Alliar

The room quietened down as Kya and I strolled in, her with a wide and appreciative smile on her face and I with my gazed focused on the chair and my lips in a pout. If I can just make it through to the chair then I should be fine, all swell and dandy — at least that's what I thought. Letting the servant pull out my chair for me I quickly thanked him and took my seat, only raising my eyes once to meet my brothers. His eyes like mine resembled our fathers cool grey ones, although they were often blue at times when one was in a pleasant mood — unlike his eyes now, telling me he furious with something.

Gaining a little confidence and mainly curiosity I turned my attention to Sebastian seated just to the left of Tristan. He resembled his mother in looks and personality — a fact that King Petar despised but everyone else seemed to rejoice — with his deep red hair that was often mistaken for the colour brown and his light brown eyes that were like golden suns and a quiet personality. Sebastian was the type to sit back and watch the chaos crumble around him, unless of course the chaos crumbled a little too close to him or his loved ones in which case he became like his father, ruthless and ambitious.

Sebastian gave me a small smile and quick nodded greeting in which I returned before looking down the table. King Petar in all his glory sat at the head with his eyes fixed a glare at the two boys opposite me, his lips set in a firm line and his slightly overweight figure looked tense in his chair. His blond hair had started it's long decent to the colour grey and his blue eyes were heated with unspoken words — no doubt the ones Kya and I interrupted with our pleasant arrival.

Turning to my mother who was now fussing over Kya and attempting to straighten her dress I noticed the few grey hairs starting to appear in her hair and the small wrinkles around her eyes which unsettled me slightly. She looked up at me and gave a small smile while her eyes promised me a long scolding later. Taking a deep breath I suddenly wished that Arthur was here to settle the tensions at the table but since he was my father's bastard he was not even welcome inside the castle. Arthur had to live out in the town but even then he often slept with one eye open and was only living in this town at my mother's mercy as she considers him a son.

Because my father Cyion was a King in his own right and only died in the recent war that was still coming to its bloody end we as his children needed to be careful as royal children are often killed to prevent the people flocking to their aid which was why my mother married so quickly after his death — to provide protection for her children and secure her sons crown. My brother was now a King and had agreed to work in conjunction with Sebastian when he accepts his father's crown to create one large kingdom instead of just two small ones — although even put together we were still easy pickings for the three larger kingdoms. The North was largest but the land was harsh and almost un-penetrable. The East was made of hills and mountains making it a true struggle to rage war without being saluted like livestock — as many have found out. The South, the smallest of the three but by far the richest and therefore the one that had the best paid guards and warriors one would ever face. And then you had the Western kingdoms which were simply made up of three small kingdoms; Petar's, my fathers and King Useck.

"Forgive us for our bad timing." I apologized to no one in particular and for no true reason except that it was polite and expected of me.

"That's quiet alright my dear." Petar said breaking his deathly glare with his son and step son and bringing it over to me. There was a hardness to him that I never quite understood but he had treated my brother and I like his own and I was grateful for the protection he has offered us over the years. "We were just discussing politics."

"Anything I should concern myself with?" I asked not really caring too much. I listened to what they said even though most men assume women don't understand the details and can't comprehend the issues, my brothers and King Petar usually tell me anyways as the last time they didn't I made quite the scene and earned myself a short tempered descriptor.

Petar drew in a long deep breath and opened his mouth ready to begin what looked like a draining conversation when Tristan interrupted with quick words "Actually there is..." He started but my mother interjected.

"Can we please just get through dinner before the debate begins once again?" She pleaded and Tristan stayed quiet knowing far too well then to go against my mother, although she looks weak and innocent we as her children knew all too well she was as deadly as a viper in the grass if you pushed her too much and her punishments were the worst.

"Did you enjoy your trip Mother?" Kya asked as the food was being bought out and placed in front of us.

"Yes I did and I bought you back something, a jewel from the Kings isle." She told her. Kya's loud gasp and excitement spread across the room setting everyone at ease.

We ate mostly in silence, my brothers and step father like lions in the tall the grass waiting to pounce as the moment of opportunity closed in and I staying silent to mostly avoid my mother's wrath when she discovered that I had skipped todays lessons to watch my brothers try and kill each other in an arena for the title of this week's champion.

 "Alliar, I went to see you at your lessons today but Sister Clairea told me you were unattended." My mother said, her eyes burning into me as she studied my movements. I knew not to lie to her since she would see through the tale like it is simply glass in a window.

I pushed my food round my plate, buying me some time before answering. "Yes I went for a walk." I was brief and technically it wasn't a lie as I did have to walk to get to the arena I just didn't go as far to say that I was in the gardens like I had with Sister Clairea.

"A walk? And where did you walk too?"

"Uh well, many places." Although I refuse to name them as they may result in my early demise.

"Like the arena in the guard?" She got straight to the point.

Taking a deep breath I bit my lip not wanting the word yes to leave my mouth. "Yes mother."

"Alliar, how many times must I tell you, you need to attend these lessons?"

"I know but I have learnt everything Sister Clairea has to offer me, the only other thing that can further my knowledge is reading and travel." I explained hoping I may be able to talk my way out of this particular predicament.

"There are still more things for you to learn, more important things that you will need in life, perhaps sooner than one might think," She almost sounded as if she were pleading with me.

"But I don't find any interest in them and I doubt I will need to know what she has been teaching us." Although I wasn't exactly sure what she would be teaching me since I never attended but from conversations I have with other noble born girls about my age it was all about the right way to plan a ball and pleasing your future husband.

"You may need these lessons one day young Miss."

"Or I may not." I muttered under my breath so that my mother would hear no more than a mumble.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Mother." I smiled at her and went back to pushing my food around my plate deciding that I wasn't hungry.

The rest of dinner passed uneventful but by the end of the meal the tensions between Petar and the boys had returned. "Kya, why don't you go to bed now?" Petar ordered his daughter just as she put her fork down on the table. With her eyes wide she looked between all of us as if silently begging to stay but getting no response. Kya looked over to our mother but my mother just nodded agreeing that she should retire for the night.

I watch my little sister leave the room with a heavy heart, if she was being sent to bed and everyone else was staying then that meant that they wanted to discuss business that concerned me too — which meant I was not going to like where this conversation was going to go. Turning back to the remaining people at the table I eyed them all curiously. Tristan didn't look me in the eyes and my mother was clearly saddened, Sebastian looked slightly uncomfortable and sum what furious but Petar seemed totally at easy.

"What is this about?" I asked as I put my cutlery down on my plate and sat my hands in my lap, lacing my fingers together.

"The war is coming to an end, the kingdoms are already at peace but we as a small kingdom need to be careful." Petar started to explain.

"The only reason we need to be careful is because you and King Useck decided you were going to take on the South!" Tristan cut in, raising his voice and narrowing his eyes at Petar. I looked over to my mother expecting her to scold him for shouting at our step father like she had done on many other occasions but there was nothing, not even a disapproving look towards her son.

"You should remember your place son."

"I know my place and I am not your son."

"His right father." Sebastian interrupted the argument. "You both made a grave mistake thinking you could take on The South and now we must all pay for it." He spoke with the wisdom of the ages.

Petar glared at the two boys and I suddenly put it all together. If my mother and both brothers were furious it's because he went behind their backs to start a war and the only way to fix a war is an alliance — although neither side would trust each other unless they offered up a match. Which means they plan to marry me off.

"You want to marry me off?" I questioned in disgust.

"Oh no dear sister, its worse he's selling you." Tristan spat as his hand itched over to his sword hanging from his belt.

"It's the only way to create peace." Petar said in a soft tone.

"To who?"

"King Edward Thorn of the Rise" he informed me. I knew this name well. King Edward was young in his early twenties and gained his crown like my own brother after his father fell in war. He was the ruler of the entire East which is known as the kingdom on the rise, a very unimaginatively name if you ask me since it was named because of the sunrise that hit them first each morning and was made up of mostly hills and mountains.

"And what in Hell's name did you think was going to happen? That I would offer myself up to atone for your mistakes?!" I shouted and rose to my feet to show him just how intimidating I can be.

"You are a Princess and that is what you're born for so yes, yes I do!" He pushed his chair back making a loud bang echo through the room as the heavy wood fell on the stone floors.

"That may be so but I am not your princess and you are not my father." I glared at him showing just how serious I was. He couldn't make me marry him, although he was my guardian my brother was the one who held the right to marry me off against my will and not my step farther.

"I raised you under this roof..." He started but Sebastian and Tristan pounced on the opportunity. The chaos reigned around me and I only just noticed my mother had slipped away, she didn't like conflict but I knew my mother was not at ease with Petar's decision or else she would have given the 'What's Expected of me speech' and then my brother's would have sooner backed off the sensitive issue but sitting back and saying nothing was only encouraging my defence.

Deciding that I had had enough of this debate I silently slipped away into the shadows of the banner covered walls and crept along them until I found my door. Pushing open my door I walked in and jumped a little as I found my mother standing by my window, looking off into the distance. Her light brown hair was pushed back behind her ears and collected in a tangled braid behind her as her green eyes stared blankly out into the distance. I swallowed and decided to clear my throat so that she would know I was in the room.

She jumped a little and her green eyes blinked quickly as she turned to face me, a small sad smile finding its way onto her lips. "My sweet girl." She said as she walked towards me and cupped my face, holding me gently as her thumbs stroked my skin and her lips placed a small kiss on my forehead. She pulled back a little and her watery eyes searched me as if trying to read my thoughts as if they were written on my forehead for all to see. "I am so sorry." She breathed, her voice barely audible.

"It's not your fault Mother." I said running my hand over her arm that was still holding my face in an attempt to reassure her. Looking in her eyes now I saw not only sadness but the guilt she feels and secrets that have pushed themselves between us in the past years.

"Come, I have something for you." She smiled at me and took my hand in hers, gently tugging me over towards the large feathered bed in the middle of my room. We sat down on the edge of the bed and my curious eyes watched my mother carefully as she picked up the necklace that had once sat on my bed waiting for me to find it. She held it in front of me a moment before placing it in my hands. The cool silver tickled my hand as I turned it over in my palm. It was truly beautiful. The silver pendant was a locket of some sort, carved out in the shape of a bow and arrow — the same bow and arrow that was my father's sigil — but what had my attention was the rare crystal inside the pendant, seen from the gaps in silver on the front. The crystal was a blue grey colour that matched my eyes and looked almost like it had swirling patterns through the thick rock like substance.

"It's beautiful." I said to my mother, keeping my eyes on the pendent.

"I thought you would like this more than some jewel." She smiled and tucked a stray lock of brown hair behind my ear.

"So much more."

"Here, let me help you." She grasped the necklace and gently pulled it around my neck and clasped it shut so that it now hung on its own down my front. The chain was thick but light and the pendant sat level with my breasts meaning it would stay hidden under my dress during the day.

"Thank you mother."

"You needn't thank me, it's my job to bring joy to my daughters." She smiled but it didn't last. "Starting tomorrow you will be at every lesson do you understand Alliar?"

I nodded not trusting myself to speak.

"Good. There are things that you do not know but you will need to in the next coming weeks. The Sisters can't teach you but they can prepare you and it will make everything so much easier, you may not want to right now but one day you will thank the Sisters as I did when I went through it."

"I know, I just despise it all." I confessed being truthful.

She smiled at that and kissed my forehead once again. "So did I. Now I better go and let your sister talk to you or else you two will never get to bed." She said and started towards the door.

Sister? Kya was here?

Just as the door shut behind my mother it soon opened again with a saddened Kya, dragging her feet and tugging at her small night gown that looked a little big on her. I smiled at my sister and held out my arms to welcome her into a hug. She embraced me, squeezing her arms around me as I pulled her down on the bed beside me. "What are you doing here, you're supposed to be in bed?" I asked as I pushed the curls out of her face and behind her ear.

"Mother said you might be going away to get married."

I sighed deeply. I may not be keen on the idea but I couldn't and would not let my family and kingdom pay for my selfish behaviour — we have all lost so much already. "Maybe." I told her.

"No you can't go. I won't let you." She hugged me tighter and buried her face in my dress.

"Nothing's certain." I said as I stroked her hair trying to sooth her. "We'll still see each other."

"No we won't. You'll be on the other side of the country, it will take weeks to see you." She exclaimed, the pain of losing me was laced in her voice.

"We'll find a way, I promise."

I hugged her close and continued to comfort her. I don't know why but this felt like I was saying goodbye, it felt as if this was the last time I would ever have the chance to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be okay when in fact it wasn't and the thought pained me more than any knife could. The thought of saying goodbye to my sister gave me more pain than any other instrument could ever inflict. But this wasn't goodbye. No I was sure of it. Tomorrow I would wake up and there she would be at that the table for breakfast and even if I do leave to get married we would still have each other and we would still write to one another and I would make it my mission to see her at least once a year.

          ▪▪▪

Well now there is my lastest chapter hope you all enjoyed please do give me any feedback, good or bad so i can improve.

Please vote and comment.