The Dark

Chapter 1: The Dark

Chapter 1: The Dark

"We're going to be okay, trust me Willow."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I promised I would never let anything happen to you."

"We said that to each other."

"Then let's live up to that promise."

"Willow!! Willow it's time to get up!" Suddenly the images swam away from my brain and it was left with complete darkness. My eyes wanted to flicker open to follow the direction of my sister calling my name but they wouldn't. Immediately after, my body was being shaken releasing the grumble from my throat, with my eyes opening to see her emerald eyes beaming in front of me. Her chestnut hair fell down against her face landing lightly past her shoulders; it was always held back neatly behind her ears or up nicely in a bun by her maid but however, taking in account all her efforts to get me out of bed it just fell out dropping against her face. Her voice was getting louder, pitch by pitch. "Alright Corinne, enough of it, go wake Nathan instead," I flung the covers past her face abruptly releasing a scoff from her. "Father says you have to get up soon otherwise you're going to miss the suitors, you have an hour to get ready," her attitude advanced on me as she made sure her tone harsh and cold, probably hoping to send a shiver down my spine. Instead I just lay there and mimicked her words as she stomped her way out of my room. Suitors; that was today. It was the downside of being the oldest daughter to the King of Ivna. Each month I would be embraced with a new suitor, my father thinking this was the best one for me. Obviously, that is not the case, spending one day with me is what they call a nightmare and before you know it they already go back to their home kingdom. It never gets me on the good side of my father though. It always brings up the idea of me taking over the kingdom when he no longer can; he wants me to have someone by my side that can help me on my way. He wants Ivna to be in good hands after he's gone. Sometimes I feel he doesn't believe I can take care of myself which taunts me more than anything.

Ivna is a small kingdom where everyone respects each other. Nothing ever exciting happens here so I see no weariness in my father's eyes which needs to be there. You can see the candlelight through each lantern as you walk down the village; the people greet you with veneration as do we when we interact with each other. I may not act as I should do when I'm around them but the people don't care and I believe it's healthy for me and them. But when I get home I earn the lecture from my father saying I need to keep a good reputation and act how a princess should act, that's when he compares me to my sister Corinne. She has all the factors a princess should, she follows the rules, she keeps a good posture, and she acts how a princess should act. I on the other hand, am the complete opposite. Instead of sitting in lessons you can find me down in the training arena or out in the woods doing things that princess's stereotypically shouldn't be doing. I'm not entirely sure where I got this nature from but it certainly isn't from my father or mother. An hour. Probably more like half an hour now because I can't drag myself out from bed. The only thing to get me out of bed was the blinding light seeping through the glass across my room. "I take it you already had your sister getting you out of bed," I peeked up from the covers to see Sienna standing next to the window with her arms crossed. Sienna is my maid who has to put up with my erratic nature. I feel sorry for her, because she has to help me with everything because that's the role for both of us but I make it difficult for her because I don't pay attention to orders.

Sienna was just as beautiful to be in the place I am right now, probably with more rights to be as well. She has amazing red hair which falls down her back neatly and straight if you ever tied it out of her usual plait bun. Her eyes were emerald green with a sparkle in them. She always acted so polite and never let any rude comments or offence take her down. In some ways she acts like my sister and brother, she doesn't let her class down grade her which is why we get along more like friends rather than princess and maid. I can tell her anything. Whether that's a good thing or not but I guess if it were bad, I would have had another lecture from my father by now. "So you excited about the new suitor today?" Sienna walked over to the wardrobe covered from rail to rail with dress after dress. "What do you think Sienna?" I pushed myself up in the bed sitting my back up against the frame of my bed. I grabbed every inch of the covers and wrapped it around myself keeping myself warm just as Sienna turned round to face me holding two dresses. The first was straight and long with the little sequins trailing up the side reflected against its deep burgundy red. The suggestion of no straps on the dress just representing the front just makes me feel uncomfortable and she knows it's the worst dress I would ever be seen in; the second one wasn't as bad as the first but you still wouldn't see me wearing it. Instead of red, she pulled out the slate grey, it wasn't so bad, again it was straight but however, as it reached the floor it would fall out and drag around me. The only design it had embellished in it, was the diamond waistband leading into the small design of a phoenix to my side.

"Could you at least give this guy a chance, you have thrown each and every one out the window without a second glance," I raised my eyebrow at her producing "Are you serious?" look before answering "I've given them all a chance, they just don't understand what I like and do," she dropped her arms letting the dresses hang down to the floor slamming her eyes at me "They haven't got time to know you because you won't give them the chance and if you did, then maybe they would grow to love what you do," I sighed slumping back down through the bed peeking over at her as she lifted the two dresses back up for me to choose making me groan "Fine, if I am going to do this, I'm not looking like a complete idiot. I'll wear the slate grey." Her eyes darkened on me as she looked at it then looking at the burgundy "But the grey seems too dark, you'll give off a bad impression," I literally face-palmed myself "Sienna, they are both too dark, all my dresses are now hand it over," she shook her head with devastation before handing it over to me. I let myself slide out of my bed and walk over to the covers to change. I lifted off my bed gown before sliding into the dress. Its texture against my skin was soft followed by a silk effect but it wasn't quite. I lifted the dress up and adjusted the bust at the top before heading out to Sienna to tie up the corset in the back. "Did you have to choose two bust dresses," I complained as she started tying the back together. "Do you ever stop fussing?" she argued back at me as she sucked my stomach in from the tightness the corset was being pulled.

She moved away and let me stand in the mirror "There beautiful," I couldn't help but laugh and fidget with the dress "Right, if you say so," I picked up the brush on the side table next to the mirror to start combing my hair through, I couldn't be bothered or more I didn't want Sienna creating a hairstyle because that would make me feel like I'm pushing the limits to who I am. I brushed through it slowly and carefully but only to find myself dazed out into the mirror. I felt myself switch off from the world as I heard the words in my head:

"Because I promised I would never let anything happen to you."

"We said that to each other."

"Then let's live up to that promise."

"Willow? Are you okay?" I was snapped out of my thoughts with Sienna stood in front of me, waving her hand back and forth in my face. "Sorry, lost in thought I guess," I answered slowly as if I were still thinking of the words replaying through my brain. "You dreamt it again last night didn't you?" Sienna questioned the expression represented on my face. She knew all too well what I'd been dreaming lately.

Each and every night since I can remember, I'd have this scene playing around in my head. From it, all I can recognise is my voice with a boy. I'm not entirely sure who he is, all I can gather is that we are best friends seeming to always have been. But however, something happens between us which we can't exactly run from. The fact he says to me 'we're going to be okay' makes me wonder, what did he mean by that? When I watch the scene replay each and every night all I can gather is he has this velvet red hair which falls down against his face layer after layer making it look shaggy but interesting at the same time. He has these immediate dark sapphire eyes which clash with mine when we look at each other directly. Our hands were linked together tightly which only told me that we got separated from each other. But I run back to the same question: Did this happen in the past? Is it predicted for the future? Or is it even real? Continually, I ask Sienna if there was anyone I knew back then or know of these features, the answer she always gave me was either a shake of the head or just the answer "I'm not sure Willow, maybe it's just a dream" that's where we would always leave it; I knew there was something else beneath the surface however. "You haven't dreamt about that girl for some time?" Sienna brought up the dream I'd rather forget. "Who the girl with a strange green streak through her hair, I'd rather forget it and I think that's what I did," I slammed the brush down back on the table releasing the anger I felt about it all. "Have you told your father?" She questioned me again; I just stayed completely silence, my answer for no.

"Maybe you should tell him," Sienna brought up the only reason I wish I never had to hear "If I did that, he would call me insane and that isn't something I need, I would never get him off my case and I can't have that, it would give another reason for us to argue with one another and I'm pretty sure my family don't want that." Sienna sighed heavily shaking her head and taking my hand "You're right, now come on, let's go meet suitor number 15," we both burst into laughter "I'm sure that's pretty dramatic but yes, let's go," and with that we made an exit of the room.