Page 3 of Of Storm and Emerald
She’d been coming to Vee’s for about a year now, in search of some semblance of freedom and normalcy. And the only thing that had ever been asked of her was to pay her bar tab before she left and to “keep her trap shut.” Vee never asked for her name, and even though Auraelia told her to call her Rae, she still called her “girl” and said that unless she was one ofhergirls, she didn’t care what her name was.
After a few moments of strained silence, Auraelia lifted her eyes toward Vee to see her still drying glasses, only now, a tense look marred her face. Auraelia reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out her coin purse to pay, but before she could place them on the bar Vee gently grabbed her hand.
Auraelia’s heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings when she looked up. She met those ice-blue eyes and saw nothing but understanding and for the briefest moment there was a little bit of pity too. Unable to take the intensity of Vee’s gaze, Auraelia gave a small smile and then headed home toward her future.
As she wound her way back through the streets of Lyndaria, Auraelia looked up at the night sky and saw that the moon was almost at its peak. Quickening her pace, she stuck to the shadows as she turned down road after road until she finally saw the wall surrounding Emerald Castle.
Staying close to the stacked stone, she searched around for the notches that had helped her scale over the top and into the Queen’s garden. Dropping to the garden floor in a crouch, she slowed her breathing and listened. When all she heard were crickets chirping sweetly in the background, she rose slowly and adjusted her cloak so she blended into the night.
The Queen’s garden was typically hard to see in the dead of night, but with the full moon overhead, the entire garden was illuminated, and the smell of the flora cloaked the air with sweet perfume.
Peonies.
Rows and rows of bushes covered in a variety of delicate pink and white blossoms as far as the eye could see. This was the only place in all of Lyndaria where you could find these beautiful blooms, and for the next few days, they would be used to decorate the whole of Emerald Castle. After all, it was not often that two balls were hosted within the same week. It was an exciting and important time for the Court of Emerald.
As she stepped away from the wall, she took all of two steps down one of the worn paths before she heard a deep chuckle from her right. Hoping to find the source, she whipped around and simultaneously pulled a long dagger from the hidden sheath at her back.
The person who peeled away from the shadows, and now stood in front of her, was none other than her brother–Prince Xander of the Court of Emerald.
“By the goddess, Xander! Are you trying to send me to an early grave?” Auraelia whisper-yelled at her brother.
Xander smirked as he put his hands in the air in mock surrender. “No, sis, but are you still planning on taking my head off with that thing, or can we play nice?” Every word dripped with sarcasm.
Feigning indifference, Auraelia brandished her dagger around for a moment. Then with a sigh, a smirk, and an overly dramatic eyeroll, she finally put the weapon away.
Auraelia stepped back and took a good look at her brother. He stood tall, at around six-foot-four, with shoulder length sandy blond hair that was haphazardly secured in a high bun on top of his head. His beard was short and neat, and a shade darker than the rest. He also had impeccably straight, white teeth.
All of this would paint him as a generally handsome man, but it was his eyes that always had the women at court swooning. Beneath his long dark lashes were eyes that resembled a great storm. His irises were a bright silver that shone like the moon on a dark night, streaks of charcoal gray cut through the brightness like streams, then pooled at the edges to form the outer rim.
It was a genetic marker that most of the royal line in the Court of Emerald possessed, and there was no denying from whom that trait was obtained.
Queen Adelina, also known as their mother.
After a few moments, Auraelia began walking down the path that would lead her back to the castle. Not waiting to see if her brother followed, she asked, “So why are you out here this late anyway?”
Hearing his exasperated chuckle, she stopped and turned around to wait for his answer. Xander rolled his eyes as he walked toward her, eating up the distance between them until they were side by side.
“You know I could ask you the same thing, right? Does mother know you’re still sneaking off in the middle of the night even with your cor–”
“SHHHHHHH!” Auraelia admonished, throwing her hand over Xander’s mouth. “I really don’t want to think about that until I absolutely have to. It’s not exactly something that I’m looking forward to.”
With a deep sigh, she began walking again as Xander kept pace beside her. They were both silent for a few moments before he asked, “Do you think that you’re ready?”
Taking a moment to really consider the question, she looked up at the stars twinkling in the sky and gave the only answer she could with all honesty, “I don’t really have a choice.”
Chapter Two
Auraelia
“Payattention,littlebug,this is very important.”
“Yes, Momma.”
Queen Adelina walked around to sit on the bed behind Auraelia and began to brush her long hair. Her mother was beautiful beyond words.
She was dressed in a silver floor length silk shift that brought out the brightness in her soft gray eyes. Her chestnut brown hair was loosely braided down her back, and her sun kissed face was kind and without wrinkles, except around her eyes and mouth which were caused by years of laughter and smiles.
“You are six now, and it is time that you learn what is to come in your future.” Her mother set the brush down on a side table, and pulled Auraelia into her lap, holding her lovingly to her chest.
