Blackstar

A flash of light. Red liquid running down pavement. A loud scream. Fire filling the sky. Two people running through the woods, one of them gripping a little child tightly.

I sat up with a gasp, sweat running down my back. I looked around. It was still late in the night and I opened the window beside my bed with a breath of relief at the cool air. As I stared around the palace grounds, I reflected on my nightmare.

But it didn’t feel like a nightmare. It felt like a memory. It felt as if I was the child…. But that wasn’t possible. The orphanage said they found me in an abandoned house, not in the forest. So what was the nightmare about?

A gush of cold air blasted through the room and I shivered, closing the window. The cold lingered, though, and I walked over to the fireplace. Before I could even throw a log in, though, a fire started and crackled merrily as if it had never been put out.

I jumped and backed up, falling over the small table where I had put the book I was reading before bed. I landed with a thud and grunted. I struggled to my feet and looked at the fireplace.

It was empty.

Figuring it was just some weird aftermath of the dream, I crawled back into bed, shutting my eyes tightly.

As I drifted off to sleep, I didn’t notice the small curl of black smoke slide through the crack in the windows.

-Alexi’s POV-

I woke stiff as a board and rubbed my eyes. I had fallen asleep in my armchair by the fire again. A book lay on the floor and I bent over. After my father mentioned amnesia, I was curious and found a book in our library. It sounded awful.

The sun was just rising and I stretched, calling for my servant to prepare a bath.

But he didn’t show up. I frowned and rang the bell again. A young boy hurried in.

“He’s sick, My Lord,” the boy panted. “If you’d like, I could try….”

I sighed irritably. “Bring me my sister’s hand-maiden, Raven.”

The boy disappeared and I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. There was a timid knock and Raven poked her head in.

“You called for me, Prince Alexi?” she asked and I nodded, beckoning her in.

She looked extremely uncomfortable and I noticed a bruise on her forehead. I chuckled a little, knowing I sported one as well.

“My servant is sick,” I said. “I need you to prepare a bath for me. It’s done in a special way, though, so it would take a lot of teaching the little boy….”

“So it’s like you’re sisters?” she asked and I nodded.

“I have too much going on today,” I sighed.

“You don’t have to explain,” she assured me and I pointed to the door to my washroom. “I’ll have it ready for you soon.”

She disappeared behind the door and I stared at it, suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to watch her. I shook the thought off and pulled out the agenda I had created for myself. I had a fitting later in the morning for the ridiculous costume my mother had commissioned for the ball tomorrow. I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed I had the afternoon to do as I pleased.

“It’s ready, Your Highness,” she said, bowing to me.

“Thank you,” he said and she stood up straight.

For a moment, we just stared at each other and I felt a strange feeling in my stomach. Her eyes were black but they didn’t seem cold or unfeeling. In fact, they seemed just the opposite. They burned with something that I couldn’t quite place.

“Excuse me,” she breathed, breaking the silence, and flew from my room.

I shook myself and went into my washroom, frowning as I stripped from my night clothes. It was then that I noticed I had fallen asleep without a shirt on. Oops.

-Raven’s POV-

“Oh. My. God,” I groaned, closing my door and letting out a long breath.

I was never one to gawk or admire a body, but he was extremely fit. He was thin yet muscular and had a very flat stomach. I put my hands on my burning face as the bell rang.

“What’s wrong?” Vera asked when she saw my red face.

At first I didn’t want to tell her but it all came out in a rush. She collapsed into a fit of giggles, gripping her sides. I glared and started making the preparations for her bath.

“I’m sorry,” she said when she had laughed herself into silence. “But if you could see your face….” She snorted again and stripped, sliding into the water. “Did he say anything?”

I shook my head, running the shampoo through her hair. “Thank goodness he didn’t. I would have responded and made an idiot out of myself.”

“What’s on the agenda for today?” Vera asked when we were at the vanity.

I picked up the piece of paper. “You have a gown fitting in an hour,” I read, “for the ball tomorrow evening.”

“Oh! That reminds me! I want you to dress up, too,” she said enthusiastically.

“What do you mean?”

Being her hand-maiden, I was going to the ball but in my normal uniform. She hurried over to her wardrobe and groped in the back.

“I talked to Mother after dinner,” she explained, “and she agreed.”

She pulled out a floor length golden dress and a golden mask. She was beaming.

“You want me to wear those?” I breathed, touching the fabric.

It was silk and felt amazing under my fingertips.

She nodded. “And you can’t say no,” she said when I opened my mouth to decline. “As your princess, I am ordering you to wear these tomorrow evening. And you will dance.”

“I don’t know how,” I said.

“Looks like it’s school for both of us today, then,” she said cheerfully and set the gown and mask down. “Let’s eat breakfast before we go to fit my gown.”

Thankfully, Alexi wasn’t in the dining hall when we arrived. The King and Queen were and greeted us happily.

“Did you tell her the news?” the Queen asked Vera who nodded with a grin.

“She doesn’t know how to dance, though,” Vera said and looked expectantly at the King.

“Alexi can teach her,” he said and I sank in my chair with a groan.

Vera suppressed her laughter while the King and Queen stared. “Perhaps you should, Daddy. I’m sure Alexi has a lot going on today.”

“I’d be delighted,” he said. “After your gown fitting, meet us in the throne room.”

“Thank you,” I said to Vera as we walked down the halls.

She grinned and looped her arm through mine. I stopped walking and she stared.

“What’s the matter?”

I started up again, frowning at the floor, feeling embarrassed. “I’ve never had a friend before,” I admitted and she patted my hand gently.

“Well, now you do.”

When we arrived to the fitting room, I immediately wanted to turn around and run away. Alexi was standing in the center, having his jacket fitted. Vera grabbed my arm before I could, though, and pulled me in. I avoided his gaze and hurried over to where her gown was hanging on a mannequin.

“How has your morning been, Brother?” Vera asked and I glared at her. She smirked.

“Quite pleasant,” he returned. “Forgive me for not making it to breakfast. I was… I fell back asleep.”

I kept my back to him while I helped Vera get dressed, ignoring her winks.

“Ouch!” she said when I pulled hard on the strings of her corset.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I gasped and she shoved me gently.

We both chuckled and I stepped back so the dressmaker could finish marking where she needed to hem the dress. It was long and red. Unlike the one she had given me, Vera’s dress was fitting at the top but flowed out at the skirt. I could see many folds of fabric underneath as she turned. I couldn’t imagine having so much fabric around me. The golden one she had given me was a simple as can be and I liked it that way.

“Thank you,” I heard Alexi say behind me. “Good afternoon, ladies,” he said to us and I choked out a good bye.

“It’s safe now,” Vera laughed and I relaxed, turning to find the rest of the room empty. “Let’s go. It’s time you learned how to dance.”

“Afterwards, I’ll teach you what I can about men,” I added and she blushed.

“I don’t know about this, Raven,” she said as we climbed the stairs. “What if no one is interested?”

“Are you kidding me?” We entered the throne room where the King was standing and the Queen knitting. “Who wouldn’t be?”

“Wouldn’t be what?” the King asked.

“I’ll sit with Mother,” Vera said quickly and I got the hint that she didn’t confide in her father about matters such as men.

I wondered if she talked to her mother and decided to ask when I had the chance.

“So dancing is really very simple,” the King said and took my right hand in his left.

We spent a couple hours. I was dreadful at dancing.

“I have the grace of an elephant,” I said sadly as we went into her room.

“You’ll be fine,” Vera assured me.

“Why haven’t you talked to your father about your fears of men?” I asked.

She sighed heavily and sat down, motioning for me to do the same.

“It’s not that I don’t trust him,” she said. “It just feels like a woman to woman conversation.”

“Have you asked your mother?”

She shook her head, playing with her hands. “I’m embarrassed to.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“What if she laughs at me?”

“Your mother would never laugh at you,” I said firmly and got up. “Wait here.”

I left and went back to the throne room. The King, Queen, and Prince Alexi were all sitting on their thrones and I felt color creep up from my neck. I cleared my throat.

“Queen Vittoria?” I asked and she smiled. “Princess Vera needs you.”

The Queen looked a little panicked as we headed up the stairs.

“Is she okay?” she asked.

“She’s fine,” I assured her and led her into the bedroom where Vera was twisting her sheets. “Let’s all talk.”

I closed and locked the door and joined Vera and the Queen on the bed.