Adri
Kymaerio Peak has always been a place of legends and dread, but now it's my reality. The soldiers who captured me from Kellan's apartment were gentler than I could ever have hoped. The journey here was still frightening as I sat blindfolded aboard a vessel I'm yet to see for myself. Their murmurs made my heart race like crazy as I anticipated the worst.
What do they have planned for me? Am I going to have to start bearing children this instant, or has the betrayal of fleeing left too much of a sour taste in their mouth that now the only option is death?
I can't stop thinking about what could be waiting for me. A room filled with positive messages about birth and procreation where I will be subjected to animalistic treatment? I've read of the horrid things that humankind does to its women, so how do I convince myself that my kind is any better? A panic attack nearly grabs hold of me as I desperately try to strike these awful thoughts and fears from my mind.
Now, looking around my room, I breathe a slight breath of relief. My room is magnificent—fit for a princess, really—yet it still feels like a gilded cage. The hushed tones outside my door make my skin crawl as I try to decipher the muffled noise.
The King is apparently hosting a big event tonight, and naturally, my curiosity gets the better of me. Opening the door, I peek out and send one of them jumping with surprise. Their posture at attention, and their eyebrows raised.
"Get back," one commands. His spear lodged lightly underneath my chin.
"Relax; I can't escape through the front door," I say, waving them off. "What event are you talking about?"
Attempting to avoid my question, they return to the battle-ready pose and pretend I don't exist. My heart pounds and before I can gather my thoughts, I feel a surge of irrationality come over me as I leap toward the one nearest to me.
"Tel—"
"King Adrav has searched for you for many years, princess. Your return needs to be commemorated," the other one quickly says, guiding his comrade's weapon away from my face.
As I piece together what Pa had told me, my heart drops and the magnitude of my defiance sinks in. The man responsible for my abduction is my own grandfather. I guess if he had no problem murdering his own daughter, what chance do I have?
"I need to speak with him," I implore.
A perplexed look washes over their faces, as if what I ask is beyond what can be delivered.
"We will inform the King of your request, but for now, you must return to your room," the silent one finally says while shoving me into the room and closing the door behind me.
Exploring the contents of 'my room,' a shocking revelation stirs up a wave of guilt in me. It was Ma's room. Portraits upon portraits of her embellish the walls, and her old toys and other girly items clutter the shelves. Wow, I've almost completely forgotten how beautiful she was since we have no remnants of our past back home. The guilt morphs into a bitter grief that fills me with both anger and fear.
Exhausted, I lay down and drift into a restless sleep. My dreams are as haunting as real life, and the presence of an audience awakens me. My clouded vision reveals the shape of two young female Zephyrs. One stares at me excitedly, while the other glares with disdain.
"I don't see what is so special about her," the disdainful one spits. "She looks exactly like the rest of us."
"Are you kidding?" the other says erratically. "This is amazing. Another royal bearer is so much better than Jonah's stupid coronation. I can't believe it's all happening at once! You know our beautiful cousin will steal all his glory, right? The future of our bloodline!"
"Stop gawking at her; you'll scare her into infertility."
The back and forth momentarily makes me forget what is actually being praised. "So, this is really all about bearing children for the colony?" I ask.
The two nod, one eerily and the other excitedly. "We're your cousins, by the way. I'm Amali."
Giving her a quick, awkward nod, I turn my gaze to the other woman. "And you are?"
My inquiry rubs her the wrong way as she coldly sneers and stands up.
"Catch-up time is over. We have to prepare for tonight."
She grabs Amali, whose wide eyes glare back at me as she is dragged out of the room. "Her name is Zeera!" she screams as the door closes.
Terrified of what's next, I begin seeking comfort by talking to Ma. "I'm so sorry. I should've listened to Pa. This is all my fault."
The sound of harmonious drums and horns snaps me out of my self-pity. The event is starting. The guards give a short knock on the door before announcing that they've come to escort me to the banquet hall. Walking through the hallways, the palace mesmerizes me. The furniture glitters, and the space appears infinite. Entering the hall, the guards chain me to the bolted-down table across from the King and the other royals.
The table looks over onto a dome-like arena, and the glass wall ensures every inch of it is visible but impenetrable. Zephyrs from outside the palace fill the seats in seconds, and a platform carrying a cage is pushed onto what I assume is the battlefield.
Is that? —Pa!
Bound by giant shackles and paraded like an animal, the crowd jeers relentlessly. King Adrav approaches a podium right behind the glass wall, and his reflection displays on a holographic screen in the dome.
"A long time ago, I informed you of the traitor responsible for the absconding of Princess Kimara. Brainwashed, she fled with this sorry excuse for a Zephyr whose selfishness nearly cost us a crucial member of our existence. Tonight, he will pay for his crimes."
The screams of the crowd swallow up the sound of everything else, and my head starts spinning. This can't be happening. I have to help him.
I watch in horror as the King orders silence in 'The Sanctum', and suddenly a royal guard blows another horn. The hubbub comes to a deathly silence. A piece of the bed of The Sanctum opens, and with a terrifying roar, a beast emerges.
The Hydra.
Each of its heads is more frightening than the previous, and its fangs drip with venomous acid, almost salivating at the sight of its next meal. The king's next orders are that Pa's shackles be removed. Returning to his podium to deliver the next instructions, he glances over at me and proceeds.
"You know the law, Navi. Defeat the Hydra and reclaim your place among us. Fail, and perish."
Tears trickle from my eyes as I'm forced to watch Pa fight with all his might. His unsurmountable strength allows him to hold his own as he outmaneuvers the slippery water snake.
That's it, Pa. You've got this.
Suddenly, he is whipped by its enormous, spiny tail, which slams him headfirst into the wall. His recovery is lightning-quick, and he appears above one of its heads. Grabbing hold as tight as he can, he snaps one of its necks, and the eyeballs roll back into its head, lifeless.
Woohoo! That's my fa—oh no. Watch out!
The silence weighs heavily in The Sanctum as the Hydra charges back without warning.
"Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
My blood-curdling scream finally reaches him, and he looks straight at me. A look of relief settles on his face, and for a brief moment, I can feel the warmth of his embrace.
"I'm sorry," I mouthe, praying he forgives me for what I've done.
My cries do more harm than good, as the Hydra shoots back and clutches him in a death grip. The force is unimaginable, and all that's heard is Pa's guttural howl.
"You have to stop this! Please, I distracted him!"
King Adrav gives me an emotionless side-eye and smirks wickedly. I fight maniacally to free myself from my own chains and save my father, but only manage to free one arm before the king gives me a taste of his own divine power.
"Contain yourself. This is what happens to traitors of the colony, and unless you would like your own encounter with the beast, I suggest that you allow fate to run its course."
His tone, tyrannic and unnerving. Scowling openly, I turn back to Pa, pleading with the gods to give him strength. He lays battered at the feet of the Hydra, barely breathing, and looks back up at me.
"I love you," he mouthes, before the King instructs the Hydra to finish his meal.
"Noooooooo!"
My cries travel throughout the hallways and into the arena as I drop to my knees in angst, and the reality of my heartbreak leaves the audience speechless. The crowd turns their attention to the king, awaiting instructions on whether to rejoice or mourn.
King Adrav makes his way over to me again and whispers, "Shhh, dear child. A cleansing was needed, and now you are home."
He orders the guards to bring me to my room and ensure that I've eaten. The state of my health is crucial to the hospitability of my uterus.
"We cannot allow her grief for that traitor to stifle Jonah's coronation, but she is still my granddaughter and a royal bearer, so I trust you will treat her kindly."
The guards nod and release me from my chains. "Let's go."
As the doors of my bedroom close, I collapse onto the floor once again, sobbing uncontrollably. Pa is gone, and I'm trapped in this nightmare—a pawn in the King's cruel game.