In the last chapter, Natalia finally got a glimpse of what had happened to her after she underwent the Genetic Councils Testing. She was disturbed to see how young she now looks, but after some comfort from Maximus, she was somewhat able to reconcile herself with this new change. Later, the princess attended the Genetic Testing where the true results of her powers were revealed. We now pick up a week after we let off, with Natalia facing new challenges.
Please read and review. As previously stated, any and all feedback is welcomed. I appreciated every single one of you who take the time to read through this story. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or ideas; I would love to discuss this with my readers. Thank you again! Enjoy this next instalment.
A week had passed since my Terrigenesis Ceremony. I was spending this morning with my family, each of us seated around the table in the dining room. A room where we both ate and held important royal meetings, discussing the business of running our kingdom. In fact, it was one of these weekly meetings that I had the privilege of attending this very morning.
My tiny hands smoothed down the front of my dress as I glanced around the table at the faces of my family. Black Bolt and Medusa sat side by side, canter-stage as always. Medusa's long, red locks fanned around her shoulders, the queen radiating with power and majesty. Every so often, she and my brother would glance at one another, their hands so close they were almost intertwined. Their looks were, obviously, silent, but in their eyes volumes were spoken.
I couldn't help but to admire the love that they shared for one another. It was so plain and edifying for everyone to see. Unlike most royal marriages in Attilan, which were chosen by the parents, marriages where the husband and wife to-be did not spend much time together before the wedding, apart from with an escort, Medusa and Black Bolt had developed a friendship since they were teenagers — a time when I was but a little girl. Everyone knew of how she had stepped into the Quiet Room where he'd locked himself away and had seen the person behind the Silent King.
Quite romantic, really. Despite the way that my feelings developed towards my eldest brother and sister-in-law, I at least was able to appreciate a nice love story when I saw one. Turning my focus from them, I looked then at Karnak, Gorgon and Triton — my cousins and other members of the Royal Family. Though I suppose that calling them 'members' of the Royal Family was a bit of a stretch, considering they weren't, in fact, actually royal. Still, their talents and abilities made them trusted and valued advisors for my brother, and henceforth they got to take part in these meetings, too.
I, of course, took pride-of-place beside my Max. No matter the situation, whether it were dinner, a meeting, or anything else, I always sat next to my brother. It had been an unspoken rule from the time that I was but a tot. The seating arrangement of everyone was always carefully planned out. In a way, it was like a smaller representation of the rigid system that we lived in anyway. Everybody had their place, and that was that.
These Royal Meetings, in which the state of affairs on Attilan were discussed, as well as any other important business, were a weekly thing. Bi-weekly, sometimes, if the need for it arose. This wasn't a first rodeo for many of the people here, by any means. Each of them had been attending these meetings for several years at least. But I, on the other hand, was something of a different story. Oh sure, I'd gone to one or two of these meetings before.
Back when I was a little girl and my parents were alive, I'd often sat on Father's knee while he spoke on and on about important 'adult' topics that my tiny mind could not have hoped to comprehend. As I got older, though, the idea of having a child involved in these meetings became a bit of an issue, and so, I'd be left in the care of royal tutors.
Aside from those few times, I never really participated. At least not to the extent that the rest of my family had. But now, that was about to change. Being that I'd gone through the Terrigenesis Ceremony and had been granted powers — dangerous though they were — I was now expected to truly take my place within the system of Attilan's society. Expected to step up to the plate and behave as the Royal Princess I was. To understand politics, understand the world that we lived in. To act always for the greater good of the people and of the Inhumans.
Still… I couldn't help but to wonder, sat here, absently picking at the food the servants had set out for me… if the reason that I was allowed to attend these meetings now was simply because I'd gone through the Terrigenesis Ceremony. Was it because I was now, officially, classed as an Inhuman? Was it because I'd gone through that horrific ritual (a ritual that I still had nightmares about, thank you very much) and now I could be classed 'worthy' of attending a royal meeting? Or perhaps it was merely that I had been too young before, naught but a teenager? Nobody told me the real reason behind it, and I suppose now they never will.
That might've been the reason that Crystal wasn't here. Crystal was Medusa's little sister. Once her sister married the King, Crystal was elevated up to a status of great privilege. She was the youngest of us all, too young to have gone through the Terrigenesis Ceremony yet. She was a sweet girl, innocent, and with a kind heart. Yet still, not considered old enough or 'worthy' to be present at a Royal Meeting. At least, that is the thought that I had on the matter. Now, as I write these memoirs, I can't help but to be curious about such things. Had I any shred of love within me for Crystal anymore, I would ask her about it, but alas… such is the way of life.
Medusa and Karnak were in discussion. I could make out their mouths moving and heard… something… that sounded akin to words coming from their lips, but it was as though they were talking in a completely different language than anything I'd ever heard before. Try as I might to read the situation and what they were saying — this might have been an awfully boring meeting, but I figured that I ought to pay SOME bit of attention, right? — there was just no use. No hope. I tried to read their lips to understand a bit more, but it was all naught but white noise for me.
Even when Black Bolt lifted his hands to join in with his sign language, I was far too gone into the recesses of my own mind to respond. Now, normally I could understand my brother's signing, even without Medusa's translations (though to be fair, I still sometimes needed her on hand to make it easier). But this time was different. The sense of boredom that ran through my psyche at that moment in time was causing me to zone right the fuck out. Why couldn't this meeting just be over already? Were there not more important things that everyone here could be doing? I just wanted to be reading my books or listening to music or spending time with my Max.
'Oh, come on, how much longer can this meeting go on? How long have we been here already? An hour? Two hours? No, no, it can't have been that long, can it? You're just overreacting, Natalia, it can't have been more than ten minutes. But what is taking so long? God, Medusa, Karnak, are you still talking? Why did I agree to come to this meeting? Oh, how I WISH I'd had the foresight and sense to come up with some excuse to not attend.'
My meal was half-finished on the plate. Picking up my fork, I stabbed it into the food a bit more, pushing it around and around. Back and forth. I cut a piece of meat and put it to my lips, but then, let it fall back onto the plate again. Try as I might, I wasn't that hungry. Perhaps I would regret not eating breakfast later, but I could make up for it by lunchtime if I wanted something.
My tongue moved from one side of my mouth to the other, forming a bulge in each side of my cheeks as I did so. Realizing that my attempts to eat were futile, I loosened my fingers' grip around the fork and let it fall back to the plate with a small clang.
There was a small vase of flowers within my direct line of vision. I rested my hand upon my chin as I stared at them. Pinks, purples, blues and reds. A cornucopia of colours, each blending in perfectly with the other. The servants had done a good job in decorating this morning, I thought, the corners of my lips twitching in the slightest hint of a smile. After all, a nice centerpiece always makes things look that much more professional, wouldn't you agree? I continued to stare at the flowers as the meeting continued.
'If things are going to be as tedious as this, then I won't be going to any more of these fucking things,' I groaned internally, though deep down, and loathe though I was to admit it, I knew that I would HAVE to attend more and more of these meetings as I grew older. After all, what with Maximus being deemed 'unfit' to rule due to his 'human' status, I had become the de-facto heir to the throne.
Until such time as Medusa and Black Bolt had a child of their own. If they didn't have children — a son, to be more specific — to take over from them when the time came, then I knew that I would have to step up to the plate. So, with that being the case, I knew that these meetings would become a more prominent part of my daily life.
Most especially as I got older. Ha! "Got older", what a phrase to use, given my current size. I had to hide a chuckle at the thought. Such a bitter irony, that I was to be granted so much more responsibility, yet at the same time, trapped in this innocent form, never to age. Never to grow. Never to TRULY become a woman in the way that I ought to have done. At least, that is what the Genetics Council have said to me. The blood tests taken during my Testing showed that my body's DNA was now fundamentally changed, fundamentally regressed. This meaning of course that I would forever be trapped within this tiny, 4'0 frame. Forever be frozen at the age of eight.
Of course, I reconciled myself with the understanding that there was really no way to fully know what was to be expected. After all, I had only gone through the Terrigenesis recently — perhaps instead of halting my aging process, it had merely regressed it. Perhaps I WOULD grow up, but at a much smaller pace than that of another person. Perhaps, I mused, it may become the case that I would be end up being a forty-year-old woman with the body of a twenty-year-old, or so on? I mean, that wouldn't be quite as bad, would it? I imagine that most women would KILL to have such a gift. Decelerated aging. It would be a far better talent than the alternative, now wouldn't you agree?
A sharp jab to my torso caused me to hiss in pain. I lifted my hand to rub at my side, head turning to the source of said pain. Maximus had elbowed me. And quite hard, to be honest. Had that been ANYONE else, I would have glared at him, and asked him what in the sweet name of fuck he thought he was doing. I wasn't going to do that, though. My Max always got different treatment from me compared to everyone else. So, I fixed a confused expression on my face, and whispered, in hushed tones, "Max?"
I may not have been outright rude, but I am sure it was clear from my tone that I wasn't too pleased with my brother elbowing me like that. Maximus placed a hand on my back and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Sorry, Talia, didn't mean to elbow you that hard," he apologized, and like that, the tiny bit of irritability that I felt melted away like butter. I could never hold a grudge against my Max, after all. "But you've been completely zoned out for ages now. We've all been trying to get your attention."
All? Shit. Had I been stuck in a daydream while the rest of my family called out for me? Had I been so far gone into my own psyche that I didn't even notice that I had become a part of the meeting? How long had I been sitting there, ignoring everyone as they spoke my name? Crap, that wasn't good, was it? Earth to Natalia, come back to reality, why don't you? I muttered a quick, "don't worry about it, sorry for ignoring you" to Maximus, before turning my gaze away from him. I lifted my head and my gaze fell on Medusa, seated across from me.
She had a look on her face that I have now come to refer to as her 'Disapproving Queen' look. Her eyes narrowed, chin tilted down, arms folded across her chest. This was the look that she often got whenever someone displeased her in some way. Usually, though, this glare was saved for servants or members of the household staff, and not members of the royal family. Now, I find that look a bit idiotic — and I scold myself for how I reacted to seeing it — but back then, when things were relatively 'normal' within my family, I still felt two-foot tall under the hardened gaze of my queen and sister-in-law.
I chewed on the inside of my lower lip. "I… I zoned out," I murmured, glancing down at my feet. "I was… I was in my own world, I guess. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Well, that was at least somewhat true, right? The time that I had spent zoned-out was far more enjoyable than whatever was being said there, but there was no need to voice these thoughts aloud, was there? I figured that I was in more than enough bother for this in the first place. No need to add to the situation. I braced myself to be openly scolded in front of everyone — something that I HATED to have done.
Much to my surprise, and relief, though, Medusa's expression relaxed. She leaned back in her seat, unfolding her arms and letting them rest down by her sides. Though she was still staring intently at me, it was far less cold than it had been before. "Please pay attention, Natalia," she reprimanded me, sounding like a mother scolding their unruly child. "I was calling your name for ages before Maximus finally managed to get your attention. If you're going to be at these meetings then you need to focus, understood?"
Yeah. JUST like a mother scolding their defiant and unruly child. Maybe she thought that she was to take on such a role to me now, considering my own parents were no longer with us. Maybe this was what being a queen meant, bossing people around and speaking to them like they were little more than your spoiled brats. Looking back on it now, I am filled with a bitter sense of anger at just how Medusa used to speak to me, used to speak to EVERYONE. Every time she spoke, it was like a drill sergeant was barking orders left, right, and center. She just LOVED to toss her royal title around the place.
There I go, bitching and moaning again. My apologies. Medusa's attitude has always been such a touchy subject to me. Not that I could have done anything about it right there. Not without getting myself into a great heap of bother. Something that I did not need. No, it was best for me to just bite my tongue and put forward a façade I'd managed to perfect over years of trying. I bowed my head in deference, fumbling with my joined hands. I bit on the inside of my lower lip. "I apologize," I muttered again, taking on the persona of a scolded child. "Such an occurrence will not happen again. Forgive my disrespect."
She nodded, satisfied by my answer. I felt so degraded to have been spoken to in such a manner. A slight buzzing noise rang in my ear, a whistling sound that grew ever-louder. 'Don't lose control, Natalia, DON'T lose control.' I thought. My nails dug into my palms, so hard it was almost painful. Maximus, noticing that I was somewhat in distress, placed his hand over mine for a moment and rubbed it with his thumb. I relaxed, coming back to normality, the whistling sound declining so that it was little more than a faint humming. My Max always knew what to do or say to make me feel better. Always knew how to calm my hair-trigger temper. He was a true gem in that regard.
Black Bolt signed something to me. I couldn't quite make out what it was, maybe about 'education' or something of the like? I furrowed my brow, mouthing a 'what?' under my breath. Medusa, of course, took note of this and translated her husband's words. "Natalia," she said, "since the results of your Genetic Testing have come through, we've been trying to find someone to train you in how to use your powers. It's taken a bit of time, we know, but today we've finally managed to get everything finalized. Therefore, this afternoon, you will be attending your first lesson."
Oh.
I hadn't been expecting THAT. My first lesson? The concept of that left jitters in my stomach. Lessons. The bane in the life of any teenager. These weren't just any old lessons, though, were they? They weren't math or reading lessons. These were for the sole purpose of me learning how to control the powers that I had been granted. Powers so deadly that they required special treatment to help me learn to control them. I couldn't help but to feel a sense of nervous apprehension at being told this news. Of course, I knew that this day was coming, but I didn't suspect that it would be so soon. Everything seemed to be happening so fast.
I did have one important question, though. "Uh, what's my tutor's name?" I asked. Of course, I wanted to find this out, wouldn't you?
"His name is Samuel," Medusa replied. Then, even though I hadn't asked such a question, she carried on by saying, "according to our records, he possesses a number of psychic gifts himself. The most potent of which is the ability to create an extremely powerful shield to block out other attacks, be they physical or mental. He's well-known in helping to work with other Inhumans who have developed dangerous powers — which, of course, is the case with you. He will be starting lessons with you this afternoon, Natalia."
It didn't take a moron to figure out why they had requested someone with a mental shield to be my tutor. Someone who would be able to block me out should I lose control over my power and start burning gory images around the place. Someone who would be able to defend themselves against me. We did not need a repeat of what happened to Council Leader Viktron, did we? No, we didn't. That would be very bad for business, and reflect poorly not only on me, but on the entire royal family in general. And that, dear reader, is something that we could NOT have. Image is everything in this line of work, after all.
I had my own image to maintain. Pleasant and sweet Princess Natalia. I smiled ever-so-sweetly at Medusa and Black Bolt. "I understand, and I appreciate these lessons being arranged for me. I know it takes a lot of effort, truly, and it means a lot. I'll do my best to make you all proud." I gave a sweet smile to the faces seated around me at the table, though, of course, that statement was reserved for my Max, the one person there that I TRULY felt I should make proud. The one who's opinion meant more than every star in the sky to me.
Black Bolt and Medusa both seemed to be satisfied by my reply. At long last, miraculously, then, the meeting was at an end. My brother and his wife pushed back their chairs and rose. They were always the first to be seated and the first to rise during a meeting or any other such gathering. It was just the 'courtesy' that was to be adhered to. I guess that's just the way things were for royalty. Either way, the rest of us waited a moment before we also got to our feet. I went first, being the heir, followed by Karnak, Gorgon and Triton, with my Max standing last.
The king signed and his queen translated for him once again, though she need not have bothered this time, considering I could understand what he was 'saying', and I assumed that the rest of the family understood, too. It didn't take a genius, after all. "The meeting is now adjourned," Medusa said, "thank you all for attending. Natalia," she addressed the conversation towards me, no longer translating for my brother. She came around the table to place her hands upon my shoulders, looking down at me. The height difference was a bit daunting. "Your training starts at two this afternoon." She notified me as to where the lessons would be held. "Don't be late."
As if I were going to walk in there at three o clock? Come on! I almost rolled my eyes at being spoken down to like a little girl, but I managed to shrug it off. I figured that I might as well get used to the idea, though. I politely bowed my head in Medusa's direction, my curls falling over my face. "Of course." I replied. "Thank you again." Without waiting another moment to have another patronizing comment thrown my way, I turned on my heel and left the room. There was far too much on my mind.
Later that afternoon, I was stood on a balcony overlooking the city. There was several of these balconies dotted all around the palace. A way for the higher classes to look down at those below us. I placed my hands on the ledge of the balcony, looking over it. I came up about chest height or so to the balcony — just barely enough for me to glance over its edges. This was a peaceful way for me to gather my thoughts and just be in solitude as I looked down at the people of Attilan. My people. My subjects.
Men, women and children milled about in the streets down below. Some looked fairly humanoid, like my family and myself, while others were a lot more… unique… in their appearance. Several with deformities that humans would only have heard of in their 'horror films'. They were just going about their own business — without even being aware that their princess was standing above them and watching. People-watching was always an interesting hobby for me to engage in. Maybe I sound rather nosy stating such a fact, however, but that was just the way that I was.
As I watched over the balcony, my attention was drawn to something in the far distance. Something a little bit off to the right. I focused on it. I knew exactly what it was. The entrance to the mines. To the place where so many of the lower caste were forced to toil and slave away for the benefit of those of us in the higher class. Several men and women were coming in and out of the entrance. Those who exited were covered in dirt and dust, their faces gleaming with sweat. The simple clothing that they wore were filthy. They wiped their faces on their sleeves. Was this their first time seeing the light of day in hours?
I did not know. How long, I thought, how long did a day in the mines last for these people? When did they begin their work, and when did it end? I'd heard rumours whispered from servants that those in the mines were roused at unholy hours of the morning by guards and herded down there like cattle to toil the hours away until dusk. I'd also heard rumors that slacking off was punished severely and that those Inhumans who were granted any form of physical strength by their Terrigenesis — no matter how minuscule that strength may have been, were forced to carry huge loads on their backs.
Of course, hearing about all of this and experiencing it for oneself is quite the different situation, though, isn't it? There was no way for me to know for sure what life down in the mines was like unless I went down there myself. And considering I was a member of the royal family? The likelihood of that happening was slim to none. The horror stories still resonated with me, though. I suppose that is to be expected.
The sound of footsteps coming up behind me took me out of the recesses of my mind. I turned to see my Max approaching. A smile lit up my face at the mere sight of him. Maximus got closer to me. I wrapped my arms around him and cuddled against his waist. As always, a sense of peace washed over me whenever I was in my brother's presence. Maximus lifted a hand to run it through my crow black hair. "I thought I'd find you out here," he said, and I smiled. "Penny for your thoughts, little sister?"
I hummed, a soft, pitchy tune. I licked my lips. "I've been people-watching," I said. Untangling myself from my brother's embrace, I stepped closer to the balcony yet again and gestured towards the people walking around below us. "I mean… I figured that I might as well, you know, before I have to go to those lessons." A feeling of unease washed over me, and I turned to face Maximus with a raised brow. "Uh… I haven't lost track of time, have I, brother? You haven't been sent out here to fetch me, have you?" Not that I wouldn't be happy to see Max under any circumstances, but if he were here to tell me I was late for my first lesson… I knew it would case a bit of upset amongst others in the family. As well as for my tutor.
Maximus, thankfully, shook his head. "No, nothing like that, Talia. You have time, plenty of it, in fact. Don't worry." Good. At least for that I could breathe a sigh of relief. At least I could have a few precious moments with my Max. I don't think that I ever cherished those times we spent together enough. The old adage is true, isn't it? You don't know what you've got until it's gone. But in that moment, I was just content. I felt happy. I felt as though nothing in the world could touch me. Not a word was spoken between us. Max and I just stood together, looking out over the balcony. Ah, but as with every peaceful moment, the mind of yours truly MUST concoct a worst-case scenario situation to bring it crashing down.
That was EXACTLY what happened to me as I stole another look at the mine's entrance. A thought occurred to me. A thought of something, and someone, that had been lurking within the deepest and most hidden parts of my brain. A 'what-if' that I tried to conceal from myself. But what good would it serve me to keep it all inside? I knew that would only make me go mad. "Max," I began, my breathing labored, "I… I have to ask you something. Something that's been on my mind for a while, now, and I'm far too afraid to voice it. I mean… I'm not sure if… I want to know the answer. But… well…"
"Well?" Maximus asked. "Come on, Talia, what is it? You can talk to me, you know that. What's on your mind?"
This was it, I thought. It was now or never. I inhaled and held it for a count of ten, gauging up the pros-and-cons of asking this. I decided that it was best for me to just get it over with. "Where is Camelia?" Ah yes. That was it. The question that I'd be thinking of. The girl who had been locked in the back of my mind. I'd been trying so hard not to think of Camelia, though I couldn't stop myself from being worried about her. I didn't WANT to worry about her. Yes, that may sound selfish of me, but I feared that if I worried about Camelia, if I allowed myself to think of the worst-case scenario, then that was what would happen. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you will.
See no evil, hear no evil, know no evil. There was a profound silence that hung in the air between my brother and me. I didn't even have to look at Maximus to know that he was hesitant to answer. Was it because he didn't want me to know the truth? Was there something that my brother felt it unnecessary for me to know? Some dark facet of reality that he was attempting to shelter my fragile psyche from? I would not allow my question to go unanswered, though. I HAD to know what was going on. I already felt selfish enough for not having asked about Camelia before this, but I had been so busy.
I took my brother's hand in mine and looked up at him. "I need to know. I haven't seen her since we went through the Terrigenesis Ceremony together. I've heard that she's sick… I've heard that she hadn't gone through the Testing yet." I took a deep and shuddering breath, "but part of me can't help but to fear that she may have been sent down to the mines. I think if I knew the truth, I may have peace of mind. So, please, Maximus, just tell me where she is? Nobody else will be honest with me."
Maximus sighed. He tore his gaze away from the balcony and faced me. He placed his hands on both of my shoulders. I tilted my head to look up at him. My brother's expression was unreadable, something that caused yet another shudder to run down my spine. "Camelia's Terrigenesis didn't go quite as… well… as yours did," he told me. "I mean, you are aware that she collapsed after being let out of the pod, aren't you?" When I nodded, he continued. "She got sick, and don't ask me what exactly happened in that regard, because I know as little as you do. But what you need to know is that she had been unable to go through the Testing due to her illness."
A pang of guilt seized hold of me, a large hand clutching at my stomach and twisting it, nails digging into my intestines. Here I was, worrying so much about my own problems, when my best friend was going through her own pain. I couldn't help but to fall into an awful sense of despair over what Maximus just told me. I mentally scolded myself for being such a selfish twat. Camelia was, after all, a close second to my Max when it came to the list of people that I cared about. "Can…" I started.
My throat was dry. I coughed to clear it. "Can I see her? Can I visit her? Can I talk to her? Can I… please? I need to…" My voice trailed off. The questions were running through my mind on an endless loop. Camelia was sick? She was going through more tests? What kind of sickness? The thoughts continued to run in a constant loop. "I feel so bad, Max, please let me see her." Though I left the words unspoken, part of me couldn't help but to wonder if it were MY fault. After all, I had badgered and pleaded and begged for Camelia to go through the Terrigenesis Ceremony with me.
Had I not done that, perhaps she could have been given more attention after she stepped from the pod. Perhaps she would not need to have been left in that pod for so long, if I wasn't there. If such a fuss weren't made over me. As I was thinking all of this, my Max spoke again. "It would be best for you to give her and her family some time, Natalia." Wait, what? He continued on. "They're going to be a little stressed over what's going on at the moment, so they will need time, space and privacy."
I must have tensed up, because he lifted his hand from off of my shoulder and cupped my face. I leaned in to his touch. "I know you worry, little sister, I can see it in your eyes. Everything will work out for the best, though. You just concentrate on what you need to do and give Camelia and the rest of the Ivanskiar's the time that they need. All will be well, Talia, alright? Can you trust me when I say that?"
I relaxed somewhat. "Of course I trust you, Maximus." I closed my eyes and a soft sigh escaped from my lips. Yes, I was STILL concerned over my friend's wellbeing. I was STILL worried about what was going on with her. Voicing it only brought those horrific thoughts to the forefront. There was nothing I could do about that — save for pushing the thoughts away again, but I felt that this was going to be selfish of me, and I'd been selfish enough already. At the same time, if Maximus said that everything was going to be okay, then I would believe him. I trusted my dearest brother more than I trusted even myself. If Maximus stated that the sky was neon green, then I would believe him.
For this, I could afford myself a sense of peace. Everything would work out for the betterment in the end. Everything would be okay. If those words came from Maximus' lips, then how could anything else be true? 'I'll give it a bit and then ask to visit Camelia again' I told myself, closing my eyes, 'we will be reunited once more. But not now, Natalia, all in due time,' I reminded myself.
The brief tranquility of the moment was broken when my comm-link began beeping on my wrist. I lifted my arm to look at it. 1:30, the reading said. It was alerting me that it was time for me to get going to my first lesson. I felt upset at having to be torn away from my Max, but there was nothing for me to do about it. "I have to go, brother," I said, "I've got to go to my lessons. I'll see you around, Max." My arms found their way around his waist again, I hugged him for a split second to give myself a bit of courage for what was to come. "I love you."
I never wasted an opportunity to say that to my brother. Even if I may not have been incredibly forthcoming with those words, I was ALWAYS going to tell it to my Max no matter what. Lord knows he needs someone out there to treat him properly. Maximus held me for a moment, placing a hand on the back of my hair. "I love you too, Talia. Now run along for your lessons. And good luck with them."
See? How in the world could ANYONE dare to say that my Max was a lesser being when he was capable of treating me with such tenderness and compassion as this? When he showed me all the love in the world? When he cared for me in the way that big brothers were SUPPOSED to care for their little sisters? But that was just the way it all fell into place, though. Max and I were always the closest of the Boltagon siblings. After our parents died and Black Bolt was locked in the Quiet Room, all that we truly had was each other. Maximus truly did take on the father figure and brother role to me.
It took me about fifteen or so minutes to get to the room that had been set out for me to attend lessons in. It was large and classroom style. There was a desk in the middle of the room, a board across from it. The walls were a tranquil white in color. I knocked on the door, though it was open, out of politeness, feeling a sense of apprehension as I did so. 'Get it together, Natalia,' I thought, 'it's just a lesson, what's the harm? You're a princess, you need to behave like it. You represent the Boltagon family name in all that you do.'
"Enter." It was a male's voice, one without a noticeable accent. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The man that leaned against the desk was tall, about 6'2 in height. His hair was a sandy blonde in color, cropped short. He had green eyes, and a warm, friendly smile on his face. Seeing that smile, it made me relax. A friendly face definitely makes a nerve-wracking situation feel better, now wouldn't you agree? I steeled myself. Game. Face. On. The man turned to face me. "Ah, welcome. You must be the princess, yes?"
"Yes," I replied, extending a hand to him, "my name is Princess Natalia. I hear your name is Samuel?"
We shook hands. Samuel stepped away and bowed before me. "That is correct," he said, "I will be your tutor for the foreseeable future, Your Highness," he said. He sounded almost… giddy… when he addressed me by title. Another 'royalist' perhaps? Another sycophantic Inhuman devoted to those who sat, or would sit, upon the throne? His next words confirmed this thought. "And please, before we begin, let me just say what an honor it is for me to be teaching a member of the royal family. A true privilege. I hope that I can do justice to both you and my king and queen."
'Well, Black Bolt and Medusa aren't attending these lessons, so you don't have to worry about them, do you?' I thought, but of course didn't say the words aloud. I kept a sweet and demure smile on my lips. "I'm very thankful that you've agreed to teach me, sir," I told him. "It's appreciated." Yes, that's right. Stroking egos was something that would get me to have my way. This is an important lesson that I've learned over the years and one that I've tried to hone into perfection.
"Please, Your Highness, just call me Samuel. Sir is far too formal, and besides, it makes me feel old." Samuel chuckled.
"Of course, Samuel." Despite his desire for me to be 'informal' when addressing him, I wasn't about to tell him to address ME by name. Samuel may have wanted to be casual, but that didn't mean I wasn't still a princess. It didn't mean that I still ought to have been respected and treated with the level of deference that ought to have been shown towards me.
Samuel gestured towards the seat and desk across from his own. "Please, be seated, Your Highness," he requested. Feeling a sense of apprehension that the tutoring was now about to begin, I went to the seat, pulled it out, and sat down. I folded my hands one over the other on the desk, straightening my back. Focusing all of my attentions on Samuel as he spoke. "Princess Natalia," he said, measuring his words carefully, "before we begin with our sessions together, please be aware that King Black Bolt and Queen Medusa have informed me of everything that has happened during your Terrigenesis Ceremony."
The instant those words left his mouth, my heart began pounding in my chest. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt my insides begin to shrivel up with the anxiety. He knew, I thought, staring at the man stood before me. He knew about what I'd done to Council Leader Viktron. Oh, I suppose that I shouldn't have been too surprised, right? After all, the attack of a Genetic Council member by the Princess of Attilan was BIG news.
Yet even as I tried to rationalize these thoughts, I couldn't help but to be concerned about whether or not what Samuel would think of me. "I…" I started to say, in an attempt to… to apologize? To speak up for myself? To make him understand my side of things? To do all of the above?
But Samuel kept a patient and understanding look on his face. He noticed the fear that must have covered my face and smiled reassuringly. "It's quite alright, Princess. You do not need to worry; I am here to help you, and not to judge you. The king and queen merely informed me of what happened so that I could better understand the work that we will need to do."
"I…" The words fell from my lips in a stutter. "I r-really didn't mean…"
"It's okay, Your Highness," he repeated. His voice was soothing. "As I said, I am not here to judge or to make you feel at all uncomfortable. All that I wish is to help you to better learn to control your powers. To understand from your perspective so that together we can prevent what happened during your Terrigenesis Ceremony from happening again. There is no need for you to feel shamed here. I promise you, that whatever you say within this room will NOT be spoken about with anyone else. You can speak to me in confidence, Your Highness."
Speak to him in confidence? Even as young and inexperienced as I was, I understood that this would not be the case. Samuel was working for the royal family, and with Black Bolt and Medusa being the heads of that, he would no doubt go back and report to them on the progress that I'd been making. If, indeed, I was to make any progress at all. At the same time, part of me recognized that Samuel was trying to make me feel more comfortable and at ease, and I guess I could be grateful to him for that. We were somewhat far off me actually TRUSTING him, however, but we could make a decent start. I told myself to allow that.
"We will not do anything too heavy in this first lesson," Samuel informed me. "Today, what I want to do is to grasp a better understanding of your powers and to help you to understand them, too. I believe that if you know what drives you to use your powers, and what brings them out of you. In doing so, I hope that you'll learn how to control them… rather than them controlling you." He paused for a moment. "Princess Natalia, are you aware that many psychic gifts are based on the emotions of the user?"
I chewed on the index of my index finger. "Oh?"
"This is not always the case, of course," Samuel said, "but through my understanding and research in the matter, I have learned that many Inhumans who first manifest psychic abilities, find that these powers are tied heavily to the emotions that they are feeling at the time. This is, and forgive my assumptions, Highness, but I believe that this is the case with you. From my earlier discussion with the King and Queen, I believe that your powers, and most notably your power of Thoughtography, is based on how you feel."
I remembered the fear. The pain. The unbridled RAGE that I felt towards the Genetic's Council. The bubbling anger at being left to cower on the floor with nobody offering me even the slightest hint of understanding or compassion. I thought about how I wanted nothing more than to make the people who had done this do me SUFFER. I thought about the buzzing and whining noise in my head that came up every time I felt even the slightest bit annoyed. Samuel's theory made sense, in my opinion. It did seem as though my powers could be drawn from the emotions that I was feeling at the time. Though, this did not explain the horrible images that my sick mind cooked up.
"You believe that my powers can be… that I can learn to control them if I learn to control my emotions, then?" The question may be simple, I may sound like an idiot for asking it, but I wanted to be sure that we were on the same page there. Controlling my emotions would be a lot easier said than done. There were certain things in life that made my blood boil, and I knew that trying to remain calm in the face of THOSE situations would be rather difficult. In the back of my mind, I prayed that Samuel wouldn't offer me some bullshit theory such as to count to ten or hold my breath. Those things never worked, did they?
"That is exactly right, Princess," he said. He went around behind his desk and removed a stack of white paper. He placed the paper down in front of me. "For your first lesson, we'll start out with something simple. All that I want you to do is to try to put the images in your mind onto these pages. Don't try to think of anything specific. Just… let anything that comes to your mind go down on the paper. I want to get a sense as to what your subconscious mind will come up with. Next week, we will discuss these and what you think they may mean. Can you do that for me, Your Highness?"
I nodded. It was all I could do, although this was reminding me far too much of my Genetic Testing. What was it with people and wanting to SEE the horrific images that came from my mind? Were they as masochistic as I seemed to be sadistic? Or was it something else entirely? Some other form of sick and twisted "interest" in the gruesome pictures that I concocted. I could only hope that the pictures I gave to Samuel would not be as awful as the ones I'd shown to Viktron.
"Thank you, Your Highness. When you have finished, please inform me, and I shall collect the images from you." This made me feel a little unsure. What was he going to do with these pictures once he'd collected them? Show them off to his friends? Use them to have a gossip? 'Oh, look at the pictures the princess made for me, isn't she a right little freak?' Yep. There went my mind, bitching and moaning and coming to the worst conclusions as always. I mentally scolded myself for that before putting my focus and concentration on the task at hand.
Closing my eyes, I placed a hand upon a sheet of paper. I concentrated on burning pictures from my mind. Nothing happened. I tried again. And again, nothing happened. I began to feel a bit frustrated with myself. Why did I even HAVE to go through with this? To stop me from hurting another Genetic Council member? To prevent what happened to Viktron from happening to anyone else? I couldn't help but to feel a sense of frustration boiling my blood. Again, it felt as though I were the one suffering the most.
This may sound selfish, it may sound completely wrong, but over the past week I had managed to convince myself that Council Leader Viktron deserved what he got. He deserved for me to lose control of my newfound powers and lash out at him. He deserved to hurt. He deserved to be tormented by nightmares of the images that I had placed in his head. He deserved to see what it was like to be me in that moment. He deserved to go through my pain, to see the ramifications of his actions. After all, what comfort did he offer me?
Did he go to pick me up from the floor? Did he soothe me while I cried? Did he offer a hand to lift me up? Or did he merely stand there like a load and stare as though he were looking at a freak-show attraction in the circus? Staring at me with wide-eyes and a cold expression on his face. No compassion, no empathy. Not one ounce of either of those things did he bestow upon me, so why then should I have shown any to him? See, that's the simple logic of the situation, isn't it?
All the same, I knew that I would have to make the effort to control my powers. If not for myself, then for the safety of the ones that I DID care about. It was very easy for me to rationalize hurting a council-member, after all. Whether or not you agree with my thoughts on Viktron, they did come from a logic and sound fallacy of reasoning. I would be able to defend my actions against him until the cows came home. I knew that I would be able to rationalize this in my mind and heart to stop myself from feeling guilty about it.
Yet if I were to attack a member of my family, then I knew I would not be able to assuage the guilt that I'd feel. That feeling of remorse that came from hurting someone I loved, a remorse that I knew would not be so easy to just 'get over'. If I lost control of myself and did to one of my family what I did to Viktron, then I knew the guilt would just eat me up alive. It would swallow me up like a black-hole and there would be no escape from it. None whatsoever. And heaven forbid, if I were to EVER hurt Maximus…
Even the mere thought of using my powers to harm my brother was enough to make me feel sick. That had been a horrifying prospect that haunted me from the very instance that I'd seen Viktron lying on the floor. From the very second, I had been told how dangerous my powers were, and the damage they could potentially do to a person's mind and brain should they get out of control. If anything were to happen to my Max, if I were to even give him just a tiny migraine, oh, I shudder at the thought. I would rather give my own life than ever hurt him. I would rather spend a MILLION years slaving in the mines than even entertain the thought of bringing pain to my Max for a split second.
'Come on, Natalia! Come on, you can DO this!' I looked over at Samuel who was seated at his desk and writing something down on his notes. I placed the palm of my hand to my temple and pushed in, hard. 'Damn it, I have to do this. For my family. For my Max. Come on. I have to do this NOW!'
The pictures, after some time, finally began to show themselves. It started with the horrendous headache and the buzzing sound that deafened me. Then, the images. The pictures that filled my mind. Such awful and gruesome things again — dead corpses, rotting flesh, bloodied and burned flesh. The sight of Attilan on fire. The Genetic's Council burning alive, oozing and bubbling blackened flesh. My stomach churned as they came before my mind. One, two, three, four — on and on again. I clutched at my throat, covering my mouth as I felt I was going to retch. What in the name of HELL was wrong with me?
Then, mercifully, the images stopped. The buzzing sound became little less than a faint humming before it cut out entirely. My mind was my own once more. I stared in open-mouthed shock at the pictures that had been burned onto the paper before me. They looked, for all the world, as though they had been taken with an expensive camera. But no. They had come from my mind. "What the fuck, Natalia?" I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. Why were the worst of the worst images coming forth into my psyche? This was madness.
"I…" I stood up and gathered the paper into my hands. "I-I'm done." I glanced at the clock on the wall. Forty minutes had passed. It was coming up for three o-clock. Had it taken me THAT long to activate my powers? Why, when it only took me mere seconds to hurt Viktron? No matter now. I simply extended the paper to Samuel, my little hands trembling.
He took the paper from me. His expression was stoic as he looked down at some of the pictures I'd created. Oh, how I wished that I could read minds so that I could get an understanding of what he was thinking. Of how the images I'd created made him feel. Did he seem a little pale, or was that just my imagination? Oh, how I hoped it to be the latter. Samuel placed my "creations" down on his desk and faced me.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I will take a look at these, and next week, we shall discuss them further. I will arrange another time for us to meet. In the meantime, I want you to concentrate on being aware of your emotions. Every time that you may feel that you are going to lose control, or every time that you DO lose control, I would like you to take note of what you were feeling at the time. We will then discuss this next week, so that I can gauge whether there are certain triggers that may hinder your control over your powers."
I nodded, feeling almost numb. Samuel and I exchanged a parting few words of thanks, and that was it. My first lesson, done. Somewhat easier than I'd been expecting — though in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but worry about what the next session, the next day, would bring…
Hope you enjoyed! In the next chapter, Natalia spends an afternoon with Crystal, Medusa's little sister. But will a friendship form between the two girls, and if it does, can Natalia keep her powers under control? Thank you to everyone who reads! Please feel free to comment and subscribe or vote. It's always appreciated!