Nobody is Safe

Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

I jerked awake and for a moment was very confused about where I was then it all came back to me. The King and Queen, Vampires and Witches, and our new home. How long was this going to last? We have had many homes but none of them ever lasted. Now I knew why but I still wasn’t sure if I totally grasped what this all meant so much had happened so fast. 

I looked around and got my bearings. I was in the huge king sized bed alone. I looked out the window and it was pitch black outside but I could see as if it was the light of day. 

“Becka you better hurry we only have less than a half hour before we need to be at the royal diner and I know you want a shower!”

I sat up and stretched and caught sight of my mom’s figure leaving the room probably going to finish getting herself ready. I stretched more as I got to my feet. I walked out of the bedroom and saw no sight of my mom so I made my way to the bathroom and flipped on the light. Hanging by the towels was a fancy dinner gown made of green silk. The dark green would do amazing things to my eyes. I had never worn a dress before either so it was a bit intimidating. I shrugged and stripped and got under the hot water washing away all the grime and relaxing me as the hot water pounded on my back soothing my aching muscles.

After I had thoroughly scrubbed myself as quickly as possible I got out of the shower wrapping my hair in a towel and drying my body with another towel. The soft towels almost made me swoon. I managed to figure out how to work the dress but I had no idea how I was going to zip it up my back after I was in it. I stared at myself and the open back of the dress in the mirror trying to figure out how to do this as a knock came on the door. 

“Darling if you need help I’m right here.”

“Come in here.” I called back. She opened the door and smiled and walked over and immediately began zipping up the dress. I stared at her in the mirror stunned. She too wore a Green dress but if it was possible it seemed to be even more fancy than mine which was saying something. Her blonde hair hung in curls down to the middle of her back and on her head was a crown decked with Blue and Green gems.

“Wow mom!” I finally managed to say.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not any different then I was yesterday.” Was her only response. “How are you planning on doing your hair?” she asked after a minute.

I shrugged and flipped some hair over my shoulder after taking it down from the towel. I had never had a hair cut in my whole life and my hair was down past my knees. “I figured I would just braid it or something.”

“No that wouldn’t be acceptable!” She stated and grabbed my brush and started quickly brushing out my strands of hair and at an impossible speed she had my hair brushed in just the right way so it looked like her but was contrasted only by my side part so it hung thicker in front of my right side of my face and my hair was black where hers was blonde. 

“Perfection now let’s at least add a little glitter to your face.” She smiled and brushed some glitter by the outside corners of my eyes creating little stars with the glitter. She did it on both eyes and smiled brushing a thin layer of shimmer powder across my cheeks making my normal features take on an otherworldly look. When she was done she stepped back and smiled triumphantly. “I still got it!” 

I chuckled at her reaction and shook my head. “I’m still not as pretty as you are.” I remarked. 

She shook her head and handed me a box. “Open it Elena had it sent to my room for you.” She smiled a big ear to ear smile.

I took the box and when I opened it I nearly dropped it. “A crown?” I asked flabbergasted. 

“Rebecca I told you, you are royalty, you will get used to it.”

“How does this royalty thing work?” I asked softly as she lifted the crown from the box and started placing it on my head.

“Well There is a King or Queen for each state who are then ruled by the ultimate King and Queen.”

“Where do we fit into that?” I asked, truly curious. 

“Well My parents are the Leaders, my sister is the Queen of Minnesota because her Husband is the rightful King of this kingdom.”

“So my grandparents are the ultimate King and Queen?” I asked, totally flabbergasted. 

“Yes so even if my sister wasn’t in this kingdom, she would still be royalty. We come from a line of really strong Witches. Now the Vampires also have their ranks in royalty and your father just so happens to be the Nephew of their ultimate King.”

“So I’m royal on both sides?” I asked, shocked. Why had she never told me any of this before.

“Well yes technically but if I have it my way you will never see the other side of your family or at least not with them knowing who you are!”

I looked in the mirror and the crown on top of my head seemed to weigh a million pounds, the Green and Black gems glittering seeming to make my reflection dazzling.

“Where did these clothes come from?” I asked to distract myself.

“Elena had them sent along with the crowns and make-up.”

I nodded and mom looked at her watch and blanched a little. “Time to go.” She took a deep breath. 

“It’s going to be okay mom.” I said softly and squeezed her hand.

She smiled at me and nodded then held out her hand as if saying “After you”. Together we walked out of the bathroom and to the door. “Wait your shoes!” she said and she rushed over to the couch and opened yet another box and helped me slide on some platform shoes that increase my height by at least four inches.

“Now you're perfect!” she declared and together we walked out of the room. 

I struggled with walking in the shoes but after a few minutes I got the hang of it and mom kept giving me little tips the whole way to the royal diner. “Keep your head up, don’t slump, keep your head held high, and no matter what you have to make eye contact, don’t not be afraid, keep calm, and don’t make jokes or snide comments promise me!” she came to a halt and pulled me to a stop with her. “We are almost there please promise me you will keep your tongue in check!”

“I promise Mom. I think I’m too nervous to say anything let alone any sass.” 

She stared at me for a few minutes then nodded and took my hand and together we walked the rest of the way in silence. 

When we arrived at the diner Mom took a deep breath then held open the door and ushered me in. We walked into noise that rapidly turned to silence, Mom squeezed my hand to encourage me and then announced our selves.

“Princess Taylor Black and Princess Rebecca Black of the top district one!” her voice rang with authority and as one the whole crowd bowed to us and made a path for us to walk through. I followed my mom to our seats next to the Queen but at the last second the Queen made me and Mom switch spots so I was between my Mom and the Queen.

More people arrived and when the room seemed ready to bust with people the King cleared his throat and silence fell.

“Tonight my Dear wife has some guest’s as you have all heard by now…”

I looked around the room so starstruck. This room could probably hold hundreds of people, tables scattered around the room all with fancy tablecloths, crystal cups glittering. We seemed to be at the head table while all the other tables and faces were facing us. There was one large crystal chandelier in the center of the room and then four smaller ones in the corners of the room but the light they gave off was dim and seemed to just barely light up the room but surprisingly it was enough that I could see all the faces staring at us curiously.

“Help me give them a warm welcome into our Kingdom and the safety of our walls.”

The crowd erupted into applause and was quickly silent again.

“Thank you, now Dear Elena there was something you wished to say.” He smiled and when he did I saw a flash of fangs in his mouth I nearly gasped but bit my lip, too on edge to slip.

The Queen stood up and smiled at the crowd. “My dear friends and Family it is with great honor that I announce that today is my Niece’s birthday!” she gestured towards me and my mom elbowed me telling me to stand which I did hesitating only a second. The Queen smiled encouragingly down at me and then spoke to the crowd. “This dear child has yet to unlock her power and I hope with the help from her Mother my Dear sister…” she gestures to mom who immediately stands no hesitation. “Tonight on the night of her eighteenth birthday we may unlock her powers and let her walk in the light with the Goddess!”

The crowd erupted into cheers again. I looked at my Mom and panicked. She just gave me a weak smile and squeezed my hand passing along the message that I could do this and I would be fine.

“Now Darling there are a few things you need to know before we proceed one is that once your powers are unlocked there is no going back, you will be a Witch for the rest of your life, you will Never be able to escape it no matter how hard you try.”

I heard the backhanded comment towards my mother but I didn’t speak on it. My fear was rising by leaps and bounds.

The Queen continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Say these words and your magic shall unlock and you will assume the form you were meant to be in.”

She handed me a piece of paper and smiled down at me expectantly. I shot my Mom a worried glance but she smiled at me and nodded so I took a calming breath and read the words on the paper aloud.

“Fire, Earth, Water, and Air I ask the goddess to please be fair and unlock my powers. Make me whole, show me the truth of what I am to be! As I wish it so it shall be, Blessed Be!”

 My voice never faltered but once the words were off my lips a blinding white light engulfed me making some of the Vampires especially the King cover their eyes with their arm. Then all of a sudden my whole skin lit up and I raised into the air about a foot my head thrown back. My whole body was buzzing and shaking and then I slowly was released from the light and set back on my feet my eyes were clamped shut my lips together tightly trying to hold back my shout of fear. My body didn’t feel different but at the same time it did. My lips felt full as if I had braces in my mouth or maybe it was just extra teeth. I collapsed into the chair. Someone quickly slid under me. My breathing was labored, my eyes fluttered but I was scared to open them. Suddenly it was as if everyone was holding their breath there wasn’t a sound for miles as they all waited on me to recuperate. And then my mom’s soft musical voice is in my ear.

“Becka open your eyes and see the world as you should.”