"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." – George Santayana
Chapter I: Remembrance & Ambivalence
PLANET: ERIS, 2:12 P.M. –
The planet of Eris is the queerest of planets. It is a flat planet made mostly of water with a small bluish globe that is attached to the bottom of Eris. Four waterfalls descends down a gravy bowl-tipped precipice. Atop the planet is the home of the Erisians. In the center is a single island, that is the capitol whom the Earthlings know as Atlantis. The capitol is thirty-six miles wide and lays ten feet above the circular canal that surrounds it, the capitol only assessable by a large bridge. About half a mile away is another small portion of Atlantis which is twenty miles in diameter at the same level. It is connected to the capitol by a similar bridge. Four rings surround the sub-city and capitol and are all forty miles wide. Each is connected to each other by a bridge.
The capitol and sub-city are the highest points on the planet, then the four other rings are slightly below sea-level where water flows through small canals at every fourth quarter of the ring, bridges go over the small tears in the rings. The planet is just like one large waterfall, abundant in magic and seafood. The planet is rich in plants of blues, purples, peacock green, and ice-blue/silver. The houses are small, only two stories high made of adobe, marble and alabaster. Intricate designs the walls of buildings. Colorful bazaars and agoras adorn each ring, including Atlantis. Most people here in Eris are mages, seers, and mystics.
The royal family has ruled for more than three thousand years when "Atlantis" sank. The currant royal family consisted of four people: King Donald II, Queen Moira, called Maya by intimate family, and the royal heirs. Prince Ricardo, called Rick, and Princess Evangelina, called Eva. They have ruled successfully for nearly thirty years, Don ruling since he was ten, in human years. Their laws were strict, which left the planet with little or no crimes. The heirs of the planet were bizarre, as they had odd habits. Especially Evangelina, as she often spends her time in the globe beneath the planet.
Princess Evangelina lies in a crystal clear boat, her eyes are closed. She has long locks of inky-black snake-thick hair that tumbles to her elbows. She has a pale, unmarred complexion and a slender build with delicate hands, though she has the smallest of clawed fingernails. Her eyes are perhaps a bit too large for her, but they complement her face as her eyes are peering, and brooding acid green. Her lips are strangely inky-black and have long lashes that curl prettily against her cheeks. A tattoo covered her neck and the hollow of her throat. The tattoo is an inch thick and the same inky black of her hair.
It beings at the hollow of her throat, where it looks like two hands are clasped together, the sides of the palms touching. The two pinkies were intertwined and the ring finger on the right hand behind the left handed one and in front of the middle, the two middle fingers gently touching each other's tips. In the hollow of the hands was an orb that had squared spikes all around it. From the outer sides of the hands gently began half-circular whorls and curlicues with gently shapes of lilies, azaleas and five-pointed violets. It would be a beautiful tattoo, if it did not have such a painful, burdensome meaning.
The girl sighs contently and smiles. She is happy here, just lying in the boat gently rocking. But her parents wouldn't be too happy, as she skips out on her piano lessons. It wasn't like she hates the piano lessons, she hates the teacher. Evangelina sighed and shifts into a more comfortable position in the glass boat. She closes her eyes and peacefully yawns. Below the glass vessel, a myriad of colorful fish play tag and gently butt the boat with their heads. When she returns, she'll probably be grounded from the exclusive lake.
Someone jerks the boat roughly. Evangelina yelps and grabs the boat for reassurance. She punches a booted foot with her fist angrily. She shrieks at the boy and leaps onto him. She wraps her legs around the boy's waist and her arms around his neck. The boy walks away with the girl attached to his back nonchalant; as if the girl's erratic behavior was normal. She punches and kicks at her brother gently, she would never want to hurt her brother, just make him beg for mercy.
"You idiot! You know I can't swim!" She shrieks as the boy pries her off his back and tossing her over his shoulder. "Rick! Put me down, you bonehead!" The six-year-old continues with fervor. Rick, the twelve-old-boy, laughs and sets the girl down. She seethes at Rick as her brother laughs non-stop. He places an arm around her shoulders and gently kisses her cheek; really his sister was adorable.
"Don't worry, Eva, I would dive down into the water to save you from death." Rick proclaims dramatically, bowing with flourish and kissing his sisters fisted hands. Eva snarls and snatches her hand away, glaring at her brother. Rick links his arms through hers and they promenade up marble and glass stairs, up to the basement of the castle. Evangelina looks at her brother, a look of incredulity on her fair face.
"Rick, coming from you that's a threat, not a promise!" Eva retorts, snatching her arm from her brother. "And why did you disturb me, anyways? I thought you had your lessons." She continues, now curious. Rick laughs nervously and rubs the back of his inky-black tresses. Eva narrows her eyes in mirth and covers her hand with her mouth to bite back giggles. Rick glares at his sister as she laughs hard, loud and long.
"That's now very lady-like, Evangelina." He sulks. Eva shrugs her shoulders, as if saying: do you think I care? Rick sighs and links once again links the sibling's arms. "Mum and Da want to see us for some unknown reason. I think it deals with the cream pie fiasco." Eva laughs and claps her hands together in glee and mirth. Their great-aunt Ina won't be back any time soon. Another plan perfectly executed. But Eva shakes her head in all seriousness. Rick looks at his sister. Is this 'family' meeting about something else?
"No. I think Mum and Da wants to talk about…" Eva shudders, "…marriage. They think we should be betrothed by now. Da and Mum were around my age." Eva digresses, tapping her chin in thought. Rick blanches and pales. He doesn't want to get married, he just wants to become a warrior and protect his sister. Eva, on the other hand, wants to become the next queen and live peacefully with the burden of being the Goddess of the Seal.
The Goddess of the Seal was the sole being whom protected all five Seals, the fifth being her own person, and kept the planet safe from the Crogs ongoing and oncoming attacks. Each Seal was hidden in some secret place, only the Goddess knows where the location is. It was the planet's weight on Evangelina's shoulders that made her so tired and weary, as it was up to her alone to protect the Seals, herself and Eris from threats.
"Well, we don't want to get married, I know that for sure." Rick admits as they enter the basement and being to go up one more floor. "I mean, we want our own goals. Can't Mum and Da procreate another little princeling or princessling? It can't be that hard. I've learned about it from the medic tutor and everything. And you, of course, know about it, you're the human bookworm. You spend too much time in there! You haven't even been around kids your own age!" Eva sharply jabs Rick's side. Rick winces.
"Enough! You know I hate being around other people!" Eva chides, playfully slapping her brother. Rick grins at his sister and pats her on the back. He knows that she would go live in the center of a volcano surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves and jaguars than marry a royal or a prince from another planet. Rick, too, would probably do the same thing. The siblings arrive outside their parent's courtroom. They both glance at each other, Eva pushes Rick forward. They take turns doing this, they would take turns knocking on the door, then the other would bolt for their rooms. Rick raises a fist and pounds the door. Eva turns tail and runs off towards the palace water garden.
"Traitor!" He yells-whispers at her retreating back. Eva turns and makes a face and begins to run away again. Rick scowls as the door opens, but is all grins and smiles when he walks towards his parents. Beside the throne were three humanoid figures. They were the royals of Naurasia, King Mamoru, Queen Etsu and Prince Aikka. Ah, so a royal meetings of two royal families from two very different planets in hopes of making a marriageable alliance, so clichéd. Apparently, Moira and Don didn't think so.
"Rick, where is Evangelina?" Moira probes softly, almost knowingly. Rick grins at his parents widely and laughs. Don is not amused at all; he scowls at his son and curses under his breath. Moira places a hand on Don's silk sleeve. Rick sighs and begins to explain in an even tone, a mature tone, amazing for someone his age and maturity level.
"She bolted. It was her turn this time. Guess she was real lucky this time. I thought you knew she'd rather drown herself than get married. She certainly showed you last time with the Heraian royals." Rick rambles, ignoring the scandalized looks on the Naurasians' face, the mirth from his mother and the rage and embarrassment of his father. The prince, however, was torn between disbelief, awe and amazement. The parents were not amused at all. They rounded on Moira and Don.
"Why force your daughter into a marriage, if she does not want to?" Etsu demands in a chiding manner, her russet-gold hair falling over her shoulder. Moira looks at the queen, almost distastefully. Don has his head in his hands, ashamed. Serves him right, Rick notes. He grins smugly as Don stutters out a response: she is only six! she doesn't understand the concept of marriage! Rick raises a skeptical brow at his parents, Aikka, too, is skeptical at Don's explanation. The seven-year-old Aikka and twelve-year-old Rick share knowing, mocking grins.
"Father, I deviate. Evangelina," He says mockingly, "knows what she wants and doesn't want. She's not stupid. She is a genius. She's got 'nother duty, too. You can't keep burdening her. You're going to break her and shatter her. Give her a break for once. She's young and she can only take too much 'fore she falls long and hard." Rick is quite serious when he is done. But he is right; Eva is still young and susceptible to break if Don keeps on loading things on to his daughter's back.
"Rick, you are young. How do you know what your sister needs and doesn't need? We are her parents, we know what she needs. She can handle a betrothal. She is a strong, powerful girl. She can handle this, Rick. I know that for sure." Don argues. He beckons a serf from the shadows. "Bring Evangelina here. Look in the garden; she will most likely be there." The serf nods and rushes off to the garden. Rick openly scowls at his father and glares at him insolently. Don is surprised by his son's open defiance.
"This isn't right!" Rick yells at his father. "She's a little girl! She doesn't deserve to be forced into something she doesn't want! I know more about her than you do, anyways. I know her favorite foods, I know what books she likes to read! Do you? Do you know her favorite color? It's fuchsia! Do you know her favorite animal? It's Kelpies!" Rick is angry with his father. Eva doesn't deserve another bag on her back. She is too mature and quiet for her age, she is to brooding and deep for her age. The doors open and the serf drags Eva forward by her bony wrist. Eva is rebelling by jerking back with a strength not even Rick knew the girl had.
"Let go of me! Rick! Make him stop!" She shrieks loudly. "He's hurting me! Let go of me, you bastard!" She stomps on the serf's foot and he lets go of the impish princess. She runs to Rick and his open arms. Rick closes his arms around her in a consoling manner as Eva rests her head on her brother's conjunction between his neck and shoulder. They ignore the hurt looks of their parents, and the sympathetic looks of the Naurasians. There is only Rick and Eva in their small world, only brother and sister, and strength and hope.
"We're leaving." Rick states, gripping Eva's hand in his. Eva's head is high, glaring at just her father, only her father. "We don't need this. You decide what you want. And we will decide what we want." The siblings leave, Eva's hand in Rick's. Aikka is awed by the girl and boy's bravado, the girl and boy's open defiance and the girl's crude and boorish choice of words. He defiantly likes these children; they are strong, powerful and openly insolent, they have the potential to be great leaders. He knew those two royals were closer than brothers and sisters, closer than humanly known. They were ready to die for each other, to protect each other, to kill for each other, anything to protect each other.
"Mother, father, may I be excused?" Aikka asks quietly, they look down at their son and nod. He smiles at them and scampers after the two children. He looks around the hallway and frowns. Where are the children? Then he remembers: look in the garden; she will most likely be there. Aikka runs to one of the windows and peers down at the ground below him.
The garden is alive with colorful flowers in hues of blues, greens, pastel purples, whites and exotic colors. Small circular stone platforms ringed the watery garden in the colors of light browns, sandy browns and bone-white, like that of coral. Marble statues and benches dotted all the circle platforms. The girl and boy were on the largest platform, surround by pretty white and sea-green willows. Aikka runs down the hall and down the stairs. He follows the same path as he entered. He and his parents had bypassed the garden entering the small, yet structurally sound, castle.
When Aikka reaches the young royals, the girl is jumping up and down, twirling a rope above her head and below her feet. What was that rope called? A skip-rope? No, Aikka realizes, it is a jump-rope. The girl begins to do complex routines as her brother smiles and claps softly. Eva grins at her brother and ties the rope above her dusty brown pleated skirt and fawn-brown blouse. She scuffs her leather boots on the conglomerate stone as she ties the rope in a large bow. The coconut handles bang on her knees as she whips around, seeing Aikka in her peripheral vision.
"Hello," she greets carefully, softly walking to him, "my name is Evangelina, but I guess you can call me Eva. I'm the princess here. That's my brother, Rick." She holds out her hand and shakes his hand with a strength he didn't know a girl could muster. She meshes his fingers with hers and drags the prince to her sister. Rick stands up and shakes Aikka's hand. Eva offers Aikka her un-tied rope from her waist. Aikka looks at the jump-rope dubiously and Eva laughs.
"Rick, will you play Dutch with me and Aikka?" She grins at Aikka as Rick takes one handle and leaving Eva the one in her clenched hand. "Playin' Dutch is easy. What ya gotta do is swing the rope in a loop." Her and Rick gently swings the rope until it circled up above them. "And ya got to jump every time the rope comes down under your feet. Hold this and I'll show you. Keep in sync with Rick." It takes Aikka a minute to get into rhythm with Rick. Eva dives in and jumps in easy tempo with the rawhide rope.
"And when you add another rope, that's called Double Dutch, it's harder than Dutch, but much more fun. Hold on a second and I'll get my second rope." Rick halts the rope and Eva runs to the base of a willow tree and triumphantly holds up a similar rope, though it is colored sea-green. She trots back over to Aikka and gently takes the handle from him and tosses one green handle to Rick. Now each child has a handle in each hand. Eva gently swings one and the other, whom is joined by Rick. The two ropes are blurs now. Eva stops and hands the two handles to Aikka. The two boys swing the ropes in tempo with each other.
"See, now you have to work twice as hard." Eva explains as she jumps in with grace. Her feet went up and down with pretty rhythm, always in tempo with the ropes and never marring or mistaking. She holds up her hand and Rick stops. Eva gathers the sea-green jump-rope and tosses it over her shoulder where it lands in the boughs of a stand-by willow tree. Eva walks up to Aikka and hands him the rope.
"You're turn." She sings. Aikka takes the rope in his hands. Eva smiles at Aikka as he looks at her with an air of wariness. Rick walks up to Aikka and gently takes the jump-rope, jumps a few times and raises his brows delicately as if saying: see, it's not hard. Aikka takes the jump-rope and gently skips. Eva gathers her green jump-rope and joins Aikka, smiling at him childishly. Aikka finds himself grinning back at the young princess.
"Evangelina! Ricardo!" A serf runs up to the royals, a harassed look on his face. Eva hides the sea-green jump-rope behind her back and blushes. A jump-rope is un-lady like, as her teachers put it so bluntly. The serf pretends not to notice the jump-rope and pierces Rick with a sever gaze. "Your parents want to see you, the both of you. Oh, and dinner's ready." The serf stalks off. Eva sighs and gathers her jump-ropes in her arms, hiding them beneath the moss of the willow tree. Rick claps Aikka on the back as Eva shakes his hand.
"Bye, Aikka. Guess we'll probably never see you again, because of what me and Rick did today." Eva says awkwardly as Rick tugs her away, towards a secret entrance of the castle. "You can find your way back, right?" Aikka nods as Rick and Eva run through the watery garden, pants and skirts soaking wet. Aikka sighs and tip-toes from platform to platform, his mother would be upset if he got his sandals wet. As Aikka was leaving the garden, Rick and Eva were changing into more royal-like clothing, Rick in a brightly colored and tailored shirt, pants and vest, Eva in a fawn-colored dress that touches the floor.
"We are in tons of trouble, aren't we Rick?" Eva murmurs as they exit their respective rooms to traverse to the dining hall. The siblings link arms as they arrive outside the dining hall. They grimace at each other and Rick opens the door. Moira and Don are sitting on pretty chairs with plush cushions. They pierce the children with harsh and sever gazes.
"We are disappointed in you, children," Don begins, "this afternoon's display was extremely embarrassing and unnecessary for the royals of Naurasia to see. Evangelina, you are betrothed to the royal heir of Naurasia. Watch your language!" Rick laughs as his sister met her father's gaze insolently and continue to mutters curses and profanities louder. Don curses under his breath and waves for his children to sit down. They do as they are told.
"Now, Rick, we found someone for you as well. Her name is Hanch, and she is from nearby planet in alliance with us." Don continues as he waves serfs to bring in food. Rick scowled down at his empty plate as Eva's hands fluttered around her glass of coconut milk. But Rick knew Eva was angry, her hands were shaky and her lips were tightly pursed, her eyes were a shade darker than the normal acid green. Eva glares at the serf who brought her the plate of food that is set before her. Rick gently kicks his sister's leg.
"Sorry, but I hate this!" She whispers to Rick lowly, tracing whorls in her mashed potatoes. "Why do we have to get married? Why not die an old age and let some count rule Eris?" She hisses lowly, stabbing the potatoes with the back of her spoon. Rick gently flicks a piece of Eva's mashed potatoes off his sleeve and smiles at her and pats her hand consolingly.
"Loop holes, sweetheart, loop holes!" He sang in a low tone, winking at Eva. "No matter what there are always back doors, a way out, loop holes. Only one of us needs to get married. I'll probably be the one forced into a marriage, since I'm expected to rule." Rick takes a bite of turnips and carrots. Eva sighs sadly and shifts a pile of turnips to overpower the volcano of mashes potatoes. Eva stands up, food untouched and bows to Moira and Don.
"I am not hungry. May I be excused to my rooms?" Eva solicits. Moira nods and smiles at Eva. Eva smiles back and scampers out of the room. Eva's room is very unusual for a six-year-old. On her walls are glued maps of Eris and neighboring planets. Her walls are also decorated with bookcases filled with books on every subject. Eva had changed into her nightclothes and was curled in a fetal position, hugging a doll to her chest. Her brother was curled up beside her as he and Eva stayed up late, talking about the possible loop holes.
PLANET: ERIS, 8:12 A.M.–
The sun crawls over the morning zenith and the two young royals wake. Eva was the first awake. She crawls out of bed and trots to her wardrobe and pulls out a white dress. She tosses her nightclothes off and pulls the dress over her head. She yanks her hair from the collar of the dress and pulls a brush through her dreadlock like hair. She walks back over to Rick and prods his arm. Rick grumbles and turns over to the other side. Eva sighs and balls her right fist and jams it into Rick's backside.
"What the hell was that for?" Rick demands, rubbing his backside, glaring at his sister. Eva looks at him coolly. She grabs Rick's robes in her hands and tosses them at Rick. Rick catches them and falls back on the bed, cracking his wrist, neck and arms. Eva rolls her eyes at her brother and sits on the edge of the bed and peers at her brother.
"You wouldn't have gotten up any other way." Eva explains serenely as Rick stands up, tossing the robes over his shoulders. He spares his sister a glance and leaves her room. Eva sticks her tongue out at her brother's retreating back and she, too, leaves her room. Eva skips down to the dining hall and opens the door energetically. Her parents are smiling at each other and eating. Eva scampers over to Moira and sits down beside her. Moira smiles at Eva.
"Hungry?" Moira asks playfully. Eva nods as Moira pushes a plate of food and a glass of coconut milk to her daughter. Eva smiles at her mother and eats. Rick comes in, still tying the string of his boots. Eva grins at her brother and pats the seat next to her. Rick makes a face at his sister as he sits down and accepts the plate his mother gives him. As the two young royals eat, Don looks at each one, pinning them with a severe, sharp gaze.
"Evangelina, Rick, we have decided only one of you has to go through with your betrothal. Evangelina, you do not have to marry. Rick you hold the duty to marry Hanch when you are sixteen years of age. She is coming over with in a fortnight." Don explains as Rick and Eva clap hands under the table. Everything was going according to the younglings plan. The two grin happily at Moira and Don, the parents unaware of the children's devious plan. Don clears his throat.
"Evangelina," Don continues, "you, however, are condemned to the castle from now on. It is too dangerous for you to go outside; the Crogs have been seen hovering near the atmosphere. Evangelina, it is important for you to be protected." Eva scowls down at her plate of food and nods, though hesitantly and sighs. Now what would she do? Spend all of her time in the library or the magic-riddled sphere below the planet. Eva stands up and pushes the plate away. Suddenly she isn't hungry anymore.
"I'm not hungry anymore. I'm going to the library." Eva mumbles. Eva walks out of the dining hall. Rick sighs and rubs his face with his hands. His poor sister, she won't be able to handle the pressure of being locked up in the castle. Rick picks at his potato hash and stabs it morosely. He peers up at his mother and father, almost distastefully and sniffs delicately.
"You do know that you are mentally hurting her, right? She won't be able to stand being in these darkened halls and be denied the sunlight." Rick chides softly, mashing his pancake to a frappe piece of cooked batter. Don grumbles something under his breath as Moira rubs her temples wearily, her honey colored hair falling into her glass of wine.
"Tell you what, Rick," Moira begins, "when you finish your warrior hood, you can protect and be Eva's personal guard. Do you like that? Good, for now, Eva is allowed to go to the rock garden and the tree grotto." Moira smiles brilliantly at both Don and Rick. Don mutters something along the lines of: she'll never learn her own boundaries if you allow her to go out. Rick thanks his mother in a low, even tone and stands up.
"I'm going to train, the sooner I'm a warrior, the sooner Eva is free." Rick announces as he pushes the plate away. Moira nods and waves her hand in dismissal. The young royal leaves the room. He heads down the hallway that leads to the library. Eva is sitting on an oak chair, a velvet cushion under her folded legs. She was reading a thin book on different animals, rapt attention on her pale, pretty face.
"Hello, Rick." Eva greets, placing the book in her lap. Rick leans against his sister's chair and peers down at her owlishly. "What's wrong? You never come into the library unless something really good or really bad happens" Eva's logic made Rick wince. Rick grabs the book from her lap and opens the pages before speaking haltingly.
"Mum said that you were allowed to go to the rock garden and tree grotto. And once I become a full-fledged warrior you can have your freedom back." Rick explains, reading a passage on Kelpies and Undines. Eva sighs and snatches the book back, tossing it against a bookcase. She is angry, Rick notes, as Eva stands up and yanks a thick book on curses to her lap.
"They have no right taking away my freedom! I should be allowed to go outside whether or not you're a warrior! This is so stupid!" She snarls, pacing up and down now, like a caged puma. Rick slides into her seat and watches her pace. "Why do I have to be the Goddess? If it was up to me, I'd be a seer in the fourth district of the city!" She continues with vehemence. Rick nods sympathetically before beckoning his sister over with his pointer finger. Eva stomps over to him, a scowl marring her pretty, exotic features.
"Look, it will take a while fore me to become a warrior. But I have an idea, you want to be queen, am I right? Let's say I brought you some of the Da's paper work that he overlooks, will that keep you sedate?" Eva nods eagerly at Rick notion. Don always overlooks the people's complaints and loss of crops. It was a perfect opportunity for her to practice. Rick holds out his hand, which Eva shakes, happily.
"I love how your foul little mind works!" Eva crows. Rick scowls at Eva affectionate insult. She claps her hands together and hugs her brother. Rick sighs and stands up from Eva's seat, prying his sister off his torso. He pats her head like a human would a dog and kisses Eva's forehead. Eva makes a funny face and gently punches Rick in the arm.
"My lessons are up. I'll bring the papers to your room when I'm finished. Why don't you acquaint yourself with the castle?" Rick suggests. Eva nods slowly and gathers the book on curses. Rick leaves the library and looks at his sister one last time, worried. He constantly worries about his sister, mostly because she has no soul, nothing to keep her safe, nothing to keep her sane. He needs to find something to fill her empty soul.
PLANET: HERA, 7:32 P.M.
Toros doesn't like Heraian people; mostly because the citizens are very beautiful with pale, creamy skin. They are the prettiest race of the universe. Girls have pretty wheat-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes with a slight build and a small, frail, bird-like body. They have soft, whispery voices and are good in singing, dancing and other forms of art. They are soft, serene, demure and caring. The boys have chestnut brown hair and blue-grey eyes with a muscular build, and contrasts to the female Heraians. The males voices are stronger, like the roars of lions and excel in weaponry, smithy and martial arts.
"You are sure you do not want to turn back, Toros? I do not want a war to start because of this." The royal queen asks looking at the bag filled with gold in her silk laden lap. The black skinned creature nods in earnest as the queen hides the bag in the fold of her dress. She stands up and walks past Toros, who's yellow eyes narrows dangerously.
"We are meeting the royal family of Eris in a week. Don't worry you're pretty little head. We will go through our deal." the queen informs him in a rather cold tone. Toros is taken aback by the queen's stern tone. Toros smiles to himself, he is close to reaching his goal. He leaves the castle with a flash of a blood-red cloak. He enters his trident ship and leaves for his own planet.
PLANET: ERIS, 4:21 A.M.
Eva wakes up and found herself lying on the very chair she was reading in, the book of curses held in her lap. She pushes the book off her abdomen and stands up. She rubs her eyes and yawns widely. She cracks her back and smiles, as if she can hear her teacher's chiding tones. She tucks the book under her arm and leaves the library. Eva trots to her room where an inch or two of papers are stacked on her desk. Her black lips upturn into a pleased smile. She throws her book to her bed and runs to the table.
She picks the first paper and reads over it, smiling. She looks around her desk and cackles like a hag when she sees a small box of wax, a stamp with the royal seal and things to counterfeit. She dunks her quill in an inkwell and scribbles words onto a piece of parchment. Her father was going to be so angry. But Eva always does love to briar and thorn her father like that, just to see the vein in his temple throb. Eva always did love to play cruel games with her father, and this, perhaps, was the cruelest of all. But the king deserved it. Or at least that is what Rick and Eva thought.
"So…why weren't you at dinner?" Rick asks casually from the alcove of Eva's door. Eva shrugs her shoulder carelessly and waves to the opened book on her bed. Rick looks at the stack and laughs. "You owe me, you know. Coz if I get caught, you're coming down with me." Eva raises a brow as if saying: is that right, is it? Rick doesn't like the look in his sister's eyes. It's that impish look that means destruction and mayhem was going to follow the youngling's steps. Eva places the black and silver quill back in the inkwell and stands up.
"I was in the library and I fell asleep. And why do I owe you? As far as I know, you volunteered for this. You really have no right telling me I owe you something. If I asked you, then I would owe you something. Like you said: loop holes!" She sings, prancing around her brother. Rick scowls at his younger sister and presses down on her head. Eva giggles and pries her brother's hand off of the top of her head. She skips back to her desk and continues to write a check out to a distance count on the second ring.
"Did you learn anything? Any curses or anything like that?" Rick asks, picking at dirt and small pebbles from under his fingernails with the edge of a piece of parchment. Eva nods her head distractedly and blows on the coarse paper, drying the black ink and sea-blue wax. She folds the paper and ties it close with a velvet sea-green ribbon.
"Yes, a few curses. I can curse someone on three the three levels: mentally, physically, and spiritually. I can do the whole voodoo thing and minor possession. A rather large accomplishment for one my age, no?" Eva muses, amused and disheartened. Rick looks over his sister's shoulder at the next complaint or plea. She looks at it and bunches it up in a ball. The next ten go the same way, all scrunched up.
"They were complaints from count and dukes that we should give them room and board." Eva explains in a monotone voice as she crumples another two in her fists. "Honestly, can't the lesser royals be happy for once where they live? We've given them two rings all to themselves! If anything, the economical farmers need more land." Eva harangues, ripping three into small shreds. With a sigh and a moan Eva places four papers aside, and grabs four sheaves of parchment. Eva dunks her quill in the inkwell and writes.
"Well, maybe Da can take care of it." Rick advocates helpfully. Eva shakes her head in disgust and waves to the crumpled balls of paper below her bare feet. "All of those are from counts and dukes? Jeez, they don't seem to give up, do they?" Eva shakes her head and rips four more. The stack is only a few centimeters thick now. Eva looks at her brother a tired, weary, almost helpless look on her face.
"I think I have a new motto: duck or die! What do you think? Think the counts will like it?" It is to poke and prod at Rick, just to see his reaction. Rick sighs and shrugs his shoulder, as if saying: whatever, I'm sick of this mind game. Eva sticks her tongue out at her brother and continues to work; now ignoring Rick and his questions.
"Hanch will be here in a week and a half. What will you do?" Eva asks suddenly. Rick is jerked from his quiet stupor. He shrugs his shoulders, he honestly does not know what he will do when he sees his betrothed. But Rick has that feeling Eva won't like Hanch, mostly because Rick was a brother and a father to Eva, and now a single female was taking him away from her. Rick sighs and gently kisses the back of his sister's head. Eva scowls and jerks away from her brother, marring an almost finished parchment.
"If I don't like her, I won't marry her. And if I like her I'll more than likely wed her." Rick replies coolly, taking small pleasure in the flash of hurt that flies across Eva's pale, mature face. Eva motions for him to get out of her room with the feathery tip of her quill. Rick shrugs indifferently and leaves. Rick hears Eva shriek and throw something against the wall, her inkwell mostly likely. Rick sighs and covers his face with his right hand. He hates it when this happens, he hates making his sister angry. He hates to see her clawed hands scratch at her hair and at the walls to relieve pain and anger.
PLANET: ERIS, 10:43 A.M.
Hanch comes a week and a half earlier than expected. She was a pretty thing, Rick supposes, with glossy wheat-blonde hair and bright cornflower blue eyes. But Rick knows Eva truly hates Hanch from the bottom of her heart. Rick sees the way Eva's clawed hands clench and ball up and how his little sister glares and disappears for hours at a time when Hanch is around.
"So, Rick, shall we go to the tree grotto?" Hanch suggest, smiling at Rick. Rick nods distractedly and leads Hanch to the pretty circle of willows, crab apple trees in bloom and cherry blossom trees. Eva was sitting the boughs of a willow tree. Her acid green eyes watch as Hanch and Rick talk about trivial things, the weather, colors and animals. Hanch laughs at something witty Rick says as Eva crawls down the trunk of the tree. She is hurt that her brother has seemed to forgotten her. She steps on a twig and winces as Hanch and Rick look at her.
When Hanch first sees Evangelina, she is reminded of a porcelain doll. Her skin is pale, unmarred, like cream or sepia and as smooth as calm water or the petals of roses. Her hair is a beautiful, silky inky-black that contrasts prettily with her skin, though it would be prettier if Evangelina took them out of those horrible dreadlock-like rolls. Evangelina's eyes are the strange acid green, a pretty color and brooding, and almost on the brink of a glassy look. Even her clawed hands have a doll-like quality to them.
"Your sister hates me, Rick. Why is that?" Hanch solicits sadly. Rick looks at Hanch and shrugs his shoulders. "I have a friend who can play with Evangelina whilst we talk. His name is Abhor. I think Evangelina will like him. May I bring him tomorrow?" Rick nods his head in earnest. He wants Eva to have someone else to play with. Hanch smiles warmly at Rick and they promenade to the castle.
Eva is reading the book on curses, writing her own observations and ideas on the margins. She ignores the boy beside her, the sounds of the scratching of the quill the only noise in the library. The boy is known as Abhor and is of ten years. Abhor had black hair, as dark and silky as Eva's and powered blue eyes. He, too, was peering in a book, writing various things down on a piece of paper, ignoring Eva. Abhor looks up suddenly and taps Eva on the shoulder.
"How's about this curse, it prevents someone from being able to use forks?" Abhor wiggles his eyebrows provocatively. Eva arched a brow and slaps his cheek with the feathery quill. "Okay, maybe not…so, then, what did you find, oh-so-fine-mistress-of-curses?" Eva glares at him sharply and shoves her book in Abhor's arms. Abhor reads the different curses and nods his head. He runs his fingers over the dried ink; the curses Eva chose to learn were mostly based on metal attacks and a few physical. Abhor grins at Eva.
"Good choices. Hey, we've been caged in this library for nearly four hours. How about we play a rousing game of hide-and-seek with a dash of tag?" Abhor flashes Eva a cheesy grin. Eva rolls her eyes, but nods. Abhor closes the book and takes Eva's hand. They leave the library and decides who is it, Abhor volunteers. The rules are simple: no-one has the rights to go down to the water sphere or the attic. No-one can flee from the castle. Only the first three floors are to be used.
"One, two, three, four, five…" Abhor begins to count. Eva runs off in the opposite direction. Abhor counts to one hundred. Once he reaches the triple digit number Abhor looks around and runs down a random hallway. Such were the way of childish games, to squander hours away. He runs and searches every place on the first floor. She is not on the first floor, and nor could she move from her original hiding spot. Abhor runs a hand through his thick locks and runs up to the second level.
"Abhor!" Rick's voice. Abhor turns around. "Hanch is eager to get home. Go find her, I'll find Eva." Abhor looks at Rick for a moment, suspicious, then turns on his heel and leaves. Rick sighs and looks around. Eva would be on this floor, the second was always her favorite. He walks to a door with a picture of a dragon on it and knocks three times. Eva opens the doors a crack and peers outside. Eva slams the door shut. Rick sighs and yanks the door open. She peers at him, almost hatefully.
"She's using you." Eva spits out maliciously and runs out. Rick grabs Eva by her forearm tightly. "Let me go, Rick. Please, unhand me. Mum and Da are calling us to the throne room. Can't you hear them?" Eva breaks her brother's grip and flaunts out of the room, with the air of the queen she would one day be. Rick follows his sister as she leads the way to the throne room. He grabs the hem of her skirt. Eva looks back at him, stuck between shocked and curious.
"I'm sorry…for everything. I know I've been ignoring you for the past week. Do you think you can forgive a fool?" Eva smiles at her brother and releases his hold on her skirt. Rick links his arm through Eva's with bravado. "So, did Mum and Da really want to see us?" Eva had the decency to blush. She grins sheepishly and rubs the back of her head.
"An excuse to get away from you, mostly. But the Heraian envoy is here and I wanna see him. He's supposed to be a chimera. I've always wanted to see one. Haven't you always wanted to see a chimera? They are so interesting!" Eva is now rambling, waving her arms in glee. Rick laughs and shakes his head. He is happy that his sister is back, talking about her interests. They arrive outside the throne room. The two royals grin at each other and Rick opens the door. They are ready to see the strange chimera.
"I smell death." Eva gasps, covering her mouth and nose. Rick brings Eva to his chest. Eva shoves Rick away from her. The strength behind the push is strong enough to send Rick to the ground, hitting his head on the cold flagstone. It was as if night was his lover, for darkness descends on him, blanketing him in its obsidian wings. He falls into the dark silk of blackness. And he is welcome to the world of unconsciousness. The last thing Rick hears is a blood-curdling cry and a screech of pain.
Rick awakens, the back of his head sticky with blood. He winces and stands up in a drunken manner. Don is standing over his wife, unmoving. Eva is hiding in the shadows, crying softly. Don is making no move to go and comfort his only daughter. Rick walks over to his sister and hugs her. But Eva is not looking at anything now, only peering over her brother's shoulder, at her mother. Cold reality slaps Rick in the face as one single fact mocks him.
Their dearest, darling mother was dead.
END CHAPTER I : END CHAPTER I : END CHAPTER I : END CHAPTER I : END CHAPTER I : END CHAPTER 1 :
Chapter I is complete. I was working on this for two weeks I think before I was overall pleased. And writing it in fist tense isn't easy for me. But what do you think? Tell me if there is any grammatical errors, thing spelled wrong or things that don't make sense. I worked really hard on this and went through three headaches, one migraines and a whole lot of Advil and Tylenol. So the least you can do is review. Criticism is welcomed, but not flamers/complainers. Don't like, don't bitch about it. I don't want to go through another headache because you don't like it. Criticism good & Flamers bad.
Special Thanks to From Hide-and-Seek:
Lumiere: Extremely glad you like it. I'm not a big Jordan x Molly fan, but it was around midnight when I wrote it and I was high on Vault. So what do you do when you're bored – write whatever comes to mind. Oo
Fushica: I glad you didn't smite me, and I'm glad you think it's awesome. It was extremely hard to write, as I had to re-do it a few times before I was pleased it.
Didgi Girl: Yeah, science is pretty good these days. But it's a pity I hate the class. I'm glad you think H-a-S is good as well. We all get angry at RPGs, I know I do – a lot.
Tenshi no Yami no Ryu: Thanks for the review. Don't worry, I don't panic…much, my insanity forbids it.
Raven's Soul Sister: I don't see why not. We all need sweeter things in life.
Purplehairedpunk: Thanks. I really did what to add a darker theme to H-a-S, so thus the dream and the porcelain doll and the carousel. I actually go the idea when I was looking up music from the Drakengard soundtrack and the idea hit me, then I had to muse on it for an hour or two before I wrote it.
From Blue-Blooded:
Tisuki element: Thanks for thinking B-B was great. And I did make more…as you can see.
Authoress' Note: Thanks to anyone who added me to their alert list or favorite author/
Lost Jerusalem