Deep within the dwellings of the Ruler's icy castle, a member of the Shadow people was pacing outside of what appeared to be a worn out - rotten curtain which had been stained to a sickening crimson color. Tension filled the already thick atmosphere about the castle. It was always like that here. Always reeking of fear and death. Many who were unfortunate enough to find themselves here, knew that whatever lay beyond the black, icy gates, would surely lead to their death or something so horrible and unimaginable that they would have wished they had been sentenced to death in the first place.
This was the home of a monster. This was the home of soren, the Ruler.
Soren sat impatiently on his great white throne. The designs and marks were from the tattoos on the skin of all the people he had defeated. Yes, he was a sick and twisted monster, and he loved that the people thought of him as exactly that. The corner of his lips would always twist into that cruel, merciless smile. That was the sign that your time here was over. It gave him pleasure to know that he was the one everyone feared. He as the one who was on every single person's mind.
He glanced up from where he had been looking, which was down at his loyal pet, saphier. She had been by his side and was the only living thing that he could almost trust with his life. You could even say that she was precious to him, something no one in all of the ice dome knew about.
As he raised his head, he found himself looking upon an elderly man with a ridiculously frightened look upon his face. As if that weren't enough, his whole body was shaking like he was having a seizure. Soren finally decided to 'put him out of his misery.' As he did to many others.
"Old man! You have been sentenced to death for trying to steal from our most valuable markets. This crime is unacceptable." With that said, Soren got up off his throne, nodding to the head of the shadow people, which had been a gesture that they had his permission to carry out with the sentence. As he walked away, the shadow people closed in on the old man, his screams were of pain and agony. The sound Soren had learned to love - crave even,
Satisfied, Soren called to his pet Saphier, as they walked down the long shadowy hallway.
High above the main chamber was a balcony, almost completely covered in shadow. Sitting on the railing as she watched the scene below her unfold, no one was aware of the pale girl's presence as she frowned. Why her brother insisted on being this way she didn't understand, but it had been this way since she could remember.
Pale yellow bangs fell over her colorless grey eyes as she shuddered and listened to the screams of the old man. They still bothered her. But they no longer haunted her dreams every night. Being stuck in this place where the moans of agony and screams of dispair seemed to ooze from the walls it was a miracle she hadn't turned out like her brother but Aria was quite different.
Maybe that was why he hid her from the world.
Swinging down from the banister, Aria flipped onto the next landing and hurried down the back set of stairs that only she and Soren were aloud to use. Even the servants were hardly aloud to see her. Slowing down, Aria's foots echoed in the long hallway behind her brother.
"Soren?" She was the only one he used his name to his face and got away with it. Making her way to his side she stopped and looked up at him, soft pink lips smiling. "Can I go outside today?" She asked him the same question almost every day. And every day the answer was always 'no'. "There's a fresh snow... I've never even felt snow." She chewed on her lower lip looking up to him, hopeful. How she managed to love him, and care for him was a complete mystery. But she did.
"Hmm?" Soren looked back to see his little sister walking towards him. His eyes softened a little as how innocent she seemed. He lifted my his right hand and rested it over her cheek, brushing it gently with his thumb. "My dear little sister, you know its not safe for you to go outside..I know you must think it cruel of me to keep you locked up in here all of the time but trust me, its for your own good."
He continued to look down at her as he began to entwine some strands of her hair between his fingers. "Its a scary place out there, love. You're far better off staying in here where its safe.."
With that, Soren began to walk off again, Saphier following closely behind him. He secretly hated denying Aria of anything, but it was for her own good that he kept her hidden away from the world. It was a sick place, worse than him. He shook his head at the though and continued down the hallway towards his bedroom.
As soon as he began to speak the glimmer of hope faded from her eyes. "But Soren..." She started to protest, but resigned, her shoulders sagging as she leaned into the odd warmth of her brothers hand. "If you say so..." She said looking back up to him as he started to walk away.
Then she remembered something. "Remember about dinner tomorrow!" She called after him. "You promised me a birthday dinner with you! You better not forget it!" Turning on her heel she skipped off in the opposite direction to head back towards her room. Scaling the stairs three at a time. she landed on her hands at the top in a perfect hand stand. Dress sliding down it revealed the skin tight shorts she wore beneath as she paraded around the plush hall carpet on her hands towards her room.
Once in her room she flipped back up to her feet gracefully and wondered over to the top drawer of her snow white dresser. She pulled out an envelope that was sealed and signed, she had written it days ago.
To whomever finds this, My brother Soren thinks he can do whatever he pleases and as much as I love him I must disagree. I am tired of living in the shadows. In two days time I am leaving this place on my own and taking the tunnels. The only tunnel I know of is the one to the Circus. It is the one my brother tries his hardest to hide from me. Perhaps I will see you in the tunnels. Best wishes. Aria
Kissing the envelope Aria patted her thigh and called her Tasmanian Tiger Drake over. The animal nudged her thigh disappointingly. Aria smiled. "Don't worry, I swear the world isn't as bad as Soren says it is." She kissed Drake's head and tied the note around his neck. Walking him over to the window she opened it, the blustery snowy wind filling her room making her shiver. "You know where to go!"
With one more nuzzle, Drake leapt up onto the window sill and then out onto the roof before scaling down the building and off onto his mission.
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