Bituin: Queen of Aourterde

THREE

“Katerina!” His sister had disappeared this morning, heavens only knew where she had gone to this time. "Katé!"

Katerina was the youngest of his four siblings and without a doubt his favourite. She was the only girl the rest of his siblings being boys, he absolutely loved her to bits but she was the naughtiest yet sweetest little girl in the entire village. He might have exaggerated but that’s how he felt.

Thomás ran up the hill further to the open grounds leading to the end of the castle barrier. He wondered what his little sister would be doing all the way out here.

“Katé?!” still no sign of her.

But he did find something, her stuffed bear laying on the ground covered in mud. No, it was not mud this was too red to be mud. Thomás took cautious steps climbing further up the hill, he saw Katerina, laying still, her eyes stared at him pleading, a slow strained tear ran down her milky skin she could no longer scream as the beast devoured her insides tearing her flesh off, feeding off her body as she breathed her last.

“Katerina!!”

---

Bituin

“So, what would happen if I mix the oils together?” I asked

“You used Alkaline ingredients nothing will happen, although they could be used for aromatherapy and baths and so on but for medical usage I recommend a proper acidic concentrate for this type of wound,”

“Are we not done yet?” Nimuel asked for the third time in the past minute.

“We will be done when you finally make a concoction that will cure this specific wound.” Tala reprimanded him.

“But why, nobody would ever dare try to hurt her, I would never allow it. I am the best Warrior of Aourterde.” he stood up hitting his chest, “no man gets pasts me.”

“And what if the enemy is a sorcerer or someone like me with magic?” she waved her hand makes sparks arise from her fingertips

“Well, that's even better because Daisy and I won't even have to fight, you get to fight the sorcerer and we will watch you from the tower.” Tala and I laughed heartedly at his response.

“And if I'm not around, then what?” she roughed his hair.

“Why wouldn't you be around?” before she could answer Annatalia threw the door open. She glared at me from the door frame and I could not hide myself from her fury.

“Ammarah tells me that nothing, absolutely no preparations have been done for the dinner, Bituin, care to explain yourself?” She walked closer to me I looked over at Tala hoping she would save me but Tala simply gave me a look. She had warned me prior to starting our lessons that should Anna find out she would not help me.

“Anna please, I do not wish to go.” I whined hoping to win her over.

“There are many things I too do not wish to do every day and that includes waking up and finding out that you have not done any preparations for the meeting this afternoon but yet, here we are.”

“But-”

“No buts.” She sighed then came to sit next to me. She held my hands and then caressed my cheek. I gave her my best pout knowing it will not work. “My princess you have now come of age, I am not asking you to marry him I am simply asking you to meet him. The emperor will come with his family you will talk to them, get to know each other and if you do not see him fit to be your husband then that is it you do not need to take anything further.”

“But I already know that I will not like him.”

“And how do you know that?” She pushed a few strands of hair away from my face. “I heard that he is quite handsome. He has completed multiple disciplines of study. He is a great warrior and he even knows how to dance.”

“What am I going to do with an emperor that knows how to dance?” I rolled my eyes at that.

She pinched my cheeks for the action but tickled me straight after. ”At least then you would have someone to teach your two left feet how to move properly” She poked my sides making me laugh harder.

We were brought to silence when we heard glass shatter. Nimuel stood on the side of the room barely hiding his anger. He walked past the broken beakers mumbling an apology and walked out.

There was silence in the room, Annatalia cleared her throat she looked over at me and nodded, “Go to your maidens I have organised everything I shall go and speak to Clarissa to sort out the hall with the rest of the maids.” I nodded at her before she left us,

My heart sank. I had to go speak to him, to make sure that he was okay, everyday it felt like their relationship got worse instead of better. I did not know how to help them I loved them both too much to keep watching them suffer when their bond could be something much greater.

“Go.” Tala whispered next to me, I nodded then ran out.

I walked out to the front of the castle. I knew he would be on the rocks overlooking the cliff. He loved it there.

I found him sitting on the largest boulder his thighs pulled up to his chest. He was quiet, the breeze making his pin straight shoulder-length hair fly around him. I stared at him, it was amazing how much we had grown, not just in the physical aspects but maturity as well, we were no longer children which is why I tried to make Annatalia and his relationship work before we all ran out of time.

“As handsome as I know I am it is still rude when you stare at someone.” He said without looking back.

“I am sorry El.” I sat next to him. He said nothing instead he stared out to the high mountains for a long time and I thought he wasn’t going to say anything at all.

“My mother forgot to mention that the emperor of the West is bald, short and vain. He is not a good match for you."

“Not a good match for me? How would you know?”

“Because you are a simpleton who knows nothing of relationships, and he is a man with no limits when it comes to his ‘private activities’.” He said with an annoyed look.

I shoved him aside, I was completely offended, “And what makes me a simpleton.” I shoved him again because of the big smile spreading across his face.

He turned to look at me curiously, “Have you ever touched a man’s hand before, have you flirted with a man before and dare I ask have you ever kissed a man before?” I kept quiet at that he knew I had never. “What sort of joke would you be standing beside a man with as much experience as that i***t or any other morally degraded man. Trust me you are better off being the simpleton.”

I felt a slight pang in my chest I knew I had never paid attention to the opposite gender. I had never made time for such things, love was a pesky thing compared to the many things I had to worry about every day. My days were completely packed with meetings or lessons or training.

“well what can I do I still need to meet them, get to know them and play the fool like all the other times for the sake of the kingdom. He is not the first emperor nor will he be the last to try and get me for my kingdom.”

Nimuel turned to look at me, he searched my face for something suddenly I felt shy his face was too close to mine observing every inch of it.

“What is it, why are you staring at me like that” I looked away.

“You deserve so much more than just constantly sacrificing for a kingdom that still blames you for their losses, you do not deserve to be burdened with problems from a thousand continents and men constantly trying to overthrow you.” He brought my face back to face him, his two fingers resting beneath my chin slightly lifting it up to him.

“And what do you think I deserve oh wise one.” I smiled up at him.

“You deserve a throne, surrounded by servants attending to your every whim without side comments or eyes of hatred, you deserve love and loyalty for the hard work you put in and most importantly you deserve a man who will appreciate the true beauty that you are and who will treat you the way a queen like yourself deserves.” He stared straight into my eyes as he said that, there was so much sincerity in his words, so many emotions ran through his eyes I couldn’t help but just stare at him, letting his words sink in.

It was at that moment my foot slipped from my bad position on the rock I sat on and I grabbed onto Nimuel to stop my fall but I pulled him down with me instead. He twisted us around and he fell on the ground taking most of the impact and I fell on top of him slamming my head against his.

I stayed there for a moment, something strange was happening to me. His arm held me in place, my body fully pressed against his. He was warm, strangely warm.

I looked up into his eyes but my hair fell onto my face. He brushed it away from my face, his face contorted with concern, “are you okay?”

He had grown a beard did he always have that? it truly gave his face a different look it something I did not notice before. Were his lips always that full, plump? Why had I not noticed it before.

“Daisy you are frightening me say something are you okay say something.” He smacked my cheek a little

“I’m uh yes I am well, I am okay. Are you-“ I tried to get up but his arm tightened around me. i looked up at him, there was still concern in his eyes or was it something else now perhaps I had been working on those formulas a little bit too much and my mind is completely exhausted. What else would explain why I felt helpless being this close to him, or the confusion in my mind that something was happening at this moment, I was lying on top of Nimuel and suddenly seeing him as someone more, more than just the boy I grew up with. Without thinking I leaned closer to him, there definitely was an indescribable emotion in his eyes.

Were those bells I hear?

I heard hooves in the distance but undeniably getting closer and closer very quickly, someone cleared their throat, “We have a situation” Tala said. The bells sounded louder, I quickly got up paying more attention, those were warning bells. Something was happening on the outskirts. Another set of hooves were heard, I could see Annatalia in the distance coming towards us riding fast with the reins of a free horse in one hand.

“There has been an attack, I need you to get to safety. There are apparently strange creatures running loose attacking the villagers.” Tala’s tense voice said, scaring me.

“What sort of creature?” I asked.

“Tala take Bituin and head back to the castle.” Annatlia arrived. She dropped a bag full of weapons and handed the reins of the free horse to Nimuel. “You are coming with me.” Nimuel climbed onto the horse effortlessly and they both rode off.

“Wait! ANNA!” I tried running after them.

“Princess”

“No Tala, I will not go hide in my castle while my whole kingdom is in danger, I will fight with my people. What sort of leader will I be if I just let them die? I have to help and there is nothing that you can do to stop me so you either help me or stay out of my way.” I was fuelled with excitement and fear that something finally happened. “With all due respect.” I added quietly in the end.

“I didn’t train you so you can sit in the back.” She smiled proudly. “Call your dragon.”

“Jed!” I screamed loud enough for him to hear. Soon I heard the roars of my white dragon as it came soaring through the sky. He bent his neck down for me to climb.

“Let’s go kill something” I said as we took off for the skies and Tala rode her horse.