FLIGHT

Chapter 02

Among the several buildings at the back of the palace, one particular, large hut held what during her King Amastan's reign had been the pride and jewel of the palace. The hut was large though it was just one huge room inside. The room was not even filled up with so many comforts and beautifications, just a bed, some boxes, a sitting area of pillows and rugs all over the floor. There were no paintings, drawing, or designs on the walls. King Gwafa saw to that.

She lay face-up on her bed, dressed in a plain white skirt and short tunic which ended halfway down her thighs. Her skirt ended at her knees and the tunic was sleeveless. Her hair was long like her mother's, but it was blonde. It ended just at the base of her back. She wore no jewelry, had been forbidden by her older brother. She wore makeup though, blue-black dot, lines and patterns were painted on her face and arms. Her skin was so white it was almost pale. It was flawless though. She was an albino and a very beautiful one. She had never been under direct sunlight, her father had made sure of that and though her older brother would have it otherwise now, her mother countered his orders to have her move about under the sun.

"Varana!" cried a young female voice from the doorway. There was no door over it, just a curtain. Gwafa said it would be too expensive to fix door.

The albino sat up and looked at the one who'd called her "Aunty" in the Kalarian tongue. It was a pretty little girl of eight years with her long black hair which was done into three, long fat braids and adorned with bangles of gold and silver. A line of blue dots ran down the centre of her, forehead, along her nose and down her chin. She was like her grandmother, the queen, Semitic-Negroid, but her skin was darker than the queen's.

"Safiyya, why are you here?" asked the albino as the little girl ran up to her.

"Varana," said the girl, dropping to one knee before the albino.

"You will get yourself in trouble with your parents, Safiyya," said the woman.

The girl rose up and sat next to the lady with a smile.

"Grandmother says to ignore my parents and do what my heart says and my heart says to spend time with my aunt."

The albino smiled at her. Her name was Princes Lunja, daughter of the late king and only sister to the new one who hated her much for her body's lack of proper pigmentation; a problem she had to suffer and which was beyond her control form the start. She was twenty-five years of age and had only gotten this far because of the way her father had borne her with love and care, like his egg. As her name "Lunja" meant "Fantasy princess" so had her father treated her like one. She was his fantasy daughter and he was glad she was born to him.

"Safiyya, you know I like spending time with you, but your father and I are not exactly on speaking terms."

"Do not try to coat things with me, aunty," said the girl. My father hates you and wants you dead. Say it as it is. I am not a child anymore."

"I was not informed when eight became the new age of maturity," the lady teased and the girl laughed.

The girl grabbed her aunt's hand and admired the flawlessness.

"I wish I had your skin."

"Gods forbid that you do," her aunt countered.

The girl looked at her face.

"But it is beautiful and so clear and your hair is......"

"It is a curse which has brought problems in our family," her aunt cut her off.

"No, my father is the reason behind the problems in our family."

"I don't know where you get these thoughts from, Safiyya, but your father is a good man; to you at least."