Chapter 3: ~ Unfamiliar Blood Ties ~
Long ago there was a powerful King who needed an heir. The King had eleven daughters but no son. As the years went by, his Queen and his concubines continued to fail giving birth to a Crown Prince. Out of desperation, the King summoned the astral gods of earth, air, fire, and water. Together, they performed a sacred blood ritual forever tying the Del Silvermond name to the astral gods. In exchange for offering his bloodline as their vessels, the elemental deities made it so that the Del Silvermond offspring would from thereon only be Princes.
~***~
Winter found herself in a room of awfully large and expensive furniture. The soaring walls were illuminated by the gentle kiss of a lamp-light glow. Her small body sunk into a soft mattress and warm blankets swallowed her entirely. Everything around her was bathed in hues of gold and red. The foreign feeling of comfort ate away at every inch of her body.
Her old tattered clothes had been replaced with a soft silk nightgown that hugged her body tenderly. Her silver hair that stretched out across the soft sheets filled the air around her with the gentle aroma of flowers. For the first time in this life, Winter felt clean. Fatigue beat down on her heavily, but she felt unusually light. It was almost as if someone had taken all her pain away.
Aiden's familiar golden hair shimmered softly under the dim kiss of the lamp-light. He slept peacefully under a mountain of warm blankets by her side. Winter closed her eyes and found comfort in the familiar sound of his breathing. She giggled softly and thought of wheat fields, running a thin hand through his soft hair.
Her mind burned rapidly with questions, but she was far too tired to deal with them right now. Why did the King's men take her with them? She was certain her role in the story was over, so why was she still alive?
The room was awfully big, with a distance that seemed to grow slowly the longer she looked at it. Winter felt as if a knife was stabbing her chest with every breath she took. After being in such a cramped space for most of her life as Winter, the large area left her with an overwhelming feeling of uneasiness. She watched Aiden look much too peaceful under the heap of soft blankets. His chest rose steadily and his soft breathing played a familiar song in Winter's ears.
She cursed the feeling of uneasiness that she was left with. Winter quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake Aiden, and dragged a heavy blanket along with her. She glanced around anxiously before making her way to a wardrobe against the wall.
The wardrobe was overflowing with gowns and clothing much too expensive for her taste. She began to carelessly empty a small corner of it, ignoring how tired she felt. After crawling in and covering herself with the blanket, she began to slip away into a sweet land of dreams. The door of the wardrobe was left slightly ajar and she listened to sweet song of Aiden's breathing in the darkness. She wondered how he was able to sleep so peacefully in such a large room.
~***~
"Oh my," A delicate voice cooed at her, "Look at her little eyes! I think she's waking up."
Winter's eyes slowly fluttered open. In the faint golden light of morning, she could briefly make out several towering figures leaning over her. The dim rays of sunlight kissed the crevices of the unfamiliar room around her, reflecting shimmering golds and reds. Someone had moved her back to the bed after she fell asleep in the wardrobe. Her stomach twisted at the thought of somebody touching her body.
A pounding headache scraped its sharp claws against the inside of her skull. Her vision was groggy and the world around her was spinning. She closed her eyes once more, fighting off the overwhelming feeling of nausea that ate away at her stomach.
"Winter..." Aiden called out to her half asleep.
He reached his arms out and immediately pulled her into a warm embrace under the pile of soft blankets. Winter let out a sigh of embarrassment. Aiden had a habit of clinging onto her whenever he woke up. His actions garnered a few stifled giggles from the figures at their bedside.
"S-Stop," Winter muttered nervously, "W-Wake up, there's people here!"
Aiden let out an exasperated groan and hugged her tighter. Winter was able to make out the appearance of several maids at their bedside. The maids watched the twins with curious eyes and flushed expressions. Under their heedful watch, Winter gently pinched Aiden's cheek in an attempt to wake him up. He let out a whine in response before fluttering his heavy eyelashes open.
"Greetings to your Royal Highnesses," One of the maids said with a soft voice, "My name is Esme. I am the head maid. We will be helping the Prince and Princess get ready for breakfast!"
Aiden instinctively tightened his grip on Winter's arm. Winter let out a small sigh in response to his action. She knew better than anyone that being touched by someone else wasn't an easy thing for them.
"We don't need your help," Winter told them, "We can do it ourselves."
"But Your Highness," The maid said with a frown, "His Majesty has specifically instructed us to help you both get ready."
"Go away!" Aiden shouted at them with a venomous tone, "Don't you dare touch me or my sister! Get out! I won't let you touch us!"
The maids cast nervous looks in each other's directions. Winter didn't expect them to understand, but the situation couldn't be helped. It was clear that Aiden did not want to be touched by anyone else.
"What if we leave your clothes out for you and wait for you outside?" Esme asked them with warm eyes and a gentle tone.
"Yes please," Winter told them while patting Aiden's head with her free arm, "We didn't mean to startle you. We're just confused right now, that's all."
"I understand, Your Highness. I shall leave your water basins here and the bathroom is just over there," She said while gesturing her hands to show them, "If you need any help at all, please do inform us. We are here to help you both."
After the maids quietly left the room, Winter began to get ready. She slipped into a navy blue dress that was made from velvet. The fabric felt soft against her skin, something she never had the luxury to experience before in this lifetime. Fine silver thread was woven into intricate designs on the hems of her sleeves and a large white gemstone sat placidly in the middle of her chest. She combed through her rivers of silver hair with a brush, before using a matching blue ribbon to tie it partly up. She slipped her feet into a pair of comfortable flats and let out a sigh. This was the first time she's ever worn shoes.
She glanced at Aiden who fumbled with the buttons on his dress shirt. She giggled softly before doing them up for him. They were navy blue gemstones that matched the colour of her dress. She tied his matching ruff on and adjusted his collar. He truly looked like a Prince. Despite his unkempt locks of gold and confused expression, he truly looked like a noble befitting of his title.
"Winter," Aiden asked while she combed his unruly golden hair, "Where do you think we are?"
"The Royal Palace," She told him, "The King's men found us in that attic and took us here."
"But why?" He asked in barely a whisper.
"Because Aiden, you are the son of the King," Winter replied in a soft hum.
She took his shaky hand in hers and smiled at the sight of her brother in proper clothes. Deep down she was truly glad she got to see him like this. Clean. Proper. Outside of the attic. Winter was never written into this part of the novel, but perhaps the story was changing little by little. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have to die young and leave her brother.
"Are you ready?" She asked him while gently squeezing his hand, "Are you ready to meet your father?"
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