Chapter 1
Lyria had always hated cold mornings, where the chill had made her bones ache. Especially when this was the first morning of Winter, the air coated thick with mist of the last nights rain. Groaning deeply, she crawled out of her small, lumpy bed, annoyed that it was another day. Unfortunately, as she is poor, she must head to work at the crack of sunrise and sell seafood at the Port, her salary nothing to sneeze at. Barely enough to just get bread, eggs and milk. Maybe some sugar if she was lucky.
Lyria quickly places on some worn trousers and a loose tunic, before chucking on her mothers old coat. For shoes she had to scurry away the mice living in them before she could out them on.
“I’m so tired.” Lyria yawned, breaking out into a large cat like stretch as she steps out of her tiny, broken home. She wipes away the sleep in her eyes and closes the door behind her. “I had the worst night sleep.”
With a small step in her, she bounded down the broken cobblestone path towards the Port, ready for another days of work with fish, fruits and vegetables. It was a boring and slow job with little money but it was able to help with the rent and placing food onto the table. Even if it was just bread, milk and eggs.
“I wonder if I could get more tips today with the festival around the corner.” Lyria fiddles with her messy silver hair, patting it down until it stopped sticking up. To be honest, her appearance was somewhat of a pain, as its not technically normal around these parts. Silver hair and eyes were deemed bad luck to some people and it made living somewhat hard but she makes do.
Sometimes it would be easier to turn back time and start all over again. But alas, not possible.
With a scrunch of her nose, Lydia waves the memories and thoughts away, focusing on her new life. This life wasn’t so bad. She has a friend named Hart, she can sometimes do some pretty cool party tricks such as moving peoples shadows and making shapes out of them to entertain children. Some adults questioned these the abilities Lyria has but always put it down as a trick. A flicker of the eye as such.
As she was walking along the path, Lyria felt a tickle at the back of her neck. Someone was watching her. Pausing, she turns around and sees no one. Shrugging her shoulders, she turns to continue on her way…
“Boo!” Lyria screams, throwing a punch in the direction of the voice. A warm hand caught the fist, the voice was filled with laughter. Hart, her best friend stood there laughing at the shock on Lyria’s face.
“Hart! You scared me!”
Laughing he placed a hand on her shoulder, “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” Lyria rolls her eyes and pinches his arm causing him to hiss in pain.
“Don’t do that again.” She says, looking at him with a glare, watching his blue eyes filled with excitement and joy. Little turd.
“You off to work?” Hart curls his arm around hers and bounds down the path with her, his shoulder grazing her ear.
“Yeah.” Lyria nods her head in response.
“I’ll walk you.”
Lyria shakes her head at him, smiling. “You don’t have to do that. But thanks.” Hart shrugs his shoulders, grinning.
Hart has been apart of Lyria’s life for a long time. When she was very little, she was raised by her grandmother, y Vale who lived above a little bakery where Hart’s mother runs. So the two basically grew up together.
Hart breaks the silence, slowing his walk, “We should go to the festival together this weekend.”
“Oh.” The festival would be very crowded and loud. People from all over would come and celebrate however if Lyria was in the crowd, people would look and judge.
“No thank you. I’m gonna stay home and read a good book.”
“Why? I think it would be fun!” Hart exclaimed, frowning down at Lyria.
“We have no money, so I bet it wouldn’t be any fun.”
“I have some! I worked extra this week.” Lyria shook her head at him, Hart now trying to give her the puppy dog look.
“I will think about it. No promises.” She says, pointing a finger at him.
“Fine! But I’ll ask you everyday till Friday!” Hart fist pumps the air, a skip in his step.
“Aren’t you working today?”
“Yeah.” His voice lowered, eyes now avoiding Lyria. “I have an important job tonight.”
“Is it dangerous?” Lyria looks up at him with concern, knowing the last job he did was hard.
“It might, it might not. I don’t know these things until I get there.” Hart use to work at the bakery until his father, a mercenary and a spy for some noble needed help with work. Each time Hart leaves for a job, he comes back different. Quiet. It hurts Lyria to see him like this.
“You should come work with me, its safer.”
“You know I can’t Ria, my father expects me to do the jobs as his son, the heir of his little business.” Lyria scoffs, the sound bouncing off more harsh than she intended.
“What company? It’s barely holding together and your father leaves all the dirty work to you. How is that fair?” Hart shrugs it off and unfurls his arm around her, nodding to the market on the Port.
“You’ve arrived at your destination,” he makes a gesture as one would escort a lady. “I’ll pick you up for dinner.” He bends down and kisses the crown of her head before leaving her alone. Lyria sighs softly, feeling sad and almost guilty. Turning around she starts to head towards the shops, however she noticed a bit of commotion. City Guards are walking around, looking and questioning people.
“I wonder what’s happening.” She murmurs, walking through,hoping to stay unnoticed. However she was out of luck, A tall, skinny guard yells and stomps towards her.
“You there!!” He shouted. Lyria whips around and finds the guard standing over her. “You!”
“Yes Sir?” Lyria quickly avoids eye contact, finding her worn out shoes more interesting than making eye contact with him.
“What is your name?” He asks.
In his hand is a piece of paper, he looks down at it and then back a Lyria. Eyes squinting and observing her.
“Lyria Vale, Sir.” He nods his head.
“You’re coming with me,” he states, putting the paper away and takes her by the arm. “Guards, we found her!”
Lyria was shocked and scared. “What? What do you mean?”
The guard who had his hand around her arm pulls her towards a carriage, ignoring her protests. People started crowding around, talking and watching them pull Lyria away. Tears are begging to drop but she holds them in, not wanting to seem weak.
“Please wait! I don’t understand what is happening.” She’s forcibly taken into the carriage and placed inside. With a thud, she falls into the soft cushions of the carriage seats, the door shutting behind her. “I don’t understand…” Her voice felt small, her gaze now lingering outside as the sound of the horse whip smacks in the air, the carriage now moving. The Port now moving out of view.
Tears well up again and she begins to freak out. The path they are taking in the one towards the Upper City, where the nobles live. Poverty and slums slowly turn into white marble, tall mansions, walls and beautiful greenery. Soon, the carriage was heading towards the home of one of the Lords, one of the four Houses who rules this forsaken city, House of Valerian.
“Am I going there? By why?” Lyria wails, “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Soon enough, with her cries going unanswered, the view of the mansion came into view. It was large and dark, walls made out of black marble and spiral towers cast shadows over everything. “Valerian house… why am I here?” Lyria peeked a little more out of the window, finding two figures standing outside the gates of the mansion. The Duke and Duchess. Both of them were beautiful, skin pale as snow. However the Duke had silvery eyes and hair. Quite like Lyria.
Their faces show no emotion as the carriage comes into view. Did they expect me today? Why? The carriage comes to a stop and the city guard opens the door, beckoning her out.
Lyria, scared and unsure takes a wobbly step out, turning to face the Duke and Duchess.
She looks down, avoiding eye contact, playing with the hem of her worn out shirt.
Wordlessly, Duchess Valerian walks up to Lyria, takes her chin and lifts it enough to look her in the eyes. The world around them was silent, as if another sound would shatter glass. But soon after, the Duchess nodded, a small smile on her lips. Lyria thought she saw tears.
She slips off her coat and wraps it around Lyria. “Welcome home, daughter.” The Duchesses voice was sweet like honey. Confused, Lyria looks at her and frowns.
“I’m sorry, you have the wrong person.” Before she can say anything else, the Duke speaks.
“No, we don’t.” The cold Duke looks down at her, glaring with those cold silver eyes. It gives Lyria a shiver down her spine. “You are our daughter.” Without another word, he clicks his fingers and a burly man steps beside him. “Erich, please escort my daughter to her room and tell her maids to clean her up for lunch.” He then turned on his heel and walked away.
“Okay dear, go wash up. We will see you later.” The Duchess said before turning to follow her husband.
“Come my lady.” Erich waved his hand to gesture towards the mansion, a small smile on his lips, almost comforting. Lyria looked at him, frowning. Heart racing.
“I don’t want to.”
“Please my lady, at least have some lunch.” In that moment, her stomach growled. She blushed with embarrassment.
“Ok…” Erich smiled and leaded the way into the daunting mansion.
