Chapter 1
Dear Diary,
They signed the treaty papers today. My
life is officially over, and is no longer my own. How can I be expected to
marry someone I don’t even know? Mother says I will grow to like him, if not
love him. It is the best for both of our groups. The Night Fall and Day Light
groups have been at each other’s throats since before I was born. We are no
longer in ancient times. I should be free enough to be with who I want. I
should have a choice. I don’t understand how two simple marriages can change
everything. People are not so easy to change after so many years of war. Jade
my big sister seems fine with all of this and is ready to lead the people
toward that change. She says it is our duty and must be done for the better of
our future. She thinks that I am just young and stupid for wanting to follow my
heart. Well that’s fine if she is okay with marrying not for love but that is
not me. And I refuse to bow. We meet with the brothers next week when they come
to visit. What I wouldn’t give to get out of meeting with them. It’s really too
bad that we are home schooled; perhaps I could play sick and get out of seeing
them for at least a day or two. Ugh to depressed now to go on. Hopefully I find
some way out of this.
Life sucks,
Sera
~
I reread over
the first entry, ingraining each sentence into my mind. My eyes fill with tears
as I caress the thing pages. The pages filled with my mother’s words. I shut
the diary, reading the post-it note on top that simply says ‘Read Me’.
I look
around the quiet room. Ghosts tread quietly through these dusty rooms. The
library is stocked huge and small books piling around corners. While healing
from my encounter with the Night Fall group I wandered the halls in search for
answers. Or something to pass the time while being cooped up in this place. No
matter how extravagant and huge the place was it still felt like a cage when
one couldn’t go anywhere. I combed the halls and shelves for something that was
a part of my parents. This is their house there should be something of theirs
left. Something that could help guide me.
Someone
must have seen what I searched for, and wanted answers. Someone left this here
for me on purpose, but whom? Who would want to help me from afar and not come
forward to help me personally?
I asked
Natasha once about my parents when I first arrived here. She was less than
forthcoming, though that could be because her and Quintan are super busy as of
late. They are helping me with this rogue group, which I now call Eventide. It
is a place where all and any are welcome despite which group one is born into.
They help me keep up appearances since I have been unwell and don’t exactly
know what I am doing.
I believe
in this place whole heartedly, if I didn’t I would find some way to leave.
Though we’re can I go, really? If I am found anywhere other than this place I
could be captured and used by one group and killed by the other. Great time to
be an heir. How did my life get so complicated? Although I suppose it always
was so. Just never remembered it quite that way till lately.
“Alexia?”
A loud voice yells from outside the library.
“Greta?” I
yell back. My voice echoes back to me. Glancing around I quickly look for a
spot to hide the diary. I had a feeling this was meant for my eyes only. Though
what others would do with it I had no clue, and I’m not willing to risk it
either.
“Where are
you woman!?” She exasperates.
“Back here
in the stacks.” I groan as I hide the diary behind some books on the lowest
shelf near my studying area, that I have called my own.
Greta
rounds the corner as I walk slowly back towards the desk, that I am working at.
There were many other books strewn about. I pick them up organizing them and
tidying up. Finding something for my hands to work with.
“What are
you doing all the way back here? One could get lost in this place.”
“Wouldn’t
that be a grand thing? To get lost in a place with all these stories to
surround oneself with.” I smile.
“No. This
place gives me the creeps.” She rubs her arms, and wraps them around herself.
“Well to
me it is a calming place where I can come to think and get answers.”
“That is
kind of why I am here. But first how are you feeling today?” Greta gives her a
hard stare.
“Other
than the black highlights I now have in my hair, that doesn’t seem to be going
away, fine.” I reply honestly enough. Though I did pull a few long nights
recently searching this place.
“It’s been
a few weeks. I’m glad to see you doing so well.” She ducks and grabs one of the
larger tombs that I held in my arms. “If you would fully rest you would have
been better days ago.”
“Really.
Do you really think the people are going to wait? They don’t already want
answers?”
Greta sets
the book down on the cluttered desk and focuses on the stack of books that the
table held up. “Well Quintan did say he thought it would be best if you
addressed everyone, and soon.”
“See. I
knew that would happen. That is why I have been in here picking up on things I
am going to have to know in order to help out more around here. I can’t rely on
Natasha and Quintan for much longer.”
“True. I
told him though that you had to be feeling one hundred percent better before
you go up against the masses though.”
“Well I
am, so now what?”
“He has
them gathered in one of the meeting rooms and asked for me to bring you in if
you were well enough.”
“Well then
what are we waiting for?” I huff as I straighten the last few books. Hopefully
they would be here when I came back and didn’t have to go hunt them all down
again.
She smiles
at me. “I am waiting for you to think better of this idea and to tell me you
are still unwell.”
“What good
would that do? These people aren’t going to go away. I am surprised they
haven’t barged into my room yet and demand me to do my job. Also last I checked
there is no one else willing to fill my spot, on a permanent basis.”
“Your
mother and father set you up well. With reliable people. These people as well
as I believe in their cause and by product their child. They have been waiting
twenty-four years for you. They think they have been patient enough don’t you
think.” She cocks her head in question.
I motion
for her to go before me. “Then lead the way.”
Her mouth
forms a thin line as she looks at me and nods in acceptance. She moves
gracefully through the stacks, her plain dress moves back and forth in time
with her steps.
I glance
back at the diaries hidden spot. I bite my lip as my fingers itch to hold onto
part of my mother again. I step away from the bookcase and stop there feeling a
strong pull. My heart ached to leave her words behind.
“Are you
coming?” Greta calls back.
I stride
down the columns quickly to catch up. “Right behind you.”
Silence surrounds us as we turn the corners,
twisting this way and that, in order to get back to the front of the library. I
trail my fingers over the spines making a tapping noise on each of the spines,
which my finger tips hit. Most of the books held here were stories or guides to
something. It was a place to find all sorts of answers. Answers about what one
could be where one originated from, and what one could do with their powers. Of
course there were also sections that held more normal fiction books for some
light reading. I mean this is a library, it should contain all sorts of books
not just the factual ones. Yet still this place seemed to have secrets hidden
of its own. As if the library had a mind of its own. Haunted by a past
forgotten.
“You’re
awfully quiet, back there.” Greta remarks as we spill out into the front of the
library. A fireplace warms the room but doesn’t reach far into it.
I shrug my
shoulders and realize she isn’t turned around to see it. “How man am I meeting
with today?”
“All and
any who could make it. Quintan opened it up for any who wanted to come.”
I come to
a standstill right outside of the tall and heavy oak doors. “All of them.” I
gasp.
“I saw
quite a big crowd when I came here to find you. So quiet a few.”
“Can I
change my answer on how I feel?”
She laughs
out right. “I warned you. Quintan thought it best to get it over and done with
though. People were getting on edge. So even if you did not show up he needed
to address the people’s concerns.”
“So I
guess it is too late to tell him that I do not approve of this kind of meeting.
He didn’t even think to ask me how I would like to handle this.”
“He is
talking with everyone now, handling things how he sees fit. If I go in there
and tell him you are still not feeling well he will just make you do it some
other day. Or find a worse way to address the masses.”
“True.” I
sigh.
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