Chapter 2

Anticipation

"Princess Nina!"

Nina's head snapped back from the window she was staring out of and cringed as her eyes met the cold gray ones of her teacher, Ms. Fallon Lucia. She was standing in front of her, arms crossed, her long striped tiger tail twitching. Scowling, she pointed a clawed finger to the blank sheet of parchment laying on Nina's desk. "How are you ever going to learn anything if you don't pay attention, Princess?"

"I...I'm sorry Ms. Lucia. I just..."

"Don't make excuses!" she snapped banging her hand on the desk and causing Nina to flinch. "This is the third time today I've had to say something to you!"

Nina, not knowing what to say, stared blankly back at her. The familiar vein she was so used to was starting to appear on her teacher's forehead, making her whole demeanor even more frightening. "I knew it was a horrible idea for you to be allowed outside." Lucia muttered viciously. "I commend the King for his kindness, but people like you, with your type of imagination, could do with a little confinement." Again, Nina said nothing.

Exasperated, Lucia wheeled around stiffly and walked to a podium at the front of the room, grabbing a large book and turning to the middle. Her hands swept across it roughly and tore a few pages in the process. Muttering something Nina couldn't hear, she adjusted her small, round glasses and began to read.

It wasn't that she didn't like the class; it was just that Nina was having a really hard time concentrating on the potential alliance between Windia and the neighboring county of Valcomn. All she could think about was the blue haired boy she had met earlier that day.

Cupping her chin in her hands, she wondered if he was already here, perhaps having his audience now. She sighed and shook her head. No, it was too soon and she didn't think he would get in without some word reaching her. After all, he did possess her most treasured object. Surely the guards would see it and contact her.

"...Valcomn has many different resources that would prove helpful to our country if we were to form an alliance. For example, being that their capital is a major port city, they can offer us extremely valuable objects only found in the sea, such as..." Lucia droned on, pacing around the room, every once in a while stealing a glace at the princess to make sure she was paying attention.

Nina tried to seem interested, but she was starting to worry. What if he didn't come? What if he was a thief and ran off with her bracelet? The thought suddenly began to anger her. Not the fact necessarily that he might have been a thief, but that she trusted a stranger enough to hand him something that precious to her so freely. She glanced outside to see the sun dipping down into the mountains, orange light pouring into the sky and illuminating the clouds, signaling the end of her studies. Lucia must have noticed it to because she had stopped reading and was now shoving her things into a large leather satchel. "Well, I guess that's it for today, princess." she said as Nina stood up quickly and stretched her wings. "But don't think I won't talk to your father about this 'going outside'. I'm not sure it's good for you." She added tartly, taking her glasses and folding them into a case. She swung her satchel onto her back and started for the door. Nina followed her, making sure she was just enough distance behind her so that she could make faces.

She never understood why, but it had always seemed that Lucia had never liked her. Every time she would pass her in the castle, she would scowl at her or make some excuse to head the opposite way Nina happened to be going. She knew it was probably really hard for her to be her teacher.

Lucia was one of her father's most trusted friends, a Woren from a tribe deep in the west. She remembered her father talking to someone a long time ago, something about Windia being the only place Lucia could go and that he felt sorry for her. Nina always wondered what she had done that was so horrible, but given the relationship she had with the Woren, she never found a way to bring it up. She figured if it was ever her business to know, it would be told.

Lucia left her at the bottom of the tower, curtly announcing that she had much research to do for her next lesson. Nina, glad the traditional silent walk between them was cut short, nodded and watched as she rounded the corner towards what she figured were her quarters. With Lucia gone, she was free to go where she pleased before dinner. Usually, the woman insisted on accompanying her all the way to the dining hall, which was pointless because she wasn't even allowed inside. She figured she just didn't trust her enough to let her out of sight. No one ever trusted her.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, moving her wings comfortably to the side. There wasn't much she could do on her own. Every now and then someone would forget about her and she could steal away, but usually, it didn't last long. Someone would always find some excuse to escort her places. Whether it was soldiers or other various castle staff, it didn't matter. All of them insisted she accept their company. She glanced up at the ceiling, idly twirling a stray piece of hair around her finger. As much as she tried, she couldn't help the small feeling of dread that pulled on her stomach. The same feeling that had bothered her for as long as she could remember. The feeling, that she would die here.

This was her prison.

Dinner was quiet, as it was most nights. Nina and her father ate, said goodnight, and then headed their separate ways. This wasn't unusual. Ever since her mother had died, leaving them alone at meal times, they had not made much progress in conversation. The extent of it was based a lot on things like: "How was your day?" or "The weather is quite nice." or other basic questions. Not that Nina had wanted to discuss the meaning of life or anything, but she did wish her questions were answered with more than one word.

An hour or so after dinner, Nina had returned to her room in annoyance. She had attempted to take a walk in the courtyard, only to have the pleasure of being accompanied by a nearby soldier. She angrily brushed her tangled mop of hair and threw on a nightshirt, figuring the only way to feel better would be to sleep it off.

She fell back onto her bed hard, causing the headboard to tap the wall. Brow furrowing, she stared at the ceiling. Above it, she knew, was the sky. Deep down, her heart began to beat harder. Wouldn't it have been amazing? To have hidden outside of the castle until night time and to soar with the stars? Her angry stare slowly forming into a daydreaming smile, she turned and wrapped her small body in her comforter.

As she covered herself, she heard a small clinking noise on the floor. Puzzled, she leaned over the side of the bed and focus towards something glinting in the moonlight. After a second or two of staring, her eyes widened and her stomach suddenly took a trip to the floor.

She was staring directly at her bracelet.