Fight for the Crown

by Emilie MacCauley

  Shadow is sitting alone in the corner hunched over his tray. Making her way over to him, he doesn’t look up or notice her until she is seated in front of him. “Hello,” she flashes a kind smile.

  “I thought you were with Lola,” he sets down his sandwich and sits back.

  “I am. She’s just grabbing food. She told me to come sit with you. I hope that’s okay.”

  Shadow chortles. “Even if it wasn’t, Lola wouldn’t let me eat by myself.”

  Lola comes back and sets a tray in front of Rowan and takes her seat next to Shadow wrapping her arm around his shoulder. “How’s it going, boss?”

  “Fine until you came along,” his voice sounding gruff and serious.

  Lola laughs. “He’s always so grumpy, isn’t he?”

  Rowan glances down at the food that can best be described as gray mush for sides and a drab sandwich as the main course. The sandwich is the most appetizing thing on the tray, but also looks poorly put together. Definitely not castle food. She picks the sandwich up carefully and take a slow, tiny bite.

  “It’s not poisoned, Roe,” Lola giggles. “Just take a bite. It’s better than it looks and it’s probably better food than wherever you came from.”

  “Judging by the fact that she had no idea she was Dakra, she was probably raised by Shevka parents,” Solana startles them as she welcomes herself to sit next to Rowan. “I’m sure the food she ate was much better than this garbage.”

  “Is that true? Were you raised by Shevka parents?” Lola scoots forward with curiosity.

  “Yes,” she swallows another tiny piece of the sandwich.

  “Then why did you leave?” Lola blinks and Solana is now staring at her with the same burning curiosity. The one who seems less than interested is Shadow who is quietly eating by himself.

  Rowan shrugs her shoulders. She already begins to fabricate a story in her head. If she went with the truth of being a princess they would either laugh and think she’s joking or they might treat her differently. She’s afraid they may never be able to unsee her as a princess, that they will start acting strange in her presence. Everyone in Cirvka hates her father, it is no mystery, if they find out the male who raised her is the male they loathe most…

  Well, she doesn’t want them to hate her by association.

  “I was recently orphaned and have been living alone. Shadow found me in the forest where a Darkwraith attacked me.” They both go quiet with guilt of prying about Rowan’s fake dead parents. “What about you two? How did you come to Cirvka?”

  Lola and Solana both stare down at their plates unwilling to share. She frowns feeling like she made a grave mistake in asking. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer.”

  Lola shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. Growing up Dakra you don’t exactly have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

  “Especially when the Shevka children at school purposely exclude you, bully you, and tell the Shevka teachers lies that they believe and you get punished for,” Solana chimes in.

  What is most peculiar to Rowan is the way she sounds when talking of high bloods. She does not sound bitter or angry or even upset, but apathetic and detached.

  “My parents were both killed by Shevka soldiers when I was fifteen years old. I had nowhere to go, no one caring for me. I lived alone for awhile until I met someone else. We lived together, loved together, and then one day he was gone. I was lost after that,” Lola frowns holding back her tears. She faces Shadow grabbing his attention. “Then Shadow found me and gave me a home here.”

  Shadow gives her a warm smile. Rowan has never seen him smile before and it tugs on something deep inside of her. Lola leans her head on Shadow’s shoulder and his shadows wrap around her like a blanket or a silent hug.

  “My story is pretty similar,” Solana adds. “My parents, siblings, and I were alive during King Bren’s reign. My father worked in a bakery in the village. It was pretty successful and we had a good life. We never wanted for anything. It wasn’t until the king died and the Shevka took over. They raided my dad’s bakery, killed him and my two brothers working there. Barely a few weeks later my mother and I were forced out of our home. When my mother refused to leave everything behind, they killed her in front of me. I found my way to Cirvka. Shadow was there to make things better and get me settled in,” she shrugs it off with an emotionless expression.

  “What about you, Shadow?” Rowan asks. He has his head down and picks at his food. Lola leans her head off of his shoulder to give him a sympathetic look.

  “No one knows,” Lola responds and Solana nods her head in agreement. “Shadow is pretty much a mystery to all of us.”

  “He’s been here longer than any of us,” Solana comments.

  Shadow picks up his head, “I have to get back to work,” he stands grabbing his tray and throwing out the leftover food in the garbage.

  “He doesn’t tell you anything?” She asks Lola inquisitively. “Not even his real name?”

  “Just because I’ve known him for years doesn’t mean he tells me anything,” Lola huffs. “He’s a stubborn male.”

  “I thought because you two are a thing—”

  “A thing?” Lola’s eyes widen and Solana nearly chokes on her drink from laughing so hard.

  Rowan is shocked by Solana’s outburst, she’s never seen the alchemist truly smile, let alone laugh.

  “Shadow and I are not a thing!” Lola self-justifies.

  “Sorry,” Rowan blushes with embarrassment. “I just thought because you two looked so close.”

  Lola shakes her head and kicks Solana under the table as she continues to chuckle. “Shadow is only a friend. He’s always been there for me. Cirvka can be pretty cliquey and finding where you fit in is hard. There’s the hybrids who typically stay together and then there are the fighters who have their own groups among themselves.”

  “Shadow, Lola, Pepper, and I are kind of like the misfits here,” Solana replies.

  “But Pepper is a hybrid,” Rowan tilts her head in confusion.

  They shake their heads. “The other hybrids don’t accept Pepper. They all have skills—dangerous ones—except Pepper. Although she has animal features, her build is more fae like ours. She’s too kind for them anyways but it makes me mad when they’re always singling her out,” Lola spits with disgust.

  “I’m the only alchemist and I guess I’m an acquired taste. Lola is one of two sorceresses and everyone tries to steer clear of anyone who can curse them. Shadow, we kinda forced him into the group. No one wanted to talk to Shadow mainly because he is his own breed too. Not to mention he’s dangerous and also because he’s everyone’s boss,” Solana sighs and finishes up her last bite.

  “See, with you being powerless you fit in perfectly with our group,” Lola tries to make light of the situation. She wipes her mouth on her napkin and places her empty tray on a nearby cart. “We should get going, the performances should end soon.”

  When they arrive there is already a long line formed at Lola’s booth. She becomes so busy that Rowan grows bored out of her mind just sitting around watching Lola do her fortune telling and spell casting. Rowan suggests to explore the Cirvka grounds after realizing she still doesn’t know where everything is. Lola allows her to, saying it is a great idea.

  Walking around by herself is refreshing. Rowan always had guards escorting and following her around wherever she went. Her excitement dims as she starts noticing the passing glances and stares from everyone. She is used to everyone staring at her, whenever there were parties at the castle, guests from all over would gawk at her. Males admired her and females wanted to be her. So, she has become accustomed to the attention but walking around Cirvka as a low blood, she realizes she is receiving a different kind of attention. Bad attention. The narrowed-eyed stares from Shevka parents and curiosity filled expression from their children, have her feeling uncomfortable in her own skin.

  She tries her best to ignore their gazes as she enters a maze of booths. There is no l
ogic to their placement. There’s a cluster of booths randomly placed facing in all different directions. There are signs that lead you to different clusters. Fortune telling this way, food that way. Each cluster has different types of booths, one of which smells delicious with the aroma of fried food and sweet treats. All of which most likely have an unimaginable amount of sugar in them. Walking further down the zig-zagged path, she inhales smelling the seasoned scent of spicy food. The food here is enchanted for entertainment purposes. Give your friend a fireball and watch him breathe fire. Play a prank with a magical bean that will make their hair turn green.

  Other paths are filled with workers showcasing what they can give you. Jewelry that is warded for protection. Solana’s potions that can provide you with luck or love. Lola’s fortunes and spells. Weapons made with material that can withstand any kind of magic. Hair from magical beasts that when placed in your pocket will repel them. Cirvka, although full of large pinstipped entertainment tents filled with loud music playing and laughter and cheers erupting, the slew of booths scattered across the grounds is comparable to a merchants market where you can learn a trick or trade.

  Many Shevka come for the shows, they bring their children to watch low bloods and dark magic. Coming to Cirvka for the first time Rowan had never seen a low blood. The hybrids were fascinating and the dark power of Dakra was much more unique than any high blooded Shevka power she’d ever seen. Dakra powers have always been the more fascinating type of magic to Rowan.

  Dakra fae are the opposite of Shevka fae. Shevka are high blood because they are seelie fae creatures born with light powers. They have healing and growing powers meant to keep balance in the land. Low bloods are broken up into Dakra fae, hybrids, other creatures such as Darkwraiths. Dakra, like Shevka, are immortal. The difference is they are unseelie. Dakra have dark magic. They bring chaos to the lands their powers meant to destroy life and enable them to go against the balance of what is right in the lands. Sorcessors like Lola can harm people with curses or better them with spells. Solana can alter the chemical balances. Shevka fae are blessed with super strength and beauty, but the strength of a Dakra fae is in their magic.

  One booth is selling magical mirrors. See anything you want in them. See the past. The future. What you lost. What you’re looking for. What you most desire. Rowan looks at one and sees nothing but herself as she is. She notices the cut her brother gave her yesterday has scarred her flesh. If she was back at the castle she could’ve been healed by Shevka healers. Now that she is Dakra it will no doubt leave a permanent scar.

  Rowan never had to be careful with her skin, her old skin—her Shevka skin—could always be healed wonderfully by the Shevka healers back at the castle. Now she feels protective of her new body, afraid that the slightest nick will have dire consequences. When she stares harder at the mirror she notices at the end of her brow there is a scar, a straight lined patch where the eyebrow hair never regrew.

  The memory of how she obtained the scar is easy to remember. Her brothers were outside playing and her mother told her to stay inside. She was young and bored and decided to slide down the staircase railings. She fell off and bashed her head on the point of one of the marble steps. The healers fixed her in no time and there was no scar.

  Now, there’s a scar.

  “See anything you like?” Shadow’s deep voice rings out from behind her.

  She jumps and puts her hand over her beating heart. He nearly scared her to death. Angry, she puts her hand on her hips and asks, “Must you sneak up on me?”

  A mischievous smile plays on his face as his shadows curl around his body. He looks all too amused. “Bored of Lola already?”

  Rowan shakes her head. “No,” she begins to walk and Shadow follows not taking his eyes off her as she continues to talk. “Just wanted to explore. What have you been doing?”

  “Work,” he says simply.

  “Do you ever answer questions in detail?” Lola is right, this male is stubborn.

  “No.”

  She rolls her eyes and faces away from him. “Why won’t you let anyone get close?” She crosses her arms. She doesn’t know why, but she feels relentless in trying to get him to open up. It’s all too obvious that he is hiding something. This fuels Rowan’s curiosity even more. “Do you like the whole mysterious persona you have going on?” she pauses, waiting for an answer that doesn’t come. “Fine. I get it. You’re reserved and won’t let anyone know the true you.”

  She turns to look to see him concentrating hard and staring at her lips. Suddenly she feels self-conscious. She touches her lips and asks, “What? Do I have something in my teeth?”

  Shadow looks away possibly out of embarrassment. His shadows get darker around him as if he wants them to envelop him whole and take him away. There’s a slight blush to his cheeks but then he shakes his head and furrows his brow. “I’m here as your boss. I help run this place and I’m only here to see if you are settling in okay.”

  Rowan sees it for the lie it is. She remembers Lola and Solana discussing that he’s just as much an outcast and being an outcast means you don’t have many friends. And that is lonely.

  Although he pushes her away, she feels like she has to try. The sudden change in his mood can easily be seen as a line of defense. Everyone deserves to have a friend. Her mouth twists struggling to get the words out. “It would be better if I could actually find out what my power is. Also, it would be better if you could somehow not make me perform for the prince tomorrow. You know, since you are the boss.”

  “No. Prince Arlo watches all the new performers.”

  “But I have no powers! I’m going to be made a fool!”

  “Listen, everything will be taken care of,” he dismisses quickly.

  “So I won’t be made a fool of tomorrow?”

  “I didn’t say that,” he says with a straight face. “I mean you won’t be standing there while everyone waits for you to show them magic. Trust me. I’ll be waiting outside your tent tomorrow morning.” Not saying goodbye, Shadow walks away, disappearing into the crowd.

  * * *

  Shadow meets Rowan outside of her tent at dawn. He tells her to find something that is flexible enough to move in and luckily Pepper has just the thing. She wears a plain blue short-sleeve shirt and black form-fitting tights. After her outfit is ‘Shadow-approved’ he brings her to the dining tent for some breakfast. It isn’t the grand breakfast she is used to, with lots of fruit and pastries, but it’ll have to do.

  “So, what am I going to be doing?”

  “A fight,” Shadow sighs.

  “A fight?” Rowan shouts.

  “There’s nothing else I can do! My hands are tied,” he runs his hands through his hair looking just as unhappy about this as she does.

  Standing in one of the larger tents where performers practice, Shadow is trying to explain that she is supposed to fight another performer. “You have no performance skills and you’re not a hybrid, so the best I can do is show you off to Prince Arlo in a fight,” he lets out an exasperated sigh.

  “I don’t have any skills in fighting!”

  “We still have time before the fight, I can teach you a thing or two,” he offers.

  “This will never work! I’m going to get killed out there!”

  “No one ever gets killed. Come on, I’ll show you a few moves,” Shadow stands in front, feet apart. He bends his knees somewhat and brings his fists up toward his face. He extends his arm out hurtling his fist toward her face. “When a punch is thrown I want you to slightly stand sideways. One foot in front of the other. Bring your fist up to your face like this. This is your defensive pose.” Shadow holds his fist out aiming for her face. He holds his stance to explain, “If your opponent is throwing a punch directly at you, your best bet it is to grab it, palm out and grab the fist. Elbows bent.”

  Rowan follows his instruction by grabbing his fist that is inches away from her face. His fist is grabbed by her palm and blocked from crashing into her. Shadow pushes
his force into her fist to show her that no matter how strong the punch, if she can stop it like this, this defense will save her face from being colliding with a fighters fist.

  “You can also block the punch before it happens. Bend your elbows ninety degrees, if it’s your left arm you’re going to push vertically left to block a punch coming from someone’s right arm. If someone is punching you with their left, block with your right arm, make contact with your outer forearm and their inner forearm and move vertically right. Understand?” He shows a demonstration that is easy enough.

  They practice this for minutes with increasing speed until her reflexes are better. They don’t have much time before the inevitable fight and this practice feels pointless.

  “Protect your head. If they’re swinging at you put the palms of your hands over your temples and stick your elbows out. Moves around side to side and block the momentum with your elbows. When all else fails—be quick. Go for the groin, eyes, stomp the feet. Even if you can hit him right here in his stomach,” he puts his hands just above his belly button, “they will bend over and you can bring your fist up and hit him in the nose. It shouldn’t be a closed fist. Curl your fingers but leave the palm of your hand open. That’s where you will make contact.”

  “I’m not ready. I can’t do this,” she breathlessly and hopelessly says.

  Practicing with him has been exhausting. If her opponents speed and stamina is anything like Shadow’s when he gives her his all, she’ll end up with a few broken bones or worse.

  “Do what you know. You might not win, but if you follow everything I taught you, you can last longer than a few minutes.” Even Shadow doesn’t sound too sure of himself.