Alita walked slowly down the wide corridor of her home, her boots thudding softly on the stone floors while her sword clanked softly against her back. She was proud to wear the sword of her family, the sword of her Kingdom, across her back. She was after all the Warrior Princess of Ashtlant; she should have the weapon of her people. She smiled grimly; her twin sister wasn't one for fighting or wars which was why Alita had gained the sword as her own so quickly.She knew that her sister and her mother disapproved of her fighting alongside the Warriors and Knights of their home but she didn't care, fighting was in her blood. It was in her soul. Her Father was the Warrior King and her mother the Angel Queen. A fighter and a peace-keeper as a couple. It was ironic.Her sister took after their mother while she took after her father proudly. She would fight for her nation's freedom while her sister and mother sewed and cooked as every other "lady" in the court did. It disgusted her. Women could fight if they wanted to in her home but rarely chose to, preferring their needles and pots to swords and bows. She sighed; she would have to carry on the legacy of the Warriors of Ashtlant with her father while her sister and mother became "proper".Shaking these miserable thoughts from her mind she pushed open two tall doors that stood before her and grinned. The smell of sweat, blood, and work tickled her senses, so familiar and welcome. The mats she practiced her hand-to-hand combat on with the other Knights and Warriors sat to the left while the wooden dummies she could practice her sword-fighting on sat to the right. In the center of the room was the archery range for the Kingdom's archers, the targets added a splash of color to the room.Hanging on the walls were the portraits of every Great Warrior in her country's history, including her father and his father. She planned to join them up their one day, the first woman to accomplish such a feat. She would show the other women of her home what they could truly do to serve their country and their people honorably.She hung her sword on one of the many hooks along the walls and approached the archery range. She searched until she found her quiver of red tipped arrows. Then she located her bow hanging along the wall, its dark polished oak gleaming among the other unpolished bows. She was not a fan of the bow and arrow, she preferred the close quarters of sword to sword or hand-on-hand combat.She walked back to the archery range and slipped her quiver onto her back,
birkenstock 2010, her arms already tensed in anticipation. Her body always reacted this way when she was getting ready to fight or practice; it was her automatic reaction to threats and the eagerness of a coming battle.She reached gracefully into her quiver and quickly drew an arrow, notched it into the bow, and let it fly. It hit the dead center of the target. She smirked, she almost never missed. She readied another arrow and let it fly, watching with satisfaction as it slice the other arrow neatly in half, hitting dead on once more.She was preparing to shoot once more when a light chuckle at the door made her aim slip and the arrow went flying into the wall with a soft thud! She spun around angrily and glared at the tall, lean figure leaning against the wall beside the double doors. He had black hair that fell to his shoulders and partially over his face, with icy blue eyes and a smirking mouth. He stood casually, as if he owned the place and made no attempt to bow or even acknowledge her quite yet. So she was dealing with royalty. Perfect."Who are you?" she demanded, setting her bow on the ground and walking to retrieve her arrow.He chuckled once more, "You do not recognize me Li-Li? I thought that after all of our fond memories you would recognize your old friend!"She yanked hard on the arrow, her anger nearly visible now, "What do you want Lucy?""Tsk tsk. Is this how you treat all your guests? By calling them rude names? You know my name is not Lucy for I am not a girl, therefore, I must have a male name." he mocked, pushing off the wall and strolling toward her."Fine then, Lucius, what do you want? And my name is not Li-Li, as I have told you countless times before. It. Is. Alita. Get it right or you'll find my sword at your throat," she snapped, nearly snarling at the infuriating man before her.He laughed loudly, tipping his head back as his body shook, "Still as feisty as ever I see."She glared him down, choosing not to comment on his remark."Calm down, goodness. I'm only here because your father requested an audience with me. Something about the betterment of both of our kingdoms. He told my father he wished to see me; apparently my father had expected this. He wasn't in the least bit shocked when your father asked for only me. So, what does he want? Is this some kind of plot to get rid of me? Heaven knows my father wouldn't mind too much," he said."Do you really think I would tell you even if I knew? You're the enemy; I wouldn't tell you if my life depended on it. As it is, my father has said nothing to me about why he wishes to see you. Nor has my Mother. So run along and see what he wants, best not to keep him waiting," she said tauntingly.He smirked and before she saw him move he had both of her wrists in his hands, "It's best not to test me little Princess. After all, you may be a Warrior but so am I. I will not hurt you if I don't have to, but please, keep your anger in check," he said menacingly before releasing her wrists and stalking from the room.Alita rubbed her sore wrists and glared at his retreating back. That bastard had actually caught her off guard. He would pay for that one day.Allison paced her room anxiously, her golden locks falling softly over her shoulders. Her blue eyes scanned her wardrobe fretfully, what was she going to do? A Prince from Dright was here and she had no idea what she should wear. She wished that she could be her sister for once, with her slim body and plump chest. Alita never worried about what to wear, she could make a scrap of rags look good she was so pretty. She just had to have a twig for a body, no curves and no shape to speak of. She hated it sometimes.Why couldn't she have been graced with her sister's body? With her sister's jade eyes and midnight hair she never had to worry about appearances. If only Allison could captivate men with her eyes the way her sister could then she would never have to worry about what the future held for her. Oh she knew she would be a Queen one day, but with the way things looked now she would never find her handsome Prince.She sighed and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She needed to calm herself as her mother had taught her all those years ago. Having her temper flare up now would do her no good. Not when a Prince was about. Turning to her wardrobe once more she pulled a pale green gown from its depths. It was soft as velvet and light as a feather. She loved the seamstress of her home, Mirabelle.Slipping into the gown would be simple enough but before that she needed help tying on her corset. She found the sturdy white corset that she favored and skipped it over her head, the silky tendrils of ribbon tickling her arms."Violet!" she called,
gucci bags, waiting as the petite little brunette rushed to her side with busy hazel eyes."Yes m'lady?" Violet asked in her usual quiet manner."Could you be a dear and lace my corset up? There's a Prince roaming the halls of my home today and I wish to look my best so make it nice and tight," Allison said kindly to her Lady's maid."Of course m'lady," Violet said, moving to stand behind her mistress.Allison held onto the newel post of her bed as Violet pulled the lace tightly and tied it into place. Allison stood up straight when she finished, testing her ability to breath and nodded her assent when Violet inquired if the corset was to her liking.She allowed Violet to guide her to the vanity and waited as she arranged her curls in an elegant twist at her beck, holding it there with a beautiful clip in the shape of a butterfly. It was encrusted with little gems, some diamonds and some rubies, and shone when the light properly.Allison dismissed Violet and picked the pale green gown up off her bed, stepping into it delicately so as not to mess up her hair. She adjusted the elbow-length sleeves to her liking and looked at herself in the full-body mirror she kept next to her vanity.She smiled in satisfaction. The gown hugged her slim frame in a flattering way while the corset gave her petite chest a little lift. The light color of the gown made her hair look even lighter and her eyes looked bluer than ever.In this gown she could compete with even Alita, the Kingdom's beauty, even if she didn't realize it. Allison would make sure she showed this gown off to every person she could. Her sister could keep her silly Warrior title as long Allison could hold the position as the Kingdom's beauty that she so desperately wanted. This gown would definitely help her gain that title. Smiling, she slipped on her velvet green slippers and exited her room. She would make sure this Prince fell for her, whatever it took.Alita was breathing heavily by the time she finished her training and sweat was pouring down her face and arms. She loved the way her muscles were all tingly and burning, exhausted after such a long and hard work out.She walked slowly along the corridors to her room, dreading the task awaiting her there. She would have to change into something suitable for dinner with her Mother and Father. Great.Usually this meant just dress and nice shoes. But tonight they were going to have another guest. The Prince of Dright, Lucius Engrelor. Even better. Now she would have to make sure her hair was done and her dress was immaculate or she wouldn't hear the end of it from her Mother and Allison, her shallow twin sister.How could they be twins? All Allison cared about was claiming the title as the Kingdom's beauty that Alita, sadly, now held and winning over a handsome Prince and becoming Queen of a Kingdom. Alita couldn't bear the thought of having to settle down and become the wife of some Prince that would probably make her hang up her sword and bow for good. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't.But, for the time being she would have to humor her parents and act like a "Lady" when they had other Royalty for company. She would have to dress and act "proper" in front of the obnoxious and annoying Lucius. Could it be any worse?She threw open the doors to her bedchamber and startled Faith, her Lady's maid, as she set out a dress for Alita to wear. The offending garment was pale pink with a pearly trim. Way too girly for Alita's taste."I hope you don't expect me to wear that awful color to dinner," Alita said bluntly to Faith.She knew Faith would not just step down though like Violet, Allison's Lady's maid, would have. Faith was strong-willed and had a temper that could compete with Alita's on her worst days. Alita also knew this was why her Mother had assigned Faith to her, to keep her in check and dressed properly."Oh yes you will. It's either this pink gown or the blue one you hate. You choose, but either way, you're going to look like a Lady tonight," Faith said sternly, her eyes narrowing."Why can't I wear red, or navy, or even jade? Why must I always wear such faded colors? I'm not a child anymore. Mother is always wearing bold colors, why can't I?" Alita protested as she pulled her sweat-drenched shirt over her head and tugged her boots off."You do not wear those colors because you are still a Princess and therefore, you are a child still, compared to the Queen. She gets to wear what she wants because that is something she has earned. Just as you will too one day. But until then, you will wear what is put before you. Now, go wash up and choose what you wish to wear. We haven't much time and I still have to do your hair," Faith ordered, not faltering in her duties.Alita sighed and walked to her large, marble bathroom. She slipped the rest of her sweaty garments off, letting them fall to the floor, and stepped into her steaming bath. She really hated this sometimes, being a Princess. Why couldn't she just be a normal girl? Why did she have to act like a Lady every time they had company? She knew her Father wouldn't care what she wore so long as she was dressed, he was proud of her. He was her little Warrior and Allison was his little Angel. It was her Mother she had to do this for. And Alita knew that if she disobeyed her mother it would not be good.So that was why nearly an hour later, she sat at the long dining room table with her hair arranged with shining pins atop her head and the horrid blue gown covering her body. She hated her gown but it was better than wearing pink any day. She couldn't stand pink, not even a little.Her sister was in a pale green gown that hugged her body suggestively and Alita was amazed their Mother said nothing. After all, it was not ladylike to flaunt one's body around men. But apparently, Allison was above that rule. Her soft golden hair was twisted elegantly at her neck, a butterfly of jewels holding it in place. No doubt a gift from their Mother.Alita felt no envy toward her sister for the attention their Mother paid her; after all, their Father paid plenty of attention to Alita's fighting and training. Her sword was a gift from him, given to her on her sixteenth birthday when she made her first kill in a small battle with one of the neighboring Kingdoms. She had pretended to be a boy and snuck into the group of soldiers departing for the attack.Her Mother had not been pleased to find this out, but her Father showed only pride. He feigned anger but she could see his approval in his deep brown eyes. He gave her the sword shortly after, as a late birthday gift whiles her sister was given a white sundress to wear when she was walking around in the gardens as she often did. It was a testament to just how different they were.Tonight though, you could not tell that Alita was the Warrior sister of the twins, with her gown and hair. She looked just like the Lady her Mother wanted her to be and that her sister was. Tonight, she was not a fierce fighter, tonight she was Princess Alita Robrook of Ashtlant.Her Mother watched her like a hawk, not making things easier for her. She had hoped that her Mother would be too occupied by their guest to notice Alita's sulking, but she had no such luck. Her mother shot her a warning glance that made Alita sigh and sit up a little straighter and told her she better engage their guest in conversation is she was going to live through the night."Prince Lucius, I trust things are well in Dright?" Alita asked as politely as she could without acting like her sister was.Ever since Lucius had entered the room her sister had not been able to take her eyes off of him. She was fawning over him pathetically, she obviously did not remember the way Lucius used to tease them as children, pulling their hair and hiding their things from them. Then mocking them when they couldn't find whatever he had hidden. It was a disgrace.Lucius looked up at her in shock and smiled triumphantly, "Why, yes, they are very well Princess Alita. Thank you for asking. Are things well in Ashtlant?" he inquired not without a little mockery in his voice."As good as ever, actually. Our harvest was plentiful this year and more and more men join our Warriors every day, isn't that right Father?" she turned her gaze to her proud father and saw him watching her with amusement.His dark hair was tied with a strip of black ribbon at his neck and fell to his shoulder blades, curling slightly as it always did. His eyes were fathomless and were a dark, chocolate brown tonight. He looked like the Warrior he was, his back straight and his arms strong. She was always proud to call him her Father in public. He was powerful but also kind; he represented what Alita thought every man should be like. She looked up to him and hoped to one day be just as powerful as he was, even if she was a woman."That is right Alita. However, I do not think your Mother wishes to hear such talk at the dinner table. Isn't that right Priscilla dear?" he said, turning to her Mother.Her Mother was the opposite of Father when it came to her looks. She looked proud, but not the way her Father did. She wore a scarlet gown and her blonde hair fell in tumbles over her shoulders and down her back where Alita knew it stopped just above her hips. Her piercing jade eyes, the only thing Alita had inherited from her mother, were locked on her father's brown ones. Her shoulders were back and her head was high as she nodded her assent."That is right Geoffrey. I do not wish to speak of fighting and violence at the table. You know this Alita, mind your manners and my rules,
ralph lauren polos," her Mother said, "Allison, why don't you entertain us with your story about the bird you found in the gardens today? I've been told by the guards and maids that it is quite interesting."With that Alita tuned out the conversation, knowing this would be another story about how her sister how found some injured animal and nurtured it until it was ready to go off on its own again. She had to listen to stories like this almost daily and already knew how it would end. Instead, she found herself watching Lucius and her Father.She was curious as to why her Father had requested an audience with Lucius and not his Father and why her Father had said nothing about it to her or Allison. She knew that if Allison had known Alita would not have heard the end of it for days. So only her Mother had to have known. But why keep it a secret from them? Why not tell them that another Kingdom's Prince was coming to visit. Even though Dright and Ashtlant were at peace right now it didn't mean they were the best of friends. She knew that if something happened to Lucius a war would break out between the two kingdoms."-it was unbelievable! The bird flew right up to me and landed on my arm, as if it was a tamed bird! And it was magnificent! It had the prettiest white feathers and bottomless eyes. Oh, you should have seen it Mother! And after it was done 'thanking' me it just flew off into the sky. I haven't seen it since of course, but who knows, maybe it will come back some day," she heard Allison squeal."Well, that is quite a story Allison, very fascinating," Lucius said, and Alita could hear the sarcasm in his voice.Unfortunately, her sister was not very good at reading people's tones, "Isn't though? I was just so thrilled. I'll admit though, when that bird first started to fly toward me I was somewhat frightened. I didn't know what it would do to me! I thought it was going to kill me!"Alita choked on the wine she had been drinking and coughed between her muffled giggles. A bird had frightened Allison? How could they be related?"Alita, are you alright dear?" her Mother asked, annoyance coloring her tone.Alita glanced up and saw the anger burning in her Mother's eyes. Obviously, her giggling hadn't been as muffled as she thought, "Yes Mother. I'm alright; I just swallowed a little too quickly. Forgive me.""Forgive you for what? Choking? That is no offense Princess Alita," Lucius said as she looked away from her Mother's stern gaze."I interrupted my sister's storytelling, it was rude of me," Alita said, warning him with her eyes. She was not going to get yelled at later tonight for anything else. It was bad enough her Mother had caught her laughing at her sister's "near death experience", no matter how pathetic it was."It's okay Alita, I forgive you," Allison, as clueless as usual, chirped happily form beside her sister."Thank you," Alita said through clenched teeth.This dinner was just getting worse every second.Allison was having a wonderful time at dinner that night. Prince Lucius was handsome and charming, the perfect guest. He was also very funny. He told such humorous stories of his childhood in Dright with his sisters. She could not help but laughing at the one about his sister locking herself in the barn and thinking she was going to die from starvation when there was food stored in there in case something happened.Allison couldn't help noticing how Alita was unusually quiet throughout the whole meal. Normally, she would have made some comment on how stupid his sister was for not thinking of a way to get out of the barn before she became hungry. Or how she said nothing when Lucius mentioned his time here as a child when they had played together. Alita was usually very vocal about such things. But not tonight.But, Allison wasn't too upset either. The less Alita talked the more attention Lucius paid her. He asked her all kinds of questions about her favorite things, about her days in the garden and about all the animals she had found there. She was more than willing to answer these questions in detail, wanting him to know more about her and fall madly in love with her. After all, what wasn't to love?So when he turned his attention to Alita, Allison was a little angered and envious, "How is your training Princess Alita? I hear you are quite the Warrior."Allison was outraged when her sister's face lit up, why couldn't her sister just be quiet? Now Allison would never get another word in. Alita could go on for hours about her stupid training and fighting. It was all rubbish in Allison's opinion. Why should Alita even be allowed to fight? It wasn't right. As a Princess, Alita should have been eager to learn how to be proper and how to behave like a Lady, not brandishing her silly sword about and yelling and grunting with the Kingdom's Warriors. It was completely unethical.It was unfair in Allison's opinion that every time they had a Prince or Lord as a dinner guest they would always watch Alita and ask Alita questions while Allison sat in complete and utter silence, her fury burning inside her chest.She hated her sister sometimes with her ability to draw men in and then her complete disregard for their affection and lust. Allison would kill for a man to look at her the way almost every man looked at Alita. Sometimes she wished her sister had never been born and she was an only child. Then the men would look at her and only her.But Allison knew she loved her sister and this was all just jealousy for her sister's ability to draw men in and fight them off if needed. But the jealousy tended to smother that love most of the time, like it was doing now."-Anthony thinks that by next year I'll be a full-fledged Warrior with my own armor to prove it," Alita said excitedly, completely unaware of Allison's distaste for her."That's very impressive," Lucius said admiringly as he watched her intently.It was happening again! Lucius was falling for her brute of a sister! Allison was even angrier than before, "Oh yes! It's just so thrilling! My sister the Warrior Princess!" She didn't care that her tone was hateful or rude. She was beyond caring right now."Allison!" her Mother scolded in shock."What? I'm so sick of this! I'm sick of everyone praising Alita for acting like a man! I'm sick of saying, 'Oh yes, my sister is the one who killed all those men,' and acting like it doesn't bother me! She is a Princess! She needs to act like one! It's disgraceful to have to call her my sister!" Allison said hotly, turning her smoldering eyes on Alita, who sat in wide-eyed shock beside her.Allison raised her hand and smacked Alita right across the face, "Do not call me your sister again! You are nothing to me but a brute! You are not worthy of this house! But unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it. Yet."Alita's head snapped to the side and Allison saw an angry red mark appearing on Alita's face where her hand had struck. Allison stood angrily and stalked out of the room, a shocked silence following her.When she shut the door to her bedchambers she sank to the ground and sobbed into her hands. How could she have done that? How could she hit her own sister? What had come over her? She stood on shaky legs and walked unsteadily to her bed, guilt making her nauseous. What made it worse was that her sister could have blocked the slap but hadn't. She had let Allison hit her with all her might and now there would probably be a mark on her face from it, a reminder of what Allison had done. She felt miserable, what was happening to her?Alita was shocked. Allison had really hit her. Hard. Her face actually stung where Allison's hand had made contact and she knew there would be a mark there when she looked at it later that evening.She heard her Mother rise and rush out of the room, more concerned about her precious Allison's feelings than Alita's face. Typical. Alita was supposed to be tough, strong. A little slap shouldn't hurt her, and yet, there were tears forming in her eyes. She knew they weren't from the pain of her wound but from her sister's sharp words.She was a disgrace in her sister's eyes. She was not exactly fond of her sister's attitude most of the time, but she still loved her and they had gone through a lot together. Yes, they had their quarrels, but that didn't mean they didn't ever get along. They could actually be the best of friends; recently things had just been tense. After all, they were both teenage girls, there were going to be rough patches.But this, this was something else entirely. Her sister had meant to hurt her and she had. When Alita heard the door shut behind her Mother she looked up at her Father, who sat in shocked silence and then turned to a wide-eyed Lucius."Most eventful dinner I think we've ever had around here," she said, her voice shaking as she stood quickly, her hands clasped tightly I front of her, "Excuse me Prince Lucius. I��excuse me."She ran quickly toward her bedchambers, feeling the tears threatening in her eyes and knowing the only way to keep her from breaking down. She slammed the doors to her chamber open and found Faith arranging her bed for the night.Faith took one look at her marked face and rushed over to her mistress, concern in her usually stern eyes."My Lady, are you alright?" she asked, placing a warm hand over Alita's wounded cheek."Where are my training clothes?" Alita asked stiffly, ignoring her Lady's Maid's inquiring."They are being washed right now, but you have another set in your wardrobe. Why do you need them, may I ask?" Faith said as she removed her hand from Alita's cheek.Alita brushed past her and stalked over to her wardrobe, searching for her black training outfit. She normally wore her scarlet and silver one, her Kingdom's colors, but that one was still dirty. She would have to wear her thin black one tonight, the one she usually saved for her training in the summer when it was warmer. She would need a cloak to wear over it if she was going to go through with this.Digging through her belongings she pulled out the thick emerald traveling cloak she wore when her Father took her on horseback journeys to the other Kingdoms without her Mother and sister. She changed quickly, finding it ironic that earlier that night she had wanted to wear colors like the emerald of her cloak and now she could care less, and stalked back out into her room.Faith was standing with her hands on her hips in front of the doors that led from Alita's room. She wasn't about to let Alita leave without a fight, that was obvious from the hard set of her face."You can't actually plan on going anywhere in those clothes in this cold. I won't' allow it," Faith said as Alita pulled her sword from the chest at the end of her bed and strapping it onto her belt."Yes, actually I do, now move aside Faith. Or I'll just go through the window, your choice," Alita said, mimicking Faith's own words from earlier that night purposefully.She saw hurt in Faith's eyes as she made her move aside, obviously pained that Alita would do something like this and not tell her what was wrong as she usually did. But Alita paid no attention to this; she needed to get out of there. Now.She practically ran to the stables and was shocked to find Lucius there, patting his horse comfortingly on the nose. He didn't seem surprised to see her. So obviously, this was no coincidence."Where are you going?" he asked curiously."For a ride. And don't even think you can stop me. You've known me long enough to see a futile fight when you see one," she said, walking to her black mare."I'm not going to try and stop you. I'm going with you," he said matter-of-factly.She looked at him in shock, noticing for the first time his riding clothes and the sword at his hip. His horse was also saddled and ready to go, looking ready be off if its stomping hooves were any sign."No, you're not. You're going to go back to your room and forget that I was here. You're going to tell everyone you haven't seen me and you're going to let me go on my own," she said hotly."Not going to happen. After all, what kind of man would I be if I let you go riding alone at night? Oh, I know you're a Warrior but that doesn't change the fact that you're a Princess and a Lady. I would be a sorry excuse for a Prince and a man if I let you go out into the perils of the night alone," he said, his face showing her would not be backing down.She huffed angrily and turned her back on him, gathering up her horse's blanket, saddle, bridle, bit, and reigns. She placed the black blanket over the horse's back, adjusting it so it was in exactly the right place. Nest she placed her ebony saddle over it, buckling it to the horses belly. She stood back up and was shocked to see that Lucius was standing right beside her."Are you really going to leave in the middle of the night because of what your sister said?" he asked her bluntly."Yes, actually I am. We both need our space for a few hours and this is the best way to get that. Being in the same building right now would be bad for the both of us and everyone else around us. So, I'm going to leave for the night. I already know somewhere I can say, so you don't have to worry. So why don't you just go back to your room?" she said, walking to the front of her horse and placing the bit in its mouth. She attached the bridle and reigns and then swung into her saddle."Too bad for you I'm not about to let you go alone, no matter what you say," Lucius said as he walked to his own horse.She watched as he swung gracefully into his saddle, his black cloak falling behind him easily as his boots slid into the stirrups of his saddle. She glared at him as she pulled on the reigns and turned toward the open stable doors. He followed her easily as she galloped across the courtyard and into the country beyond.Allison watched from her window as Alita galloped out of the palace gates with another rider she could only assume was Lucius at her heels. So her sister would be the one to leave this time.She sighed, knowing she should have left, not her sister. Every time they got into a fight one of them would end up riding off into the Kingdom for a few hours to cool off, giving the other a chance to cool off as well. Usually, whoever started the fight would be the one to leave. But not this time. This time Alita had let her sister stay in the comfort of her rooms while she faced the cold night. It only made Allison feel worse. Why should she get to stay warm and comfortable while her sister undoubtedly froze outside?She sighed when she heard the door open behind her and saw her Mother's reflection in the mirror. She was a little shocked not to see anger on her face, like she had expected. Alita usually got chewed out pretty good when she started the fights and Allison usually got into at least a little trouble. But her Mother only looked worried. Probably for her daughter that was out in the cold winter air."Oh Allison! Are you alright dear?" her Mother said, folding Allison into a warm hug."Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Aren't you mad at me?" Allison asked in confusion."Mad at you? For what dear?" her mother asked, just as confused as Allison apparently."For hitting Alita and blowing up back there. I totally ruined dinner with Prince Lucius. And now Alita has gone off into the night with him, and they're probably both freezing by now," Allison said."Darling, I can't be mad at you for voicing your feelings. It's about time you told your sister how you truly feel. Heaven knows it's been building all these years. The hitting was a bit extreme, but it's not good to keep such things bottled up. She needed to be told how you felt and she needed to know she was not being the Lady she should be. She is being a Warrior, not a Princess" her Mother said, kissing her forehead gently."Mother! How can you say such things? Alita is brave and strong! You should be proud of her! I only got mad because I was jealous all the men always want her!" Allison said, appalled her Mother could say such a thing.Her Mother looked somewhat shocked by this, "B-but you called her a brute and said she was a disgrace in your eyes. I��I don't understand Allison.""I love her Mother, how could I truly think she was a disgrace?""Because she is not a Lady! She is not proper! It would make sense for you to think she was disgraceful or if you thought she was a brute. I wish she could be like you all the time, my darling Angel, instead of her Father's little Warrior. I mean, how could such a thing happen to me? How could I have been blessed and cursed on the same day? How?"Allison's eyes widened, "You think of Alita as a curse? Mother, how can you say that? It's wrong and it's evil! Banish it from your mind forever! Such thoughts give birth to hatred and anger!"Her Mother looked her in the eyes, an odd emotion in her eyes, "But how can I be proud of my Warrior daughter? How? Tell me that!""You can be proud that she has the courage to go to battle and fight when no other woman will! You can be proud that she is willing to die to save her people! That is what a true Princess does! She protects her people! Whether it is by fighting or watching over her people when her sister and Father are out fighting off enemies. You must know this Mother! You raised us to be proud of ourselves and our nation! Now be proud of us! No matter what we choose to do!" Allison said, shocked at her own words.The situation had been turned around completely. She was now defending her sister for what she had ridiculed her for. She was so hypocritical. How could she have said those things to her sister? How could she? Her sister was brave and strong. While she herself was weak and cowardly. She felt her Mother wrap her arms around her once more but did not react. Her words were what made Allison start."Darling, I know all those things. But you needed to realize them for yourselves. I am proud of both of you, no matter what you make think. I always have been. I may be a little harsher on your sister but that is only because I am scared of what might happen to her if an enemy gets the best of her in battle. It scares me to know that if someone attacks my nation my eighteen-year-old daughter will be out there fighting them. It's bad enough to know my husband will be in danger but now my daughter must be as well? It terrifies me," her mother whispered, her whole body trembling.Allison wrapped her arms around her Mother. She breathed in her familiar scent and cried into her shoulder, knowing how her Mother felt. Every time her Father and sister went to battle there was always the chance that one of them or both of them would not come back. It was horrifying."You do not think of Alita as a curse then?" Allison asked skeptically."Of course not. I only think of the fear I feel every time she leaves the palace as a curse, you were both my little blessings. You should know that, and you always will be. No matter what you do or don't do. I have an Angel and a Warrior. I couldn't ask for more," her Mother said gently.Allison smiled slightly; things would be better from now on. She could feel it.Topics related articles:
birkenstock aanbieding Chapter I