Violet Eyes
four.
I wake early, ready to fake sick and stay in bed all day, but I know my mother wouldn't allow it. I drag myself out of bed and sit in front of the vanity. I run a brush through my hair and play with hairstyles trying to find one that would successfully cover my ears. After a few failed attempts, I decided on a hat instead.
I get ready quickly and head downstairs where I'm greeted by the smell of fresh biscuits and tea. I take a seat at the kitchen table next to Drafin who is studying a newspaper.
Aerdon pours me a glass of tea and take a sip. I butter a biscuit and munch on it.
“Doesn’t your school have a ‘no hat’ policy?” My father asks from behind his newspaper.
“I guess I’ll figure that out when I get there!” I say and get up from the table.
“Have a good day!” He says and I can hear the sarcasm in his voice.
“Oh stop.” Aerdon says while clearing the table. “Bye Zaryth!” She calls as I exit the front door.
I wasn’t too surprised to find Camden standing at the front gate. He perks up when he hears the door shut and looks up to see me.
“Zar, I didn’t know if you were coming today.” He says and brushes his brown hair out of his eyes.
“Yeah, well I’m feeling much better.” I say and walk in front of him on the sidewalk. I know I’m being harsh to him, but I’d rather not have to explain myself to him.
“You look a lot better.” He says matching my step. I glance up at him and notice there is no reaction. I can’t help but wonder what he sees of me. I give him a slight smile and continue the walk to school in quiet.
“Wow, Zaryth, I had no idea!” A voice calls from across the parking lot. I look up to find Katherine, a girl I had long despised, approaching me.
I hate to be stereotypical, but if there was an epitome of high school, she was it. She was a couple grades above me, a cheerleader, student president, captain of the debate team, and had a grade point average of 4.2 and loved to brag about it. Even now as I could see her for her, she looked almost the same, with minor differences. Her hair was a lighter shade of blonde, her eyes were bright light blue, and her skin was radiant. I glance over at her “group” to find they were all elves, too.
“Hey Cam!” She says with a fake grin. “Scram?” She says though it really wasn’t a question.
“I’ll catch up with you later.” I assure him, he leaves reluctantly.
“We were taking bets on whether you would change or not… I lost.” She says with a smug look and a shrug.
“How long have you-”
“I’ve always known, I was born into it.” She says and gestures to the others who were all shamelessly staring.
“I meant, how did you know I was-”
“Oh, family, duh.” She says, interrupting once again.
“What do you mean family?” I question.
“Oh… You don’t know!” She says and smirks yet again. “Well you’ll find out soon enough.” She says and turns to walk away. She’s stops flat, “You can hang out with us now, and we’ll sort of show you the ropes.” She offers.
“I’m good,” I respond and Katherine couldn’t look any more relieved to hear that.
“Suit it yourself!” She says and bounces away.
“Hey mom?” I ask from the kitchen table. I munched on an apple while doing homework, Aerdon was working on something for dinner.
“Yeah honey?” She asks, focusing on whatever was in the pot in front of her.
“Another elf approached me today,” I started, “Her name is Katherine Montgomery.” That got my mother’s attention.
“I was waiting for this conversation…”
“What?” Drafin asks entering the kitchen with an empty mug.
“Katherine had a chat with Zaryth today,” My mother shares.
“Oh…” My father says. He joins me at the kitchen table. “She’s your cousin.” He blurts.
“You’re kidding.”
“No, her mother was my sister.” He says and goes to take a sip from his mug before realizing it was still empty.
“Was?”
“She disappeared and has not been seen in quite a few years.” My father says. “We’re not just elves, Zaryth. We both come from the royal families. Your mother, from Pelkelu and myself, from Faerdon.”
“This ceremony is a big deal, as you are the first child to be born of parents from separate worlds.”
“What does that mean for me?” I wonder.
“We really don’t know.” My father says exchanging glances from my mother.
“You are the first, and to be of royal blood from feuding worlds, we don’t know what this means.”
“Feuding? What do you mean?”
“Faerdon and Pelkelu have very different views and long ago they were at war with each other. Elves originated from Pelkelu and hold very traditional values, while Faerdon chose to modernize with the times and their values have changed significantly...” My father explains.
Aerdon pipes in, “Centuries ago, a group of elves left Pelkelu discovering the new world, Faerdon. As Faerdon developed, more and more elves were leaving Pelkelu. They eventually broke out into a war where it at the conclusion, it was decided that Faerdon elves could only enter Faerdon, and Pelkelu elves could only return to Faerdon.”
“Earth has always been common ground where both could live freely of the other worlds values. When your mother and I married, we were both looked down upon from our families.”
“When I got pregnant with you, things changed. There was a new hope for many that it would bring peace between the two worlds.”
“Then you were born, and you didn’t show any traits of the elves and we could only assume you weren’t going to. When word got out about that, the hope disappeared. Now that you have fully transitioned, who knows what will happen.”
“So, are there any other big family secrets I should know about?” I ask with a raised brow.
“I think that’s it.” My father says with a smirk.
I get ready quickly and head downstairs where I'm greeted by the smell of fresh biscuits and tea. I take a seat at the kitchen table next to Drafin who is studying a newspaper.
Aerdon pours me a glass of tea and take a sip. I butter a biscuit and munch on it.
“Doesn’t your school have a ‘no hat’ policy?” My father asks from behind his newspaper.
“I guess I’ll figure that out when I get there!” I say and get up from the table.
“Have a good day!” He says and I can hear the sarcasm in his voice.
“Oh stop.” Aerdon says while clearing the table. “Bye Zaryth!” She calls as I exit the front door.
I wasn’t too surprised to find Camden standing at the front gate. He perks up when he hears the door shut and looks up to see me.
“Zar, I didn’t know if you were coming today.” He says and brushes his brown hair out of his eyes.
“Yeah, well I’m feeling much better.” I say and walk in front of him on the sidewalk. I know I’m being harsh to him, but I’d rather not have to explain myself to him.
“You look a lot better.” He says matching my step. I glance up at him and notice there is no reaction. I can’t help but wonder what he sees of me. I give him a slight smile and continue the walk to school in quiet.
“Wow, Zaryth, I had no idea!” A voice calls from across the parking lot. I look up to find Katherine, a girl I had long despised, approaching me.
I hate to be stereotypical, but if there was an epitome of high school, she was it. She was a couple grades above me, a cheerleader, student president, captain of the debate team, and had a grade point average of 4.2 and loved to brag about it. Even now as I could see her for her, she looked almost the same, with minor differences. Her hair was a lighter shade of blonde, her eyes were bright light blue, and her skin was radiant. I glance over at her “group” to find they were all elves, too.
“Hey Cam!” She says with a fake grin. “Scram?” She says though it really wasn’t a question.
“I’ll catch up with you later.” I assure him, he leaves reluctantly.
“We were taking bets on whether you would change or not… I lost.” She says with a smug look and a shrug.
“How long have you-”
“I’ve always known, I was born into it.” She says and gestures to the others who were all shamelessly staring.
“I meant, how did you know I was-”
“Oh, family, duh.” She says, interrupting once again.
“What do you mean family?” I question.
“Oh… You don’t know!” She says and smirks yet again. “Well you’ll find out soon enough.” She says and turns to walk away. She’s stops flat, “You can hang out with us now, and we’ll sort of show you the ropes.” She offers.
“I’m good,” I respond and Katherine couldn’t look any more relieved to hear that.
“Suit it yourself!” She says and bounces away.
“Hey mom?” I ask from the kitchen table. I munched on an apple while doing homework, Aerdon was working on something for dinner.
“Yeah honey?” She asks, focusing on whatever was in the pot in front of her.
“Another elf approached me today,” I started, “Her name is Katherine Montgomery.” That got my mother’s attention.
“I was waiting for this conversation…”
“What?” Drafin asks entering the kitchen with an empty mug.
“Katherine had a chat with Zaryth today,” My mother shares.
“Oh…” My father says. He joins me at the kitchen table. “She’s your cousin.” He blurts.
“You’re kidding.”
“No, her mother was my sister.” He says and goes to take a sip from his mug before realizing it was still empty.
“Was?”
“She disappeared and has not been seen in quite a few years.” My father says. “We’re not just elves, Zaryth. We both come from the royal families. Your mother, from Pelkelu and myself, from Faerdon.”
“This ceremony is a big deal, as you are the first child to be born of parents from separate worlds.”
“What does that mean for me?” I wonder.
“We really don’t know.” My father says exchanging glances from my mother.
“You are the first, and to be of royal blood from feuding worlds, we don’t know what this means.”
“Feuding? What do you mean?”
“Faerdon and Pelkelu have very different views and long ago they were at war with each other. Elves originated from Pelkelu and hold very traditional values, while Faerdon chose to modernize with the times and their values have changed significantly...” My father explains.
Aerdon pipes in, “Centuries ago, a group of elves left Pelkelu discovering the new world, Faerdon. As Faerdon developed, more and more elves were leaving Pelkelu. They eventually broke out into a war where it at the conclusion, it was decided that Faerdon elves could only enter Faerdon, and Pelkelu elves could only return to Faerdon.”
“Earth has always been common ground where both could live freely of the other worlds values. When your mother and I married, we were both looked down upon from our families.”
“When I got pregnant with you, things changed. There was a new hope for many that it would bring peace between the two worlds.”
“Then you were born, and you didn’t show any traits of the elves and we could only assume you weren’t going to. When word got out about that, the hope disappeared. Now that you have fully transitioned, who knows what will happen.”
“So, are there any other big family secrets I should know about?” I ask with a raised brow.
“I think that’s it.” My father says with a smirk.