Chapter 1: Nadja's P.O.V.
!!! *** WARNING! CHAPTER CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS THAT READERS MAY FIND DISTRIBUING. SUCH AS CHILD ABUSE, AND VIOLENCE! READ DISCRECTION ADVISED! *** !!!
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I stared at the grand painting of my mother hanging on the wall in the great hall. She was so beautiful when she was alive. Her skin is like porcelain. I wonder what it was like to see that bright smile light up a room. Her white hair was so long and wavy. Everyone says that my mother used to wear her hair down all the time, despite how her parents felt.
I wonder what my grandparents were like. Were they like my aunt and uncle? Like the rest of the Light Elves here? Was my mother like that too? Would she hate me if she were still alive?
"Nadja!"
I jumped at the sound of Gildor's voice. My eyes snapped at him as he charged towards me. My body started to shake as I stayed frozen.
Gildor is the head of staff here. He answers only to Uncle. Gildor gives us servants chores to do around the castle. He's also mostly in charge of my care.
"What the hell are you doing here girl? You're supposed to be cleaning the paintings, not staring at them. Do you not have enough chores? Is that it? Too much free time on your hands?" He shot out question after question angrily.
"I-I-I-" I stuttered out as fear gripped my throat.
"You-you-you," Gildor mocked. "You can't do anything right can you? I give you the simplest task. You can't even answer a damn question."
I kept my eyes on the floor as my body trembled.
"Well?! Are you going to say something?" He shouted.
I don't know what to say.
"I-I-I'm... s-sorry.." I whispered.
"Speak up child." Gildor ordered.
"I-I'm sorry." I said louder.
"Sorry?" He asked with a disgusted tone.
I heard Gildor sigh, but I didn't dare look up at him.
"I'm adding more chores to your list. You'll work through lunch, and as punishment for lollygagging, no dinner." He said.
"But I haven't had breakfast either." I said, finally looking up at him.
Actually, I didn't eat at all yesterday either. I'm so hungry, but it was a mistake to talk back. Gildor's face morphed into one of pure anger. I tried to look back at the floor, but it was too late. Gildor raised his hand and backhanded me across the cheek.
I fell to the ground as tears sprung to my eyes. I brought my hand up to cradle my cheek. I can already taste the blood from my split lip.
"How many times must I tell you to know your place?" Gildor seethed from above me. "It's your fault for thinking that you can lounge around when you have chores to do!"
Then Gildor kicked me in the gut. I curled up into a ball as tears streamed down my cheeks. I covered my head and prepared for more blows.
"You stupid girl! Talking back to me like that! You should be grateful that you even have a roof over your head!" Gildor shouted.
Just when I was about to receive another kick to my back, someone interrupted.
"What's going on here?" Elanor asked.
My body relaxed slightly. Which was a mistake.
"You think that woman can protect you!?" Gildor shouted and kicked me in the back.
I groaned out in pain. Then Elanor put her body in front of mine. I peeked out from my arms to see her standing protectively, blocking Gildor's attacks.
"She is just a child. No more than 10 years old," Elanor said.
"She is an abomination! A Darkling," Gildor said defensively.
I winced. I know that I don't look like everyone else here. I don't even know what a Darkling is though.
Do they call me that because my skin is much darker than theirs? Because my hair is silver and not white? Is it that my ears are longer and pointier than theirs?
"How is a child this small supposed to complete her chores if you beat her to a bloody pulp?" Elanor asked. "I will take her to get cleaned up and make sure she gets back to her chores right away."
I was too afraid to move. Gildor didn't say anything for a while though. I wonder if he's going to tell Elanor no and beat me some more.
"Fine. You take responsibility for that.. thing. When the Grand Duke asks why her chores are not fulfilled, I will send you to receive punishment." Gildor stated.
Then I heard his retreating footsteps.
A moment later, I felt gentle hands grab my arms. I flinched and Elanor shushed me. She pulled me into her arms and I sobbed as I clung to her.
"I'm so sorry, Elanor. I didn't mean to make him angry.. I was just.." I trailed off as I blubbered.
"You were just looking at the picture of your mother dear. I understand. She was your mother after all. You deserve to look at her grand painting for as long as you like." She told me.
Elanor scooped me in her arms as she stood at her feet. I continued to cry as she carried me to the kitchen. Elanor sat me down on the table and the other servants gave us grave looks.
Elanor is the only person here that is nice to me. Most of the other servants don't speak to me at all. They stay as far away from me as possible. Like I'm some kind of disease. I always see them looking at me with fear, and whispering about me though.
I don't understand what they are so afraid of though. I've never hurt anyone. Maybe they are afraid that they will be treated as badly as me if they speak to me. Like I'm a curse that will infect everyone.
Elanor shuffled around the kitchen. She brought back a small bowl of water and a cloth. Then she began dabbing at my split lip.
I smoothed out my dirty dress as I waited for Elanor to be done.
"Looks like it's almost time for you to get a new dress," Elanor said.
"Okay." I said meekly.
I guess Elanor is right. All the other girls' dresses flow down to their feet. The servants' fabric is always more drabby than the royals', but mine is the worst. I have no money for clothes. No one will give me their old dresses that no longer fit. Elanor usually has to scavenge to find me something.
Which means that the dress I am currently wearing was picked from the trash. Elanor cleaned it up really well though. I've had it for the last four years. It's the only article of clothing I have. Now that I've grown so much though, it falls just past my knees. There are stains all over it, and I look like I'm constantly covered in dirt.
"What about you, Eera?" Elanor asked the servant cooking. "Your daughter just grew out of her old dresses did she not? Would you be willing to part with-"
"Sorry, I have nothing left." Eera interrupted Elanor.
Elanor's eyes grew hard, but she kept a tight smile on her face.
"Not even one dress?" She asked.
Eera looked at me, and back to Elanor.
"No, sorry." She said.
Elanor frowned. She opened her mouth, but I put my hand on hers. Elanor looked down at me, and I smiled up at her.
"It's okay, Elanor. I love this dress anyway. I think it makes me look pretty." I told her.
Elanor smiled down at me. Someone in the room scoffed. I ignored it, but Elanor frowned at whoever it was.
"Come, let's get our chores done." She said as she helped me off the counter.
I grabbed Elanor's hand as we walked out of the kitchen. We went back to the great hall to finish dusting the paintings on the walls. Elanor helped me replace the candles on the walls since I was too short to reach. Then we moved on to scrubbing the floor.
"Elanor, can I ask you something?" I said.
"May I." She replied.
"Huh?" I asked confused.
"The correct way to say that is, 'may I ask you something'." She told me.
"Oh," I said. "May I ask you something then?"
Elanor chuckled as she continued to scrub the floor.
"Sure dear." She said.
"What is a Darkling?" I asked.
Elanor froze in her scrubbing. Her eyes flickered up to me, and back to her work.
"I already know that it must be bad. No one hear likes me, but that's what they call me. So I know that it can't be anything good. I just.. don't understand what it means," I said.
Elanor sighed before looking at me.
"You know that this is the Light Elf kingdom. You.. have taken notice that you look a lot different than anyone here." She said.
I nodded. It's true. They all sort of resemble my mother. All of them have pale skin and white hair. Even most of them have the same golden eyes. Plus, all of them have small pointy ears.
My mother had dark pink eyes though. That's because she was a special healer. They called her the Great Healer. She was bestowed with special healing abilities by the Gods. They say that it only happens once every 100 years. She was loved by all of our people, and always helped anyone in need.
I have eyes like hers, but I can't heal anyone. Uncle has already tried to see if I have my mother's powers. I was just a disappointment to him. The only other similarity that I have, would be the same wavy hair that my mother had. Even if it is a different color.
"Is it because of my skin?" I asked Elanor.
Elanor gave me a pained look.
"Yes Nadja, that is why." She said softly. "A Darkling is a sort of slang-"
"Slang?" I asked.
"Uhh, it's a sort of term that one uses to degrade another. Darkling is slang for a Dark Elf. They call you that, because you look like one." She told me.
I scrunched up my face.
"What is a Dark Elf?" I asked.
Elanor sighed, and started scrubbing the floor again.
"Dark Elves are the opposite of us Light Elves. Where Light Elves excel in healing, elemental magic, and strategy.. Dark Eves excel in hand to hand combat, blood magic, and strength. Neither side likes the other. We have been through many wars. In fact, the last one was very bad. Both sides were diminishing. All of the people were dying. It was a blood bath. So much so that it was called the Great Blood War." She told me.
"Who won?" I asked.
"Neither side," She answered.
"Did they just stop then?" I asked.
"No," Elanor said. "The King and Queen of all the Fae creatures stepped in. It was many, many years ago. It was the start of the new rule."
"New rule?" I asked.
"Yes," She answered. "Several thousand years ago, the Fae realm was split into many sections. All the creatures pretty much kept to their own. Everyone was at war with someone at all times. Until the first Fae king was born. After he had grown and found his mate, he became stronger than any other creature. They say he was as strong as a God. He was the one that brought peace to the Fae realm. All the creatures still have their own leaders, but everyone is under the Fae king and queen now. Peace had finally found us." She told me.
"King Thranduil?" I asked.
"The very one," Elanor said.
I was silent for a moment as I worked on scrubbing my section.
"Elanor.." I said softly.
"Hmm?" She replied.
"Why don't I look like a Light Elf if my mother was the Great Healer?" I asked.
Elanor paused again. This time she didn't look up to meet my eyes.
"We all assume it is due to your father," she said.
"Who's my father?" I asked.
Elanor sighed. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Then she looked up at me with sad eyes.
"I'm afraid that no one knows."
