For Now by Charlotte Graham (notion reading list txt) 📕

My uncle took the grand brass knockers and slammed on the door with them to the maple wood. I sighed as the door opened before putting on a straight face with hard eyes. The door opened and, a short but strong man opened the door with a half-smile on his face. “Welcome to my humble home.” He said as he checked us over. Without a word we entered. They had no clue who we where and we had to keep it that way.

“It is our pleasure for us to be invited to such a beautiful home.” My Uncle said with a smile “Isn’t that right Heather?”

I nodded with a small smile “Let I show you your rooms and, in a few hours we will have super. “He told us as he led us up a spiralling stair case. There where rows of rooms and doors the man stopped and, opened one of the doors a clean neat bedroom was there “This will be the ladies room.” I ran in there so fast and slammed the door. My uncle huffed and apologized to his and said something about a long journey. I fell onto the bed and ripped off the dress. I have always preferred my training gear and barley took it off. Well I guess that could be because I was always training. Maybe thats because i like the feel of skin peeling under my grip.

I sighed and drifted off to sleep.

~~~~

Sadly I did not dream of the man. I did not know his name as he did not know mine. I guess I had hoped one day that we would meet in person. With our greetings we would have a goofy smile on our faces as we shook hands. He had to be a figment of my imagination he is too much of a ….. Well he’s too much like me. Hiding and non-existent at the same time, you could never show your true self. I hide in a shell of what people believe a queen should be, in reality I am an idiotic, foolish girl.

That’s what I wanted to be. Myself. Someone I haven’t seen since my father died and I became Queen not one most expected though. My sister was to have the crown she was a selfish horrid person and did not think of others before her. When I became Queen I trained to make myself the best warrior I could be. To protect my kingdom and show no fear, my uncle says I am the best fighter that he has ever seen and the most controlled.

He worries though and that I will never find a mate to have children. The older we get the harder it is to have a child. I am about to be an elder soon since how old I am and, that many of them divide to try to find the human world a new adventure. Oh how I would love to go, but I guess that it would be improper for me to leave my kingdom. There is no reason to leave anyway.

I mean I have everything I could ask for in my kingdom. There was the training room, Family, Riches, what more could someone ask for anyway. That’s what I keep telling myself sometimes I don’t believe it.

I sat here at this horrible dinner table in dreaded silence. I and my uncle sat on the right side of this Lord Harold. There were 2 others that were supposed to me here. The Duke was furious beyond compare. You couldn’t tell by his face though. His words where cropped short and, he was at his meat with a knife like it did something to him. My uncle and I shared looks with a frown. They were most likely late because they were young and, fooling around. Even I did that every once in a while and I was supposed to be a role model. To boys rushed in with their heads down with a mumble of sorry “Father” and “Duke”. They sat with one in front of my uncle and one in front of me.

“Boys this is Lord Samuel and his daughter Heather.” My eyes rose from the plate to meet snobby boys. His shoulders were slouched, an arm over the back of the chair behind him.

“Hello doll” He said to me with a sly grin. My eye brows raised and, I raised my lip threateningly. His smile slowly departured his mouth.

“Hello.” I said with a glare and, looked toward the other boy. My eyes met his crystal green ones. ‘It was him; there are no smiles in this meeting. All he did was clenched his fist tightly and smile at me lightly’ I thought as I returned the smile to him. I cant believe it he is real and most of all he is white-winged.

“So Dominic you are going to clean the Dragon stables for being late. I will inform Scott that.” The Duke said to the green eyed boy. To my surprise that’s all he said. No punishment for the boy with the idiotic sly smile. Well then I guess I’m taking a small visit to the Dragons stalls. I continued my meal as if nothing happened and excused myself.

I was now walking through a large garden and had reached the stables with plenty of time. I was now wearing my training clothes which consisted of a pair of skin tight leather pants and a tight black shirt with a pair of black heels with a steel heel that came to a point for cutting skin, with my sword attached to my belt and, a few coals in my leather poach that was strapped to my belt to feed to the dragons.

The staples where very neat and tidy, there were about 8 dragons that varied in types. I was feeding this large red/black one a gentle giant I would call him. He gently nibbled at the coal in my hand.

“You know that many people have called that dragon untrainable, and that the colour of it means that it is very untrustworthy.” Said a middle aged looking man.

“Why does the colour mean it is untrustworthy?” I asked as I looked up.

“They say that is the colour of the royal family’s eyes. Of course that means of demons eyes.” He replied as he took out another large light green one. He led the dragon over to the one that I was petting.

“They say that angel’s eyes are white/crystal because they lost the soul that once belonged there leaving an empty vessel that soon filled up with greed and hatred.” I said I felt like letting my true eye colour show to the old man. In his mind I could tell that the only reason that his wings are white is because of his white-winged mate that waits at home for him. It is truly sad on how many couples split up because of the colour of the wings.

“Are you here to kill my master and take his land?” The man asked.

“If you are please do it slowly and painfully” Said a voice from behind me.

“Dominic”

I was now sitting in my room with puzzled thoughts running through my head. Who would want their Duke to die a painful death and, slowly? I hope my people don’t think that of me yet. Maybe why they think that is because maybe he is not a good ruler? With this I went to my uncle’s room. Maybe he had answers toward this problem; he was older than me and had more experience than I did. I paused before I knocked on the door when I heard yelling in the room.

“How is she supposed to fall for my son if she won’t even speak to him?” said the Duke’s voice.

“I know that. It simply takes time for her to adjust to knew people in that respect.” My uncle replied.

“Well let’s hope she adjusts fast of our lands may not unite.”

That’s why he wanted me to come with him. I was to marry the Duke’s son the idiot with the sly smile at the dinner table. I ran back to my room and, ended up destroying it with my anger. I was fuming and outraged that my uncle would set me up like this. I was as old as the Duke himself and, I am to marry his son. I growled and jumped of the window of the castle to great midnight air with my wings. I circled around the castle angrily. I landed in a near by wood and, let my claws run along the trees.  They cut through the wood easily. Someone’s footsteps came from deep within the woods. I retracted my wings and, stood tall. A pair of green eyes met my own but, it wasn’t Dominic’s. These eyes where much darker. It was that snobby boys and, with the same sly smile he strode toward me. I groaned and turned around ready to walk away from him.

“Wait” Said a pride filled voice with a hint of highness signalling how young he really is.

“How old are you anyway?” I retorted with a snarl.

“3000 doll you?” He laughed thinking he was older then I.

“1900” I replied and saw his smile flatter” old as your Idiotic father.” I laughed darkly. His eyes widened “And way more powerful than you so drop the attitude” I told him before walking away. I ran toward the house and jumped through an open window quite aware that petty boy was following. I saw Dominic sitting on his bed with an eyebrow raised.

“Sorry hiding” I said to him and dashed under his bed. There was a small creak from beside the window.

“Where is she?” The idiot boy asked with annoyance in this voice.

“Please don’t tell him!” I begged within my mind.

“Whom do you speak of cousin? If you’re done with your idiotic questions, could you leave please?” Dominic asked with an irritated tone.

I heard a frustrated grunt and a door slam. I smiled to myself and stood up. Dominic still had a book in his hand. I sat beside him on his bed and peaked over to see what he was reading. I have read this book a few times so I caught on quickly. He turned the page before I had finished so I ended up turning it back earning a small chuckle from Dominic.

“You could get your own book.” He told me as I turned the page.

“Hmm and that require