Chapter 2: Heritage and Destiny

Kara Agnew sat in her empty room thinking of all the things that had led to this very moment. A father she had never known, a seventy-year-old curse, a greedy chief, and a wounded mother. It was sometimes unbelievable how her life was decided for her since before she was even born. But she couldn’t complain, it was all for her people.

She picked up the mirror, slowly pushing her hair aside, to inspect her ears.

"You will grow out of it," her mother had said to her when she had complained about how she looked so different from the others.

She flicked her ear, but it was still long, pointy, and etched towards the back of her head, unlike that of her people whose ears seemed to point towards the skies.

As a result, Kara always hid her ears under her hair, but that solved nothing as her hair was a pale pink, and white under the moonlight, in sharp contrast to the black\gray hairs of her people. Her skin was much paler than the rest, making her feel like a true foreigner. It would be a wonder then that she was reluctant to leave.

Alone with her thoughts, Kara reached up, pointing her fingers towards the ceiling. She closed her eyes, clearly visualizing what she wanted to happen. Suddenly, a dim light shimmered in the tiny room, casting a warm glow. The light grew, traveling across the room as if it had a life of its own. It made its way to the ceiling, dancing around like it belonged there, like it was meant to be there.

"Kara, have you finished your packing?"

The light crashed down sharply, and Kara rolled out of bed knowing that it was only a matter of seconds before her mother, Orla, appeared in her room. She knew her mother wouldn’t like that she was playing with her abilities, because the villagers would talk. Her mother’s footsteps were getting louder, so she pretended to be busy by shoving random garments in the makeshift bag at the foot of the wooden bed.

Kara expertly avoided the luxurious dresses her mother had sewn for her, for she was not trying to impress anyone and she wished to be accepted for who she was.

"What have you been doing, Kara? The others have assembled outside. The King’s ship is almost here," she said, taking charge. She grabbed the new dresses she’d gotten for Kara, folded them neatly, and closed the bag.

"I’m not done packing," Kara protested, reluctant to leave her books and carvings behind.

"Leave it! You are going to be the King’s wife soon. There are some things you shouldn’t be seen with," she noted dismissively.

"But…" Kara began, although she knew there was no winning this fight.

"Do not quarrel with me; I have a splitting headache," her mother responded weakly.

Kara looked at her again. This time, she couldn't miss the pale skin, dry lips, and dark circles under her eyes. Her once dark hair was now silver, like all the women of Javeni. Orla’s features reminded her of how old she was, and how one day, she would be the last original member of their village. Filled with remorse, Kara nodded, letting it go.

"Come, sit. Let me do your hair," Orla said, pulling Kara down to the stool at the center of the room. Kara sat still as her mother brushed her hair expertly, letting the lush curls flow in a graceful manner.

"There. You look like a Queen," Orla noted as she set down the brush, pulling Kara up with her.

"I’m not one yet," Kara replied as she fiddled with her hair. "What if he doesn’t like me?" she asked, looking up at her mother.

Orla pulled her chin up, straightening Kara’s shoulder. "He would be a fool then, and you would be the lucky one to not be saddled with such a man," she smiled, picking up a purple dress and urging Kara into it. The delicate material flowed freely, showing off curves she didn’t know she had. "Now come, we have little time left."

Kara followed after her mother, dragging her feet because she was unsure of what awaited her at Eithra. Even if she had to marry someone she had never met, she wished he was at least a gentleman. A handsome gentleman.

She hoisted the makeshift bag over her shoulder, making her way to the docks as her mother walked gracefully in front of her.

Kara looked around instantly; her mother had been telling the truth, everybody had left, and she could hear the bristle of the sand as they walked.

The ship came into view before they reached the docks. Kara stopped to stare at it in awe, leaving her mouth wide open for any insect to fly in. Orla rested a hand on her shoulder and nudged her forward.

All the villagers had gathered in front of the ship, and nobody was moving. It looked like they were waiting for… her? Kara couldn’t fault them; their lives were about to change.

Kara’s eldest brother’s, Cairo and Ramses smiled when they saw them. Cairo turned to her, holding up a robe adorned with the most beautiful diamonds she had ever seen.

Astonished, she stared at him. "It’s beautiful, but we don’t have diamonds like these," Kara stated.

"The villagers appreciate what you’re doing for them. All the houses offered their diamonds so we could make this robe for you. We should at least show Eithra that we are not as poor as they believe," he replied, putting the robe on Kara.

Guilt began to creep in. Here she was, feeling sorry for herself when the people who needed this the most were nothing but kind to her.

"Let us be on our way. The King’s men are getting impatient," Ramses noted.

Kara looked at her mother hoping for some sort of reassurance before she could take that leap. Orla offered her a weak smile, nodding at the ship.

"This is your destiny," she mouthed to Kara.

Smiling back, Kara let Cairo take her hand and lead her up. The moment her feet hit the ship, her people burst into a joyous song, dancing while Cairo and Ramses helped their mother get on the vessel.

Tears filled Kara’s eyes at their reaction. This, she thought, this is why I was born.