Chapter 2
My friend Skylar Jonkin sizes me up. "Looks like the Fairy Godmother did her best work." he says, laughing. I grinned back, shaking my head at his jesting.
"Too bad I can't say the same for the Godfather though." I shot back. He was wearing a brown leather vest embroidered with foliage over a formal white dress tunic, and crisp black pants. His usually curly dirty blonde hair was slicked back.
He starts to walk to the front gate of the east wing of the palace, I follow with a growl and he laughs.
The guards swing open the gate then slam it shut.
We arrived in a large room and joined the line of all the students. A short male teacher, a dwarf, in a formal robe directs to a room on the right.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, look what we got!!! Here!! It's.... the human pet!" an obnoxious voice I know all too well says from right behind me. Skylar and I look to our left, and there stood Jolin. The prince of jesters and jerks. And the Fae realm.
I glare at him and say, "Yes, YOUR MAJESTY?" I did an exaggerated curtsy, and pretend to almost trip.
"You ALMOST look like one of us. But too bad you are a lowly human. Since you look so AMAZING" he said, rolling his eyes, "Is that like, from a designer landfill brand?"
"WOW. Forgive me, your Highness, for daring to show my lowly homosapien face in your illuminating presence."
"You know you love me." he responded, grinning one of his egotistical, arrogant, and, alright…. very slightly handsome grins. I'll admit, he isn't bad looking.
I spit at his feet and say, "Me? Ya, right! Like I would fall for a stupid fae prince! Who does nothing but party and drink wine," I say coming out of the curtsy.
Skylar lightly touches my shoulder. "We're moving up in line, 'Thena." I turned away from His Jerkiness and shuffled ahead.
I could feel Jolin's eyes on me as I walk into the room. A woman watches me and hands me a goblet. I stare at the liquid inside. It was clear like water, but smelled like aesthin fruit.
This was my first time at the ceremony before I would get juice but this year I got wine. I take a small sip, and am pleasantly surprised to find it sweet not bitter, like human wine. I still
remember the one time Mom gave me human wine on my seventh birthday, three days before she died.
I take one big gulp of the wine. The woman leads me to the Ballroom which had the throne on a large daise. Twin tables sat on either side of the throne. That's probably where the court sits. I think in awe.
The woman does a quick curtsy and says, "Go to the daise, Miss. And say your greetings to His majesty and the crown prince, they have something to present to you," She said, almost in a whisper.
"Yes, thank you," she looked surprised and then secured away.
I started a brisk walk to the daise. The king sat on his throne, as I arrived at the daise he stands up. He put his hand up and everything stoped, the music, the dancing, and most of all the chatter. All eyes were on me, curious murmurs coming from the crowd as I made a deep curtsy. "Your Majesty. You called for me?"
"Athena Everling, I'm wanting you to become part of the Royal Court. Do you accept?" He asked as if giving an order instead of asking a question.
"Yes, Your Majesty. In what role will I play?" I ask not, liking to be in the spotlight.
"You will join the Court of Sky," he says. The sky court. A court of secrets and covered in shadow, not many people have been able to leave with their heads on their shoulders. I remind myself and say without hesitation.
"Yes, Your Majesty," I say as calmly as I can.
"Come up here," he says and he flicks his rest and guards start to surround me.
"Come with us, My Lady," the first said. I slowly walk down to the steps onto the dais. I slowly walk to the kings throne and just watch. I sit at the only seat open which was embatween the king and the prince. Jolin grins at me and I give a hateful smile.
"You may continue," the king said sitting on his throne. I watch fae as they began to eat at large long tables. I felt a certain gaze land on me, and I sigh.
The fae slowly started to leave the tables and once the last left the tables started to fade. In the time between sitting and them moving, my head started to swim, thoughts coming slowly, I also started to get giggly. Then it was the courts turn to dance, I stood and walked down the stairs as the music started.
found myself in front of Jolin. "May I have this dance?" He asks me.
"Of course," I curtsy to him and he bows to me.
"I am curious as to why you would take the spot in the sky court. I've heard from the maids that they're a bunch of assassins," his eyes skim my body and continues, "You couldn't hurt a rat."
I grab his hand and he leads me through the moves of the dance. I suddenly have an idea.
I smother a grin, and then step on his foot. His mouth briefly forms an expression of shock, and then he dips me. I put my foot in just the right position to trip him, and he falls to the ground.
"I just did hurt a rat," I retort.
"What's with you?" He says, still smirking, and I glare right back at him. After he gave a grunt of pain, I then gave him a very fake apologetic smile.
As soon as the song ended I gave him a quick curtsy and walked away,I soon found myself in the palace garden. Afterwards I went to the washroom open to the public, to clean up.
When I got to the washroom, I opened the door to find Silver Star, the princess of the Under Sea. She was gorgeous in her
seafoam gown , her white and blue hair, the colors blend together beautifully. And finally her vivid blue eyes.
She stared at me for a long moment, then looked back to the mirror and says to me, "What are you doing in here?"
I hate that woman so much, she demands things of me and thinks she's so much better than me. I roll my eyes and start to walk to a stall. "What are you doing, human?" She asked with a little anger in her voice.
I glare at the name and say, "Going to the washroom."
With that she says, "This washroom is only for Royalty."
"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"You're not allowed to be in here," she says glaring at me.
"Uhh…there's no other ladies washroom." I point out, my voice starting to edge on exasperation.
"Oh well, too bad for you human" she says happily.
I walk into a stall and wait for her to finish touching up her eyeliner or whatever Beika put on my face. She struts out and I can hear the clip clop of her heels.
I roll my eyes once again. I tapped my lips with lipstick. Walking out of the washroom I see Jolin striding up to me and he has a massive grin on his face. I glare at him and start walking in the opposite direction and he runs up beside me.
"Save your breath, Jolin." I sneer.
"What do think I was going to say?" he says with a sly smile. I glare at him from the corner of my eye, I start to walk faster, setting a brisk pase towards the ball room.
"Nothing I want to hear." I shoot back.
"The king has asked for you to start staying here," he rolled his eyes and muttered, "like I don't get enough of you every day."
It takes me a second to absorb what he's saying. Staying at the palace? That would mean no more "father", no more nights in my bedroom, and…no more Beika?
Despite my attempt not to, I am amused by his displeasure. "Oh, don't worry, I'll make sure to stay as far away from you as possible." I reassure him.
"Don't take too long to decide." he says brusquely.
I'd rather freeze time and have as long as I want to make up my mind, but instead I have, at best, 3 days to make a decision that could change my life drastically.