"He's a pompous piece of shit" Lila whispered to her eldest brother Keenan.
With a smile Keenan teased his little sister, "you shouldn't say such things like that sister dearest, or you might end up without a head"
He soon lost his smile as he turned back to stare at the royalty that graced their small castle walls. Their father Garrick was a renowned warrior in the north, serving the kingdom of Avalon as guardian of the northern borders. While their family was feared and respected as great warriors and hunters, they held little authority and esteem as nobility, which is why Keenan thought to himself of how unusual it was that the arrogant crown prince would pay them a visit.
He had an inkling feeling in the back of his mind that something terrible was approaching.
Snapping out of his contemplation Keenan turned to speak to his favorite sister, "you should go now Lila, before mother returns" he said as quietly as possible.
As he looked at her he couldn't help but wonder about her beauty. Heavens above and below had to agree that his sister was one of the most beautiful creatures that graced the kingdom. With long silky brown hair that reached her lower back, big brown eyes that one could stare endlessly into, soft pink lips that curved into such stunning smiles and an exotic tan that distinguished her from pure northerner...she had to be a reincarnation of the Goddess of beauty and love, Helena, although her personality often resembled a huntress rather than a deity.
Lila was not as lucky in life as she was in looks. His angel was the consequence of an affair his father had when he was ten. While his mother had died shortly after his birth, his father had soon re-married a superficial and conniving bitch, Erinna. Lila's mother Aleria had been an outsider. She was an exotic creature that had captivated the heart of his father. While his father would have left Erinna to be with Aleria, she abandoned them both to the castle and returned to her own lands.
Erinna was as shallow as a puddle and as cruel as any warlord. She hated Lila with a passion and would torture and abuse the girl on a daily basis. For the most part of her youth, Lila was treated as a servant and her father often turned a blind eye to Erinna's rampage. Keenan's other sisters were just as bad as their mother when it came to Lila. So Keenan did as much as he could to protect his little sister from all the pain of her childhood.
He enjoyed knowing that she had grown into a lovely woman, though her status of a bastard prevented her from marrying into any noble families. Keenan also noticed that his father often seemed reluctant to let her go as well, rejecting the many suitors that asked for her hand, while marrying off his other daughters without another thought.
Keenan watched as Lila frowned at his statement and silently snuck away through the side doors of the dining halls just minutes before Erinna busted through the main doors.
"Prince Royce!" She shrieked loudly. "Your visit is so unexpected! I apologize for the state of my home!"
Through the corner of his eye, Keenan noticed the servants wincing. He knew they would be severely disciplined at the hands of his step mother.
Keenan watched silently as his step mother tried her best to gain the prince's attention, even flaunting herself, better yet, practically throwing herself at the young prince.
The prince was known in the kingdom for his good-looks. He was slightly taller than Keenan, standing at 6'3. His dark hair complimented his grey eyes handsomely, and Keenan noticed the muscles that filled his form. Of course the prince had gained them through training whereas Keenan gained his through hunting. He also observed the way the prince looked at his step mother. Prince Royce appeared to be utterly repulsed by Erinna, to which Keenan smirked to himself. While the evil wench held some resemblance of beauty, and her bust matched the size of her ego, her evil heart had made her age beyond her years. He enjoyed watching his mother fail miserably at gaining the prince's attention.
While he was amused by the situation before him, Keenan still could not help shake the eerie wariness that filled the air.
Lila took the steps two at a time; she wanted to reach her small bedroom before she was seen by her step mother. She fully understood the hatred in Erinna's eyes, and even sympathized with them. After all, Erinna had been thoroughly humiliated in the North when Lila's mother had stolen her father's heart. Furthermore, to add salt on her wounds, Erinna was forced to 'care' for the result of her husband's affair after her mother had abandoned her.
In the furthest depths of Lila's mind, she resented her mother for leaving her behind. She hoped her mother had had a good reason for allowing Lila to be tortured by the hands of Erinna.
In her haste Lila had ran smack into a hard form. She fell to the ground and quickly grasped her nose in pain.
