Persephone

Chapter 1

Persephone

"Aye Persey, you are out early today!"Sir Thoth shouted above the din of the market. "Yes Sir Thoth. The entrance examination is in two days. I will have to work extra." I said and gave him the brightest smile I could.

"What?!I did not hear you Persey!" Sir Thoth shouted leaning forward. Poor Thoth. Caducity was wearing his ears out. If I could make extra coins today or even one Silver coin, I would get him a hearing aid. Getting a Silver coin would be too much to ask. It was like getting blood from a turnip. In Avalor, Gold coins were the highest denominations which only the Nobles possessed. By Nobles I mean the higher ups. Then the Silver coins which Nobles and Merchants possessed. Then the Copper coins,which the lower Nobles had. The lower nobles were different from the Nobles as they were not as rich as the Nobles or Merchants. Last of all was the brass coins. We,Peasants worked a whole day to earn just two of those brass coins. A hundred brass coins make one copper coin. A hundred copper coins make a silver coin. A thousand Silver coins make a Gold coin.

Sir Thoth was a lower Noble. He would be able to get a hearing aid if he wanted to but he had seven children to take care of. It may not have crossed his mind yet. More so,I doubt his wife would let him take anything from me. Aside from the usual scorn I received from everybody,she felt I was out to steal her husband as Sir Thoth had always shown me care and affection.

I held tin in my left hand and covered my mouth with my right hand. "Have a nice day Sir Thoth!" I blew him a kiss before I continued walking the din streets of Avalor.

The market roared with rage as it now was awake from its peaceful slumber. Its usual smell of smoky lanterns, fresh vegetables and sewage filled the air. The crowd had come alive and was a huge one regardless of how early it was. Each person in the crowd moved as if unseeing hands dragged them this way and that,pulling their eyes on one thing or the other...and the merchants? While some were chattering away, a few were shouting atop their voices the price for their goods.

"Make way for me. Make way." I turned around and noticed a young child,possibly younger than my Eos,pushing a carriage full of fruits and vegetables. I backed away from him so he could get through. He smiled.

"Thank you m'l..." When his dark eyes landed on me,he gasped. "Witch!" He cried. Immediately he shouted,the market went completely silent. I took my eyes off him slowly and I looked around me. The crowd had stopped moving. They only stared at me and the people who were inches away from me had taken far steps from me. I looked away from them slowly and moved my feet forcefully. I took a few steps awkwardly before I was able to steady myself. I tried not to look up while I walked but when I did, their wicked stares and comments almost made me trip over nothing but I did not as I was used to it already.

They avoided coming in contact with me like I was some plague and whenever I was in sight, they would hold their children like I was going to hurt them. Some women my age pointed at the scarf on my head and snickered.

Sometimes I feared they would get bold enough one day and pull my scarf off my hair. Then they would surely tie me to the stake above the Avalor everlasting flame and burn me alive. My hair was as blue as the Assarian ocean...and my ear...the tips were sharper than the King's finest blades. None apart from my brother,Eos ,had seen any of it and yet they hated me. Perhaps it was my eyes. They were as brown as the golden sun that radiated down on my alabaster skin. I remembered mother's words before she died.

Never take that off Persephone. Never. If you want to live,never take that scarf off. I was a coward and that is why I cut the sharp tips of my ear off but you are not a coward. A time will come when they will accept you for who you are but till that time comes,make sure to hide your hair and your ears. The moment they see even a strand of your hair,they will know what you are and they will burn you alive.

The more I tried to shut them out,their whispers grew louder like they were shouting and screaming in my face.

"Witch."

"She killed her parents."

"Poor Eos..."

"She'll kill the poor boy soon..."

"Her mother named her Persephone..."

"What a bad name..."

"Why hasn't she been killed yet?"

I clutched the tin I held tightly and the sharp edge dug into my palm. I ignored the pain and increased my pace. I needed to get to the Circle. If the other dancers got there before me I would not earn as much as I needed to.

I took the turn to my right and I found the short cut I usually used to get to the circle in no time.

It was a silent as usual and I followed the path on the grass until I found a clearing. I smiled to myself feeling very happy.

On arriving at the Circle,I noticed Gaia and Erika chatting between each other. On noticing me Erika whispered something and Gaia turned slightly. Gaia's dark eyes took me in and I saw a grin coming up and soon she burst into laughter.

It was probably my big gown. I was the only dancer who had so much clothes on. So much I looked like a bag of beans.

Dancers in Avalor were very much reduced to nothing. We were seen no different from the courtesans. None of us danced for the joy of it. We were simply desperate. Peasants never got employed. We were regarded as spineless thieves that did not deserve a penny and that is exactly how we were treated. Now, every dancer in the Circle dreamed of one thing. To be recognized and taken before the King. Previous Kings would often take dancers as their concubines as they were said to have the strange ability to keep men happy...but that was how high we were allowed to dream. Not me though. I did not have dreams of my own. Who was I to dream? Eos' dream became mine and I have struggled to make every one of those dreams come alive.

I ignored Gaia and Erika as I was unfazed with their attitudes. I was never one to go unclad on account of gaining a few brass coins. One look at them and I got irritated. Gaia's white gown had a transparent top and she was not wearing a corset today. Her nipples stuck out of the transparent material and I was forced to look away from her. Unfortunately, my eyes landed on Erika's exposed breasts that were spilling out of her bodice.

I looked down at my bare foot that stung on the hot grounds. I could not afford a pair of slippers so I was always on my bare foot.

"You have not heard,have you?"

I recognized Gaia's voice but I did not raise my head.

"There is no show today. It is the showcase of maidens today."

Then it was not my big clothes. Maiden's showcase? I was not informed.

"It is alright if you did not hear about it. You would not be noticed there." Erika said approaching me.

I felt my heart get crushed. Eos. I needed the money. I'd saved a lot but I needed a hundred more copper coins.

I turned around and started walking home. Eos. What would I do?

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Teris

It was dawn and the whole of Avalor had gathered at the castle's front.

Upon my entrance, I was announced and the whole of Avalor bowed before me. I raised my hand and the Herald shouted.

"You may rise."

I took my sit on the throne and sighed.

"Are you okay?"I looked up to see Queen mother settling in beside me.

I smiled and she looked away.

The chair beside me was vacant and I searched around for my queen.

Elpida emerged from the Palace doors looking as stunning as usual. Her delicate ivory shoulders were exposed and her yellow curls fell down her back. Her lips were tinted red and her skin flawless. Her grey eyes that usually sparkled with happiness was rather dull today.

" Come Elpida. It's about to start."Queen mother said gleefully. I could not understand how mother could be so insensitive in these kind of matters. She was a woman like Elpida. How could she not see Elpida's suffering? Asking a woman to choose a concubine for her husband was very cruel.

I did not want to come. Queen mother should have just chosen me a concubine like she chose me a bride but she cajoled me into coming as she saw an importance in me being there as the mother of my heir was to be chosen. Queen mother was a very pervicascious person. Once she had something in mind,there was no going back.

Elpida sat beside me and when I gazed upon her,she curtsied and gave me a sad smile. I only wished I could take away her sadness but I could not. As if it was not enough that I did not love her as much as she deserved, she was also barren. Very barren. The royal Physicians had tried all they could. They gave her the best treatments for fertility but it was a lost cause.

"Permission to begin,sire?" The herald's voice boomed across the frontier.

I closed my eyes and nodded. I stared at the Herald blankly as he opened an extremely long scroll. Nice. We would spend the night here for sure.

"Lady Keres,daughter of Merchant Haemon, step forward."

A red head walked out of the crowd elegantly, flaunting her beauty and holding the hems of her gown high as she walked. Her breasts looked like they were going to spill out of her bodice and her face had a major disaster on it.

I caught Queen mother's glanced with my side eye and I figured she wanted a reply from me.

"Nay mother." I said and she nodded.

I gave the same reply to about ten more that were dressed the same way.

Over dressed?Nay.

Exposed cleavage? Fat chance.

Too much infucation? Pigs might fly.

Over confident? She could as well take my throne so that was out of question.

Too much poise? That was not a thing but I did not have a picture of what I wanted.

We sat there for hours and I noticed as worry etched on Queen mother's forehead. I almost broke into a laugh. Poor mother. I had no plan to choose any stuck up merchant's daughter to be my concubine. They were well trained thieves. Worse than the peasants that had no place to rest their heads.

My eyes caught sight of Prince Dameon. The older Prince,my brother. He was exiting the Palace gates with a few knights. I would give anything to be the one going on dangerous missions and not sit on the throne all day like a convalescent. Prince Dameon did not think so though. He never liked me as I posed a threat to the throne. Well, he was right because here I was, in his rightful place.

The King, our father had chosen me to be the King on the grounds that I was very rational and unbiased. He totally trusts my judgement. Unlike Prince Dameon, who always acted without thinking about the future.

If he felt someone was wrong, he would throw that person straight in the everlasting flames of Avalor. If he was found guilty, he would not be remorseful. Yet,I always felt it was not right,what the King did. Nothing could be done about it now.

"She seems perfect." Queen mother said piercing my thoughts.

I gazed upon her. She was a bit underdressed for the occasion. Her black hair was plain without flowers or pins to decorate it. Her was not dolled up like the others. Her gown was not revealing. She was clad from head to toe. She seemed shy as she toyed with the hems of her gown. Not shy. Her eyes moved around she seemed very annoyed. Like she was forced to stand before me. She was pretty but not my taste...but it certainly would not harm to see how annoyed she would get if I gave my consent. I smiled at mother and nodded. Her gaze met mine and she gave a glare. I could see tears in her eyes too. Was i that bad a person? I took a closer look at her. I recognized the sadness on her face. It was the same on Elpida's face. She was surely with someone else. I smirked. This was just the showcase. A few others would be called. There were thorns of tests for them. She would not make it through the first round by the looks of it.

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Author's note;

Here's chapter one. What do you think? Do you like it? Do you have different ideas?Leave a comment. Please do. Now I do so please do give your critics.