Dove.
It's been at least a week of laying here in this damp room with Raven watching over me. She seems brighter than when I first got here, she exhales a little smoother and smiles a little freer.
"Dove where are you from?" she asks cautiously and I smile sadly.
"Nowhere anymore, it's all burnt to the ground." I answer, I know kind of cryptically. It isn't safe to tell her more. The more she knows about me, the more danger I put her in if he shows back up again.
"I'm from the Emerald Isles" she volunteers, trying to keep the conversation going.
"I've been to the Emerald Court before, once, when I was young." I mumble non-comitally, thinking back to less complicated times in my life, though maybe not truly happier.
I'd been there twice actually..
----
Dove at age 7.
The water sparkles like a living breathing thing all around us while I lean over the mast of the boat with my twin sister Cecilia. My mother picks her up, she always had the most elegant fingers, and starts trailing them through Cecilia's hair affectionately. She's never done that for me.
She smiles at Cecilia and I try to edge myself closer to basque in the warmth of the gesture but I always feel like an outsider. The castle rises up like tall peeks in the distance as we inch closer and closer into the lagoon.
I almost can't handle the anticipation, a shiver trailing up and down my spine. My father picks me up, and pulls me close, "We're almost there sweet girl."
My chubby fists ball up with joy. "Will I really get to meet my new brother?" I ask innocently.
He laughs, "Sweet girl, I've told you, we're going to introduce Cecilia to her betrothed."
"Doesn't that make him my new brother one day?" I ask back, and he points at a white dragon peaking out over the skyline, "Look!" he whispers conspiratorially, directing my gaze towards the majestic creature.
I gasp. It's beautiful. "Can I have it daddy?" I can't stop myself from whispering, the awe palpable. He laughs, a full bellied sound that echoes in his chest and makes me feel loved.
"Dragons are wild things sweet girl, wild things will never belong to anyone." He answers but he doesn't look down at me.
The dragon never approaches the boat, and it never draws closer to the castle at our destination. Eventually it fades from view.
The docks up ahead are barren, the royal port cleared out for our arrival. At the end of where obsidian meets sand stands a procession of people in attire unlike our own.
Their clothing is strange. Their complexion is more olive and their hair is dark, black or brown with shiny blue eyes.
The boy, my sister's betrothed, is the most beautiful person I've ever seen. His eyes are an almost white blue, his skin is touched from the sun and he wears a vibrant green tunic that matches Cecilia's eyes, latched with a brown leather belt.
As we disembark from the boat, they set foot onto the obsidian dock to welcome us.
"My King, my queen and princess Cecilia -- welcome to the Emerald Court." A woman starts and I move to rush forward to declare myself but father stops me, with his hand he pushes me to stand behind us.
"We receive your welcome Lady Sand and offers ours in turn. Greetings Lord and Lady Sand. And you must be the young Francesco?" He answers, the full sound like a rumble deep in his chest.
The young boy approaches with a nod and takes Cecilia's hand to pull her forward. I make to follow them but again father holds me back, "stay behind us sweet girl where they won't see you." I try to listen but I feel a bit hurt at being excluded.