The Deathly Scream - 𝟙

༒ Fifteen ༒

⇺             ⇻ ♕ ⇺             ⇻

Days had passed, and with every day we came closer to the Selection. The photographers were a genius in hiding, you never saw them. They shouldn't even be here yet. Yesterday, on the frontpage of our newspaper, a picture of me and Valentina while riding our horses had appeared.

We looked exactly the way we were. Valentina in her glory with a beautiful dress, and me in my outdoors outfit, not a princess at all. I had seen my father's reaction to that picture, but luckily he kept quiet.

Valentina on the other hand was ashamed that I had been next to her looking like that. She had locked herself in her room and hadn't come out yet. According to Olivia, her maid, she was very upset. It didn't make sense.

'But have you seen the title above the picture?' Olivia had asked me while I tried to walk past her, pushing one of the papers in my hand. 'Valentina and Rosalia Martinez, Princesses of Ethura' it said. At first I couldn't understand what was wrong about that but of course, Olivia would explain it to me as if she stood higher in the Royalty family than I.

'Princesses? Valentina is the crown princess, this is an assault', she said before I walked past her to my bedroom. I was sure that not everyone has seen it as an assault, although that conversation kept running through my head when I walked with Levi through our gardens.

'Was it an assault?' I ask confused. He smiles a little, not trying to catch my look. 'The journalist who wrote that article did not praise Valentina or shade you as it should. He made you equals', he explains. I stop in the middle of the Rose garden, holding him by his arm.

'What is wrong about being equals?'

'Normally nothing, but this is her moment. She'll be Queen, it is not normal that not all the attention goes to her', he tries again. I release his arm and walk over to the low stone wall to sit on top of it.

'Don't jump', he says sarcastically but I could see the fear in his eyes. I wasn't suicidal, I just wanted to think. And what was better to think than sitting on the edge of a cliff with a waterfall as view? Levi leans against it while my thoughts run of to another world, wondering about our Kingdom and Syrilia, how those two had been in war for several years. I remember Ivory when I think of a possible third island. Levi stares at me with a vague smile on his face when I glance at him in curiosity.

'What do you know about Ivory?' I ask. His face tightens immediately, not knowing what to say. 'I saw it in a history book of Madame Orsini', I insist, waiting for an answer.

'It's a myth. We all know that. Never has an island like that been found', he answers doubtable.

'But what if it's a true story. I mean, would you even think that is crazy given the world we live in?' I jump of the wall and take him by his arm again, walking over the small paths through the garden. He sighs deep and follows my lead.

'I wouldn't worry too much about that. You should focus on more important events', he says, raising an eyebrow. I knew exactly what he was talking about.

'I have to get that book, Levi. She almost shrugged it out of my hands when I mentioned it', I sound desperate. We stop before the entrance to the castle, Levi leaning a little bit closer to me. Impossible for the other guards to hear us.

'Well, if you decide to go on an adventure, don't forget to ask me', he whispers before leaving me behind at the entrance.