He chuckled, ‘smart girl.’
At that moment, we entered the kingdom’s capital, Síosa.
As we rode through the streets, I gazed at all the houses we passed. There was not a single dull or insanely dark house in sight. They were all pastel blues, pinks, purples, and several other bright, yet soft colours – but I didn’t have time to wonder at the town and its people, the styling and colours of their clothes like that of Ancient Greece and Rome, because we were nearing the end of the town road.
‘Are you ready to see your birth parents again, Princess?’ asked Jaron as we neared the dazzling palace’s silver gates.
‘I think so...’ I answered as two armoured guards came from either side of the large gates to allow us through.
The two of them bowed to me as I passed through the now open gates, greeting me cheerfully. ‘Welcome home, Your Highness.’
I smiled shyly at them and then returned my attention to the palace ahead of me – the home I had finally returned to.
‘Jaron, what is it in the bricks that makes them glitter in the sunlight?’ I asked.
‘I am afraid I don’t know, Your Highness,’ he answered, and then added, ‘I’ve never asked that question myself, and I don’t believe it my place to. If you ever ask your parents, let me know what they say?’ before winking at me as the palace’s tall doors, their wooden surface etched with intricate patterns and symbols, loomed before us.
‘Open the doors and inform the king and queen that their daughter has been brought home’ Jaron told the men in front of the doors, dismounting as the guard nodded to his companion and the two of them opened the grand doors.
As the other knights dismounted around us, Harry also dismounted and turned to me, placing his hands on my waist and lifting me gently onto the ground, as some young men arrived to take the horses back to the stables, which could be seen a few metres to the left of the palace.
‘Come, Princess Oraelia. It is time to meet your birth parents...and your brother.’
A Tearful Reunion
I blinked at Jaron in surprise.
‘I have a brother?!’
‘Yes, though you are not biologically related. Your parents found him washed up on a beach after a shipwreck when he was nine years old, almost at Death’s door, and brought him back here where our doctors and nurses brought him back to health. Your parents saved his life, and have since then treated him as if he were their own, much like your adoptive parents did when they took you into their care’ he replied as we stepped over the threshold of the palace, Harry, Kenton, and the other knights following behind.
As the palace’s oak doors closed almost soundlessly behind us, I looked around in wonder at what I supposed was the palace’s foyer or lobby and, after marvelling at the soft pastel colours of the walls and soft furnishings around me, I turned to Jaron who stood slightly ahead of me with the others.
‘There will be time to wonder at your home’s beauty later, Your Highness, the daylight is fading and there is still your welcome home banquet to be had after reuniting you with your parents’ Tarrent , who stood closest to a large archway, told me with an amused express on his face.
‘Right. Yes. Sorry’ I replied, hurrying to where they were all stood.
‘There is no need to apologise, Princess Oraelia’ Kenton answered softly, shooting Tarrent a disapproving look as he and his brother brought their hands up to the small of my back to steer me around a corner, and down a long corridor with its walls decorated with beautiful patterns and hung with more paintings. We soon stopped in front of a set of doors painted a soft cream colour, which seemed to open of their own accord into a room more than twice the size of my bedroom with a polished- possibly marble- floor. At the far end of the room, stood four thrones.
We were in the throne room.
The man and woman, sat in the two larger thrones, were dressed in soft white robes trimmed with turquoise and pastel blue, which glimmered gorgeously before my eyes; the silver-blue crowns placed elegantly upon their heads adorned with several precious stones I recognised, including Sapphire and Alexandrite.
My parents, who had been awaiting my return home for most of my life, rose from their thrones and came towards me and my travelling companions, beaming. Behind them walked a young man sporting similarly styled robes - only his were a pastel orange trimmed with silver.
Once they were stood before me, I was finally able to look my parents in the face for the first time in many years, and when I looked into their eyes, as well as my adopted brother’s, I suddenly felt my chest tighten, tears coming to my eyes as I threw myself into the waiting arms of my father, who stood taller than almost everyone in the room and whose warm embrace sent me into a fit of sobs. Wrapping my arms around his back I pulled him closer to me, afraid he would disappear, as he stroked my hair.
‘It’s all right, sweetheart,’ he murmured, holding me tighter. ‘You’re home now.’
His voice was deep and warm, conveying all the love of a father who had waited long enough to hold his child again.
Pushing me gently away from him, my father gazed upon my face with a pair of pretty, turquoise-grey eyes, which turned misty within a matter of seconds.
‘You have grown into a beautiful young lady’ he murmured, a few tears sliding down his cheeks as he spoke.
I smiled and reached up, wiping away the tears with my thumbs. I turned to my mother then, who stood waiting patiently at my father’s side smiling happily.
‘We have been counting down the years, waiting for the day we’d see and hold you in our arms again’ she told me, reaching out and taking my hands in hers.
I returned her loving smile with one of my own and gave her hands a gentle squeeze before letting them go and turning to my adopted brother, who was standing quietly to my left waiting his turn to speak to me.
‘I am truly heartened to finally be able to meet my little sister. I am Prince Aiolos, though to you of course it’s just Aiolos’ he beamed, a pair of bright turquoise eyes gazing down at me, his dark blond hair grazing the top of his eyebrows.
I smiled back at him, pleasantly surprised. ‘I too, am happy to meet you, brother.’
‘Oraelia’
‘Yes, Father?’ I asked, turning to him.
‘The banquet being held in honour of your return will begin soon, and you will want to freshen up and change, we expect. Here are your ladies-in-waiting, Kaia and Talina. They will cater to your every need as well as help you dress in the morning and evening’ he informed me as two pretty young human women came forward, and dipped into curtsies before me.
‘Before they take you to your new room, might I ask what your young friend’s name is?’ my mother asked.
‘His name is Harry, and he has been my best friend since I was very young’ I replied, casting a glance behind me at Harry as I spoke.
Harry stepped forward and bowing before them. ‘I am honoured to meet you, Your Majesties.’
‘There is no need for you to bow, Harry’ Mother answered kindly.
Not daring to look up, Harry answered. ‘I feel as though I must, Queen Pheonala. You are the King and Queen of this kingdom, and I have something to ask you.’
‘Harry, please stand up. My wife has already told you that you need not bow, or kneel,before us.’
Slowly, and after glancing at me for reassurance, Harry rose to his feet and looked directly at my father.
‘Your Majesty, I humbly ask you to allow me to stay, at least until Ell- I mean, Oraelia is used to living here’ he requested, voice unwavering.
My father smiled immediately after hearing Harry’s request and nodded. Turning, he gestured at a fair-haired man no more than a year older than Tarrent, who came forward and bowed at the waist.
‘Yes, King Thäro?’ he asked.
‘Kiero, please escort Harry upstairs to the room two doors down from Oraelia’s. You know which one I speak of.’
Kiero nodded once, gesturing with an arm for Harry to follow him.
As Harry allowed himself to be led away, my mother came over to me. ‘I have left a gown on your bed Oraelia. I had it made especially for tonight’s banquet and dance, and I know you will look beautiful in it’ she told me, touching me under the chin with her forefinger.
‘Thank you, Mother’ I replied with smile, and then let Kaia and Talina lead me up the large, cream marble staircase to my room.
The Ball
Two hours later, having been fussed over in my new bedroom by Kaia and Talina I was in a beautiful lilac, Greek style dress which faded to a darker purple near the hem and was split half way down the leg. An Alexandrite jewel necklace hung around my neck and tasteful earrings dangled from my ears, and I wore a pair of pearly white one-inch ballroom slippers. My hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with a dark blue ribbon, a few strands of wavy hair flying freely beside my face.
After possibly the longest dinner I’ve had to date, I was sat on one of the many soft-cushioned chairs lining the large room in which my welcome home ball was being held, the jewel encrusted tiara that had been kept under constant protection by several guards for over ten years, sitting nicely atop my head following my crowning ceremony before the ball, as I waited for Harry to make his way through the guests so we could share our first dance, when a young lord from my parents’ kingdom named Achaeus, whom I had greeted along with our other guests at the start of the banquet, appeared in front of me and held out his hand.
‘May I have this dance, my lady?’
‘Oh, that’s very kind of you to offer Achaeus, but I promised my first dance to Harry.’
He looked around the ballroom, and then back at me. ‘It looks like he might be running a little late, and I can’t very well leave you sitting here on your own . Why don’t you dance with me until he arrives and can take over?’ he replied.
I swallowed and after a moment’s hesitation, placed my hand in his and allowed him to pull me out onto the dance floor.
‘Have you ever danced before?’ he asked as he took my left hand and my waist.
I let out a nervous laugh, ‘only to music in my bedroom, and school discos when I went to them’ as I placed my other hand on his shoulder and he began to guide me across the ballroom floor.
‘Well, you’re dancing beautifully now – and in a gorgeous gown at that’ he grinned, twirling me round twice by the hand.
‘Ha-ha, that’s because you’re guiding me. Without your lead, I wouldn’t be dancing well at all’
He chuckled, before telling me I danced as if I’d been taking lessons almost all my life as he fixed me with an unwavering gaze.
I let out a short laugh, ‘believe me, I -’ I was interrupted mid-reply by a familiar voice, unusually irritated.
‘May I…cut in?’
Acheaus and I stopped mid-spin and turned to see Harry, looking very handsome in a knee-length pastel blue tunic trimmed with grey, and knee-high boots I’ve only ever seen in books about Roman history, or movies, standing beside us.
‘Of course, Harry’ Achaeus answered, and despite giving me the feeling that he wanted to say something else, passed my hand gently into Harry’s.
Harry placed his other hand on my waist and when he spoke a beat later, he sounded irritated. ‘I thought you were keeping your first dance of the evening for me?’
‘And you were late. Achaeus was just keeping me company until you arrived’ I replied as he dipped me towards the floor, and then pulled me up again.
‘I see.’
‘What kept you anyway? You were fifteen minutes late to the ball.’
Harry’s cheeks turned a light shade of red, ‘they um...had a hard time finding a tunic that fit me. I was too um…well, let’s just say most of the ones that they tried on me were too tight around the torso. They had to call for your father in the end, so I could borrow one of his old ones since our builds are similar.’
I giggled, ‘so that’s why you were late coming down.’
Instead of replying Harry pulled me gently into him so that I fell against his chest, cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his tunic as his movements slowed down to a gentle swaying, his hand still holding mine.
‘Harry?’
‘I never stopped thinking about you after you left Norfolk, and when year eleven Prom arrived I didn’t ask anyone, because you weren’t there’ he whispered gently to me.
Feeling the breath catch in my throat, I replied, ‘I was asked to Prom by several boys in my class, but I turned them all down’ pulling away from his chest to look up at him.
It was at that precise moment, as I looked up, that my head started to spin and I fell into his chest again.
‘You okay?!’ he asked in alarm, catching me around the waist as I collapsed against him.
‘I’m fine…I’ve probably just pushed myself too hard today’ I responded as he supported me and then added regretfully, ‘I think I should probably go to bed.’
He smiled softly down at me, ‘you’ve had a very eventful day, what with meeting your family for the first time in years, and the big dinner and everything – and there’ll be other balls.’
I returned the smile suddenly feeling drained of energy, and after politely refusing Kaia and Talina’s assistance, headed upstairs to my room.
Aiolos’s Past. A New Bond
The following morning, having gone to bed earlier than I usually would the night before, I was sat on a blanket from the top shelf of my wardrobe in a casual short-sleeved summer dress and cardigan, in the middle of the lawn at the back of the palace; a mug of strawberry flavoured tea nestled in between my legs as I watched the sun rise over the horizon. The four guards my parents had assigned to protect me at all times were spread out around me, eyes and ears alert for any signs of danger as they paced.
Just as I picked up my mug to take another sip of tea, I heard a male voice that didn’t belong to Harry behind me.
‘Are you always up this early?’
I cast my eyes over my shoulder and up, to see my older brother Aiolos behind me, nodding to my protectors as they bowed to him in respect.
‘Not always, no. Please, join me’ I replied with a chuckle and a grin of my own, and patted the blanket beside me.
He thanked me gratefully, sitting down next to me.
‘Aiolos, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what life did you lead before my parents saved you?’ I asked, my voice almost a whisper.
‘I was born into a wealthy family who owned a company that shipped various goods between a number of islands, some the company had pre-existing bonds with, through friendships and such like. One day, about a week or so before my tenth birthday, my parents took me out on a ship carrying coffee; tea; herbs, and other products to an island several kilometres north of the mainland. The journey there was fine; the sun was shining, the waves calm and gentle against the ship’s hull but on the way back, we - ’ he broke off abruptly, with a sigh filled with pain and grief.
‘We ran into a thunder-storm, the now wild waves sloshing over the sides of the ship; shaking it around as the heavy rain soaked everyone to the bone, and then there were several lightning strikes that set three of the sails alight despite the torrential rain. Even though I was the youngest on board at only nine years of age, I still had the good sense to abandon-ship and swim to safety – the only problem was that our ship was now miles from any island, so all I could do was swim in the hope that I would come across one amongst the rain and thunder.
It was then, as I was losing my strength that a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins found me and swam me to safety. The last thing I remember prior to waking up in one of the palace’s many guest rooms, was falling against soft, cool sand - though I never found out what became of the crew or my parents, but I always hope that they got to safety and are living happily back home.’
‘I’m sorry Aiolos, that must have been confusing for you. Waking up in a place you don’t know and being told you’re not in the human world anymore, not to mention learning you’ve been
adopted by royalty’ I replied, laying my hand on his arm.
‘You are from the human world, aren’t you?’
He chuckled. ‘So inquisitive, and no I’m not from the human world. The world I do come from is very similar though, I shall have to point out some books on it from the Geography and History sections of the palace library later. Now, you’ve just learnt my life before I came here, what about you?’
‘I was born here in Síosa but because of a prophecy, and the fact that an Uaea Ki named Ascevos wanted to kill me before I reached childhood to stop this prophecy from coming true, I was sent to the human world for my own protection until I was old enough to protect myself, and return home. It was my home for eighteen years, as was the house of the couple who adopted me and raised me as their own, all those years up until I discovered the journal which would eventually lead back home, and they explained everything to me when I confronted them with the journal having found it hidden at the back of a shelf of old books’ I answered, lowering my mug and placing it on the blanket beside me before pulling my knees up to my chest.
‘Do you think you’ll ever see them again?’
I shrugged, letting my chin fall onto my knees, and watched a pair of butterflies chase each other around an orchid.
‘Hey, where did you get that scar?’ he asked after a short pause, nodding at my right arm; where a long, jagged white line ran from half way down my upper arm to the crease at the crook of my elbow.
‘Oh, I…um took a tumble down a rather steep hill when I was five years old: a bit of rock jutting out of the hill stopped my fall but left me with a rather deep gash, and believe, it or not, it was a lot bigger when I was being patched up. The doctor told me the wound would shrink with time, but I know that the scar will always be there as a reminder of how careless I was.’
He smiled sadly. ‘What about the little one on the inside of you hand?’
‘I burnt myself with hot water the first time I tried to make my adoptive parents coffee, when I was around eight.’
Descendants of Erodis Page 5