Thorns and Melancholy

Chapter 1

The sun reached the peak of the Empire, it's bright gaze seeming blinding against the eyes of the subjects that opened their windows to greet the rays of warmth. Chatter was heard throughout the streets, the voices of plenty speaking in harmony. Children ran up and down the crowded stoned pathways of the square while women mingled with each other at shops. Men erupted with laughter and yells, some patting each other on the back for no reason in particular. Some would call it just 'being friendly'. The square glowed with life while the noblemen and women cheered for the beautiful afternoon to come. While perfection blossomed in the horizon, one singular soul apart from the others wandered in the darkness of the bright side of everyone else's world.

The woman let her slender fingertips drag across one of the vine covered walls from the old library that was drained from any sense of human activity. Her violet eyes grimaced at the cheerfulness of her fellow nobles, only seeming to grow tiresome of the noise emitting from the bodies that crowded the square. She took a deep breath, getting a whiff of fresh bread from the bakery and lilacs from the trees that grazed around the stone arches above. Her bony hand held a laced basket filled to the brim with fruits from a nearby orchard that was guarded by a border of tall, strong coniferous trees, making it seem as if you were only entering a simple forest. Blonde locks were braided into a loose do-up at the back of the middle aged female, seeming to be almost white against the vision of a human being. Two strands of alabaster hair framed her triangle sculpted face, occasionally brushing against the deepened cheekbones that were seen like healed gauges against her achromatic complexion. Angel kissed freckles danced across her cheeks, seeming quite spread out around her skin, but crowded more around her nose and jaw, acting almost like the people in the square, but she stood out like the singular but large birthmark that covered over her left eye. Her purple eyes shot around at the strange looks people were giving her as she passed by, simply ignoring the stares. She had no reason to get offended by the words of people who meant absolutely nothing to her. She picked up the skirt of the dress that was provided by the Royal Family for her work and pushed through the crowd of people, staying polite to avoid any sudden commotion. The last thing she wanted was to be the centre of attention. It wasn't much, but she didn't hate how it looked. It was actually quite nice if you enjoyed simple dresses. The top was a ruffled blouse, but trailed down to a dark skirt that stopped right above her ankles. A light grey apron was sewed to the front of the dress, the cloth being dirtied from various trips and falls that had happened throughout the day. Being a maid wasn't a very clean job to say the least.

Her slightly heeled shoes tapped lightly against the ground as she approached the large alcazar of the Empire, letting a small huff slip past her lips as she entered through the large wooden doors that secured the opening of the enormous safe hold. When she entered, she was approached by a butler in a neat vest and tight trousers. He seemed rushed, and almost frightened, but the woman only smiled gently towards him. "Caterina! Where in the gods have you been? I've been worried sick..." the male chimed in, his eyes clouding with worry as he came to a halt from his once anxious walk, seeming to slightly tower over Caterina. "Hello, Alev. Such a pleasant surprise to be presented with your company" she said with a gentle laugh. "Enough with the formalities, I'm just as much of a 'maid' as you are. Now answer my question; where have you been?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at the female. Caterina roller her eyes playfully and help up the basket, wiggling it gently in the air with her hand. "Where does it look like I was? The kitchen asked me to go fetch some fruits from the orchard, so that's what I did. Problem?" She said with a grin. He only sighed and patted her shoulder. "Walk with me". With that, she took off with the male, glancing at him as she tried her best to catch up with his quick walk. Her eyes followed his movements, catching his features with a confused expression. What could he possibly want? She wasn't even gone for more than an hour, and he was pulling this? She honestly wasn't that surprised, he had always been protective of her.

Alev glanced back, his soft fire-like locks brushing across his eyes as he looked at his slower friend. "Man, you are still a very slow walker. I thought all of the walking you did around the alcazar would have assisted you with that issue" he teased, only receiving a jab in the side from the female when she approached. "Oh quite you...it's not my fault you walk at super human speeds" Caterina said as she kept a steady walk beside him, causing Alev to slow down. His tanned skin glowed from the light of the dimmed chandeliers above, giving his complexion an almost warm feeling. His aroma was a mixture of cinnamon and freshly trimmed grass, which seemed like quite a weird combination, but was a scent that you couldn't ever forget. Silver eyes soon met Caterina's violet ones when she looked up at Alev once again. "What do you need me for?" She asked, raising a brow at him, questioning his motive for why he wanted to speak with her. "Well, it's nothing too important. Is it a crime to catch up with a friend?" He asked with a chuckle. Caterina rolled her eyes. "We literally spoke two evenings ago. Was that too long for you, Flamma?" She asked with a smirk. Alev scoffed at her pet name she had given him, understanding what it meant. The two of them both came from Latin families, which resorted into the pair to have Latin as one of their mother tongues. "Don't waste your breath, Pura..." he said, his tone sounding annoyed, but he was just being petty. Caterina gave Alev the nickname 'Flamma', which is translated to English as 'Flame'. Caterina's Nickname came from the word 'Pure', which was said as 'Pura' in Latin. Most of the time, the two usually spoke in Latin to talk about things without others knowing what they were saying, which was perfect for trash talking other maids and butlers who found Alev and Caterina both despicable.

The two of them pondered down the hallway for a little while longer before Alev stopped in his tracks, causing Caterina to stop soon after. She went to talk, but Alev hushed her almost immediately, causing her to glare at him gently. She continued this until she heard a familiar chatter of voices coming from down the long hallway. She gulped gently at the sound, looking at the beautifully tiled floor before looking back up at the redhead with a worried look. Alev gave a concerned look in response before they both looked down the hallway, standing at ease while their breathing shallowed. A deep orotund voice boomed through the hall, echoing through the enlarged space in between the beings. The two servants knew that voice anywhere...
The Empire's ruler; Emperor Phillip Chambrun,