Hidden Wings

chapter fourteen

“Wow what a bath house.” I gasp as I dry my hair, this place was so unreal I sent an hour in the water relaxing then another thirty minutes trying to decide what products to use. I set my towel in the hamper and in my slippers and pjs I start to roam the halls where I am grandma said was the living courters apparently there are seventy-eight rooms some have more than one occupant to a room so the number of fea here is crazy. My stomach begins to voice it’s emptiness, so I head to the kitchen which I wasn’t sure where it was, I turn to go down a random hall after several minutes I got lost. I take a seat on a chair that was at the end of this hall and sigh. I lean back taking this time to rest. Moment later someone taps me on the shoulder.

"Where did you come from?" I ask after a gasp slipped from my lips. "Sorry." She smiles,

"Don't apologize I am supposed to be silent it's my job." She puts her hand out like it was our first-time meeting. "Remember Ivey, I am in charge of the seekers we are like the FBI." We laughs then she takes a seat next to me, “So what are you doing on the four level in the living area?”

"That’s where I am?" I ask as I look down each endless side of the hall.

"Yes, which way are you trying to go?”

“To the food." I mumble my stomach starts to protest at this point at the thought.

“This way please.” She ushers me down a hallway, "and don't worry you’re not the only one that gets lost." I nod a little relieved I wasn’t the only one who thought this place was confusing. "Has your training going? I hear her majesty isn’t doing it anymore but Alzir is a great teacher so do like to little of her she is just getting old." Shay laughs again this time it was softer.

"How long have you been with grandma?" I ask following her down a light blue hall the walls were high, and ceiling is a bright blue sky with the strangest clouds moving towards the east. "Hmmm. This place has really changed, it was more..." I pause, "Modern." I mutter. Shay nods,

"Her majesty changed it when she woke up this morning." I shake my head,

"She's extreme." I shudder as a weird sensation ran long my spin as I glance out a small window for only a few seconds I could see a patch of green pinks and blues. I blink a few times however, Shay didn't skip a beat so I couldn't either, I'd loser her in a second. "When did it get so big?" I ask mostly to myself, but Shay answers me.

"She made an imitation of the castle back home."

"Oh?" I mouth a pain shot me in my chest. We get to a door on the second floor she opens it then bows slightly to let me go in first I smile a little and walk in. She shuts the door and ushers me to a table, I take a seat and she goes somewhere behind me I hear the clanks from her moving the cups. I blink and look in her direction she was not in this room, I continue to hear Shay shuffling around, then she emerges from a tall white door I assume it leads to the kitchen. She carries a tray of tea and treats I can smell sweets; I scrunch my eyebrows.

"Okay here is a question as of yesterday I have been experiencing a high in senses I could hear you in the kitchen I can smell the grasses honey dew this morning and I can smell a lot and sometimes I get a headache. At least when I'm not in this building." She nods setting a cup in front of me along with a plate that has a pink slice of cake.

"We have excellent senses however it is different for every fea. Don't worry you will be able to control it soon on earth. Though if you end up living in Ivearona you wouldn't have to. Because her majesty brought a part of her home here you don't feel it as strong." I nod and take a sip the tea that is purple, and smells likes flowers. My eyes widens,

"This is yummy." I chirp. She smiles.

"Try the cake." Someone insist as Shay pushing the plate my way, I pick up my fork and it slides through the spongy exterior like butter when I ate it, it melt in my mouth the taste was like nothing I have ever tasted before. I look up and from the back at the kitchen doors my mother and Celia wake out

"Holy..." I say before take another bite, " This is amazing! What is it?" I ask taking a sip of tea the combination sent shivers throughout my body,

"It's made by the brownies in Ivearona?"

"Brownies?" I ask she nods,

"They are about this tall," She puts a hand a few inches for the table,

"Really nice people very helpful plus they work for sweet milk. The best part is they are very handy in the kitchen." Celia laughs. I nod stuffing another piece of cake in my mouth.

"So?" I drag the word out not sure if I should ask the question, but curiosity killed the cat, "Do you know how many times I've died?" I look at Shay first then shifted my glance at my mother who took a seat next to her while Celia stood, Shay shakes her head.

"No, I am sorry that information has been given only to those of royalty." My shoulder slumps forward she fills my empty cup and continues, "However, I do know it has been going on for a little or two decades." I gasp and look at Avila, she kept her head down and sipped her tea not saying a word. Shay glances at her as well but looks back at me.

"That is so long." I shout. Shay bobs her head slowly with a grim look she then stands and bows her head really low,

"I am sorry I haven't been able to protect you your highness." I stand up so fast that I knock my chair over, but I pay it no mind.

"Don't be I am here now I am also seventeen you have nothing to be sorry Shay, and please just call me Ivey." I touch her arm and smile at her then my hand vibrates, and a flash of warmth shot between us then bounces as if there was a heat wave or a fire that was how hot it was. I look at Shay who stares at me her eyes wide and she moves her arm away from my touch. Avila glances at the door she spoke no words just stood.

"Your highness are you okay?" I nod then I hear stomping outside the door, Alzir along with several scary look people came busting in,

"Ivey are you okay? There was a..." I smile nodding my head putting a hand up, meeting him halfway as he was walking my way the group of people both men and women follows.

"Everything is fine I touched Shay and accidently created a heatwave; I wonder why that happened I never down that before." I mutter the last to myself looking at the hand that I touched Shay with. He nods,

"Your powers will be growing so please be careful." He say then looks at Shay, "Please take her to one of the spare rooms she needs rest.” I look at him and start to shake my head I had more things I wanted to talk about however he places a hand on my head, "Ivey, it's late you really should get some sleep or else it'll be harder to control your magic." I sigh and do as he say, I follow Shay to a room,

"Don't worry your," She pauses then clears her throat, "Ms. Ivey I will always be around so we can chat anytime." I smile and nod it'll be nice to have another girl to talk.

~Issacs pov~

"Look Adela we have to talk." She sighs like she knows what I'm going to say and in that moment I see the strong queen that has fought in so many battles both bloody and mentally, who I have looked up to for so long turn into a weary old women right before my eyes.

"I know." She says her features looks so frail it was new for her to show me this side of her because my grandmother believe no matter what show your strong side never show your weakness to anyone. I lived by that and her she is with one you can see her energy drain.

"Ivearona is collapsing on itself if we don't find a solution soon, you'll.... you'll...." No matter how much I can't stand her right now I can't bear the thought of losing my only grandmother. Ivey whether she knows it or not need her. She is still my grandmother; she has taught me so much and help through so much. She has stopped so many wars and so many disagreements that could have ended peace completely over the decades of lives she has lived. So, the word dead it just doesn't fit, and I couldn't even say it.

"Die, I know dear." Her high and mighty act was gone, and she was an old women talking to her baby boy. She looks at me and gives me the weakest smile I've ever seen her wear. Her clock she has been wearing for the last few years are starting to weaken and Ivearona is also taking a lot out of her. "We just need to speed up Ivey's practice and have the ceremony the second she is ready. We can't have anyone finding out that I am well you know losing my touch." She gives a smile. "Then I can go in peace."

"Grandmother I know I haven't been the easiest person to get along with lately, but Ivey needs you after. You are the only one that knows how to run an enter realm by themselves."

"You can." She says looking at me completely serious. I shook my head.

"I'm not running anything I am just keeping think hidden."

"No, you are running the realm, have you seen me do anything this past hundred or so years?" She wasn't wrong She hasn't done much since she's appointed me advisor.

"But Ad.... grandmother, she needs your advice. I am not qualified to teach her how our realm runs or how to even explain how it all works." She pauses then says,

"You'll figure something out." With that she gets up with a smile putting her appearance back on. “Plus, your mother is here now and your father will be up and about soon so there is nothing to fear.”

******* Saturday night *********

"Grandmother will you just listen to me!" I practically growl as I chase after her. After our talk she has been pushing Ivey with books and classes on Ivearona and its history. She even gave her some of the records volume 1-100 so she could "catch up." "You have to stop giving Ivey so many things to do at once, she still has practice with Alzir, and this amount of knowledge at once she won’t retain any of it." She doesn't say anything and continues to walk away from the conversation again for the third day in a row. When she finally stopped walking, she looks around then huffs and turns towards me.

"We agreed that she needed to speed things up and that's what I'm doing, now I have to talk to Alzir. I wonder where that man is at?" She mumbled to herself her words and sentences are starting to mash all together she starts to look around again.

"No, you said it I never agreed because I knew this was how you would handle things."

"Then advise her yourself." She says walking again. I roll my neck and sigh,

"You know I can't." She looks over her shoulder,

"Can't or won't?" She stops again, I open my mouth to object again but then a voice from behind me speaks.

"With no disrespect to either of you but you neither of you are qualified." I look at the voice and it is Alzir.

"Oh, fabulous! Alzir there you are!" Adela shouts clasping her hands together then walks towards him, "I was looking for you." He bows,

"Your majesty." He straightens up, "How may I be of service?" She smiles brightly and laughs,

"No, no I just wanted to thank you." His eyebrows scrunch together.

"For what, your majesty?" She laughs again,

"Like you don't know. For convincing Ivey to talk to me again after I handed her the 100 volumes, she started to ignore me."

"I did not do anything I just simply pointed out some of your usefulness. I also told her that you are not always that wicked." Adela let out a fake gasp.

"Me wicked!" She laughs.

"What do you mean we're not qualified? I know I'm not, but Adela is the queen she has more insight on ruling a realm more than anyone." He turns his attention to me and nods.

"That the exact reason why she isn't qualified, she has been running the realm for way too long and it will make Ivey and her clash, and she will not learn anything. As for you, you think you know what is best for her and don't listen to what she has to say so you will undermine her and will run the realm by yourself. Plus, her majesty has become very weak and needs to rest." He looks at her sharply as he spoke that last part. She just smiles and starts to walk away but Alzir being Alzir gently takes her arm in his hand and bows to me, "Now if you would excuse me, sir." I give a small nod and he leaves with grandmother. I let out a long sigh and head to the meeting room. Shay was already there when she sees me, she stands and bows. She doesn't sit till after I do, I lean back in my chair and say,

"What's the report?" She starts to stand I shake my head and motioned for her to stay seated.

“He has noticed that she isn’t coming back to the school and once the Ashton boy disappeared, he has become unhinged a little. There has been strange reports on the channel seven about a dead body’s and we have been keeping a close ear.”

"How is Ivey?" I ask after a second of silence.

"She's fine and is doing very well her training and studying the books her majesty gave her in kitchen. However, because of how new it all is to her she is having a challenging time keeping her emotions in checked." I nod.

"Okay, thank you, Shay, you may go." She stands, bows, and leaves. I sigh again rubbing my face.

"Sir?" I look at the door Alzir was standing in its frame holding the handle in one hand.

"What now?" I groan.

"For once nothing is something the matter." He takes a seat and I tell what I learned. "I'll look into the teacher and as for Ivey that's simply just have her meditate."

"Meditate?" I ask.

"Yes, remember when you were younger you were taught to breath when you were feeling negative? We just have to teach her that." I nod,

"But I don't know how to teach meditation." He stands.

"That's fine I know someone that does." I stand as well since I have to head to the center.

"Who?" I ask as we head to the door.

"He's my nephew his name is Seth."