Page 4 of Of Storm and Emerald
“On your twenty-fifth year, a lot will change for you. All of Ixora will be here to celebrate you and this glorious milestone. But there is something you must learn first.”
With wide eyes, Auraelia tried desperately to crane her neck around to face her mother, but the Queen just chuckled, pulled her closer, and tapped her nose. “Patience, little bug…within our great family, there is also great magic. And when your twenty-fifth year arrives, and the moon is at its peak, you will experience a change within yourself. Your magic will begin to manifest, and there’s no way of knowing what it will be, or how great of a power you will possess, only that it will come. Everyone’s journey into their power is different. Some feel a fullness in their chest or tingling in their fingers. Your vision may vastly improve or it could be something entirely different. It all depends on what our ancestors bless you with.”
Auraelia jumped from her mother’s lap and spun around with eyes the size of saucers. “Is that why you can move the water? Did my father have magic? Will Xander?”
Chuckling, Queen Adelina gently pulled Auraelia back into her lap and kissed her head, “Yes, little bug, that is why I am able to manipulate water. As for the man who contributed to your making, he had the ability to jump from place to place, but only if he’d been there before or seen a map of the location. It is unclear as to whether Xander will develop magic. Within my family, it’s traditionally passed from mother to daughter, and is usually only held by the females. But since your father also possessed magic, it’s possible that Xander will develop some sort of ability as well.”
Sensing that Auraelia was about to ask a million questions, Queen Adelina continued. “However, regardless of whether or not your brother possesses magic, you will be crowned ‘Heir Apparent’ on your twenty-fifth year.”
With a furrowed brow, Auraelia looked up and asked, ”What does that mean, Momma?”
“It means, little bug, that one day when I’m gone, you will be queen. The crown will go to you, and you alone. It is how it has always been in our great family, and within the Court of Emerald. The only way that would change is if no daughters were born within the immediate royal line. Then it would go to the eldest prince, and if he later had a daughter, the crown would revert back to a matriarchal line, and the princess would be crowned queen.”
After a few moments, she sighed and snuggled closer to her mother. “I don’t want to be queen if that means I lose you, but if I have to be queen, then I hope that I’m as good as you are, Momma.” Auraelia closed her eyes, her mouth stretching wide with a yawn, and started to drift off to sleep.
Shifting on the bed, Queen Adelina laid Auraelia down. Tucking her beneath her blankets, she kissed her goodnight, then headed toward the door. But before she left, she turned back to the sleeping form of her daughter, lit up by the moonlight that streamed through the large floor to ceiling windows, and with a smile on her face whispered, “You will be, little bug, of that, I am sure.”
Queen Adelina closed the door, and Auraelia slept soundly with a small smile adorning her sweet face.
Jolting upright in bed, Auraelia looked around for the intrusive sound that snapped her from her dream. To her left, she saw her best friend–and lady in waiting–Piper, as she ripped back the curtains and placed them behind the metal stays on the wall.
“Morning, sunshine,” Piper sing-songed from across the room with a huge grin on her face.
Groaning, Auraelia laid back down and pulled the covers over her head.
Piper had been her friend since they were in diapers, and since her family was part of the nobility within the Court of Emerald, she was immediately made Auraelia’s lady in waiting. Although it may have started as a forced acquaintance, their relationship had quickly become a bond that only death could sever.
Piper was all-natural beauty and grace, with hair the color of the darkest night that hung just below her shoulders, and olive skin that was enviable. Her hazel eyes were framed by dark lashes and sparkled with mischief. Her lips seemed to be home to a permanent smirk that would lead anyone to believe she was up to no good…which she usually was, especially when it came to doing things with Auraelia. Though Piper was a fortnight younger than Auraelia, she was also an inch taller, which was something that she never let Auraelia forget.
The sound of Piper’s steps filled the room before she threw herself on top of Auraelia and pulled the covers from her face. “Come on, Rae…I mean,Your Highness.” enhancing her sarcasm with a mock bow, “It’s time to get up. Today is a big day!”
With a disgruntled moan, Auraelia sat up and pushed the covers, and Piper, off her. “Two things, oh best friend of mine. One, please stop calling me ‘your highness,’ especially when we’re in the privacy of my chambers; you know how much I loathe it. And two, I know what today is, but that doesn't mean that I need to rise with the sun as you continue to insist on doing.”
Piper lifted one of her eyebrows, a look of bewilderment on her face. “Rae, it’s nearly mid-morning. I had to bar the door to keep the lady’s maids out of here so that you didn’t bite their heads off for waking you.” After a beat of silence, the two women launched into a fit of laughter.
Minutes passed before they finally calmed down enough for Piper to bribe her with hot coffee and breakfast. Slipping her arms into her dressing gown, Auraelia trudged into the sitting room.
The room itself was small and cozy. With a wall of floor to ceiling paned windows that held a set of glass doors in the middle, it was the brightest space in Auraelia’s suite.
Beside the doors–that opened out to a short balcony that overlooked a small portion of the queen’s garden–sat a small iron dining table and two chairs with cushioned seats. There was a large fireplace with a cozy sitting area that had two armchairs with a small round table in between, and a matching settee. The floors were pine and covered in colorful, woven rugs.
On either side of the fireplace were two large bookcases, each holding countless volumes that ranged from romance novels to sword fighting techniques. As well as various knick-knacks that Auraelia had either collected or been gifted over the years.
A cool spring breeze drifted through the open balcony doors as she and Piper ate their breakfast of assorted fruits and pastries. They talked animatedly about everything that would be happening that day as Auraelia let the rich aroma of coffee wake her mind and calm her nervous energy.
A while later, a knock signaled that it was time to officially start the day, and Piper opened the door so that the lady’s maids could enter and start their work. Finishing her coffee, Auraelia headed into her bathing chamber to wash away her adventures from the previous night, and to hopefully clear her mind enough to focus on the day ahead.
Auraelia loved her bathing chamber. It had a free-standing shower and a wash basin, but the main focus of the room was the large, gold soaking tub in the middle with a skylight above it. Being able to soak in a warm bath while looking up at the stars brought an unparalleled sense of calm to her soul.
When she entered, she was greeted by lavender and chamomile scented steam. Evidently, one of her lady’s maids made it into the bathing chamber without her notice and had already drawn her a bath with her favorite oils.
Sinking into the hot water, she leaned against the curved side and closed her eyes, letting the heat seep into her bones and wash away her tension as she attempted to clear her mind.
Okay, today is my twenty-fifth year. It’s the day that I should be coming into my magic…but I don’t feel any different. Maybe the ancestors and the goddess didn’t consider me worthy? What if I am the first future queen of the Court of Emerald to not have magic?!
Her pulse quickened as her thoughts spiraled.
Though unsure of what exactly she was searching for, Auraelia took a deep breath and reached within her mind and body for any inkling of magic. After what seemed like an eternity, and as every attempt came up empty, she climbed out of the tub and slipped her arms into her dressing gown. As she stepped into her chambers, her breath caught in her throat as Piper set a large ivory box on her bed.
