Heiress of Flight: A Novella from the Unbroken Series # Wattys2017

Loss

When we prepare to meet the Fiyori, I prepare myself completely, as if I am going to a banquet with a king. My princess outfit is a light blue leotard-like piece with a silver skirt, long and delicate made of sheer and cotton. A silver crown and two silver lines on each side my face, glittering, and telling of the battles I have seen and won. I have gold plate armor clamped to each forearm as a finishing touch. When I look in the mirror, I am satisfied; it is said that our women are of legendary beauty. Perhaps I am. When I enter the living room, River weaves around me excitedly.

As I pass my mother's room, the door is open, and she is standing in front of the mirror. She is even more breathtaking than I. Her hair, unlike mine, is down, long and flowing. Her tawny skin shimmers, and her red skirt is long like mine but has two slits in each side. Her top is cut off by a thick golden rope belt that holds a sheathed knife. She turns to me, comes, and silently takes the crown off my head. She replaces it with a sparkling crown decorated by amber stones.

"It was my first crown when I was your age." She cradles my face in her hands. "You still look like you did when you were born."

She looks toward the bookshelf in her room. I have never been in my mother's room. It would be disrespectful to go uninvited. She normally keeps the door closed; perhaps it is her place to unwind and forget about her duties. Just be herself.

On a shelf, she has a picture of me as a toddler and another of me as a baby. I do not look much different. She is holding me in one picture; my cheeks are more rounded, and my soft brown hair is pulled into a topknot with a jeweled bow. My brother is in another picture with us. Wren. He is smiling, and his silver birthmark makes him look tougher than he actually is, or was.

Yet another picture is my mother with her third child. My brother, Makai. He is in my mother's arms and looks up with these big grey eyes. His father is in another picture with my mother. Richard. Richard's own golden eyes are stunning against his caramel brown skin and delicate brown curls. Richard was the younger cousin of Lady Mariah. He stole my brother from us and took him back to the Canvasi, his people. My people killed him with a spear doused in oleander. Nevertheless, he had one of the fastest horses known, called Storm, and escaped back to his people, who attacked us on the border.

"Do you miss him?" I ask.

"Sometimes."

My mother turns to leave, and her hair sweeps around her, so black it makes the ravens jealous, so say the elders.

"Come. Our guests are here."

I hear the horses outside. The Fiyori are known for their horsemanship. They ride some of the swiftest and wildest horses there ever were.

When we get outside, Aunt Genevieve and Kimberly meet us. Kimberly smiles excitedly, hope burning in her brown eyes. My grandmother and grandfather also join us, dressed in their matching amber colors.

"Queen Esmeralda," Lord Alden of the Fiyori greets. He studies us. "Where is the girl?"

He is accompanied by his oldest son, Lance and Lance's twin sister, Ariel. Garrett stands beside my mother; being the head warrior of our village, he is willing to protect her with his life.

"We will talk first," the Queen demands.

"What is your proposal?"

"Our land is dying, and we need your help."

"How is your land dying?"

My mother motions for Vegas, who returned this morning from a journey back to the Distance Colonies. He steps forward.