The Throne of Stars and Snow

The walls of my chamber that once adorned my favorite colors are bare as the servants take away my belongings to my “new” one. My so-called new chamber was my mother, Alivina’s, before she passed. It is time for me, Princess Karina Vivian Dawn, to take over the kingdom of Zelevaria. I am not thrilled she is gone but duty calls right. A new beginning? Before we get into this new journey let me tell you about the ones I went on before this day.  I was a newborn, not remembering much between newborn days and the time turning four, what I do remember is we were a family. A mother and father with their daughters, my sister and I.  Our family was proud and adored by all of Frostmore, my fathers inherited kingdom. My mother would tell us stories of magic and mythical creatures, stuff we thought were real but did not read into due to the fact we were Five. I remember one story she told, I felt as if I lived through it.  Her voice was always so soft even when we did wrong but with that one story, you could hear the sadness and breaking in her voice. She told us of two sisters close in age who had extraordinary power together, one of the Astrals and one of Frost. Power someone would want to steal and oh did they try.  On a stormy night in midsummer, the sister’s kingdom was attacked in the middle of night. Something that was not prepared for as the invaders stormed the halls locking people in their chambers to make their way toward the girls nursery. They had succeeded in stealing the two from their cribs and whisking away on horses in the night. Guards had followed but lost the trail once they made it to the river that split down two paths. Their parents searched high and low for what felt like a century to them, as they were losing hope and a year anniversary was coming, a knock came to their door. A young child, not more than the age of six, wheeled in a wagon to the grieving parents. The shaken cries of babies came from the wagon and they rushed over to see their darling daughters safe and home. She told them in the best way possible that she no longer wanted to live with thieves and will leave in the morning. They could not leave a young child to fend for herself so they welcomed her into their home as they had a close friend adopt her. I always loved that story, my sister and I made her recite it to us at least twice a week at bedtime. We did not love it for the fact they were returned, that was good of course, what we loved was they took in another without hesitation. After turning seven the family was split in two, my mother took me and we set off to the kingdom of Zelevaria where she was born instead of staying at the one she married into. As we left in the dead of night with nothing but clothing and food for the ride, I felt something strange. Remembering the feeling to this day even if I was only seven, the tearing inside my heart made me feel like death. I cried the entire time of our ride from one kingdom to the next before reaching our destination. The misery I felt was partly leaving my sister and father behind but something else ate at my mind.  One year in the Zelevaria kingdom the feeling faded and was pushed into the back of my mind leaving somewhat of a mystery to me.  I began to learn and attend school like a regular child should. I woke up each day ready to see all my friends. The day my eleventh birthday came, the entire day seemed off. I was in class and this boy named Henry took one of my favorite pens from me. The pen was light blue with one of those fluffy pom-poms on the end that a merchant kid gave me a few years ago. He would not give it back no matter how nicely I asked. Glaring at him, all I heard was kids shuffling away and Henry screaming like a girl. His pants were on fire!! I went wide eyed, looking around for the source but it was nowhere to be found. I wondered, Did I do that? I shook the thought from my mind and ran as fast I could to hide from the prying eyes of my classmates. I found myself in the corridor near the fountains. I loved that part of the school.  In the distance I could hear my name being called. “Karina? Where are you sweetie?” it was a familiar voice but I did not dare answer. She finally found me, telling me Henry would be just fine as she pushed my curls away from my face. I sighed with relief and she took me by the hand walking me home. My mother acted like she knew nothing to do with why Henry sparked up like a firework but I knew she did. My mother began hiring private tutors for my learning after that day. “A spark can light a path or burn down a forest” she would say whenever I got angry and for some reason it calmed me. Since that day there were no more incidents until her death when I was thirteen. “Karina.” my mother called as she pulled the silk curtains open to let in the warm sun. “It is time to get up. Today is the day.” she gleefully chimed. Turning over, I pulled the covers over my head with a grunt. “Oh come on Karina, you only turn thirteen once. We have to go down to the kitchen and see the cake before the guests arrive.” She said. Replying with another grunt, “Fine.” I said while getting up and slipping on my slippers. My mother practically skipped us down the halls to the kitchen where my cake sat waiting for approval.  My mother stopped in her tracks as we came through the door, rage instantly grew in my throat while viewing the cake “It is green!!” I screamed. My mother repeated the usual phrase to calm me but I refused to hear her. It was meant to be sky blue. I glared at the bakers as if they were as good as fired. My mother continued to try to calm me but to no avail the blaze began. Everyone in the room scattered so fast You would think they were deer running from hunters, except my mother, she still was so desperately trying. I could no longer see her as the red claimed my sight like the flame burning. I stood there, absent to her voice as she began to scream in agony from the fire scorching her as she fled.  An hour after  finally calming down, I looked around at the destruction I had caused. Walking out of what used to be the kitchen to the evacuation hall I saw everyone with horror in their eyes as a few gathered around something in the middle. I walked over and made a path for me. My mother...laid there, gone.