A Magical Betrayal, arabian [essential reading .txt] 📗

I had seen.
“Oh yes, before I forget. Mother what kind of creature is short with leathery wings, feathered legs, a lion tail, and human heads with sharp rocks and steel instead of teeth?” My mother was caught off guard by my odd question.
“Why would you want to know about that?” she asked looking puzzled.
“I heard some girls from the mythology department talking about a creature like that.” I lied smoothly, I had also just noticed that my mother was white as a sheet but did not bring it up.
“Well, if that’s it… A creature like that does not have a proper name. All I know of them is that their sire is a goblin and their dam is a sphinx. Also, they can shape shift into humans except they keep their teeth so they never smile. But, they can steel the teeth of another human so that they can appear more normal.”
I pondered this new information for a minute or two and asked, “Do they have any exceptional abilities?” This time she looked thoughtful and put her index finger to her chin.
“Hmmm… they do have a couple of abilities,” I waited for her to go on. “They can incapacitate their victims by looking them in the eyes, when they kiss women they feed off the woman’s memories until she has no memory whatsoever and then they use her as a source of food for their offspring to feed.”
“Thank you for answering my questions mother. See you in the morning.” I said.
“Good night, Aleca.” My mother called over her shoulder as she left the room.
“Good night.” I murmured as I slipped on my nightgown. As I fell asleep I thought about how much I missed my best friend James and how much more handsome he had become over the last 6 years.


I woke up to a warm bedroom bathed in buttery sunshine. Instead of getting up right away I watched the dust motes swirl and dance in the bright rays of the sun. Then thinking I couldn’t delay anymore, I got up with a huff and went to my closet to get dressed.
In the midst of my choosing Nadia my nurse maid came bustling in looking flustered, then stopping to take a breath she said, “Little one none of these dresses will do. There is a ball tonight and we need to take you to Madam Rosa’s Dress Shoppe to get a new and most flattering gown to get your suitors in a huff over who’s going to dance with you.” Nadia was speaking so quickly and excitedly that I knew Rupert, Nadia’s husband, was going to be there.
“Nadia,” I said trying to sound calm and aloof, “Why didn’t you just tell me Rupert is going to be there. Do you not know that I do understand?” With that statement Nadia blushed scarlet.
“Now let’s get going!” I cried, excited now that I knew my nursemaid would be able to see the love of her life.
We decided that I should just wear my riding shift because I would need to be able to change out of it quickly. Then Nadia ran down the stairs with me on her heels, but when we reached the ground floor where my parents and many other people were residing we slowed to a brisk walk. Everyone stared curiously at our flushed faces as we exited the castle.
Once we were in the carriage we burst into delighted peels of laughter over the looks on the men’s faces as we ran by.
“Did you see James?” I gasped in between fits of giggles.
“Yes,” Nadia crowed,” He looked as though he had swallowed a watermelon when you flounced by. He looked at all of the other men and was hoping none noticed how beautiful you are.”
“Oh stop it Nadia, you know I’m not really beautiful. I’m so plain I’m almost homely.”
“Homely!?” She cried,” Don’t you ever describe yourself as homely. You look like one the wood sprites, who have chosen the likeness of a goddess.”
“Fine, fine,” I sighed in defeat.
We entered Madam Rosa’s Dress Shoppe through the beautifully carved front door. It swung open silently on oiled hinges but the bell announced their arrival by ringing.
“Your majesty,” gushed Miss Rosa, “I am so glad you decided to come to my shoppe to choose your dress for your first courting ball.”
“You know that I love your dress designs Miss Rosa. They are absolutely amazing.”
I tried on dress after dress but could not find the right one then Miss Rosa came out with a dress so beautiful I gasped and stared in wonder. The dress was a silvery shade of metallic pink; accented with silver lace and an exceptionally low neck line that I was afraid I’d be to self conscious to wear it.
“This, princess was designed exactly for you.” Miss Rosa murmured.
“May I try it on, Miss Rosa?”
“Of course princess.” I tried on the dress, being careful to not wrinkle it.
The dress set on me like only silk could. I stepped timidly out of the dressing room to the mirrors to take a look. I couldn’t help noticing how every person who saw me gaped or sighed with envy. I looked in the mirror and froze; the dress clung to my body just right accentuating my curves as though it was part of my skin. The neck line plunged down to the middle of my chest showing just enough, but not too much.
“It-it’s gorgeous.” Nadia was finally able to splutter. There were murmurs of agreement among the others in the store.
“Rosa,” I said, snapping her out of her awed reverie, “I would like to by this dress for the ball.”
“Yes, Princess.” She said sounding a little breathless.


Nadia was combing my hair when I confessed my worries. “Nadia, what if none of the suitors show up or what if---“
“Goodness child!” Nadia cried, “Don’t worry. No man in his right mind would ever want to miss their chance to woo you.”
She helped me plait my hair and pile it on top of my head in a mass of curls that was so elegant it did not need a crown to decorate. My mother came in and presented me with a circlet that was both grand and elegant so it could work at any occasion. It was silver with emeralds, sapphires, and amber to match my eyes. “Thank you, mother,” I finally choked out through my emotion.
Standing just outside the grand doors to the ballroom, I waited for my cue to walk in. “… and now the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the arrival of our very own princess!” The doors swung open and light flooded over me like an ocean tide. There was applause and once I stepped into the light there was a great intake of breath as I walked forward. The bands music stuttered momentarily and then continued along on their beautiful melody. I walked up to my parents and asked, “What’s all the commotion about?” My mother looked at me as though I was crazy.
“Aleca,” she said, “you are what the commotion is about. You look as though you were bourn of starlight and pink roses then sprinkled with moonbeams.”
Then the suitors descended and asked for dance after dance. I stayed all night and well into the morning before the final suitors had gone. Well, all except for one. “James, you should go now.” I said wearily, knowing it would do no good. James was determined to do a tango with me as his partner.
“Not until you tango with me.” He said defiantly.
“Fine.” I replied, to tired to refuse.
We swung around the dance-floor faster and closer than we had been in a long time. When he finally let me go I was dizzy with fatigue and exhaustion so when he tried to kiss me; instead of stepping back and smacking him I collapsed in a heap quivering from the effort of the last dance.
“Aleca,” he said panicked.
“I’m fine really,” I said to everyone who had come to help me, “I just need some sleep. I am absolutely wiped out.”
My reassurances fell on deaf ears. Everyone was fussing over me so I stood up and stomped up to me solar without looking back. That was my mistake because when I turned around to close my door James was standing there eyes full of worry. “James, I’m fine but that last tango took my last reserves of energy and I need to sleep before I faint.”
Then I shut the door on him got ready for bed and slept.


I was making my bed and was really excited but I didn’t know why. A woman and a girl both immensely taller than me led me through wooden castle corridors then suddenly we stepped out into the sunlight. I looked around in wonder to see a walled garden then the woman I realized was my mom she had one hand behind her back holding something I couldn’t see. “I have a surprise for you,” she said excitedly.
“Mom,” I replied, “You promised that you wouldn’t give me any presents because you were taking me outside.” I realized then that I had never been outside before.
“Well, you know me,” She said. Then I realized her eyes were full of some kind of lust that I didn’t recognize. Then faster than I thought possible she brought up her hand revealing a silver dagger and plunged it into my heart.


I awoke with a start; my heart was spluttering franticly in my chest trying to escape I thought. What a strange dream. There was a feeling inside me that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Betrayal that was it. But it’s just a dream, I thought to myself. No, no it wasn’t; this has happened to me before but I don’t know when. My goodness, I thought I was a wood sprite in my last life. Incredible.
I looked out my window to see what time it was. The sun was rising. Unbelievable; I’ve slept for a day and a night. I had better get ready for the day. Today is Monday so I need to wear my midnight blue riding dress for the hunt.
“Goodness child, we thought you would never wake,” Cried Nadia when she saw me climb out of the bed.
“Nadia how soon are they leaving for the hunt?” I asked while yawning simultaneously.
“In two hours, so if you want to go you’ll have to start getting ready.”
So, we set to work on brushing all the tangles out of my curly hair, bathing, and getting dressed. While Nadia was French braiding my hair I asked, “Are any of my suitors going on the hunt?”
“Yes, Ally, James is going of course but there’s also Henry, Derrick, Jarrod, Donald, Eric, and Alexander.” Nadia replied.
“Who are Henry and Derrick?” I asked.
Nadia ignored my question and booted me out the door. I went down to the stables and saddled Onyx for the hunt. Then leaving Onyx with the stable hands I went to my father to retrieve my bow.
When father saw me his eyes lit up. “Ally, you looked wonderful the other night. You made all of the men there weak at the knees.”
“Father,” I sighed, “it was no big deal and what’s with everyone and all the hyperboles? Is there a conspiracy or something?” He just shook his head and handed me my bow.
“Doesn’t know she’s beautiful and has brains on top of it.” He