The Razziza Dynasty

Amera swept into the room, her wine red ball dress flowing behind her neatly, her black hair tied neatly behind her. She tilted her face back a little bit as she walked in, then looked down again. She was at the top of the steps of the Ball Room of Widora Castle. The Ball was just starting down below and she ran a finger down the rubies that lined her dress at the base of her corset. They were sharp enough to pierce skin if done properly. A proper dress for a Blood Ability user. The proper dress for Lady Amera Widora. The proper dress for the first Blood Ability in over a century.

Amera sighed walking down the steps, her shoes, made of silver and gold, made small tap-tap-tap noises on the stairs.

Once she was at the bottom, she saw another Lady, roughly her age, from the House Kirah. Lady Jenna Kirah was standing near the edge of the ball, frowning out sipping wine from her glass. Lady Jenna had long, wavy, light brown hair and tanned skin, with gray-blue eyes, and almost all of it was covered by makeup or a modest gown.

“Lady Jenna,” Amera said, giving a small curtsey.

“Lady Amera,” said Lady Jenna, doing the same. “How are you on this Ability Blessed day?” she asked.

“I am doing quite fine enough. How are you?”

“I am doing quite fine. I must ask why you have not decided to dance with this single dancer’s song?” Lady Jenna asked, sipping her wine.

“If I might, may I ask the same of you?” Amera returned, avoiding to answer. She was not interested in dancing this night. She hadn’t even wanted to come to this. She wanted to spend the day in the library, possibly all night.

“I may dance when my drink is done.” Lady Jenna responded. For the partner dances, I shall wait for a man to deign my skills well enough to dance with.”

“Well then you must participate in the single dancer’s song.”

“Well why do you not participate?”

“It is not my ball nor do I wish to participate in the dances.”

“It is the Razziza Day Ball though?” Lady Jenna tried to make it sound like a question, but her shock was evident.

“Yes. And it is not my preferred type of ball to attend. I would much prefer to be in the library.”

“But the library workers have the day off.”

“It is not my problem to worry on.”

Lady Jenna did not continue the conversation, instead turning to face outward toward the dance floor.

“Auntie Amera!” said a voice.

Amera looked down. Her older sister had a four year old daughter named Carla. She was very small and this was her first Razziza Day Ball.

“Yes Ladiet Carla.” For Lords and Ladies under the age of seven, it was customary to call them Ladiet or Lordet. As a sign they were not yet a full Lord or Lady.

“What’s Razziza Day? Mama refuses to tell me.”

“Ah, yes,” Amera dropped down into a sitting position, and Lady Jenna turned slightly to look at the two. “Do you want the magic edition?”

“Yes!”

Amera smiled down. She then slashed her hand against the rubies, blood welling up in her palm. She levitated it out, and the blood formed a picture as she started the story that everyone learned when they went to school.

—~~~—

Long long ago, back before the Razziza Dynasty was the kingdom we know of today, it was an older and more ancient place known as the Warring Lands.

It was called this because it was home to two great Houses, though back then they were called Families. The Kirah Family and the Vey Family. They were in a constant war for the land.

One day, however, the Orc armies from the North attacked. The houses realized they had to work together if they wanted to keep their land safe. Agreeing they needed a neutral house to lead them, they took the second Lady from house Vey and the second Lord from house Kirah.

The two became King and Queen, taking on the last name Razziza, a last name they passed down to their eldest son, and he passed down to his oldest son, and so on and so forth. The rest of their 5 children they named Widora, becoming the House Widora.

And so, after the war was won, they became the Razziza Dynasty, a unified kingdom with three noble houses.

And so, every year, on the anniversary of the wedding of the first King Audin Razziza and Queen Sephra Razziza, we celebrate.

—~~~—

Carla looked at Amera, entirely unimpressed. “That is it?”

“Of course. What else could there be?”

“Something interesting.” Carla said. “Now I am disappointed. I’m going to see if Jenesis wants to dance.”

Jenesis was a kid from the Vey House and Carla’s best friend.

“Very well.” Amera rose, holding her hand out. She had felt very much the same the first time she heard the story of the Razzizas. But over the years, as she learned more about them, it was one of her favorite stories. But the full story was dark. Far too dark to tell a child.

Lady Jenna looked over, then quickly held her hand out. “Would you wish for me to heal you?”

“Very much yes.” Amera said, holding out her hand, drawing the blood back inside the cut.

Lady Jenna traced a Rune onto Amera’s hand, the cut healing quickly.

Lady Jenna was a Rune Carved, who used Rune Ability to make things happen. Amera was a Blood Ability, which was a bit more complex to explain. But then, memorizing runes was also more complex, so really it was an even fight on the more complex ability.

Lady Jenna smiled down at it, then turned to the ball going on. Her eyes raked over the female forms dancing across the ballroom, with something akin to envy.

“If you wish to dance, I can hold your drink.” Amera offered.

Lady Jenna sighed and looked off into the distance, catching the eye of someone. She looked that way for a moment, but looked away before Amera could see who it was.

She passed her cup off to Amera, then swept into the dance area.

Amera watched for a moment, holding the cup. She looked around and then went to get her own cup.

She sighed as she drank from her cup, thinking, glaring at anyone who came toward her.

As the song changed from single dancer to partner dancers, Lady Jenna came back over and took her drink, before being swept back out to dance with a lord from House Vey.

Amera sighed and made her way out of the ballroom to the gardens. She could manage some time alone if she claimed she was just going on a walk.

She made her way to a gazebo near the edge of the garden and sat down on a bench, trying to clear her head. She’d been having dreams for a while. Dreams that foretold something bad. A knot of anxiety had settled in her stomach, making it twist.

She leaned her back against the wall, tilting her head up, eyes fluttering as she tried to focus. She couldn’t though. The air was still warm, and the lanterns lit up the paths.

Then, some voices from down the path rang out.

Amera frowned. Why would anyone be over there?

She made her way over to watch them.

“Are you sure about this? I mean, direct action this soon?” said a voice. This one was unfamiliar.

“We do not have any other time to do this. When else will so many nobles be in one place together. The Razziza Dynasty shall fall. And we will to start it tonight.” responded the next voice and Amera froze, recognizing it.

She left her hiding spot, and lifting the front of her dress, she ran down the hall, trying to reach the ballroom, to warn someone, anyone.

She gasped as she tripped, heels getting caught in the dirt, causing her to tumble to the ground.

She cried out for a guard, and looked at the ballroom, so close yet so far.

A guard turned and looked over at her, but then he abruptly turned as the doors at the top of the stairs opened, a bunch of black hooded figures making their way through.

Amera covered her mouth as the two figures from the garden walked by her, and she rolled into the bushes to hide, dress ripping as it got caught, her skin getting scratched.

“Who do you think the scream was? Do you think she heard us?” said the first voice. She couldn’t see him that well, but he looked to be about her height, so about her age.

“Eh, maybe. Either way, she and the rest of the nobles will go up in flames tonight.

As she watched, the figures raised bows with flaming arrows on them and fired, striking some of the nobles through the heart, killing them instantly, as their bodies and dresses burst into flames as well. The fires soon went out, but the other arrows, the ones that landed on tapestries and on the carpet, went up in flames.

The fire spread and the screams could be heard from even inside the bush where Amera was hidden. She watched as the ballroom where such joy was just a few minutes ago went up in flames, her friends and family consumed by the fire.

Amera sat shell shocked for a few minutes, until the two figures were long gone, and the fire had started to fade away as the few servants working used their Abilities to put it out.

She finally got up and made her way to the door, stumbling, tears tracking down her face. She knew that the second the two figures realized she was still here they would kill her in an instant. She had to get out. And she knew exactly how to do it. She knew that there was one person in the castle who had been begging her to run away for weeks with him. She could get out. She wouldn’t die yet.