Blood Lily

Chapter Five

         The fire crackles loudly in the corner as I try to focus on the book in front of me. It's been another week since I woke in the infirmary. The same day I woke Ashton and his father, the king, left on an expedition to the southern realm he will one day govern over. In frustration I slam the book close and look at the person sitting across from me. My mother stares back with blue eyes mirroring my own. "Mother you can go home now, I am perfectly healthy." I say curtly.

         "You may seem healthy but the irregularity in your magical output disturbs me." 
I take in my mother, she is beautiful with blonde hair, pale skin, and long legs. She looks to be only a few years older than me but she has to be at least forty five, though I don't even know her true age. Glaring I grind my teeth and say, "Go home Mother."

          She stands from her seat without saying a word and exits the parlor. I sigh and massage my temple, I've had a pounding in my head since the night in the guest room. "He said that he loved me." Kira's voice rings through my head and an image of them kissing in the very bed I sleep in every night flashes behind my eyes.

        This time I stand out of frustration and head to the bath chambers adjoining the bedroom. With a flick of my hand warm water begins to flow from the facet in the large porcelain bath as I make my way to the vanity in the corner. Sitting in front of the mirror I begin to remove the pins from my braided hair. Slowly my auburn hair gathers around my shoulders in slight waves as I unravel the braids.

         Using a small cloth I begin to wipe the cosmetics from my face, halfway through aggressively trying to rub the charcoal from under my eyes I hear a chorus of giggles coming from the open window. Standing and setting the cloth back on the vanity I look out into the blue skyed afternoon. Looking in the direction of the giggles I see a couple engaging in flirtatious kisses and touches. Disgusted I begin to close the windows when I hear the man say something, " Nisla my sweet."

          I stop in shock and look back down to the couple, there on the face of the girl who I now recognize as Kira, is a look mirroring my own. I watch still dumbfounded as Kira shoves Ashton away from her. "What did you just say?

          Ashton reaches for her waist but she riggles away. "Kira my sweet." He says, but this time using her name instead of mine.

          A scowl clouds Kiras pretty face and she shoves a finger in his face, "You said that hag's name."

          Ashtons eyes widen and he lowers his head as she continues to speak, her finger now pounding angrily against his muscled chest, "You came to me when she stopped loving you! You told me how cruel and horrible she was, you treated me like your love and princess in place of her. She's a filthy magician, a stain of evil on this world, yet she still sits at your side as your future queen instead of me. You told me you loved me, I should have that title not that unholy enchantress. I swear to the goddess-" Metal on metal sounds as Ashton pulls his sword from his sheif and points it at Kiras chest.

          Kira fliches and freezes, eyes fixed on the sharp blade poised over her heart. Ashton raises his head and stares at her, "Let me make a few important things clear. For one I never said I loved you, maybe at a point in time I had tricked myself into thinking I was but the only person I have ever and will ever love is princess Nisla. Another thing I now realize is how grave of a mistake I have made. I have let myself see Nisla as cold and cruel and not as the girl I know she is, the girl I fell in love with. Loving someone means helping them when they may need it instead of looking the other way, another mistake I have made. I may never be able to fix things with her but know this I will not for a moment stray from her side, again.
"Even If I end up following her around like a sad mutt the rest of my life begging for forgiveness it will be better than betraying her day after day. Now I will ask you once politely to leave, if I have to ask again I will not use patient words, only this blade."

          I watch paralyzed as tears spill down Kiras cheeks as she runs away from Ashton, her brown skirts trailing behind her. He sheaths his sword and looks after her. I feel tears falling down my own face and a sob forces its way out of my throat. Ashton turns quickly to look up at the open window and I duck down under the sill.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is the second to last update, the end is near! Make sure to vote for the story......please- A.K. Coffman