Chapter One; Ember

Lore, home of the Lorrish people, is a land considered by even it's neighboring kingdoms to be alien and exotic. The Lorrish are notoriously a race of secretive people. Outrageous rumors circle the world, ranging from that the people of Lore eat small children for breakfast to the land of Lore is home to fire wielders. One of the two is true. Barely anyone travels to the country, and those who do rarely make it back, for the land is surrounded by deadly hot, barren deserts. Only a small strip of Lore can support life, the main city, Lumenia, where I live. Those who are brave enough live outside the livable bounds of Lumenia are called Lorrings. I've personally never met a Lorrings, but then again I've never traveled outside the palace bounds. I wouldn't be able to interact with a Lorring any way, because they are judged by the Lumenians, especially by my mother, to be barbarians.

Barbarians.

Such insult is of little meaning compared to what I have to suffer through each day. Reciting the history of my home country in my mind was starting to become a bore. No one spoke in the throne room, but they didn't have to. I already knew what they had to say. All eyes were on me, yet I blocked them out. My parents want to be s silent before they punish me because they think it'll force me to reflect upon my sins. What they don't know of is my incredible ability to not care and to retrieve back into the depths of my conscious. Father sat at his lavish throne, mother sat at his left, Jan sat at his right. Grandmother sat near mother and I stood in front of them all like a criminal about to be convicted. I review my own history in these times of weariness , but I find it too depressing. Oh, it's worth a look-over. Let's see, my official name is Princess Ember Tyrell. I am seventeen years of age. My father and mother, King Silas and Queen Rowena, are the King and Queen of Lore. My elder brother, Jan, or more commonly known as Prince Janus, is five years my senior. My father's parents have passed, and so has my mother's father. Father has two brothers, whom I hear have extensive families, yet I've only ever met them once when I was a child. They don't visit. Father tells me they are too busy to visit, but I know the real reason. The whole family is ashamed of me. My only other living family member besides my immediate family is my mother's mother, my grandmother. Her name is Lady Ellaria of House Prose, and she is the most elegant, graceful woman I've ever set my eyes upon. She's the only one who cares about me, yet sometimes I think she only dotes on me out of guilt. She bribed my father to let her stay in the castle after my accident, the accident that killed the only person whom I'm sure ever truly cared about me, my nurse, Corrine.

The accident. The first time I discovered just how powerful I am. The crackling sound of fire consuming everything it touched. Corrine's screams of agony. These sounds ring in my ears.

No, I mustn't think of it. Just the slightest thought of the accident brings a whole wave of pain and woe over my being. No matter how hard I try to shake off the sadness, the memory still lingers in the darkest corners of my mind. What else to think about, what else. I would recall of how I was born with the power to produce fire from my mind, a curse to my family, but that fact always leads back to the memory of the accident. My eyes are a dark shade of orange, a striking contrast against my dark olive skin and black hair. The color either intensifies or darkens depending on what mood I'm in. At the moment I expect they are a deep orange, dark enough to pass off as brown. My powers are a curse to me as well, except for when I can find the rare chance to use them against my brother. This chance came up recently when last night my brother tried to lock me out of the common area between both of our bedrooms after we'd fought about something petty. He had confronted me about being around while his friends were visiting, and I'd retorted that this castle was just as much as mine as it was his. When he'd pushed me out of the room and into my bedroom, I'd touched the bronze door and caused it to increase in heat. The door burned Janus's hands who was on the other side of it. He would never admit it and would discredit me if I told anyone, but when the heat reached his fingers tips he screamed like a little girl.

Ha.

"Ember?" My mother'a voice rings in the back of my mind, but I choose not to hear her.

"Ember, why are you laughing? Do you find something amusing?"

I blink my eyes and bring myself back to reality.

"What did you say, mother?" I ask.

Of course, I knew what she'd said.

"Ember, why were you laughing?" She repeats herself, more sternly this time.

My smile had since faded.

"Nothing, I was only reminiscing a memory". I answer her.

"Which?" My father asks. I bite my lip. I'm reluctant to answer truthfully.

"The memory of yesterday, Father, when I fought Jan and burned his hands."

Mother scoffs. "I hope you're reflecting upon this event so you can see what you did wrong and repent, Ember."

"Be kind, daughter, I'm sure the girl has a good reason for what she did." Says grandmother. Lady Ellaria never adjusted to addressing her child as Queen.

"A good reason, grandmother?" Janus exclaims, "Do you see what she did to my hands?" He shakes his bandaged hands in her direction. "She burned my hands! Burned them! In spite and pure fury, she burned my hands, and she must be punished!"

I can't help but let out a giggle. Jan puts on a decent show but I know who he is at heart. A coward.

"Again with the laughter! Do you find this funny, girl?" It's when my mother starts calling me girl that I know she is cross with me.

I do nothing to lift her spirits. "It's quiet amusing, yes." I answer.

I can see an insult forming on the tip of mother's tongue, but father stops her with a wave of his hand before she can say anything. "Ember, what you have done is wrong and it cannot go unpunished." Father says this solemnly, almost as if he regrets condemning me.

"What are you going to do? Lock me in my room again? Send me to stay a few hours in the freezer until I've learned my lesson?" My words are laced with bitter sarcasm.

Grandmother lets out a small groan. She's told me before that the thought that my parents have given me such punishments before pains her.

Father sighs and his head falls to his hands. "No," He says without looking up at me, "None of those methods of punishment have worked before, so your mother and I have decided to take a different approach."

The first thing that comes to my mind is death, and it startles me. "Are... Are you going to execute me?" I murmur in disbelief. I knew they disliked me, I guess I never knew how much.

But it must not be the case, because my father looks confused. "No," He says, "No matter what you do, you'll always be our daughter." Those are the nicest words father has spoken to me in years.

I can tell from mother's and Janus' disdainful expressions that they disagree.

"You're mother and I have hired a Mage to act as your body guard. He should arrive within the day. His purpose will be to monitor you day and night so situations like this," Father motions to Janus, "Don't happen again. If your... Abilities... Suddenly go out of control, he will be there to help regulate them."

I'm speechless.

A long moment of awkward silence passes by. "Well? Speak." Mother insists.

"You're joking, right?" These words are all that I can muster. I can't help but question the words that have just come from my fathers mouth. It is not impossible that my father would agree to such a thing, but my mother. The woman has hated me all of my life because of what I am, it doesn't add up that she would pay, let alone allow someone like me to live in the palace.

Father sifts in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. His worn deep brown eyes search the room for a distraction. A shrill knock comes from the entrance door to the throne room that makes everyone jump. "That should be him." Father says.

I lurched forward in my seat. "He's already arrived?"

Mother answers earnestly for her husband. "We summoned him the night you attacked Janus."

"Attack?" I scream in rage, "I attacked no one-" My anger is cut short when the entrance doors burst open, and two butlers enter. A man I do not recognize follows close behind them. Father motions me to stand next to him and I comply. The men take my place in front of my family. My breath turns quick and shallow in the face of this new comer. The features of the unknown man are concealed by a cloak. I can't see the face of the Mage and it scares me. I do not know what lies ahead. Such a feeling is one that I am not often aquatinted with.

My mother stares at me with hard eyes. "You're eyes, girl, control them, they are bright like fire." She spits through a clenched jaw. I blink my eyes a few times and try to calm myself down. Hopefully, no one else noticed. One butler clears his throat, preparing to speak.