Trouble at the Palace

Arya is still young and living in the palace with her father. An army of rebels attacks the palace gates, but they are soon torn down by the royal army.

            Arya had woken up to a scream that night.  She quickly realized that she was the one screaming. There was a lot of noise coming from the courtyard. She quickly got dressed to go to check things out.  At only eleven years old, she has always been more advanced than others her age.  Once she was out in the courtyard, Jack was out there too.  Jack is a year older than her, and he was also born in the palace.  Arya has been friends with Jack since she was five years old.  Jack saw her and walked over to her. 

            “Hey Jack, what is going on?” she asked. 

            “Oh, I heard a man say that there is a battle going on out there.  My dad doesn’t know I am out here, so I guess we could play for a little while.” 

            Arya danced a single shard of lightning between her fingers. The lightning did not burn her skin, it felt good to her.

            “You are lucky your father isn’t like mine.  He doesn’t like me at all, because he thinks I am going to not have any magic, because I haven’t shown him any of my magic. I am a disgrace to him.” 

            “Arya, you need to show him your powers then.”

            “No Jack, I don’t want him knowing I have powers like his brother.  He might hurt my mommy.  I won’t even show him that I have healing powers like my mother.  My daddy has always been mean to me, and I just can’t take it anymore.  I won’t give him what he wants. He will hurt my mommy and uncle Trys is I show him.” 

            “I guess I can’t change your mind, so I won’t even bother trying.” 

            Arya looked out from the place where they were sitting, and saw hers and Jack’s fathers looking for them.  She quickly extinguished the electricity from her fingers.

            “Uh oh Jack, I see our fathers looking for us.  We better get out there before we get in a lot of trouble.” 

            “Okay, but if we are in trouble, I don’t think we will be seeing each other in a while.”  They both stood up and walked over to their fathers.

            When Arya got to her father, he took her arm and led her back home.  They reached their house, and Kachii sat his daughter on the chair.  “Arya, I need to talk to you.  There was a battle outside of the palace walls, and Takumi defeated some of the rebels.  Your aunt has come up with a reward for him, for doing such a good job of getting rid of those rebels.  You know as the empress’s niece, there are certain things you must do for her.  She has declared that he get you as a bride as his prize.  There will be a ceremony in the morning.”

            “Father, you can’t be serious, I am only eleven years old, there is no way I can be married to someone!”  Arya was out of the chair, so close to using her powers on her father.

            “Gather your things, you are to move in with your husband first thing after the ceremony is over, and that is final!”  He left the room, while Arya was still sitting in the chair, shocked at what her father had done.  She snuck out of the house, and went to see Jack.  Jack was not yet asleep when she got there.

            When Arya knocked on his window, Jack was confused.  He let her in through the window, and she was in tears.  “What’s wrong Arya?” 

            “My father and aunt have done something horrible!”  Jack knew that Arya was the niece of the empress, but he never thought she would do something horrible to someone in her family.          “What did they do?” 

            “I can’t be your girlfriend anymore, they married me off to someone as a prize for defeating some rebels outside the castle walls.” 

            “What?  They can’t do that!”

            “They did, and there is nothing you or I can do about it.  I don’t know what is going to happen now, but I never want to stop being friends with you!” 

            “You could never do anything to make me not be your friend!”  He hugged her as she cried all her tears away.  When she left, Jack seemed upset.

            Arya returned to her house to get all her things.  Just after she got back home, her father came into her room.  “Why haven’t you packed anything?  No matter, I will send a maid over to your new house with all your things.  We are leaving now.”  He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the house, and into the courtyard.

            Takumi was waiting in the courtyard for his prize for defeating all those blasted rebels yesterday.  When he saw captain Kachii and his daughter, he gave a little smile towards them.  He had now clue what to do with an eleven year old wife, but for now she could do plenty work around the house.  The girl’s uncle told him that if he touched her in any way, he would hurt him a lot worse.  Her uncle, Trys, is a powerful lightning magic user, and he did not want to be on the wrong side with him.  Kachii reached him then said, “Here is your beautiful prize.  She is yours, so do not bother me with her after this day!  Good day sir Takumi.”

            “Thank you captain Kachii!  I will be kind to your daughter.”  Kachii didn’t even reply, he just walked away.  “Come Arya, I will show you where we live.”

            “Wait Kachii, isn’t there suppose to be a ceremony? I deserve at least that much don’t I? After all I am your only child.”

            Kachii turned around, his face reddening with anger, “We have decided to forgo the ceremony. Now leave my sight immediately.”

            Right then Arya knew that her father suspected the same thing that she did, that he was not truly her father. Why else would she have not shown him her magic yet?

            Her new house was a very nice one, and Arya got a room of her own.  He didn’t really even acknowledge her at all.  Over the next week, she could tell he had a woman over, and they were in his bed chambers.  He didn’t even seem to know she was there most of the time.  She also was able to keep seeing Jack, without anything