The Elements: Chapter 1

Narissa stepped out into the garden and raised her head to let the warm sunrays meet her face. Taking in a deep breath she inhaled the sent of lilacs, roses and various other flowers scattered about. She loved this garden and couldn’t believe how much it reminded her of another she had often visited a long time ago. With its winding paths and many different types of wild life, it was like a home away from a home she would never be able to visit.
And as the wind picked up and played with her long dark blue strands of hair she closed her deep blue eyes and remembered.
Narissa had been picking flowers in the garden when her best friend Anthea rushed up through the trees panic etched in her face.
“Narissa what are you doing?! Stop it, stop it!” Scared half to death she dropped the flowers at her feet and stood up not very sure what had mad her friend so mad.
“I was just picking flowers for our tea party Anthea. I thought you would be happy.” Almost instantaneously tears burst from Anthea’s eyes and anger shot across her face, she looked ready to kill.
“How can I be happy when you’re killing her? Can’t you feel her? Can’t you hear her calling out?” She was shouting and breathing heavily her face beginning to turn red. She looked at me pleadingly silently asking me to understand. But I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t understand how much she was connected to the feelings of the earth.
Even then we had already taken the roles our destinies had granted us, even if we were to young to understand it. She didn’t talk to me for the rest of the day. Telling me that if I couldn’t understand the pain the earth felt then I didn’t deserve to be her friend. We made up eventually, with the help of Helene, who had always been wiser than any of us, but I still remember it because it taught me something. It taught me that even though us elements are all connected we are truly too different to ever fully understand each other.
And now here we are. Banished to Earth for that exact same reason. We were never able to fully understand each other.
As I opened my eyes, allowing childhood memories to fly away with the wind I was greeted by the sight of a palace servant coming my way.
Although it had been hard I had been able to pass myself off as a royal orphan of unknown origin. Claiming to have suffered amnesia and only being able to remember my parents’ death. And although I usually made a point not to stay in the same place for too long, I had stayed here. Preferring it to all the others. And now as the servant, Edith, approached I began to think that maybe I had stayed to long.
I liked Edith she was short and pudgy in a motherly sort of way and always gave me the best advice. I considered her to be one of my favorites. And now as she stood before me I decided that maybe I was beginning to like her too much.
Edith bowed and looked at me silently asking for permission to speak.
“What is it?” I didn’t mean to be annoyed but I rather hated being sought after in the garden.
“M'am a visitor has arrived and you have been requested to help greet him.” She looked at me patiently waiting for an answer. No harm would come if I said no, but as royalty I was expected to meet certain guests.
“Fine I will go. Do you know who it is?” I turned around allowing the sun to catch the cold in my robe and began walking back toward the palace.
“No, but I heard he was very important.” Of course he was I thought, why else would it be necessary for me to be there?
Stepping into the palace I allowed Edith to get in front of me no longer wishing to talk. It was not as if I resented Edith in any way or any servant for that matter. And I in no way felt they were below me. Thoughts of the past put me on edge and although I tried to hide it I missed the other elements feeling more connected to them knowing we share a destiny.
As we walked I enjoyed the scenery of the palace and knew I would be truly sad to leave it. The marble pillars and granite floors had become a home to me. The faces on the wall family I had never had. Maybe someday I would visit it again.
I stepped into a large room and took my seat on the left side of the king with the queen on his right. They were a beautiful couple and excellent rulers. Both blond smart and powerful. They were one of those perfect couple you only see once a lifetime, her softer features challenging his harder ones. Sometimes I wondered the true circumstances of their marriage. Not that it mattered now. Anyone with eyes could tell they were truly in love.
I felt a pang of longing and quickly swept it aside. I had never been very involved with men feeling as if I were on a completely different level, but I still thought about marriage sometimes even knowing it wasn’t something or me.
Suddenly a man about my age 5’9 in height and very good-looking burst in followed by two distraught looking servants. His elegant red and bronze robes making their drabbier brown ones look like rags. I could tell he had power or money that often came had in hand but I could also tell that he hadn’t inherited either.
Stopping 20 feet in front of us he bowed sweeping his hand as he did so and then stood as if to say now that I have presented my self you are completely at my mercy.
Right away I didn’t like him. Sure he was cute. The muscular shape of his body was barely hidden by his clothes and the chiseled structure of his jaw made him to die for. But even still I couldn’t help but dislike him. Maybe it was the arrogant way he stood or the defiant angle at which he held his head. I don’t know but whatever it was made me feel as if there were more to him that we couldn’t see and even more that we couldn’t trust.