Chapter 1
Kymé Shestan stood with her hands pressed against the windowpanes, looking patiently outside. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the carriage coming down the dirt road, and she quickly ran to tell her sister.
Lorena Shestan sat quietly on the edge of her bed, looking around the room. Everything had been packed away, so it was like an empty shell. It seemed void, unfeeling. There were no paintings on the walls, no clothes in the closet, not a trinket on the dressers. The light green room looked so bare, so unused. The same was true with Kyme's room, which was a soothing lavender color. All of the memories had been stowed away, only to be unpacked in an unfamiliar new home. Lorena smiled to herself, thinking of all the times they had both lay sprawled out on Kyme's rug talking and laughing about whatever they pleased. She would miss that so much....
'Mother, I wish you could be here. I don't want to go.' Lorena thought sadly to herself. Her mother had died giving birth to Kyme, and even though she was only five at the time, she still vividly remembered her. People said she looked exactly like her, while Kyme took after their father. 'Father, why are you doing this? Why are you sending us away? We can take care of ourselves. We don't need to stay with strangers.'
Lorena's train of thought was interrupted as Kyme ran full-speed into her room, stopping just in time to keep herself from colliding with the bed.
"The carriage...is almost... here," she said breathlessly. "We should get our crap together".
The carriage soon pulled up beside the house, and the kind driver gave them a sad smile as he loaded up their numerous boxes and bags. Kyme walked around to the back of the house, checking out the garden for what may be the last time. She walked amongst the flowers that her father had cared for so well for her mother's sake, even after she passed away. She knew the story about how her mother had died giving her life, and she would never tell anyone this, but sometimes she felt guilty. She had never known her mother, but the way her father's eyes shone when she asked about her told her enough. She picked two roses, one for herself, and one for Lorena, whose favorite flower was a rose. Kyme breathed deeply the scent of the flowers in her hand, and for a moment, felt at peace. She would always remember twirling around in the moonlight in the garden, wishing for a prince charming like the ones in the books her sister would read to her. Even though Kyme was quite smart, there was something about the way her sister told her stories that made the books seem real. Kyme could never place why, but it was always so.
She stood there and looked out into the field of flowers that grew behind their house, a little ways after the garden. They had been there ever since Kyme could remember. Her father never touched them; they grew wild. She and Lorena had stood in this very spot and looked out onto the sea of flowers many times, wondering how far they actually went out, although neither of them really wanted to know. The idea of an eternally reaching field of nature's jewels held too much appeal to be tainted by reality. It was one of many dreams that they shared. Kyme was very close to her sister. Lorena was the one she would confide in, who would listen to her when everyone else would think her foolish for having such big aspirations and ideas. Kyme felt Lorena was her best friend, even though they were sisters and Lorena was five years older. It didn't matter to Kyme.
Before she forgot, she dashed of to a secluded section of the garden. She moved aside some branches of the willow tree, walked behind the flowering bush, and entered her "secret spot." It was so beautiful with the lilacs that framed the entrance in full bloom. She had found the place on accident one day, when she was just wandering through the garden like she had millions of times before. It was a small place, and she had only allowed her father to be back here a few times to help her build a small little "house" for herself. Of course, she knew her father came back every now and then to fix it up, because he always left her little anonymous notes that were only signed "An Admirer." The house was small, it was really more like a clubhouse, but she had painted it a pretty pastel yellow, and even had a small table with chairs inside it. She came out there to think and to play with Lorena, who she allowed to enter every once in awhile as well. Technically, the place wasn't really a secret, but no one ever came back here really except for her, so she called it her own. She sat in the chairs for a minute, soaking everything up, putting everything in her mind so she could remember. Kyme stood by the clubhouse, said a silent farewell, and joined her sister, who was looking around the front of the house. Soon their Uncle Aurelian, whom they had called "Uncle Aurie" since childhood, spoke to them. He was the one driving them to Fanelia, where their father was sending them.
"Look girls, I know it seems as if your father's abandoning you two, but he's doing what he thinks is best. Your father and I have been friends for years, and I know how hard this is for him. When he asked me to bring you girls to Fanelia as a favor to him, I couldn't refuse. I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. He was entrusting me with his two daughters, his entire world. Now, I've known the two of you since you both were born. Will you trust your old Uncle Aurie?" The man said with a twinkle in his eye.
Both girls looked sadly back at the house, then back at him.
"Uncle Aurie...." Lorena began.
"I know Lorena. Come on, it's the right thing to do. Don't make your father feel worse than he already does."
"Oh yeah, he feels so awful. If he feels so bad, why isn't he here to see us off?" Kyme said sarcastically, her voice tinged with anger.
"You know why Kyme. Don't talk to me in that tone. He has some very important business to take care of-"
Kyme cut him off. Ah yes, the classic 'business before family' yet again. What a surprise." Kyme sneered.
"I won't say anymore girls. I know this is hard, but it's time to go. Hop in the carriage."
After one last glance at the house, the girls piled into the carriage. Kyme handed Lorena the rose she had picked for her, and pretended not to notice as Lorena took it and began to cry softly. Soon they were passing slowly away from the only home they had ever known. The trees and scenery passed lazily by as they drove through unfamiliar lands. In another few hours they would be arriving at their new home, and their lives would change forever.
Kymé Shestan stood with her hands pressed against the windowpanes, looking patiently outside. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the carriage coming down the dirt road, and she quickly ran to tell her sister.
Lorena Shestan sat quietly on the edge of her bed, looking around the room. Everything had been packed away, so it was like an empty shell. It seemed void, unfeeling. There were no paintings on the walls, no clothes in the closet, not a trinket on the dressers. The light green room looked so bare, so unused. The same was true with Kyme's room, which was a soothing lavender color. All of the memories had been stowed away, only to be unpacked in an unfamiliar new home. Lorena smiled to herself, thinking of all the times they had both lay sprawled out on Kyme's rug talking and laughing about whatever they pleased. She would miss that so much....
'Mother, I wish you could be here. I don't want to go.' Lorena thought sadly to herself. Her mother had died giving birth to Kyme, and even though she was only five at the time, she still vividly remembered her. People said she looked exactly like her, while Kyme took after their father. 'Father, why are you doing this? Why are you sending us away? We can take care of ourselves. We don't need to stay with strangers.'
Lorena's train of thought was interrupted as Kyme ran full-speed into her room, stopping just in time to keep herself from colliding with the bed.
"The carriage...is almost... here," she said breathlessly. "We should get our crap together".
The carriage soon pulled up beside the house, and the kind driver gave them a sad smile as he loaded up their numerous boxes and bags. Kyme walked around to the back of the house, checking out the garden for what may be the last time. She walked amongst the flowers that her father had cared for so well for her mother's sake, even after she passed away. She knew the story about how her mother had died giving her life, and she would never tell anyone this, but sometimes she felt guilty. She had never known her mother, but the way her father's eyes shone when she asked about her told her enough. She picked two roses, one for herself, and one for Lorena, whose favorite flower was a rose. Kyme breathed deeply the scent of the flowers in her hand, and for a moment, felt at peace. She would always remember twirling around in the moonlight in the garden, wishing for a prince charming like the ones in the books her sister would read to her. Even though Kyme was quite smart, there was something about the way her sister told her stories that made the books seem real. Kyme could never place why, but it was always so.
She stood there and looked out into the field of flowers that grew behind their house, a little ways after the garden. They had been there ever since Kyme could remember. Her father never touched them; they grew wild. She and Lorena had stood in this very spot and looked out onto the sea of flowers many times, wondering how far they actually went out, although neither of them really wanted to know. The idea of an eternally reaching field of nature's jewels held too much appeal to be tainted by reality. It was one of many dreams that they shared. Kyme was very close to her sister. Lorena was the one she would confide in, who would listen to her when everyone else would think her foolish for having such big aspirations and ideas. Kyme felt Lorena was her best friend, even though they were sisters and Lorena was five years older. It didn't matter to Kyme.
Before she forgot, she dashed of to a secluded section of the garden. She moved aside some branches of the willow tree, walked behind the flowering bush, and entered her "secret spot." It was so beautiful with the lilacs that framed the entrance in full bloom. She had found the place on accident one day, when she was just wandering through the garden like she had millions of times before. It was a small place, and she had only allowed her father to be back here a few times to help her build a small little "house" for herself. Of course, she knew her father came back every now and then to fix it up, because he always left her little anonymous notes that were only signed "An Admirer." The house was small, it was really more like a clubhouse, but she had painted it a pretty pastel yellow, and even had a small table with chairs inside it. She came out there to think and to play with Lorena, who she allowed to enter every once in awhile as well. Technically, the place wasn't really a secret, but no one ever came back here really except for her, so she called it her own. She sat in the chairs for a minute, soaking everything up, putting everything in her mind so she could remember. Kyme stood by the clubhouse, said a silent farewell, and joined her sister, who was looking around the front of the house. Soon their Uncle Aurelian, whom they had called "Uncle Aurie" since childhood, spoke to them. He was the one driving them to Fanelia, where their father was sending them.
"Look girls, I know it seems as if your father's abandoning you two, but he's doing what he thinks is best. Your father and I have been friends for years, and I know how hard this is for him. When he asked me to bring you girls to Fanelia as a favor to him, I couldn't refuse. I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. He was entrusting me with his two daughters, his entire world. Now, I've known the two of you since you both were born. Will you trust your old Uncle Aurie?" The man said with a twinkle in his eye.
Both girls looked sadly back at the house, then back at him.
"Uncle Aurie...." Lorena began.
"I know Lorena. Come on, it's the right thing to do. Don't make your father feel worse than he already does."
"Oh yeah, he feels so awful. If he feels so bad, why isn't he here to see us off?" Kyme said sarcastically, her voice tinged with anger.
"You know why Kyme. Don't talk to me in that tone. He has some very important business to take care of-"
Kyme cut him off. Ah yes, the classic 'business before family' yet again. What a surprise." Kyme sneered.
"I won't say anymore girls. I know this is hard, but it's time to go. Hop in the carriage."
After one last glance at the house, the girls piled into the carriage. Kyme handed Lorena the rose she had picked for her, and pretended not to notice as Lorena took it and began to cry softly. Soon they were passing slowly away from the only home they had ever known. The trees and scenery passed lazily by as they drove through unfamiliar lands. In another few hours they would be arriving at their new home, and their lives would change forever.
