The Rising

I shifted. These clothes were uncomfortable.

Immediately after thinking that I felt ashamed, my sisters had worked hard for these cloths that garbed me. Speaking of I looked across the ball room for a few seconds before I saw them, Carrie and Violetta.

Carrie resembled a white lily, a beauty that was almost inhuman much like her familiar, Snow who hovered around her shoulder. The dove was a stunning and rare species. Around Carrie were flocks of men in all ages they hovered around her whispering sweet things. Carrie smiled graciously before catching my eye and winking at my nervousness. She was like the epitome of all things sweet and good.

On the other side of the room was Violetta as by her name her violet eyes flashed at anyone attempting to come close to her. She was our eldest sister and was a dark beauty. Hovering by her ankles was Noir her Bombay Familiar. Admirers watched from a distance at her graceful figure if Carrie was a lily she was rose, an untouchable rose.

Then there was me. I was short compared to my sisters and completely and utterly average. If you saw us stand in a row there would be no question who the odd one out was. The singular reason I was at this party held by the Royals was because of my sisters who were fiercely protective, trust me as sweet as Carrie is you do not want to get her angry.

I looked down at the beautiful clothes the cloth itself was shimmering silver draped with strands of shining blue of my dress. I was positive that anyone else in this room would have looked stunning with it on, but for me it was as if a child was playing dress up with woman’s clothes. The only thing I was gladly graced with was my sisters slim figures although it looked lanky on me, but it would have been terrible being short and chubby.

I was interrupted by my thoughts as a page boy entered the room with a trumpet. Blowing a few notes he then continued to introduce the royal family. I looked around as the unpartnered females in the room nervously started preening themselves.

Ahh I almost forgot the single reason we were even in the palace was for the Partner Ceremony. From the ages of 17-20 was the age to find a Partner these were your destined lovers for the rest of eternity well at least that was how the story goes. In fact it wasn’t you who choose your partners but your Familiars part of your soul transformed into an animal. Over the course of the years that the princes of the Royals come of age to choose a partner the king and queen personally pick the finest ladies in hopes that one suitable woman would be the Partner of their sons. As my sisters started to make their way over to me I began to twist my necklace around my fingers before a cool hand clutched my own.

“Shhh calm down Sera, everything’s alright”
I looked up to see Carrie’s flawless face with a calm smile I immediately took a breath and smiled back.

You see my familiar isn’t in a physical form. Usually when you start to hear your familiar they take a form that represents your soul, but my soul wavers it turns and twists into mangled messes before twisting again their seemed to be no way to calm it. By the age of 21 if you don’t find a partner you cease to exist it’s a cruel metaphor that you can’t live without love, putting aside the fact that the your soul can only strain itself for so long. I was at the age of 17 four years was all I had.

Another trumpet blared as the page boy announced the eldest prince Kai at his feet was a panther who slinked through the crowed the females put on their best smiles as the prince walked down the stairs, his gray eyes were piercing. With a second trumpet the second eldest prince Samuel walked down the stairs a hawk at his shoulder, he was known to be just and compassionate unlike his brother he was gently smiling his hawk standing proudly on his shoulder. Lastly their came a blare of trumpets before a cloaked figure was seen at the top of the stairs a ripple of unease ran through the crowd interrupted by a light chuckle.

I looked in astonishment to see the prince Kai’s eyes flash with amusement before as quick as lightning a hawk flew through the air clutching the cloak between its claws and pulled to reveal the black haired, silver eyed prince underneath looking quite … annoyed.

He shot a glare to prince Samuel before stomping his way down the palace steps it was only then that I noticed, his familiar was nowhere in sight.