One

“Reyna!”

That’s the second time. If she calls me once more, I’ll know it’s important, and I’ll definitely put the book down.

“Reyna!” My mother shouts once again.

Did I say once more? I meant twice more. Yes, if she calls me four times, I’ll know it’s very important. I wait for a moment before I turn my attention back into my book, but right when I do, she bursts through my door.

“Reyna, why must I call your name so many times?”

“I didn’t hear you, Mother.”

“Oh, please, dear,” she says walking over to me and taking the book from my hands. “You’re not a good liar.” She looks to the clock on the wall then back at me. “You’ve made me late.”

“Late for what?”

She scoffs at me. “You can’t tell by the way I’m dressed?” She asks tugging on her gaudy dress. “I look like royalty, don’t I? The queen of Calor!”

I laugh at her. “Thank heavens Calor isn’t a royal state. If you ask me, we don’t need any more royal nonsense.”

“Only a girl such as yourself would say something like that, but Dimitri is a nobleman, so if I ever am to bring him around you, you just smile that pretty face of yours and act like you like royal nonsense.”

“If that’s what you wish, mother.”

She kisses me on the cheek. “I left a list of things you need to pick up from the market for supper on the counter, and don’t forget to pick Mason up from his classes.”

I receive another kiss on the cheek from her before she leaves in a rush. Her and Dimitri have been courting for a while, but seeing her this happy is bittersweet. I’m sure he’s a nice man if he’s willing to put up with her, but if things continue to go well, Mason and I will be forced to move to Vesna. To me, we have just found ourselves as a real family after my father’s death. And although it’s been seven years since that time, I don’t feel ready enough to give up the memories that our house here in Calor holds.

After my father died in the war against the state of Rudens, I didn’t think that my family would survive. Mason and I were distraught, but not as much as mother was. She was so distraught that I refuse to cry any tears for father to this day, because she has cried enough for all of us. For six months’ time she stayed on her bedroom floor, mourning my father. The first month, I felt for her, and shared in her sadness. My father and I were inseparable, not only was he a knight for Nivalis, but my personal knight and savior as well. He trained me in sword fighting, and vowed to make me a strong, brave warrior just like him. And that very strength I held close to me even after I learned of his death. Of course, I was devastated, he was my everything, but he had always told me that death finds us all, and that it would most likely find him before it found anyone due to his duty to Nivalis. Now that I think back, it’s such a morbid thing to say to a child, but somehow I understood, and it made his death easy to cope with.

Unfortunately, my mother did not receive the same message as I. Taking care of my little brother, cooking, cleaning, bathing her, and forcing her to eat all became my responsibility, and at first, I was only too happy to do that for her. I wanted to do whatever she needed for her to become herself again, but she only got worse.

“Nicholai?”

“No mother, it’s me, Reyna.”

I sat next to her on the floor with soup in my lap.

“Mason’s teacher gave him a lot of praise today, he did better at spelling than anyone else she says,” I said as I lifted the spoon to her lips.

            She was silent as the soup passed her dry lips, her eyes were cold, and starring daggers into my own.

            “You look nothing like me or your brother. Why do you suppose that is, Reyna?”

            I gave her a small smile, my mind too young at the time to detect the harshness in her tone.

            “I do look like you, mommy. My hair is long too, see?” I said lifting up a lock of my ashen brown hair.

            “But it’s the same color as your fathers. The exact same,” she whispered as she tugged on my hair. I didn’t know how to respond. “And those eyes. I’d like to gouge those pretty, periwinkle eyes of yours right out and keep them for myself.”

            After that instance, she had only wanted Mason to send in her food and sit with her, and if she even saw me, she would curse at me or throw things. At first it made me hate her, because she made me hate myself. I looked at my features with detest and sorrow. I never saw myself in my father’s image until she had mentioned it, and the realization of fact that I was his spitting image had made me a living corpse, just as her, only I was forced to function for the sake of Mason. But as time went on, I realized that my father would be disappointed in my behavior. It was bad enough that Mason had to see her that way, but he couldn’t see the both of us sulking about. So I decided to ignore her harsh words and smile for Mason and put aside my feelings.

            I don’t know what willed her to come out of her room when she finally did, but I thank heavens for it every day. That’s why this nobleman is so bittersweet for me, he clearly cares about my mother, and if she’s truly happy with him, she deserves that and more. She deserves to be treated like royalty, like she’s always wanted. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, just means I have to tolerate it, until I marry off myself that is.

            I snicker at the thought as I gather my books from my desk and put them on the bookshelf. A person like me marrying anyone is laughable. I quickly grab my sword from my bedside, along with the note my mother left from on the counter, and venture out into the warm air of Calor.

Author's Note

This chapter might go through some changes, but I wanted to put what I think feels right out there so I can get help with it.

Reviews

[Ashish]

Though I don't have great knowledge in writing as I am a newbie still I want to suggest one thing..
1) if you can give a little description about Dimitri and Mason and about the house

2) I feel awkward when i read
"If I ever am to bring him.."
In the paragraph "only a girl such as yourself..."

Thanks..waiting for next chapter :)

[Eli Castor]

I understand your want for more description and I totally agree. I'm constantly trying to work on my description skills because they aren't too good, if I'm honest. But this chapter is just supposed to be setting up the feel of the story, so I actually like the mystery I left here as far as Dimitri and Mason. They are not very pivotal characters anyways.

As far as the awkward sentences, I'm studying a lot on how people talked in "the olden times", so the speech is going to be a little different then what you might expect.

Thanks for your feedback, it was really helpful. And thanks for reading :)

[Ashish]

If you want to keep mystery than that was perfectly fine
your description are not as bad as mine..
U wont believe i literally suck while writing description..you are still inpressive
I will love to know more about "olden time" as that is something new for me

Good job

[Sir Drift & Mr. Pulse]

This sounds like a novella in process. Good start.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

I like how you explain yourself; by the end, I felt like I knew and felt for Reyna's situation. Reading your description helps me appreciate your, story buildup that you left the reader on the edge of. Keep it up, I know how hard it is to complete a big write.