-Leila
As soon as my eyes flutter open, I can tell I'm on a ship. The sun shines on my tan skin, but its rays don't feel as warm as they usually do. I sit up, bringing my knees up to my chest.
Guards in golden armor are all around me and I doubt they will even bat an eye if I order them to take me back home. My mother is the only one with real authority.
Do I even truly want to go back there?
My regular clothes have been replaced with warm ones and I've been given a coat, something I never had to wear in my faction. I must have been knocked out for a long time, because in the distance I can already spot land, getting closer and closer.
The lush greenery and white sand I'm used to is long forgotten, replaced by only ice. The palace almost blends in with the scenery, its walls as white and immaculate as their surroundings. Everything around it is still and quiet, frozen in time almost.
It looks... peaceful.
When we reach shore, I just follow my guards towards the palace. There is no point in fighting back now that we're who knows how many seas away from home. And my mother wouldn't let me back either, even if I managed to escape.
Maybe I should be fighting back, but no matter how many times she has hurt me, I always feel the need to please my mother.
The guards we encounter in the palace don't seem too affected by the cold. Their uniforms consist of a deep blue jacket, whose seams and buttons are pure silver, and a pair of pants of the same blue. Their calves are covered by black boots and their heads by some weird looking hats make of fur.
They seem to come from a completely different planet. Their skin is as fair as the snow outside, their eyes shades of blue or grey.
When they glance back at me, I can tell they are thinking the same. It's clear I'm a foreigner.
As we proceed down the halls, they stand perfectly still with their hands behind their back, but I can feel their gaze following my every move. I'm used to creatures staring at me, but this feels different. Some of them just have curiosity in their eyes, but others...
They stare at me the same way a man who hasn't eaten in a month would a piece of bread. My skin crawls in a foreign, uncomfortable way.
When we reach the throne room, I'm not at all surprised by the light blue walls, the white wood floors or the ceilings painted with images of angels, all of them with their wings spread, the same colour of the ice that covers their land, or even the chandeliers made of crystals above us.
On the silver throne, an old man is waiting for us, I suppose. In fact, as soon as I step foot in the room, he gets up from his seat. My guards have remained oustide, except for two of them, so it's just us and some angel guards in the room. The King's eyes are the same shade of blue that is on the walls and they stare right at me, crinkles forming around them on the man's face. He's actually smiling at me. I narrow my eyes, observing his every move.
"Princess Leila, it is an honor to finally meet you.”
I don't believe him. If there's one thing I'm sure of is that angels cannot be trusted, even though I'm supposed to get married to one.
"Why am I here?” I cross my arms to my chest.
He shrugs. "Because your mother needs us... and we need her.”
Angels and Demons were never really at war with eachother, but they never did get along either. If we weren't separated by the sea, I have no doubt that we would have tried to slaughter one another by now. Our real enemy is under the sea, though, and it's an enemy we share. No sovereign of ours or theirs ever thought to join forces; we're just too different to work together. Until now, I suppose.
As I'm about to reply with something snarky, a sudden voice behind me almost makes me wince.
"What is the meaning of this, father?” the man snaps.
I turn to look at him. A tall man stands in front of me, his hands behind his back, like a perfect little soldier. He's wearing the same uniform as the guards, but his is more elaborate and on his chest its lined with silver medals. He has the same fair skin of his father, as fair as everything else around us, but his curls are brown just like his eyes, which makes him stand out even around his own people.
He looks right at his father, barely acknowledging my presence. Now, that is strange.
"Have you lost your manners?" the King gestures towards me with a nod.
"She is a demon,” his son points out, pure disgust lacing his voice, even though he doesn't loose his composure. Still, he doesn't even spare me a glance.
Charming. I barely resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"So?"
"So I can't marry her.”
"You can and you will. This is not up for debate, Atlas.”
"Do you think I want to marry you?"
The prince finally turns to look at me, his brown eyes stare right into mine, but before he can say anything his father speaks up.
"Neither of you have a choice. The wedding's in two weeks and that's the end of it.”
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-Atlas
A demon. My father wants me to marry a demon, just so we can form an alliance with those creatures. Devoid of any morals or values, that's what they are.
I gulp down my nectar, leaving the glass empty as most of the guests dance together around the room. I can't even fathom the idea that my father threw a ball in a demon's honor. Ironic, considering demons don't have any.
"You could at least try and get to know her,” David suggest and I shoot daggers at him.
Sighing, he puts his hands up. Then, as soon as a servant holding a silver tray comes closer to offer us some food, he accepts immediatly and takes more than it would be proper.
"She's gorgeous, you can't deny that", he adds, before devouring his food.
I barely look at him, staring at the open doors where she's supposed to make her grand entrance any moment now.
"Mhm, she's barely above average,” I mutter, instead of admitting he has a point.
She is gorgeous. No angel had ever seen her before, but stories and whispers about her beauty managed to travel all across the sea. Some sailors crossed the sea just to get a glimpse of her, or at least that's what I've heard.
"I'll gladly take her off your hands, then.”
As soon as the words leave David's mouth, she appears like a goddess right before our eyes. Leila walks through the open doors, chin up and chest out. Her body is hidden almost in its entirety by a long purple gown, its skirt sparkling under the dim lights in the ball room. Her dark hair falls free behind her shoulders and her green eyes travel around the room.
There is not a single pair of eyes that isn't fixated on her and she seems pleased by this, since her full lips -that have been painted in a deep shade of crimson- curve up in a small smile. When her eyes meet mine, she doesn't look away at first. I stare right back at her, until she scrunches up her nose and turns her back to me, strutting to where my sister is standing with her friends.
David lets out a chuckle,"Tonight's going to be fun.”
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