So here it is, finally! I was supposed to post this at the beginning of summer, not the middle of October! Oh well, better late than never.
This takes place about two and a half years after the end of season 2, so Will, Cornelia, and Matt are 17, Caleb is 19, and Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin are 16.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own W.i.t.c.h.. However, Radelia and Javiera are my characters, I own them.
PS: This is my first W.i.t.c.h. fic, please go easy on me.
WORD COUNT: 690
There were several things Radelia had vowed never to do willingly, including: dress like a lady, keep quiet, wash someone's feet, and show any form of respect to a Moriunite. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Another promise she'd made to herself was to stick by her brother at all costs, even if it meant wearing a dress, working in the Moriunite palace – which included bathing the queen – and not complaining about it. She would keep that promise until death. Should she fail, then death, by her own hand. The Moriunites would not conquer her. Every time she bathed Javiera, it was torture not to dunk that foul hag under the water and hold her there. Because if she did, Marikk would be lost to her – forever.
Now, as she poured the steaming, perfumed water over the Moriunite queen, she tried to be careful. A simple splash could wash away the paint that hid her blue skin, exposing her as a Nolimarian. She would be recognised as the enemy and killed, or worse, imprisoned. It was just a good thing that she'd been instructed to wear long gloves for this task, since the queen couldn't stand the idea of having a 'lowly servant' touching her directly. "Be sure you get in between the toes," Javiera snapped. Oh, if only she could fix her fingers around that damn witch's throat!
Instead, Radelia could only mumble: "Yes, Your Highness" contemptuously through gritted teeth and obey. She took a brush, fingers clenched around the handle, and began to scrub the Moriunite queen's foot. Her hand was shaking with rage and resentment as she worked. With a grim smirk on the inside, she allowed one sharp, jagged edge along the side of the brush to scratch the sole of the heel. The Moriunite queen yelped and sat up, slapping Radelia with a very wet right hand.
That was all it took. Her sapphire-coloured complexion was visible to all. "Guards!" Javiera screeched, "Get in here! She's a Nolimarian!" Instantly, Radelia bolted, hoisting up her annoyingly long black skirt. When one guard stepped into her path, she responded with the dagger hidden up her sleeve. Anyone else who tried to hinder her progress was met with the same fate. She finally made it to the door; pushing it open, Radelia streaked out and into the woods. The angry shouts of guards behind her pumped adrenaline through her system as she dodged trees, bushes, and the occasional arrow whizzing past her head.
In the forest, no mere Moriunite could catch her. Nolimar might have been the poorer of Yllauras' two nations, but they were the better warriors. They didn't need any fancy metal weapons or armour; they could fight with stone daggers and their own fists, and could vanish into the shadows within an instant. Radelia was a true Nolimarian warrior, despite being a girl. The elders had been enraged when they found out, but they'd had no choice besides letting her stay among the ranks, especially since all the rituals had been performed by then.
She'd almost lost all of her pursuers, but a few brutish soldiers refused to be shaken. Their heavy footfalls and loud breathing could still be heard. And they were getting closer and closer, very quickly.
In the temple of Candracar, the atmosphere was usually calm and serene. But today, it was tinged with dark concern. The Oracle, Althor, Luba, Halinor, and Tibor watched in the pool as the girl ran from her enemies. "With all the trouble Phobos has been causing," the Oracle stated, "We have not noticed the war in Yllauras."
"What shall we do, Oracle?" Halinor asked worriedly, "This conflict will not end without intervention."
"Indeed, Halinor. The Guardians must be sent to bring peace back to this realm. But until then…" He waved his hand and all in the temple watched as a fold appeared right in front of Radelia. The warrior girl was running too fast to stop; she plunged right through. "Now, her fate is in her own hands, until she finds the Guardians."
Okay, so this is more along the lines of a prologue, but the next chapter will be up and ready to go either tomorrow or next Saturday. And yes, I'm back to posting every Saturday. Yay!
