Hallowed Throne: Where Shadows Once Walked

“MY SISTER WANTS TO KILL ME AND I NEED YOUR HELP,” a girl who seemed to be my age yelled in my face. This was ,unfortunately, not something new and had it been another day I would have sent her away but something about her expression made me want to listen to what she wanted to say. “I am doing fine thanks for asking and how are you,” my attempt at sarcasm was to put her at ease but it did not seem to help. “How about you come inside and elaborate I said opening the door to my room wider. It was not unusual for people to come to my room with some of the most absurd of issues considering I was the head of my house. “If you are hoping to get a pass to the City I will have to disappoint you because I never give passes on Friday,” I told her as I sat on my bed. I had just gotten up from a much needed afternoon nap before I went home for the weekend. My room was decorated in a very girly way with the frills and all. If I did not then it would have been a waste of precious space considering I had not been able to get a room mate yet again this year. I waited until the girl was comfortable to say anything to her. “How about we start with your name and considering your sigils I assume you are from my house,” I said staring at her, I was looking for any sign of insincerity on her face. Our school, Asteria, had a total of five houses. Each with its own head and different sigils. Sigils were tattoo like marks which you were born with indicating which house you belong to and which level of power you held. Each house had different abilities but they all fell under a bigger umbrella term. Our house, Mythica, had somewhat different abilities that could not be classified under an umbrella term. “My name is Nyla and I am from house Mythica, my dad is a General and my moms are dead, well two of them are still alive i-,” she paused taking a deep breathe. I could tell she was shaken and l got down on the floor and held her hands in my own to provide some sense of comfort. She continued rambling about insignificant things that l could easily read in her student files but she seemed to be saying them to ground herself rather than to tell me anything. I listened and gave her a moment to compose herself before she realized exactly what was going on. “How did you find out she was out kill you and do you have any evidence regarding the matter.” I asked calmy “I went to see a seer and she told me, it is true and I can not provide anything else to prove my claims,” she stated seemingly more composed now than before. “I am sorry but a seer’s vision cannot be used to prosecute considering they can change at any given time, I also can not punish someone for a crime that has not been commited.” I told her as softly as I could manage without sounding accusatory. “I know,” she said with a fierce look of determination in her eyes Now it was my turn to be confused because if she knew this then why was she here and what was she planning with that look in her eyes. I ran my hand through my afro as I kept looking at her. Had I missed something crucial about her? She places some papers on my legs and before I look through them she tells me about how she drew them herself and would like to be my designer. “I know her highness was looking for a designer since Mrs Denai wants to retire and while this might not protect me from my sister it will surely give me some semblance of identity separate from her while also giving me the independence to not have to rely on her for funds and all else,” she rambles out. It was a bit ambitious of her considering people had to go to after school classes to even get a chance to be approved to compete to be the designer for the Queen but her talent was there. Most of the designs I was holding had to have taken countless hours and experience. “Well, if you did this yourself then you might stand a chance at becoming head seamstress but you would have to prove why I should pick you so just like everyone else you are to provide a sample of what your design is actually like in person on Monday,” I told her already standing up to pack my weekend bag. Monday would be too soon for anyone to provide a sample of their art, unless they were determined enough and maybe had some help. “I promise you I will be there sample in hand,” she said getting up to leave. Her hair flowed down her back. She smiled, she looked really pretty when she smiled. I showed her out and just when I was about to close the door I remembered something. “Don’t go about calling me your highness yet, the crown is yet to choose,” I told her with a smile. “Okay,” she says After closing the door I had to shake my head and think of what the f**k had just happened. But since I hadn’t picked up any malicious intent from the girl I assumed all will be well. I mean I will ask for a full background check on her later but if anything, her presence felt oddly familiar and somewhat comforting. Now I had started to fully go crazy considering I did not know this girl. To clear my head I decide to ride my bike back home instead of having my dad pick me up. He will probably be concerned since he worries about me all the time now after what happened with mom and my other dads. Picking up my phone from when I had thrown it away after someone buzzed me during my nap, I dial my dad’s number. He picks up on the first ring. “Yes this is Amandla’s dad speaking how can I help you,” he says. How he manages to say that every time I call without fail amazes me. “I do not know an Amandla but this is your long lost daughter speaking so you have to include me in your little dialogue from now,” I say playing along “Diabolical you have the wrong number young miss,” he chuckles. After a beat he follows up with “Are you ready because I am almost done here” “About that-,” I get cut off “If you are thinking about cancelling you better unthink it right now. You know how much your sister misses you what would I tell her,” he says. If I don’t explain now I will probably never hear the end of it “First off baba, unthink is not a word and second off, I want to ride my bike home,” I say interrupting the onslaught of words that was about to start. “About that, there is a meeting with the council today and since you don’t want a ride you will have to go alone. Are you up for that?” he asks concerned. A meeting with the council means I have to see my uncle in all his unsufferable glory. “I will be fine dad, plus Mr Zivai is going to be there I need some fuel for my imaginary life,” I said with a chuckle. Mr Zivai was my dad’s best friend and was also one of the hottest men alive, his son had also received those blessed genes but he lacks the charisma needed for that lethal face card. That and the fact that he is always trying to one up me in class. Just the thought of him makes my hackles rise. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do and how many times do I have to tell you that his fated will kill you if they ever find you looking at him,” he says with a laugh. He makes sure I am okay and we talk a little more before he hangs up. My dad and I were really close. I always knew I could count on him and be able to tell him anything especially now that it was just the three of us left. My family was now just dad, me and Xola, my sister. Now that there was a meeting with the council I have to make a slight change of plans. I decide to take a shower first and head out early. For a moment I ponder on what the meeting could be about. Have I done something recently? I easily brush the thought away. It had to be about the constant decline of the realm. Our land was dying and very soon we wouldn’t be able to sustain any form of life. We couldn’t grow our own food anymore and all our reserves were slowly depleting. We lacked the ability to trade since we were trapped in our own barriers. I sit by my vanity and start to do my hair. With the help of some water from a spray bottle and gel I manage to secure my hair into the cutest bantu knots and add some charms to my hair. My arms feel like noodles so I take a breather while I put together my outfit. I decide to switch to pants instead of the dress I had originally planned. I lock my door after I am done and decide to leave so I could arrive earlier than needed. The soft purr of my bike allows me appreciate the beauty of the town as I pass by. The council was made up of four families each one representing a specific house. We had house Lunaria which had all the shifters, house Aetheria with the elementals, house Nexaria with time manipulators which range all the way from basic flashers, who could only get a glimpse of what would happen in the near future to, rumour has it, time manipulation, house Celestia which could manipulate a range of energies and finally, house Mythica, which had all the other popup gifts. It is said that house Mythica’s gifts used to be constructive but as of late we have been shifting into weird territory. My bottom tier gift for instance is regeneration and as cool as it sounds it is actually not. Since I am yet to get my fated bonds at the Bonding Rite ceremony soon, it is not at all powerful. I can only regenerate limbs so unless the body part injured is completely severed from the rest of my body, I will need a trip to the infirmary. Above all the council sits our Sovrana, from house Mythica, and in this case it would have been my mother had she not passed away. The crown chooses a leader every generation unless you become unfit for the throne, then the crown just starts to feed off your energy until it kills you. For the past three generations the crown has been in my family and it is expected and foreseen to choose me but I am unbonded and not yet of age and the crown cannot sit empty so my uncle, my mother’s twin, sits on it until I come of age. I call it warming when I am in the mood to annoy him.