Chapter 8: The Princess In Rags. (POV Lyra)

“But you are now in rags, your crown lost. You’ve fallen from the summit. So why, why do you smile?” Asked Alyria, goddess of water, time, and beauty. But still, the princess smiled, and said, “There is nowhere to go, but up.”-Tale Of The Raggedy Princess. 

“Would you mind telling me why you haven’t touched a single volume of children of water so far?” Miri said, her voice edged with concern. 

“I...I don’t wanna talk about it.” Lyra muttered, eying the floor. 

“Is it because we’re still in your old room? If that’s true you can go back to our quarters.” She smiled softly, the slightest twitch in her eye betraying her anxiety. 

“No. I mean…okay yes, I don’t like being here,” Lyra rubbed her arm, still not looking up. 

“And I’d love to leave but I…I don’t know.” She risked a glance at the small pile of colorful blue books on the floor, and Lyra firmly shut her eyes, blinking away the tiniest tear. 

“I’m afraid of what I’ll read, or remember, rather. I can’t turn back if I don’t know how to.” 

Miri strode over to the redhead and gently cupped her chin. Her eyes meeting Lyra’s. 

“Lyra, you never have to turn back if you don’t want to, no matter what anyone says.” 

Her lip trembled, and she flinched away from Miri. “You don’t know what my father is capable of.” Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion. 

“I’ve been his maid a few times, I know. Not to mention I’ve been yours, he’s a terrible master, and an even worse father. But you’re stronger then you know, or maybe even want to believe. Fancy water magic, or no.” 

Lyra stared at the floor, her eyes glassy and shallow. “You’re right, as usual...thank you.” She chocked down a sob. “Was I like him? To you? I know I’ve been...an arse, but was I good to you at least? Did I ever...I’m so sorry if you were ever hurt because of me...”

Miri’s face hardened, she stood there for a while, in silence. 

“You were better than most.” She finally answered. 

“That’s not a proper answer.” Lyra clenched her trembling hand into a fist. 

Her sylphlike friend shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you a real answer.” 

Lyra closed her eyes and wrapped herself in a hug. 

Miri’s eyes were drawn to the window, and the golden sun shining brightly. 

“You were always better at treating your servants than I ever was at any rate...” Her voice was barely a whisper. She glanced at Lyra and exhaled a steady breath. She hadn’t heard anything. 

“You’re alright, ya know? You’re the only member of the Cirrian royal family the people didn’t hate, I reckon.” Miri offered her a reassuring smile, though her eyes were hollow. 

Lyra’s eyes shot open, a spark igniting in her heart. “Didn’t hate? I needed to be better then didn’t hate. I should’ve been better...” She leaned her arms on the desk and hung her head. 

“Do you ever look back on your past and just…wish you’d done things differently? Or…” She exhaled a shaky breath. “That you just, hate yourself for what you did? Or what you didn’t do..” 

Miri delicately put her hand on her shoulder. “All the time.” 

“Those who stand by and watch evil run rampant, are closer to evil than good.” Lyra looked up, her eyes meeting her reflection in the crystalline mirror. “It’s from The Conflict Of The Human Heart, volume 1.” 

Miri furrowed her brows. “You’re not evil. You’re not like your family, please don’t tell yourself that.” 

Lyra breathed a deep sigh, her nails dragging over the desk. “Not the point. I…you’re not wrong, and I’m not telling myself I’m evil. The point is, I stood by and did nothing while my family did as they pleased. But I could’ve! I could’ve done something but I didn’t, and that’s wrong..it’s just wrong! Ashes, I’ve been a fool.” 

Miri’s frown deepened. “Now you listen to me, princess. You-“ 

Lyra slammed her hands on the desk. She spun on her heel, fury roaring through her heart. 

“No, you listen to me!” Lyra seethed. 

“My father has been committing atrocities against water spirits, burning their homes and destroying their shelters from Scorchrains. What did I do? Nothing! He abuses people around him, his maids, his guards, me. Raises taxes over and over and requisitions young men into his ash-damned armies. Throws away and abandons people he doesn’t like or doesn’t care for, even sending them off to die.....and I didn’t lift a finger. He even knows something about my mother...but I’ve never even had the courage to stand up to him to find out.”

Miri opened her mouth to protest, but the redhead’s furious glare silenced her. 

“What does my brother lochaine do? He’s a funny one, bullies everyone he perceives as weaker, extorts commoners from what little money they have, and acts like a sexist pig who thinks he owns every girl he sees. Anyone he doesn’t like? Challenges them to a duel and beats them up or worse. I’ve seen him literally pissing on idols of other gods or even statues of the great dragon, and I just stood there every, single, time.” 

Lyra clenched her teeth, her face twisted from anger. 

“My sister Eveline, she’s subtler and cleverer. Maybe the most clever of everyone, her lies and half-truths are as tricky as a fae’s. Eveline just manipulates and lies to almost everyone around her, if she can’t just charm them first that is. Then she tosses them aside when she’s done, or if she wants another boy or girl to toy with.” 

She let out a grunt, her stomach twisting with disgust.

“My sister enjoys all of it, even. The lying, controlling, manipulating...She’s got the king of Sylvari wrapped around her finger, poor man doesn’t have any children or family left so she may as well be queen already...just not in name. I probably could’ve stopped her...” 

Miri folded her arms. “Do your father and brother know about her?” 

“Yes!” She huffed. “Of course they do. And they approve. My father said he’s like dragon fire, larger then life and everlasting.” Lyra made a gagging sound, wrinkling her nose in disgust. 

“And he said that lochaine is like an inferno, grandiose and terrible. My sister, according to him, is like the small little flame you don’t notice at first, but given time it’ll burn down your house. I actually agree with him here, this definitely sounds like Eveline...” 

Lyra gently stroked the red locks in her fingers. 

“As for me? He said I was lucky to be a candlelight. But I don’t mind, candles are cute.” 

She shook her head, the blaze in her heart returning. “I should've done something...by the seven gods, if I ever see any of them again I..I...” 

The princess glanced at her reflection, then back at the finger she’d pricked to test her royal blood. She balled her hand into a fist, a look of fierce determination transforming her face. 

“I’m going to take the throne from them.” Lyra’s posture straightened. “I don’t know how yet, and It might be the hardest thing I’ll ever do. they might even kill me for it when I try. But I swear by the sacred ashes, I’m going to sit on the red throne.” Her expression softened, just for a moment. 

Her voice was the tiniest whisper. “Even if I all I ever wanted is for them to love me.” 

Miri blinked, she rubbed her eyes and pinched herself. “Sorry is this really happening? Did you…really just say that? You're going to try taking the throne?”  

“Aye.” 

Miri’s mouth fell open. “Well, that’s just about the bravest, stupidest thing you’ve ever said. What makes you think you can actually do it, girl?” 

“Thanks. And well...there’s nowhere to go but up.” Lyra beamed at her

Miri looked at her thoughtfully, then folded her arms. “I suppose that’s true. But the ashen kingdom is being ruled by the Lyrians. You can’t take a throne that’s already taken by them.” 

The red-haired girl shook her head. “My family is out there. My father is out there, with at least half the army. I know him, he’s going to want to beat them at their own game. I don’t know what he’s up to, or when he’s going to strike. But he will, that much I know.” 

Lyra exhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t know why the Lyrians haven’t tried hunting him yet. But maybe I should talk to a royal, how about prince Cullen?” 

Miri snorted. “The prince doesn’t even know our names, he forgot to ask. But I suppose he’d remember our faces...yours for sure.” Her lips curved into a sly smirk. 

“What? Why my face?” She tilted her head. 

The willowy girl snorted. “Because you're beautiful lassie! Even if he only likes men, he’s not blind. Ashes, even I know what a handsome is when I see one, and I just like girls.” 

Lyra’s cheeks flushed a bright red. “Oh…” 

Miri burst into a cheerful giggle. “How are you so smart but at the same time so clueless?” 

She sheepishly shrugged her shoulder, twirling a lock of her hair. 

Miri glanced at the clock, and sighed, taking her friend’s hand. 

“We’ve gotta go, we should eat something before we have to start working for the oath ceremony.” 

The girls ran out the door, all the way to the dining hall.

                                                                                                             ****

Lyra stared down at the bowl of pork broth, and wrinkled her nose in a quiet display of disgust.

“Can we swap?” She talked to the empty space next to her, her eyes widening as her anxiety rose, where did Miri go? Her lip trembling at the thought of being abandoned, her eyes darted across the sparsely decorated hall looking for any sign of her. 

She nearly tumbled over at the not-that-forceful pat on her back. “Sorry! My broth was…yuck. It had bits of fungus and everything.” 

Lyra spun on her heels and threw herself into her arms, forgetting all about the bowl, she dropped it. 

Furthermore, she frowned and hit Miri’s shoulder. “Don’t abandon me! I don’t know anybody here…” 

Miri grimaced and scratched her hair, her eyes absently searching for something. 

“I hadn’t really thought about that. But,” her emerald eyes lit up like a star. “Now we can make it three.” 

Lyra tilted her head. “Three?” She grinned and hooked her arm over her friend’s. “Three! Including me.” She giggled. “It sorta rhymes.” 

“Tessa, Cassie, this is Lyra.” She quietly sat down at the end of the creaky wooden table, showing no subtle signs of wood rot. 

Tessa looked like the oldest at around 20 years, her skin looked deathly pale, and her hair was like the color of snow. She had a fiery look in her teal eyes Lyra hadn’t readily seen in her years. 

“Hi, Lyra!” Tessa winked. “We’ve heard a lot about ya. Don’t worry, we won’t make fun of your name.” 

Lyra’s mouth turned dry, her eyes widening. “Well met!” She blurted out. 

Tessa rolled her eyes “Practicing your noble greetings girl?” She crossed her arms. “I’m not some prissy noblewoman.” 

Miri clicked her tongue, “Tessa…be nice, Like I told you she’s new.” Cassie sighed, then offered Lyra a warm smile. “Don’t mind her, she’s like that with everyone.” 

Lyra gave her a weak smile in return and studied the girl. 

Cassie looked a lot like Tessa, save that she looked a few years younger, and that her eyes were the color of jade. They must be from the Sylvari lands, Lyra mused. 

“Are…you two sisters?” 

Cassie burst into giggles then she suddenly stopped, blushing furiously. “Y-yes.” She mumbled. “Most people don’t even point it out anymore. We’re not twins but we may as well be considering our looks. Well...I’m the thin one.” A light smirk graced her face. 

Tessa shot a glare at her sister. “And I’m not fat. Don’t mind her, she’s just being cheeky. And annoying.” 

“Well!” Cassie huffed, “You’re shorter!”  

Tessa’s lips curled into a snarl. “Ashes, I’m not!” 

“You are!” She got up from her feet, gesturing wildly at herself. “See?! I’m tall and thin! And guess who!” She pointed her finger at Tessa. “Is not!” 

Lyra slowly turned to Miri, who was calmly sipping her tea. “Should we tell them they look about identical? In just about everything?” She whispered. 

“Nah. They know, they just love getting on each other’s nerves. Now shhh! We’re just getting to the good part.” 

“My voice is prettier!” Tessa cried, her eyes ablaze with fury. 

“As if!” Cassie stomped her foot. “My hair’s shiner!” 

Her sister scrunched up her face in anger. “Yeah? Well, my hair’s shiner and longer! Yours grows about as fast as a snail runs!”

Cassie grunted like a pissed-off dragon. “Liar, liar! Tessa’s a liar!” She sang, “My eyes are prettier! Yours are about as pretty as a gorgon’s.” 

Tessa shrieked and fixed her sister with a glare, then she smiled mischievously. “Guess who has a zit on her face? Not me!” She pointed a finger at her sister. 

Cassie’s eyes widened, then she furrowed her brows. “You’re lying! Zombie-breath!” 

“Mammoth-nose!” Tessa countered. 

“Fairy-ears!” 

“Tree-licking witch!” 

Miri thoughtfully sipped her tea, as she got up, a devilish grin crept on her face. “Alright girls, that’s enough. Why don’t we let Lyra decide?” 

All eyes were on her, Lyra’s face drained of color on the spot. “Ummmmm…” her eyes flicked between the angry, impatient sisters. Suddenly she had an idea, a perfect idea she thought! 

She wordlessly pointed her slim finger at Miri. “Well...I’m flattered. But…” 

Tessa grunted and bared her teeth at Cassie. “You must’ve scared her!” 

“Piss off! YOU scared her!” She growled. 

“GIRLS!” Miri folded her arms, her brows furrowed. “You’re both beautiful! So let’s agree to disagree and eat your damn food!” 

Tessa clenched her jaw. “Fine.” Cassie rolled her eyes, looking away. “Fine.” Then the girls looked at each other. “FINE!” They chorused. 

The girls sat back down and started chatting away as if nothing happened. Lyra gawked at the sisters, they went from fighting to smiling and giggling with each other in what felt like a blink of an eye. 

She felt a tap on her shoulder. “That girl likes you I reckon.” Miri gave her a foxy grin. “Which girl?” She subtly pointed to behind Lyra. 

She instantly looked behind her, gazing straight in the twinkling sapphire blue eyes of a young girl, with hair as black as the night and a big grin on her face. 

“Don’t look back!” Miri giggled. “Unless you want her to come over and ask you out.” 

Slowly, a mischievous smile crept up Lyra’s face, she looked back again and gave her a small wave. 

The sound of heels echoed through the hall, breaking her reverie. And an eerie silence fell.

 “Madam Morgause is here,” Miri whispered, the fire in her eyes blown out and her posture low.

“Bring me the new girl.” Her command thundered through the dining hall, her voice was as sharp as a dagger and as venomous as a spider queen.

Lyra gulped and held her breath as she moved towards the madam, who appraised her closely. “Stop staring at the ground and look at me, servant.”

She looked up and met Morgause’s eyes. Her height exceeded Lyra’s by so much she wouldn’t have been surprised if she turned out to be half-giant, yet everything about her screamed nobility, from her posture to her slim figure and her demeanor of superiority. 

She wore a seemingly endless scowl, and a gleam of malice hid in her amethyst eyes. 

“Your name?” Lyra’s pulse quickened, a sense of dread clawing at her mind. Every maid in the hall was looking at her, and Morgause’s stare was as petrifying as a gorgon’s. “I’m…Lyra.” She squeaked. 

“Lyra?” Morgause looked at Lyra from top to bottom and back again. Then she seized her chin forcefully. 

turning her face this way and that, scrutinizing every feature Lyra has. “An interesting name for a Cirrian lass.” She leaned forward and studied her hair. 

“I must say your hair is lovely.” She ran a finger through her curls. “Such a beautiful shade of...red. And so long.” Lyra started trembling, and she gave her a weak smile. 

“Servant Miri,” Morgause never took her eyes off Lyra. “Where did you find this maid?” 

Miri gritted her teeth but smiled sweetly. “I found her passed out in my room, she wandered in there.” 

The madam clicked her tongue. “I see...wandered in..how intriguing I wasn’t made aware of a new arrival.” She straightened her posture and took a long step backwards. “Tell me, servant Lyra, how’s my dress?”

She eyed her outfit and struggled to make sense of her racing thoughts. Was this some kind of test? “I’m waiting, servant Lyra.” 

Her dress was a burgundy color, shaped and styled to balance style and comfort, perfect for a madam of the servants, it had an ornate look to it, with glistening sapphires embroidered around her oval neckline and the swirling symbols of the rain kingdom decorated her gown, as a finishing touch she wore ivory elbow-length gloves, fitting for a woman of her stature. 

“It’s,” she met the madam’s eyes, and slowly straightened her back. “It’s quite fitting for you my lady, it’s lovely and makes you look as if you’re of royalty, your beauty only compliments this further, did you choose it yourself?” 

 Morgause blinked, taken aback by her words, then grinned maliciously. “I certainly have, words very…well-chosen, maid.” She quietly chuckled to herself. “very well-chosen indeed.”

She leaned forward, brushing away Lyra’s hair. then she brought her crimson lips to her ear. 

“If I find out you’re the cowardly Cirrian prince, Dorian, shape-changed as this…girl..” She whispered, her voice now so sharp Lyra was surprised her ears didn’t start bleeding. 

“There will be none that can protect you, from me. I will make your life a living hell. Before I turn you over to the Lyrians and watch as they drown you in their waters.”

Morgause wrapped a lock of Lyra’s hair around her finger. “It won’t be hard to find out if you are. Just.One.Drop.” A demonic smile twisted her lips. “And accidents happen.” 

The madam released her grip on her and stood back up to her full height. “Is that understood, servant?” 

Lyra nodded numbly, her body trembling like she was standing on an earthquake. 

She turned on her feet and began striding away when she squealed, slipped, and fell on her back. Not a soul laughed. 

“Who…” Morgause was swiftly on her feet again, her face seething. “Dropped. This. Damned BOWL?” She drew her lips back in a snarl, her eyes viscously staring down the line of maids. “Whoever has done it and I will know who…”

Morgause left her eyes on Lyra. “Will meet the furycave before the night is done.” 

She narrowed her eyes at the shaking girl. 

“It was you, wasn’t it? I can’t imagine any of my maids making such a reckless mistake..” She smiled cruelly, like a spider catching a fly. 

“So much for your pretty words. And here I thought you were cunning like a noble, instead you just desperately wanted to butter me up. How disappointing.” 

With just one long step she was sneering down at Lyra again. “It wasn’t her! I did it!” Miri called out, a look of horror struck on her face. 

“You? Perhaps normally I’d have indulged you, for your never-ending rebellious behavior…but I think not.” She seized her red hair and motioned to drag her with her. Lyra struggled to keep her food in while she was being dragged away. 

“That’s enough Morgause.” The girl with the black hair stepped forward. “Leave her be.” 

Morgause spat on the girl’s face and slapped her with the back of her hand. “You insolent little wench.” A few drops of blood trickled down the girl’s face, reflecting in the morning light like seawater in the sun. “No…” her eyes widened, and she bowed deeply. 

“Highness I’m…I'm deeply sorry, please forgive me.” The girl touched the blood on her face and wistfully sighed. “Ah…it always gives me away, doesn’t it?” 

Lyra eyed the floor, then stifled a gasp. The girl had no shadow. 

The black haired girl smiled devilishly, then her eyes and hands turned as black as an eclipsed sun. “Time for you to shit yourself, madam.” 

She blinked, and her pupils lit up in a dark sangria color. The girl traced her hands over her body and her face, until she was covered from head to toe in living, ever-moving shadows, the only light source her glowing pupils. 

Then, within a breath, the shadows vanished. Revealing a regally dressed, copper-haired girl with a small blue crown on her head. Her thick, curly hair reached down to her mid-back, and she smiled. 

“Princess Melody I-“ her gaze silenced Morgause. “Tell me something, lady. Did you shit yourself?” 

The madam clenched her jaw, but quietly nodded. 

“I can’t hear you?” She sang, her eyes drilling into the tall woman’s. 

“I shat myself.” 

The princess shook her head, never breaking eye contact. “No. Considering you just took the liberty of terrorizing these girls because of your clumsiness, and because I suspect you’re a stuck-up bitch, I want you to say it again, louder.” 

“I shat myself!” Morgause shouted, her eyes flooding with helpless rage. 

“Good. Now leave. You’re done here for today, madam.” She hastily retreated from the hall like a snarling, cornered animal. 

Melody turned to Lyra, her voice low and soft. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine your highness.” Lyra mumbled numbly. 

“Please come see me later, I’m an alchemist. I can soothe your nerves and help you rest before the oath and the feast, not to mention the play.” 

She turned to the crowd of whispering maids. “As for the rest of you, please resume your duties. And please be good...I will not always be here to protect you.”