Sadie’s official home was in a castle, in the middle of Mirabella. It had many rooms and balconies overlooking the four districts of the capital. It had a view of the sea in the east, the snow-covered north and the tropical south. To the west the plains stretched out, running the length of both the river and the border. However, she never lived there. She spent her days out by Aster, training in the sunny tropics, or with the Narah warriors, the best warriors in the kingdom, a group of heroes that protected the kingdom of Selah. Today, she was on the island of Kova, a fishing town that imported ocean rarities to all over the kingdom, even to other parts of the world. She was standing over the water, with her eyes closed, her dress of misty gold floating around her, a crown of golden leaves resting on her curly blonde hair. The water rippled in front of her, the princesses reflection fading in and out of focus. Suddenly it erupted in a spout of water in front of her. Sadie’s eyes shot open as she calmly examined the water. She stuck her hand out in front of her and the water parted, splashing back into the ocean.
The Narah behind her smiled. She was a magician, specialised in the elements and often called the Vanya witch, or Vanya for short. Many assumed that her name came from the elegant way she behaved herself, very few knowing that her real name was also her nom de plume. Vanya was a small, blonde girl, with dull brown eyes and nothing that would make her stand out under normal circumstances. However, when posing as her alter ego, she donned dramatic reds and blacks to strike fear into the heart of her enemies.
“Well done Princess,” Vanya said a delicate English air about her; “Every day you train is another day you get better at working with the elements.” Sadie smiled, her laughed melancholy and satisfying.
“I should hope so, Vanya. One day I wish to escape my role as the heir to the forever kingdom, and take on another name, like you, and become a hero.” Snowflakes drifted around her as she spoke, forming images before dispersing or melting.
“You don’t need a stage name to be a hero,” Vanya said; “No one dares to think that my real name is Vanya, because choosing a real name for a fake name is crazy. You could even be like Weylin, who has openly admitted to being the Wolf-Chaser, so that he may come and go as he pleases and no one will question him. Besides, when you wear your combat gear, no one would suspect the gentle princess would be hiding under a fierce outfit of black and green.”
“I suppose not,” Sadie said, meditating on every word. There was silence as Vanya thought about it, Sadie idly walking across the water, turning it to ice beneath her feet. The blue dress and ice seemed to become one as she paced. Vanya snapped back to reality, starting and glancing at her watch.
“You ought to go and see Farren. She will be waiting to take you back to your lodgings.” Vanya offered her hand, and Sadie took it. Despite being trained in many different types of combat, she was only 20, and a princess. She must be escorted everywhere by someone she or her guardian had trusted. Had her father, Emperor Sorin, still been alive, he would have given her free reign of the kingdom, letting her travel wherever she wanted with whoever she wanted. But he had been killed several years ago by a Darkling many years ago, and restrictions had tightened in the past few years as attacks increased.
The pair made their way through the streets of the seaside village, were fishermen shouted their wares and cafes overflowed with tourists enjoying the view. Everyone stopped to stare at the Princess, making her guard uneasy. Vanya’s hand went to her belt several times as pushy salesmen tried to convince them to take their stock. They got the message. The Princess was not to be trifled with. Vanya herself was a force to be reckoned with, her haunting beauty causing many to lower their guard, a fatal mistake. Sadie seemed unaware to her scowled, her smile as bright as the morning sun. They arrived at a large building, which appeared to be a combination of a town hall and a mansion. It was a large training hall, for the assassins of Selah. They had training facilities all over the country. Vanya and Sadie went through the doors, taking a left to private training rooms.
There were four rooms, each one about twenty meters squared. An array of weapons along the far wall, dummies scattered around the room, mats on the floor for sparring, a first aid kit on the table. Training for assassins was tough. In the room was one woman. She had short hair, wearing a black jumpsuit with the logo of the Narah on it. Her hair came just below her ears and was a bright, ginger red. Farren, the first graduate assassin from the Darkling academy. A hitman gone rogue, she had abandoned her old ways and joined the Narah, making a powerful alley with her knowledge of the darkling habits. She was practising her aim, throwing her knives at targets scattered around the room, she hit everyone.
“Oh hey, Sadie. Ready for your training today?” Farren said when she had finished. She gathered her knives and sheathed them; “Today, we are working on target practice, as you may have guessed.” Vanya laughed.
“Guess I’m dismissed then, Sadie. See you for dinner tonight.” Vanya gilded out, her footsteps barely making a sound. Farren turned towards Sadie.
“Your knife-throwing skills are pretty good, but the way you hold the knife is crucial to the speed and accuracy of the weapon…”
Sadie and Farren spent
———————-More coming soon——————-