Silvers of the High Houses at an advantage. This advantage exists just in case anything were to happen to the governing house. No one dares to speak of it, but everyone knows this. Everyone. This is all strategic playing, a part of a game bigger than any one of us here. Even though the House of Calore holds everyone's loyalty in their hands, they lack personal bonds with others. In this sense, they are at a disadvantage, but no one would dare double cross the King. King Tiberias Calore the VI, King of Norta, the Fire of the North. He is all powerful. His colors can rule without the others because he has that much influence over the kingdom. He is feared. His grandfather and father were both the same way, and now, so will the Prince, Tiberias Calore VII. Cal.
Regardless of everything, there is one real thing that may result from the Converging. This is something all the ladies hope for, and it is the second reason this event came to be, the search for love. It's been five years since I've started attending these events. The Lords court, yes, and the Ladies befriend me. But there was always something missing. There was never a bell that rang or a starstruck moment. Everything was just bland.
"Please, dear, you're already 18." Meaning, I either must find a career soon or choose who to marry, or even both. If I don't do it soon, I may be betrothed to a man that proposes himself to my parents. When I stepped out onto the court, I was greeted by many friendly faces. Ladies curtsied towards my direction, lords bowed, and I returned the courtesy.
"Please excuse my tardiness. I was so excited today, I wasn't sure what to wear." It wasn't entirely a lie. I wasn't sure what to wear, not until after my hair and makeup were already done. Some of the girls giggled in response. Everyone looked beautiful, wearing gowns and suits made of their own house colors. Rayla Osanos' dress caught the most attention. The gown was fitted from top to bottom, embroidered in blue beads and green scales, imitating the tail of a creature of the sea. Every bead reflected the light at just the perfect angle. A mermaid Nymph. How fitting. She made sure to show off her figure to all the bachelors. I caught a glance from her for a split second before she walked away with a few girls to chat with a few of the boys. Showoff. I've never actually spoken to Rayla before, but I know she doesn't like me. At least I can honestly say that I'm not her biggest fan either. She has always tried to one-up the rest of the girls. Yes, she does a pretty good job at it, but after five years, the only one who still sees this as a competition is her.
A Red servant walked towards me with a silver tray and offered a glass of champagne. I simply took one, and she walked away. The exchange happened quickly and quietly. Reds are lower beings than us. They're inferior, almost nothing to many Silvers, especially among the High Houses. They don't speak to us, and we don't speak to them. As far as I know, that's how it's always been. The less fortunate worked for the High Houses, and the lesser lived in the slums. I watched her as she continue serving drinks. Her hair was pulled into a tight, top bun. She wore the formal maid uniform: an all white uniform, blouse with an aproned skirt, lined in silver. On her collar was an embroidery of the House of Arven emblem.
I felt a slight breeze against my right cheek and looked over my shoulder. Eragon Laris, a windweaver, was standing at a distance, smiling at me. He tilted his glass towards my direction and I couldn't help but send him a smile in return. I gathered up the will to go speak with him, for the sake of socializing, but first, I had to finish my glass of champagne. I closed my eyes and chugged the drink down quickly. When I finished, there was no one around me. I could still hear the music, but the entire courtyard was empty. I almost believed I was alone. Almost.
"Kaius." As I called out his name, the crowd returned to their places in the courtyard like a dissolving illusion. A gentleman dressed in black silk revealed himself in my presence, walking towards me, greeting with a polite bow. Lord Kaius Ore Haven, a Shadow. He straightened himself and held out a hand. I offered mine to him, and he gave it a gentle kiss. "You can bend light to hide people, but you still can't mute them." He let out a small laugh and shrugged.
"Doesn't Rayla look beautiful?" He stated with sarcasm, pretending to stare in awe.
"She's a doll," I responded dully, walking away, but Kaius simply followed me like a lost puppy. "Can I help you?" He didn't stop. Another Red server walked by, and Kaius grabbed us both another glass of champagne. I took the drink and quickly gulped it down once again.
"Slow down there, Prince-"
"Don't tell me what to do," I interjected. Realizing that the instantaneous remark was actually kind of rude, I took a breath and turned to face him. He simply smiled and continued walking, passing right by me. I could have just let him walk, but this time it was I who was following him.
Ever since we were introduced to the Converging, he would always tail me for no particular reason. He has always been one of the more popular Silvers, especially among the females. All the adults love him because his skills exceed the standards of an ordinary Shadow. Not only can he bend the light around himself, but he has the capability to hide an entire village at will if he wanted to. It's surprising he isn't a part of the House of Haven's Noble family.
After a moment of walking, the silence between our footsteps were interrupted by the sound of an applauding audience. Back towards the center courtyard, a Lester Provos was levitating the fountain while Rayla made the water dance, and to no surprise, she was making the spotlight her own. The fountain continued to spit water out, but instead of the water draining, it swirled outward, creating continuous, fanning loops around the fountain. This was definitely a rehearsed routine. When she finished, not single splash of water touched the ground. She made sure to keep every drop accounted for. If it wasn't her routine, I actually would have been quite impressed at the precision. Eliselotte stepped up next to show off her skill. She is my first cousin, a Samos. All the iron studs on her layered, black and silver gown began to lift from the fabric. Her jewelry separated into metallic beads, gathering with the studs and dropping every gem onto the ground. They glided, circling around her like a halo until she brought one arm up, gesturing the iron. Every little piece came together and merged into one, giant plaster of material. It continuously floated in front of her, altering shapes as if it were anxious waiting for its next command. The metal melded like contained liquid. It almost looked like a foreign, living organism. Once she was ready, Elise instantly dropped her arm and the metal blob shot up like fireworks, creating a slender statue that spat out iron lilies from its root. Beautiful.
One by one, everyone showcased their talent. This was almost like a Queenstrial except the men participated as well. The only goal in this moment is to outshine the person before you.
"Impressive, isn't it?" I looked up at Kaius and he smiled at me. "It's like everyone just keeps getting better and better." And he's right. Everyone's abilities have only heightened since the last time a performance as such has happened. Talent shows are never planned during these lunches. If someone has something to show, they take the floor and earn themselves an audience. Others tend to follow up with their own abilities, resulting in a chain of performances.
"I think it's stupid." I commented, and Kaius snickered in response. He then left me in the audience and stepped onto the Greenwarden crafted stage.
"My turn." He took a step back to survey the crowd and the surrounding area. With a hint of satisfaction, his lips curled into a smirk. Then, from the bottom up, he diluted into the air and disappeared. A few people looked around to try and spot him, only to be surprised by his effortless performance. Surrounding everyone was what looked like a reflective barrier, containing us all in. I walked over towards it and stared at my own reflection. I couldn't lie, I was intrigued. Behind me, people jerked their heads around in every direction. The ladies' eyes glittered in awe, smiles escaping from their expressions. Many of the Lords were amazed as well, but only half of them dared to show it. Lester briefly glances at Rayla, and his expression fell into a frown. Through the reflection, I watched as he lifted a tray out of a servant's hands, using nothing but his mind. He swiftly tossed it towards the barrier, all while making sure the champagne glasses still stayed afloat. I anticipated a grand shattering to take place, but there was nothing. The tray went right through it, followed by the sound of cutting wind.
The tray didn't hit anything because there was nothing there. As a Shadow, Kaius is able to bend light, though this is the first time I or anyone has seen anything like this. There was no surface for the light to reflect off of, so he made it bend and reflect at will. His control of the light was faultless.
I curiously held a hand up to touch the glass, not expecting to feel anything, but before I could make contact, a familiar figure unraveled behind me. "Still think it's stupid?" And once again, Kaius displayed his infamous smirk. Before I could respond, the bells sounded to inform everyone that lunch was set. Then, it was my turn to showcase what I could do. My chest fluttered, then my stomach, arms and legs. A sensation rushed through me, trapped inside of my body, rapidly itching to be released. Without a single motion, everyone became silenced. The dancing water splashed, the mirror illusion disappeared, and the floating glasses shattered against the stone court. Silence and stares followed my actions. I turned around and quickly cleared my throat, breaking the conspicuous tension. Before speaking, my eyes scanned the crowd. It was hard to make eye contact with anyone at this moment, so I looked down at my hands I held in front of me. Maybe I shouldn't have done that so suddenly.
"It looks like lunch has been served." I gestured towards the lunch table. "Shall we?" Whispers began filling the air as everyone made their way towards the table. For a second, I could have sworn I saw a smile among crowd. It was likely just my imagination. What I did was awkward and unpleasant, that much I know. No one would smile in a situation like this, not even me.
Some people paced towards the table, faster and more excited than others. A few of the girls were excited for wine and dessert while some men commented about their hunger and cravings. When another person passed by me, I felt a sudden sensation in my right hand. I looked down at it but couldn't see anything physically wrong. I may have only felt it for a split second, but it was definitely there. It was painful, sharp, tingling, and cold. It made me jump. It made me shiver. When I looked up, there was Alseth Gliacon, a Shiver. He was already a couple steps ahead of me, but he was looking over his shoulders, right at me with a familiar smile and vigilant eyes. He was the smile from the crowd.
When I finally arrived at the table, my mother was standing by my chair. Her chin was up and her shoulders squared. I could tell she was proud of the seating arrangement she had assigned. Everyone was evenly placed at the table, a boy placed between every one or two females. Most of the younger Silvers sat at the opposite end of the table while the older ones sat towards mine. I, being the daughter of the hosting house, sat at the very end. To my right sat my mother. and to my left, Eragon. This means that he is the bachelor favored by the parents of the Silver host, myself. Kaius sat two seats from my mother, evidently unsatisfied with where he was seated, right next to Rayla. I couldn't help but feel amusement from his discomfort. Unknowingly, I scanned the table and found myself looking for Alseth. When I finally found him sitting between Elise and Lerolan, he was already watching me. I looked away, towards my mother, and smiled, then she raised a glass and began her afternoon toast.