The Other Side of Me

Prologue: The Other Side of Me

The wind blew as though songs were being distributed throughout the entire world. The birds even celebrated, forgetting where they came from before the world they know now as their home. Joining them in their pristine turns were the Twelve. Each one was dressed in the colors of the Queen. Purples, greys, and blacks fill the sky, speckling the afternoon sun and the blue sky. They yelled joyous sayings to each other, all meaning the same thing. She has come of age. This is the first day of the future of Darkani.

She gripped her hands on the railing. This is the day.

She went back into her room, leaving the balcony doors open to let the breeze follow her. She went to her vanity and sat on the plush stool. She looked from her hands to her reflection, not knowing what would look back at her. Nothing surprised her when she saw that she looked the same as she did not even ten minutes ago. Her black eyes shoot arrows back at her. She touched her hair and still came to the conclusion that it was indeed the same dull black color.

This is not me. What am I? I shouldn't be seeing this reflection in the mirror. He said I had the most beautiful brown eyes. And my face was never so dull and pale.

"You never had such features, my dear Lioness." A voice said behind her. "The Creator must have just thought of such things when he created you."

Lioness looked behind her reflection and saw her mother looking at her. A bundle of fabrics was in her hands. She wore a black corset dress with royal purple lacing. Her black hair was flowing loosely around her. The Lioness almost shivered when she met the piercing black eyes of Victoria.

Lioness laughed. "You are right, mother. I can still not believe the power of your thought reading. I can never keep anything from you."

Victoria placed the fabrics on the couch. "I saw you thinking and I decided to take a small peek." She looked at the bed, which was still untouched from the day before. "My dear child. Sadly, you are still human and you must sleep." She came up to the mirror and put her hands on the shoulders of her daughter. "But then again I understand that you are nervous."

Lioness nodded. "The Twelve are all very skilled. It will be hard to choose one as a husband."

"I don't blame you dear. They are all very talented Dark Angels. We all have been thinking of this decision for eighteen years. But don't think of such things right now. I have gifts."

Lioness followed Victoria to the black couch, hearing their footsteps echo off the clean white walls and floors. Victoria picked up the material and handed it to Lioness. The fabric turned out to be a dress. It was a corset dress like her mother's. The top of the grey dress dipped to the chest slightly. The sleeves were only short loops starting at the sides of the dress, allowing the shoulders to be bare. The stiff top was balanced with flowing skirt that went to the floor with multiple layers of silk. The skirt changed from grey to the darkest of purples as it got closer to the bottom hem. Along the base of the waist, strange purple rocks lined the seam. Lioness turned the dress around and saw that the back had a grey ribbon crisscrossing through little holes that went to the waist line. The seams by the holes were also lined with the beautiful reflective rocks.

"This is beautiful, mother." Lioness exclaimed. "Did you make this?"

Victoria smiles. "A couple of the Twelve went to Earth and found the materials. They brought them back here and I made it into the dress."

Lioness nodded, examining the rocks. "I've never seen a rock like this." She said as she allowed the rocks to reflect off of the lights of the sun streaming through the doors.

Victoria smiled and picked up a grey bag from the couch. "Because I just created it this past moon." She takes out the contents of the small pouch. What fell into her hand was a necklace with one of the rocks attached to it. She smiled at the rock while rolling it in between her nimble fingers. "I decided to make it with you in mind my dear." She walked around Lioness and put the necklace around her neck.