The Blood Test

Two drops of blood would reveal the darkest secret. I always knew my mother had a darkness inside her and my father loved her despite the darkness. I was the bond that kept my family together but my father’s experiments were the catalyst responsible for my mother’s premature death and he blamed her for his affair.

The silence was unbearable. I missed her melody and rhythmic lullabies already. The moon shined less than usual, or maybe my overwhelming sadness made me view the sky differently. The night stayed hot and humid while the threating rain came down. I stood up straight the way my mother taught me, I could balance a book on top of my head while holding a delicate tea set for hours if I needed to.

I creep thru the gloomy hallways of the five century old brick castle as the rain conceals the noise of my wary footsteps. I knew she was gone but I needed to know why she died. The weather forced the coroners to delay moving her, so her room was a temporary morgue until the storm stopped. When I enter her room the smell assaults my nose and reminds me of day’s old rotten meat. I am stunned to see my mother laying still on her bed with her raven hair still pinned and wearing the dress she wore at dinner the night before. All of her skin had turned completely pale white making the black veins from her neck to heart more noticeable. It was obvious darkroot killed her because after darkroot herb travels thru the veins to attack the heart, the veins stay permanently black.

I prick my mother’s finger and drain a cup of her golden blood into a metal bowl. Her memories reveal themselves like a movie, the golden blood moves whimsically like a controlled sandstorm. I rest my head on my hands watching her life. I see my father, Geo, serving her darkroot tea. Revenge consumes my heart as I see Cassius, the king of Exalts, also known as the Demon King bestow an engagement ring upon my mother’s finger. The ring contained something moving that was black and venomous. Cassius and my mother were clearly in love, but in the North only a son can take the throne – they live by the old ways. Shortly after Cassius proposed marriage my mother discovered she was pregnant with me – a girl – she fled the North, and found sanctuary with her father, the Exalt of the South. She disguised a Copper – the man I now call father – as a Gold. As a married woman she was eligible for the crown, had concealed me in plain site from King Cassius. Without the ring Cassius couldn’t bear a son, his wives would only have daughters for years. But when my father created a test to detect Demon blood and I tested positive, he knew I wasn’t his daughter. So he fell in love with his own kin, a Copper. When my mother found out about the affair, she would have killed him, but he killed her first. I was raised to believe lies are only good if you can keep them. My mother found out about the Copper woman yesterday when she accidently saw a letter my father had sent her. I pour the gold blood into a memory jar and stored it safely. My next choice is simple – avenge my mother and forsake the memory of my father. It is time to embrace a new future forged by the wrath of the North Demon King.

Geo was easy to find. He was wallowing in his laboratory. He didn’t have the stomach for death, he was a man of science, invention, and creation. I always believed my mother married him because he was a weak individual. I decide to leave him alone and begin my impulsive plan.

“Aldrich Silver.” It was clear he was a Silver– his face is unbecoming but he clearly has a career and lots of money based on the expensive suit he wears. If he was born handsome he might have been eligible to be a Gold, but his blood is Silver. I glimpse at the silver tips on his blazer that shine in the poorly lit room. A Silver is superior to a Copper, however a Copper is the best looking people of the three tiers. Silver and Coppers are inferior to a Gold because a Gold has power that allows them to possess both beauty and wealth.

“Yes. Your majesty.”

“Prepare a transport for Copper Beach at once,” I say confidently to my family’s loyal driver.

“Of course.” He walks away.

Before I could process my mother’s memories fully I find myself standing in front of a small decaying house in Copper Beach. I planned to share a cup of darkroot tea with the harlot my ex-father Geo indulged. Then tie her murder and my mother’s murder to Geo so he could suffer a fate worse than death. Killing Geo wouldn’t be justice for his crimes, death would be forgiveness, he deserved to suffer for his lies and betrayal he committed. A small squad of guards and I break down the door of the harlots house. The house is so humid that I began to sweat.

I stare into the harlots eyes. Her Copper clothes drape over her hour glass figure, she tries to finger comb her blonde unkempt hair. The storm causes the power to flicker “Are you E646?”

She is flabbergasted. The alluring Barbie looking figure responds, “Yes. Is everything alright?” she murmurs.

I move close enough to kill her. “How dare you question a Gold,” I yell while my body shakes with frustration. “Full name?” I ask with a stern face.

The sound of thunder and lightning startle the exquisite woman. “Emilia Thea Copper,” she huffs. She moves her fingers together nervously as she peers at the storm past her pathetic front door.

I recall the name addressed on the letter from the memory. I smile satisfactorily when she confirms she is the culprit of my families undoing. A guard comes from one of the bedrooms with a letter containing the Exalts seal. “How does a poor Copper obtain a letter sealed by the Exalt?” The envelope was authentic, the letter was only parchment without words, and within the letter was the engagement ring King Cassius had given my mother twenty years ago. “You’re a thief! Just accept that you have been caught and I won’t have you cuffed.”

The rain pounds on the roof, several buckets in the house fill rapidly with water because of the holes in the ceiling. “Majesty Amira. I didn’t steal – ” she pleads.

A handsome shadow appears. “I stole them,” it admits. He resembles Geo – same skin tone, hair color, and eyes. Almost identical to the pictures I have seen of Geo in his youth.

I light a nearby candle and raise it to his face. “You? Are you prepared to spend your life in Gold? Stealing from the Exalt is unforgivable.” His mother stands silently. And I know without a doubt he is the son of the Exalt, a love child nonetheless.

“I am, Majesty Amira.”

My mind races with thoughts of how to destroy Geo. “What is your legal and full name?”

“N546, Nolan Theo Copper.”

Then the worst idea I can envision comes to mind, my idea is possible depending on the handsome strangers answer to my next question. “What is your date of birth N546?”

“April fifth 200 New Era (N.E.)” he responds.

His response awakens the Demon within me. I snap at him, “N546. You have been accused of stealing from the Exalt. You will be taken to Gold Province at once to be punished for your crime.” I plan to have Nolan impersonate a Gold because without my mother living I will be forced to marry before my twenty first birthday, or the counsel will renounce me as majesty. But, with a pawn who can serve as a symbolic Exalt at my side, I can ensure my reign as the new Exaltress of Nicotora. I believe as my plan unveils eventually Geo’s suffering will force him to choose suicide.

I smile at Aldrich keenly. “Make it look like we were never here. E646 cannot live to talk about the future Exaltress.” I say proudly. This is only step one of avenging my mother.

“Consider it done.” Aldrich smiles wickedly.

The ride back to South Castle is long and silent as I watch my new accused thief and ponder his fate. The city seems smaller today. There aren’t as many lights on as usual tonight. Nico guards in full crimson armor stand every few feet as still as old oak trees near South Castle. The war between the four kingdoms of Nicotora has been brewing since before I was a born.

The guards take Nolan to the hot cell in the dungeon where he will stay until I have a foolproof plan to have him live among my Gold peers. The numerous stairs to my bed chamber give me time and space to think. When I reach my room I close the door and pause for a moment. The muscular arms around my waist cause my head to impulsively fall onto his strong chest. He lets me sob for what feels like an eternity. He looks down on me with gray eager eyes.

I conceal my sad face when I speak. “I don’t know what happened. We had a plan. It was supposed to be easy... everything was supposed to be different after tonight.”

“I came as soon as I heard about your mother’s death. We can use this to our advantage.” Seth cups my face with his free hand. His passionate lips are on mine before I can speak. I react by running my fingers threw his blonde hair with sunset orange ends. I savor the smell of wintergreen soap. In that moment his powerful kiss makes my world stop. We pull apart and stare at each other wide eyed thinking about what will become of us. My marriage to the Prince of the East has been planned for years. And Seth is betrothed to a Princess in the West. His eyes stare into me – my soul – never wavering. When he brushes my cheek I blush champagne gold. “Everything will work out in our favor.” His attempt to comfort me is pathetic. I am too independent to ever depend on a man. “What do you want to do?” He asks sincerely.

Seth and I have been secretly seeing each other for over three years against our parents’ wishes. Seth and I planned to unite the Copper, Silver, and Gold bloodlines. But our parents planned to marry use off to the East and West regions in order to unite us against the demons of the North. People, including Seth would be displeased if they found out I am a daughter of a Northian.

“Majesty Amira.” The guard says as he knocks on my bedroom door.

“Hide. This is not the night to reveal our love.” I tell Seth, he nods in agreement before disappearing into the shadows.

“Sorry to disturb you. But with your mother gone. You’re in charge.” He sighs. “There is a visitor from the North here to see you.”

I don’t let my surprise show. “Search and seize the Northians. Only allow the messenger into the main hallway.”

“Of course you’re Majesty.”

“One more thing. If these Northians do not oblige to the search and seize, kill them.”

The doors to the main hall burst open while I sit as still as a statue on the throne, emotionless. My tiger orange gown and citrine jewelry cover me from head to toe.

The hooded man reveals his face as he walks toward me. “Is this how you always greet a guest who brings you good news?” The brave stranger questions. The guards surround every inch of the room, all with orders to watch the Northian meticulously. I notice a tattoo of the North Star near his right eye and a rather large scar on his neck.

“Would a Northian greet someone from another kingdom any other way?” I answer his question with a question.

“No. My kind would have killed the foreigner before they reached our boarder.” He smiles excitedly at the thought of blood and war.

“The other kingdoms are more civil then the North.”

“Maybe. But the North is the most powerful. So I urge you to accept my offer. I am Duke Meso, heir to the Northern thrown. I have come to seek your hand in marriage to help unite Nicotora. Would you accept the invitation to dine with me?”

I step off my throne to be eye level with this Northian. “To gain a foothold in the North, I would have fought a war to dine with you.”

“Good. Then you know what is at stake.”

“I am more than a pretty face Duke Meso.”

“I can see that.” The tension between us in exhilarating. He steps backward. “I will –”

I take control of the conversation. “I will send a messenger to inform you about our dinner tomorrow.” I eye the stranger before turning to my guard. “Take Duke Meso and his men to the guest chambers on the second floor,” I order.

This prolonged night has made me late for my normal meeting. I follow the glowing flower bulbs in the castle garden until I reach my best friend Briella. Fireflies dance around her as she drinks a sip of tea in our habitual thinking spot. She is dressed in her usual signature white, her angelic platinum blonde hair with gold highlights is envied throughout the land.

“Do you have time for a friend?” I ask.

“Always.” She dismissing my tardiness and hands me a cup of hot tea. “I saw a Northian enter South Castle. I heard about your mother’s death. But when I looked for you earlier. You were nowhere to be found. “Where were you?” Briella gently taps her teacup and plate together.

“I smile. I have so much to tell you.” Briella has played the angel on my shoulder since we were kids. I spill all of today’s secrets to her faster than a single pot tea can boil.

Briella closes her eyes and mediates for a second before beginning to speak her affectionate advice. “I know you had good intentions when you stole your mother’s memories. However, if we all knew the past sins of our loved ones, it would only create new pain for the people whom the sinner loved.”

My hand hits the cast iron table so hard the tea set rattles, after the last shaking spoon settles I say, “Spoken like a devoted Truth Seeker.”

She stands up to stretch her limbs. “I can’t help it,” she yawns. “A steadfast Truth Seeker is always working.” She plucks a peppermint leaf off a nearby plant and plays with the leaf in her teacup. “You’re going to have trouble picking a suiter. I know how much you want the North, and revenge has always served you well, but I don’t think anything or anyone could come between you and Seth.”

I toss the rest of my tea into a bush carelessly. “Three suitable Exalts in a single day was surprising. The best part of the day was taking E646’s life to avenge my mother.”

“What kind of Exaltress do you want to be?” Briella questions.

“That is what I need to figure out.” I smile sinfully.

“May I propose a toast?” She asks rhetorically as she refills my cup. We raise our tea glasses to her forthcoming advice. “You’re only in trouble for your bad deeds if you get caught.”