A Magical Betrayal - arabian (book club reads .TXT) 📗

The moon was high in the sky on Midsummer’s Eve and the people of the town were celebrating the plentiful harvest this year but not I whom has never set foot in the outside world. I sit locked in my room hidden from prying eyes that may look for one of the last magical creatures of the island Abiscondus. So I sit staring glumly out my window watching the humans dance and sing, drink rum and chase after the dogs sneaking up to the tables to steal a bite to eat.
“Aleca?” called Alexandra my younger sister, “What are you doing?”
“Watching the fireworks sister.” I called back slightly annoyed.
All of my siblings were allowed to leave the safety of the large oak to go and wander in the forests and towns as long as they stayed hidden. I wasn’t allowed to leave because even though I was the oldest I was the smallest among us. Standing only a mere 5.5in tall I was by far the smallest and most fragile of my kind. Not to mention I was the crown princess of the wood sprites.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked.
“No,” I replied icily.
“Hey, don’t get mad at me just because mom thinks you’re not ready to leave your room.”
“But, you know that’s not the real reason Alexandra.” I sighed, “The reason she doesn’t want me to leave my room is because I’m to small and because of that, I’ll get hurt or the men who are interested in courting me will not want to because I will not be good for bearing children.”
“Aleca,” Alexandra said trying to be comforting but not quite making it because she sounded slightly smug.
“Just leave,” I said a hint of acid leaking into my voice.
“All right. Bye.”
She exited gracefully; flying to the doorway, exiting, and locking the door behind her. “Why is she so smug,” I thought that night as I lay in bed. Little did I know I would find out in the morning.


I awoke to brilliant sunshine streaming through my window. Today was my 17th birthday but unknown to me it would be the beginning of the worst day of my life. Getting dressed and making my bed in a blur I readied myself for my first visit outside.


We wound our way through the castle corridors never meeting a soul then we stepped out into a sunlit garden surrounded by 3 10inch high walls and the castle on the fourth side. My mother came up beside me with a levitating trunk beside her. She had 1 hand behind her back and said,” I have a surprise for you.”
”Mom,” I sighed, “You promised that you wouldn’t give me any presents because you were taking me outside.”
“Well you know me.” she said. Then with wild eyes and unimaginable speed she brought up her hand and I was able to glimpse a small silver dagger before she brought it down and pierced my heart. Tears stung my eyes as I looked upon the ones I loved while they smiled at my pain then I choked on my last breath and closed my eyes forever.


“It’s a girl,” cried the nurse-maid as she held up the delicate figure of the queens 1st born daughter. “She’s beautiful,” the exhausted queen said as she looked at the fine features. The babe’s rose pink lips opened into a perfect “O” as if to be surprised to be out the womb, and her big bright beautiful eyes were not of one color, the outside was rimmed in sky blue, the middle was a deep sea green, and around the pupil her eyes were the color of fresh, warm honey in the spring. Then the strangest thing of all was that on her ankle there was a birth-mark that looked as though the vines and flowers themselves were living in her skin. There were rose buds, tiger lilies, and a green vine. They all stood out in vivid color on her ankle.


Seventeen years later I was racing my father down the trail on Onyx my Friesian. “Yes, my dear.” I breathed, “Faster, we’ve almost got him.” Seconds later we passed over the bridge. I reined him in threw up my hands and whooped.
“You really ought to act like a lady Aleca.” My father called.
“Why should I?” I challenged, “Ladies have to act like glass vases and stand silently in the background as though they are only decorations while men can do as they please. They can be as loud as they want and are not questioned when they decide to go out for an evening ride. Anyway I’d like to have a share in the action I do not want to stand around all day sewing dresses and gossiping.” My little rant seemed to leave my father shell-shocked, but he quickly composed his face.
“Aleca you know that women have their duties and men have theirs.” He said.
“I know,” I sighed, “but what about freedom? Why should women do as they are commanded even if they are not slaves? Why should we sit back and watch as the men race and fight for our country? If you have some reasons please enlighten me.”
“Here is the one reason I will give you women aren’t strong enough to do such things.” He stated.
“Ah. So you think that women are made out of glass after all? Or is it that you think women aren’t as clever, and are inferior to men in every way.”
“Aleca,” I didn’t stay to hear what he was going to say. I just dug my heels into Onyx and ran into the forest past where my father had set the limit all the way to the cliffs beside the ocean. Onyx and I were both breathing hard and we stayed there looking out over the ocean. The sun was starting to set when I decided to turn Onyx around and go back to the castle, but I decided to walk along the cliffs and go around the forest so that I didn’t run into to a search party. As Onyx and I walked along the old hunting trail up towards the castle, out of the blue a couple of people appeared among the trees, not wanting to alert them of my presence I steered Onyx off into the trees. I quietly dismounted, led Onyx deeper under the cover of the trees, and tethered him.
“This is our chance.” The taller man whispered excitedly. The dark-haired man’s reply was almost inaudible,” Don’t act so keyed-up they might suspect us for what we are.” Then so quickly it startled me the blonde man jumped 20 feet in the air caught a sparrow and wolfed it down raw before I could even cry out.
I forced down a scream as I watched them slowly change from human to squat little creatures that were swamp green with leathery wings and feathered legs. They had the tail of a lion and the same heads they had before the transformation except that their eyes were black but not just black. They were flat black and blacker than the sky on a cloudy and moonless night. And instead of teeth they had sharp pieces of rock and steel.
It was a horrid sight but I was too terrified to look away. I was rooted to the spot my eyes frozen wide with fright, then without warning they took off and flew out of sight. After they disappeared I realized that I had been holding my breath and silently swore I would tell no one of what I had seen. I mounted Onyx and continued on to the castle hoping to come back to the norm.


It was 2 hours past nightfall when I arrived at the castle. “It’s the princess. It’s the princess!” called one of the guards when he recognized who I was, “Lower the bridge, lower the bridge at once!” I rode across the bridge and thanked the guards for responding so swiftly. This caused the guards to blush and mumble something I couldn’t hear. I rode into the stables and dismounted. “Princess, I will take Onyx and groom him for you.” Said the head groom as I started to untack him.
“No need to worry. I know how to groom and untack him properly.” I replied.
“But, princess,” he started.
I cut him off, “Edmund, I know what I am doing and do not give me any crap about how my parents are worried about me okay?” He mumbled something unintelligible.
After I had finished taking care of Onyx, I put him in his pen and headed into the castle through the servants quarters. When I arrived at my solar my mother was there pacing back and forth in front of the worn wooden door that led to my quarters.
“Aleca,” she cried when she saw me, “where have you been.”
“The cliffs.” I replied, stepping around her and opening the heavy door. My mothers face was full of fury before she composed it into a stern mask.
“Aleca Alexandria Freheart. You know that you’re forbidden to wander that far.”
“So?” I say icily, “There is nothing dangerous there as long as you are careful of the cliff’s edge.” I realized this was the wrong thing to say when the words left my mouth. My mother’s anger turned into fury.
“You are no longer to leave the grounds without a guide and a ten guard escort.”
This just caused my temper to flair even more powerfully than hers. “I shall do no such thing and if need be I will easily evade them once we are clear of the castle gates.” Then after saying this I closed the door behind me and locked it from the inside.
Then to my surprise as I turned around I came face to face with the last person on earth I wanted to see. James. “Ah. A little family squabble I see. Did you really want to be alone with me that much?” He asked me silkily.
“Get the hell out of my solar you bloody moron!” I screeched as he reached out to rap his arm around my waist.
He pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear, “Now that wasn’t very kind of you. You should apologize.” As he said this he lifted me off the ground and cradled me in his arms like a baby.
James used to be my best friend until he told my parents about how I snuck out every night and went to taverns to watch the singers and actors perform. “I’ll apologize to you after hell freezes over.” I said letting as much venom leak into my voice as possible.
This just seemed to amuse him. “You know you miss me just as much as I miss you.” He murmured.
“Sure,” I said laying the sarcasm on real thick, “and I’m a wood sprite.”
He just chuckled. “Aleca,” He almost sang my name, “you are absolutely ridiculous.”
“Like, I haven’t heard that before.” I sighed, “Please, leave James.”
“All right,” he agreed, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodbye, James.” Then after setting me gently in the chair by the fire he sauntered over to the door unlocked it and left.
My mom came walking in “Aleca, I’m sorry it’s just that when you disappear like that you make us all worry and you don’t know what could lurk in the forest after dark.” This reminded me of the creatures