Liana

Chapter 1

Liana felt the jagged, honed edges of the bark cutting into her calloused skin, scratching against the surface. Although it was painful, she had weathered far greater suffering than what this grimy piece of firewood was inflicting on her. She peered at the manor standing tall a good few feet away, careful as to her head be hidden behind the evergreen leaves, overlapping one another.

She kept her ears perked, her eyes carefully following the hooded figure slipping behind the overgrown trees, lining the pathway leading up to the front of the manor. Liana knew well enough to mind her own business, but the intrigue was far too compulsive for her to stay rotting away in that confining cabin of hers. She knew her time in the woods was coming to an end. She had to enter the erratic society sooner or later.

It had been almost two years since she had blindly followed Andreas into the creeping woods. He hadn’t complained, instead of focusing on putting her time with him to good use. She never knew what she was to face, what she was to do. She had left behind her life along with everything she ever knew. It was a miracle that Andreas hadn’t pried. She had certainly expected him to.

She narrowed her eyes at the inching figure, as they neared the window by the side of the house. This was it. She twisted her grip on the bow and silently pulled out an arrow from the quiver resting on her back. She adjusted the arrow in the bow, pulling it back and aiming directly at the figure that was sneaking up from beside the tree.

She breathed out tightly, blowing away the wisp of hair that rested in front of her eye. She focused her attention back onto her target, only to find it missing. She slightly lowered her bow, her pupils tilting in surprise. There was nothing there now. She let her eyes wander to the line of trees the person was hiding behind but found nothing there either. She cursed lightly, fully drawing down her bow.

A mistake, she was to find out.

She heard something cutting through the wind, right before she felt something slash against her upper arm. She hissed in pain, looking down at the blood soaking her coat. She covered the wound with her hand and retreated down into the ground, swiftly moving past the dense forestry to get to the cabin. She willed her legs to move faster, but her speed seemed to remain constant. Nevertheless, she ran.

By the time she reached the cabin, she found Andreas leaning against a tree, scraping a wooden stick. She was used to him showing off his miraculous skills, but that didn’t mean they didn’t leave her in wonder, every time.

“You didn’t heed my words.” He threw the stick to the ground, sheathing his knife. He walked towards her, something gleaming in one of his hands. Without warning, he grabbed her injured arm, pressing his hand against the wound, running with blood. Liana gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying out. After applying the sticky salve on her wound, Andreas gazed onto her face. “Always stay on guard.”

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After a long session of sparring with Andreas, she had to hunt the night’s dinner as punishment for losing today. She spent five hours hunting before her energy ran out, yet she ended up with just a rabbit. At least it had enough meat on it, she thought. She brought the rabbit for Andreas, knowing very well that there wouldn’t be any meat left for her after he was through with it. That’s why she was supposed to hunt something else as well. She dismissed the thought, thinking of her fortune as her punishment from the Gods for her misfortune in training today.

She heaved a sigh before entering the cabin, where she had to skin the animal. She took the skinned animal outside to where Andreas was lounging on a log to oversee the fire growing in front of him.

She handed over the animal to Andreas and sat down beside him. He paid no mind to her lack of food and merely paid keen attention to roasting his dinner.

Liana glanced at the woods, wondering just what laid in the midst of these dark trees. She knew there was something. The silent roars shaking the ground at night and the shadows lurking by the edge of her vision were proof enough. She shuddered at the thought of an encounter with one of these creatures, or whatever they were.

Though she didn’t have to keep up her guard for long now. She would be leaving these woods behind very soon so she didn’t feel the need to be as alert when she returned to court. But she would have to raise a different guard at court, Gods knew what evil lurked beneath the delicate skins of the cunning Lords and Ladies. All of them scheming to get closer to the crown. Though she doubted that Everett would let them out without a leash. If she knew her brother well enough, she’d expect the court to be well maintained where no schemes took place. But then again, what court doesn’t have scheming snakes roaming through them?

Her father had never paid much attention to either the gossip or the banter. He was a plain man who valued his time. He spent almost all of it in trying to expand the empire while the remaining of it was spent in the merry company of his family. He never thought of court matters to be worth his time and passed them all to his wife to administer. All in all, he was a good king who valued his subjects.

But things had changed since then. Her father was no longer king. It was Liana’s older brother Everett who was residing on the throne now.

She hadn’t heard anything from either of her family in what ought to be almost two years now, but she didn’t mind the desolation. Truth be told, she was rather content with it. But now that she had to return, she didn’t know what to expect from her future. Two years had started to feel like a long time. Too long. She wondered if anyone had changed or if she would recognize the changes that had morphed into them.

She shook her head to scatter the thoughts. She would face them when it was time.

She tilted her head only to find herself alone with the rabbit’s hind legs sitting on the log beside her. She smiled slightly as she ate the meat.

Contrary to the damp woods Liana was sitting in, King Everett sat in a warm, cushioned chair in the library, his eyes on the fireplace in front of him while his mind swayed in different directions. His attention drifted to his parents sitting in chairs on either side of him, while the one beside his mother remained empty. He stared at the empty chair for a while, wondering if his sister was as comfortable as he was or if she was as jittery as he was. He hoped she was peaceful, wherever she was.

He sat up straighter in his chair and addressed his parents while staring at the empty chair. “My sister is to return home soon.”

His mother, Lady Elora lifted her gaze from the book she withheld in her hands and peered up at her son from underneath her lashes while his father, Lord Octavius, opted to keep studying the map in front of him, uttering a low, “Yes.” Lord Octavius may have shown indifference at the words but in his heart, he was swelling with joy at the thought of getting to see his daughter again.

The young King lifted his eyes to the fireplace again, tracing the emerald that lay on his ring settled on his middle finger. It was an ancient heirloom, made in honor of the first King of Visera, King Trevon. It is said that it contained the essence of every Viserean King’s magic. Everett never believed the legend, no matter how much Octavius tried to convince him otherwise. He always believed that each ounce of magic flowing in his, or anyone’s veins was that which he was birthed with. “I have decided to summon Andreas tomorrow.”

This time, Octavius did lift his eyes from the map. “You plan on receiving her so soon?”

“No. She is due in a week’s time. I will send Alec to discuss terms of her return with Andreas for any preparation beforehand.”

Octavius nodded and returned to his map while Elora voiced her hesitancy. “Surely, a week’s time is too less for her to prepare.”

Everett glanced at his mother as she continued, “This is to be her debut at court. The first time for her to be announced as Princess of Visera to the kingdom. There are special precautions taken and certain etiquette followed, not to mention the certain standard she has to follow in regards to her attire.”

Everett took a breath. “I have personally looked over the commission and assembling of her wardrobe with the seamstress’s assistance. I am to deliver a set of apparel for her in the hands of a maid who is to assist her. And as for her etiquette, I trust Andreas when he tells me that her education has been completed in all fronts.” He turns back to the fireplace. “Besides, I care not for her manners, I want her in this castle as soon as possible. We all know very well how swiftly the danger is spreading. I’d rather her be near me, under my protection, rather than admit her away with an uncertain fate.”

The king stood from his chair and stalked to the door as he felt the incomplete report on his desk call to him, “Sleep well.