Emotions in turmoil!
Emotions in turmoil!
I repeat
Emotions in turmoil!
I paced around the principal's office, my hands fisted and jerking in anger—or maybe fear— my eyes still wide in shock.
"You can't say no." Mr Rohit snapped.
"And you can't force me to say yes!" I snapped back.
He jerked back like I'd hit him but then straightened himself up and narrowed his eyes at me.
"You will go with three of your teachers to the palace, the king and queen requested your presence immediately they heard about what happened in the cafeteria and that would be all."
"But—"
"End of discussion Miss Kharhahlac."
I winced cause he pronounced my name incorrectly, wouldn't be the first time though.
I opened my mouth to talk but a hand on my fist stopped me.
Professor Cauline shook his head, "just go Raven, why are you scared to go?'
I couldn't tell him, he couldn't understand, going to the palace would make it all real, would make me accept everything that happened today really happened.
****
I stood and stared at the palace while I waited for the rest of the teachers to come out of the carriage.
The ice palace of Caravia was— I don't even know. It was somewhere between terrifying, striking and a sort of good-bad ohmygoddess vibe.
It was made of ice, permanent ice, with long pointed tips to form one big mansion surrounded by a body of water. I imagined falling from the sky and getting impaled by the horrifying tips.
I was nudged forward by professor Cauline who smiled at me lovingly when he noticed my awed look.
We weren't even asked to wait for permission to proceed, the guards just let us in staring at us in a look of boredom and sort of pity.
I hated when people looked at me with pity, but why were they looking at me that way?
The door that led to the throne room was so tall I had to tip my head all the way back to see where it stopped.
The large door groaned open when professor Cauline touched it.
Oh my, I guess this was it.
I thought about how the inside of the palace was normal in temperature when it's made of fucking ice.
We slowly walked forward and I held my breath when I saw the king and queen sitting on their throne then the prince sitting on the left side of the king.
The rumours were through.
They were all white, hair white, eyes a striking silver, skin like snow...and inhumanly beautiful.
They stared back at us as we stared at them, the queen had a smile on while the king smirked, but the prince's face was blank and when his cold eyes met mine I was ashamed of the scared whimper that left my mouth. It was as if my body was suddenly thrown into hot water with how hot I felt.
He looked at me like he knew my secret, like he'd seen the in's and out of me.
We all bowed low in greeting.
"Professor Cauline." The king started, "it is an honour to be in the presence of a legend such as you." He finished with a grin.
Professor Cauline smiled back, all teeth. "I believe the honour is mine, after all I am standing in the presence of the mighty king of Caravia."
"I do believe you've come a long way after the war, I think your father would have accepted you by now." The king's lips were raised in a smug smile.
"Oh he certainly has, I didn't give him much of a choice." Professor Cauline replied with a forced laugh at the end.
Oh I knew what this is, bravado, fucking stupid bravado.
"Show me the girl." The king said, all traces of smile gone.
My heartbeat accelerated as professor Cauline turned to me, took my hand to bring me forward for all to see.
My hand slightly trembled as Mr Cauline let go.
"This one?" The king asked frowning, I scowled, I am not a this!
"She's human." The queen said.
Oh fuck me, they were racists.
"I assure you, your majesty, Raven is more than a 'human'" professor Cauline spat out the word.
The king laughed, "Oh I do believe it will be special if the Quintessence itself choose it, but what can it do?"
I was not an it!
I started squirming when I realized the prince was still staring at me.
"It's a girl." Professional cauline said through gritted teeth. "She's the top student in her grade and above her grade, she has more stamina than a 'human'."
"But what can it do, a human won't survive in the summoning, talk less the first trial."
"She trains other supernatural's, she's stronger than most."
The king scoffed. "This punny thing?" He ran his gaze from my head to toe.
I imagined beating him up, he would kneel before me and beg me for forgiveness, tell me how great I was, how wrong he was to believe I was a punny hum..
"Raven."
I snapped out of my daydream.
"Would you prove to them you're worth more than the dirt beneath their feet?"
I was glad the Kingdom of Caravia gave their subjects the free will to talk how they liked without being directly insulting so I wasn't scared to answer.
"No."
"No?" The king and queen echoed.
"Why would I want to prove anything to you, you've been rude the whole time, called me an it, why should I care what else you think of me? Hmm, why should I care?"
The shocked look on their faces was worth being in their presence. I believed no one has ever talked back at them.
Professor Cauline wore a smug smile, staring at me with pride in his eyes.
"So you're saying you don't have to prove yourself? you don't care? You won't do it for the recognition?"
"Not even for me?" The prince asked, raising his left eyebrow his eyes scrutinizing me.
Oh he speaks, who even knew his face could move? He even had an accent.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered him.
"Why should I sabotage my life for you, like your father said, I'm a punny human, why should I risk my fragile punny human life for you , if at all I even reach the final level all I get to see us your nakedness before I die or loose myself, and I'm seeing you now, Soo.." I trailed off.
I could have sworn the side of his mouth twitched but maybe it was my imagination.
"You have secrets Raven Kharhahlac," what a surprise, he actually pronounced my name right. "you have secrets that you're scared of sharing, you know yourself that you're more than a punny human, you have abilities a human shouldn't possess."
"And those secrets are mine." I snapped, refusing to look at professor Cauline cause I knew he'd been staring at me in that 'what's the psychopath talking about' look.
"Mine to keep, it's called secret for a reason."