Throne of Smoke

Chapter 1- Unfortunate Circumstances

The girl in light blue dress sits on the edge of the water. She closes her eyes and lays on her back. The water cooling her feet while also catching the bottom of her dress. She scrunches her toes living the feel of soft dirt under her feet. With her eyes closed, she begins to listen to the moving river. And how because she is so close she can barely hear anything else. 

She pulls at the grass by her hands until its bare and only dirt remains. She barriers her hands under the soil, relaxing in the cool earth. With this being the only time in while where she can fully relax she suddenly has to urge to cry. But she doesn't. If she starts crying people will ask question and she just wants to be alone. She could here for days. 

She turns her head because the sun on her face was getting to be a bit much. She takes a deep breath and fully relaxes in that moment,  knowing it will be a while until she can get another one. She begins the hum her favorite song and taps her fingers in the dirt to its rhythm.  

She lays there for another minutes when she hears footsteps approaching her. She doesn't move as it can only be one person.

"Come to fetch me?" she asks.

"You've been gone three hours. You need to return back to the castle." The stranger in the red and black uniform says."Its not safe."

"I don't have to do anything." she says. She smacks her lips and huffs.

"And besides nothing is safe for me." she continues.

The guard stays silent.

She pulls herself up on elbows and turns to look at the tall figure behind her.

"Do I have to go back?" she whispers.

The guard walks towards her and sticks out a hand.

"Yes ma'am."

She grabs the hands and pulls herself up. She bends down to wring the bottom of her dress and wipe the dirt off her legs.

"Your mother isn't going to be happy with you." the guard says.

The guard begins to pull leaves and pieces of grass out of her hair. Patting it down til it sorta reassembles neat. When her dress is all ringed out she stands up straight, looks at the guard and turns to leave. But before she can go the guard grabs her shoulder and stops her. The guard them tucks her hair behind her ears and wraps their arms around the girl. Then they rest their head on the girl and they just stand there. The girl wraps her arms around the guard bunching their uniform in her hands. 

"Will you come by later?" she asks. She turns to look up at the guard.

The guard hesitates, and when she sees that she pulls tighter at the uniform.

"Please Camrin?" she says.

Camrin shakes her head and looks down at the girl in the wet blue dress. Her face red from laying in the sun too long and her hair messy form the ground.

"Princess -." Camrin begins.

"No princess. Say my name." the girl demands.

"So bossy." Camrin smiles.

The girl then pushes the guard and starts walking away and the guard starts to laugh. Camrin jogs up the girl and grabs her arm, pulling back into the guards chest. The guard then began to rub the girls back. She bent down until her lips were by the girls ear.

"Aelis." Camrin whispered. "I, Camrin Moreau, will be coming by your, Aelis Ronai's, room tonight at exactly 11 stone. Ok?"

Aelis looked up at Camrin and sighed. She loved the way Camrin said her name. She put her chin on Camrin's chest and closed her eyes.

"Can we just run away?" Aelis asked.

"Nope not today." 

Aelis rolled her eyes and stepped back and began to straightened Camrin's uniform.

"I'm sorry I messed up your uniform." She said.

Camrin shrugged her shoulders and kissed the top of Aelis's head.

"Its okay. My uniforms usually get messed up when i'm with you."

Aelis smacks her lips and pushes Camrins shoulder.

"Whatever." She says.

Camrin sticks her arm out and Aelis takes it. They then walk back to the castle. Aelis's relaxing moment soon long gone.