SPAIN AGAIN! 😍 This is kind of how I imagine the Scorpallis lands. Maybe a little drier but with a little plant life, clear blue skies and blue waters. It's kind of like a desert but not quite. I don't know, what do you all think?

.....

"Isla, what's that on your bed?" Tanya asks as we get back to our room in the Academy. We stayed in Zola for a couple of days, but now it's time to return to our studies. I look at my bed and see a red box. With a frown, I walk over and open it. A gasp escapes my lips when I see what's inside.

Isla,
Now that you're a queen, I thought it would be best you wore this from now on.
Lady Aspen and I had it specially made for you.
High Queen Katrina.

I take the note out and look at the new uniform underneath. Slowly, I pull it from its box and put it on. It is very similar to my old uniform. There is a bodysuit and a hard corset around my stomach. There are leather straps that go from my stomach and up to the hard material around the neck and shoulders. There are also straps around the legs and waist for my weapons. However, the material is white, instead of black. Silver dragons have been engraved into the hard material around my stomach, neck and shoulders. They have also been engraved into the pads on my wrists and knees. The uniform is beautiful.

"Wow," Serenity whispers as I walk into our room wearing it, my weapons attached to the various straps.

"It looks great!" Tanya almost shouts, "though we are running late to our Princess Kayleigh's class," she warns. The three of us look at each other and race down the stairs and through the building to our classroom. As we enter, I am shocked to see Princess Kayleigh bowing. Once she has risen, she frowns at us.

"As you are now a queen I must bow," she tells us. "However, that does not excuse you from being late. Sit." Toryn is already at his desk, looking smug.

"Now," the Princess begins as we take a seat, "the four of you are pretty much know everything you need to know, you can now pick the two lessons you will attend instead of our private tutoring."

"Does this mean you're returning to your palace?" I ask.

"Trying to get rid of me?" she chuckles. My eyes widen.

"Of course not," I say. She beams and continues.

"I have decided that I will be staying for the rest of this year so that if you have any questions or there are things you'd like to go over, I am always here to help."

"Thank you," Serenity says with a soft smile.

"But now, let's focus on what you'd all like to do for the rest of the year. You need to pick two subjects that replace our first tutor session and our last one."

My siblings pick subjects pretty quickly. Of course, Serenity has chosen horticulture along with art. Tanya has picked mathematics and sciences as well as taking an extra lesson of dance. Toryn has chosen metal work along with mathematics, like Tanya. I, however, am still unsure about what to choose. 

"What about you Isla?" Princess Kayleigh asks. I frown then sigh. 

"I don't know." 

"Well, when you were younger, you used to play the cello." I raise my eyebrows in shock. 

"Really?" I ask as a wave of sadness runs through me. Yet another thing I can't remember. 

"Yes, you were very good at it. Perhaps you should do music. It may even unearth more memories." the Princess Suggests. 

"Okay, what else?" I ask. 

"How about an academic subject?" Tanya asks. I frown. 

"No," I sigh. "I don't think that's right," I say. 

"You could try art with me," Serenity says and I frown again. 

"We do have sports classes," Princess Kayleigh suggests. I think for a second. 

"Okay," I sigh. "I'll try that."

"Great, now, I'd best take you to your first lessons," she beams.

I walk into the music classroom. It is filled with a variety of instruments and my eyes widen. It is a mixture of students. Royals, High families and common people. Maryanne is in this class as is Yvette. I also recognise some of the High family members. The teacher at the front of the room smiles.

"Ahhhh, Queen Isla," she beams as she and the rest of the class bow. "Come, come and take a seat." All the students are sat on purple cushions in a circle and I find an empty one next to Maryanne. Almost as if she knew I would be coming...

"My name is Corrine and I am the music teacher," she tells me. I notice she wears brown, meaning she is not a High family or a Royal. "We're just starting with a little vocal warmup. Feel free to watch and join in if you want." I nod my head. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as everyone begins to sing a melody in perfect harmonies. It's soft and hauntingly beautiful. Everyone knows the tune and what pitch they are meant to be singing. 

"Just find a point that suits your voice and join in," Corrine smiles at me. 

"But I don't know the tune," I reply, slightly embarrassed. 

"It will come to you," she smiles. I gulp and begin to sing. My voice naturally finds the right pitch to the music and I begin to sing along. It is like my voice knows what to do and as the song continues, I begin to recognise the tune. Memories flash through my mind of my parents teaching it to me and singing the tune in the grand ballroom of our palace. Only it has words going along to the melody. It is the song of Shadow.  Once it ends, there are a few seconds of silence as I absorb what I've just heard. 

"Do you recognise it Isla?" Corrine asks softly. I nod my head. She smiles brightly. "Great, we always begin the lesson with this song." 

Corrine lets the others get on with what they need so that she can concentrate on me. From a storeroom, she pulls out a cello. 

"Do you remember playing?" she asks me. 

"No," I sigh sadly. She smiles warmly. So she teaches me how to position it and how to hold the bow along with other basics. It isn't long before I am playing a simple tune. The strings squeak and frustration fills me. 

"Isla," Corrine sooths. "You don't have to get it straight away. You've not played for seven years."

"I don't even remember playing," I sigh, exasperated. There's still so much I can't remember in my life and it frustrates me. 

"It will come back slowly, you still have plenty of time. Instead of getting angry, enjoy the process of learning again. Enjoy practising and hearing yourself get better. You're free to use this room whenever you'd like to practice outside lesson time."

"Thank you," I say, grateful for her kind words. 

"No, you'd all best head off for your next lessons," she instructs and we all leave. 

The rest of the day passes quickly. The last lesson of my day is now sports. The sport that is being studied this month is gymnastics. It is fun, learning how to flip and do all sorts of elegant stretches. The time passes quickly. Before long, it is the end of the day and I'm with my siblings in our room again. We don't speak, only rest in each other's warmth. Today was another big step in continuing to learn about ourselves. 

"We ought to go to bed," I say after a while. 

"Night," Toryn sighs as he walks into his room. The three of us make our way up to our room and get changed. For a while I stand at the archways, looking out over the city as the sun sets. 

"Are you okay, Isla?" Serenity asks, wrapping her arms around my waist. Tanya comes over too. 

"Yeah," I sigh. "Come on, we should get some sleep," I tell them. They nod their heads and make our way to our beds. I sigh deeply as sleep comes quickly. 

I race across a field. The wind rushes through my hair and a white dress flows around my knees. My fingers swipe over the tall grass. I look to my left and see my sisters running alongside me. On my right, is my brother. We smile and laugh as we run. Everything seems to move in slow motion. Especially when an arrow rushes past my head. My eyes widen as another arrow heads straight toward us. It doesn't go past my head this time. Instead, it buries itself into Serenity's stomach. I scream as more plough into her torso and blood flies everywhere. The three of us race toward her fallen body. Around is chaos. War. Shifters battle against monsters and magic. 

"Serenity!" I scream as I reach her body. Toryn races over then fall as an arrow protrudes from his chest. 

"No!" I scream as he collapses next to Serenity. Tanya looks up at me, heartbroken. Around us, piles of shifters are slaughtered. 

"Isla! Isla!" Tanya shouts as angry tears run down her face as she clutches her twin's body.  "You've killed us!" My breaths are heavy with devastation and fear. She looks at all the shifters dying around us. 

"You've killed us all!"

I wake suddenly, sweat covering my body and bed sheets. Tanya and Serenity lie asleep in their beds, sound. With shaking breaths, I rub the tears from my eyes. I stumble to the bathing room and submerge my body in the water. I'm a queen, a leader. I can't help but feel I'm going to get everyone I love killed.