۵ Chapter Two ۵
647 Words
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Chapter Two
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⌇The Queen's Veil⌇
The young girl was a beauty; long ashen hair tied back into a amalgamation of braids that clipped together by a comb made from mammoth's ivory. Delicate, angelic, opal eyes sat behind a cape of thick lashes.
"I'm not ready to be a Queen." She whispered, trailing her fingertips through the periwinkle barrier. Glitter sparkles floated to the snow from the touch.
"I can't even convince myself, let alone an entire Kingdom." She said gently. "What if my sister was the one meant to rule...and not I?"
She gazed up into the sky. Two crescent moons hugged each other in a cloud of stars.
"You can touch it!" A feminine voice called excitedly.
Una Fairweather, the priest's second-youngest daughter, appeared beside her. Her yellow hair sat in fresh braids either side of emerald eyes. Her pale skin was littered with freckles - similar to the stars in the sky.
"I can." Ashai replied, retracting her hand. Almost as astonished as the young girl.
Una watched the glitter trickle off of Ashai's fingers like sand. Her eyes widened in awe. "You could go through it if you wanted to."
She sighed. "I probably could. But the mere thought still terrifies me."
"You're of age. You can do what you like now. You have no duties, no prospects, no desires yet. Once you pass through that barrier it comes to life - all of it. Everything you've ever wanted is waiting for you beyond that purple wall." Una said, her eyes gleamed in awe at the barrier.
Little did she know of my responsibilities. Ashai thought to herself.
"You seem bewildered." She said, and gazed into Una's green eyes.
Una nodded. "I would say...bewitched."
"Bewitched..." Ashai repeated slowly. "...You are a child of light, what could ever bewitch you?"
"Everything." Una replied, quickly turning her head to face her. "You don't understand how much I beg to be free of this arctic wasteland. How much I wish to be allowed to do as I please."
Ashai frowned. "What do you dream of?"
Una glanced up. "What do I dream of?" She walked closer to the barrier, so that she was but a nose distance from it. "I dream of riding on an ice dragon's back. They're out there, you know. They're waiting for something to happen - anything. Just like me."
Ashai looked at the snowy ground. "The dragon's are gone, Una."
Una frowned. "Have you ever seen one?"
Ashai shook her head. "No."
Una smiled. "Then how do you know they're not just hiding?"
She sighed. "I guess I will believe something when I see it with my own eyes. Something I can touch and smell."
After a moment, Una gently touched Ashai's arm. "Your unicorn. What is his name?"
"Moonlight." She said.
Una glanced out into the vast arctic. "And, before you found Moonlight all those years ago. Did you believe unicorns existed? A magical horse with a horn atop its head, with healing powers and rejuvenation."
Ashai frowned and looked down. "I suppose not, no."
"None of us did. When I saw your Moonlight for the first time, my whole world changed." She grinned. "I'm telling you, they're still here. They're hiding from us - just as Moonlight was." Una smiled and returned her attention to the wall. "It's my birthday in two days. Maybe I will find a dragon sooner than I thought." She said quietly, and reached out.
There was a moment of silence.
Ashai sighed. "May I be alone for a moment, Una?"
Una took her hand from Ashai's arm. "Of course. I'll see you around, Ashai."
And back from whence she came; Una drifted back into the snowy fir forest without another word.
Ashai glanced up at the starry night sky. And took a deep breath. "Do you believe in dragons, mother?"
- Writer
