Chapter Four: Beware of the Darkness and Meet the Queen

"Talia! Wake up!" I hear a slightly husky voice say in my ear, I use my hand to swat them away, "c'mon sweetheart, you have training today."

I sit up, glaring at Jason, who rudely woke me up. We have been camping out in this field for days now and every day he makes me use my magic to get used to it. I had learned how to not be distracted by the assassin, although it is really hard to not think about his hands on my arm or my waist or my hips. He has taught me how to mount a horse, how to throw a knife, and how to move my body so that I'm a hard target to hit.

"Never call me 'sweetheart' again, unless you want to be bald or half frozen." I snap at him. I stand up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and knock Jason over. I climb on top of him and pin him down, I smirk at his slight surprise. I've gotten faster.

I have his hands above his head, holding them down with one hand and I have the other on his chest, my legs are on top of his. He had challenged me last night that if I couldn't have him pinned down for longer than a minute, he could do whatever he wants to me. If I win this, then I get to choose what he does for the rest of the week and that he had to do whatever I say until we reach the castle. He was being cocky like he usually is when he challenges me because I usually lose. Not today, assassin. I punch his chest, he had a smirk that's slightly annoying, and I add more of my weight onto his chest. I then get off him, a smile on my lips.

Jason storms off into the forest, leaving me watching him leave. I guess he didn't care about any of it, how does he feel about losing to an amateur? I guess I don't care if he thinks I'm still like a weak little girl. If he doesn't want to escort me to the Queen, who will? What am I going to do? I sit down on the grass, fire, and ice surrounding me. I need to stop acting like this.

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I stand up, leaving my fire and ice ring, and head in the direction that the assassin went. It was growing dark, the sun was setting as I left the camp. I had taken a nap while waiting for Jason to return, but he never came back. Then I had a nightmare, which made everything around burst into flames and freezes over. As I walk, it slowly gets darker. I make a small ball of fire in my hand, surrounding it with some ice, and continue to walk. I feel something closing in on me, some kind of evil aura, and I pick up my pace.

"Jason! You out here?" I call out, goosebumps forming on my arms. I hear rustling in some bushes, something breathing, and I set the bush on fire. Whatever is in the bush will be on fire now.

"Talia! Put it out!" Jason yells, running around with his butt on fire. I fall to the ground laughing so hard my sides hurt. I let him keep running around for a few more minutes then I make ice form on his butt, which melts as soon as it can.

"Let that be a lesson as to not leave me alone for the whole day!" I snap at him, holding my fireball in ice.

"I didn't leave you there alone, I was watching from the treeline. How often do you have nightmares? It's getting scary at how your magic acts up when you have a nightmare." He says, his eyes softer than I've ever seen.

"I have a nightmare after a rough day or something goes wrong, mainly the second one. It doesn't usually happen, sorry..." I trail off, looking away.

"It's alright, just don't set me on fire again!" He says, heading back to camp. I follow, keeping the fireball in ice lit, and I keep my mouth shut.

Once we get to camp, I set a nearby log on the fire and sit down by it. I hear Jason cuss, although I don't exactly know what he said, it was certainly colorful. A plate of food is placed to my left and Jason sits down next to it, another plate full of food in his hands. I stare at the flames, how they live by the fuel of air and wood. Really, fire is so beautiful and lively. Ice is cold, saddening, and unlikeable. No wonder no one likes me, I have a magic that isn't able to bring life for it had frozen someone once.

I pick up the plate next to me and I start to eat. I start thinking what it would be like to kiss Jason again. Maybe he would kiss me back, or maybe leave me alone here for real. I stare back at the flames, I see them flicker in the dark. The same dark aura surrounds me, a shiver runs down my spine, and I get the feeling that we are being watched. I glance at the treeline that's on the other side of the fire, something moves in the darkness. I set my empty plate on my right and slowly scoot closer to Jason until my arm touches his, then I place form ice around us and the fire. He looks at me like I'm crazy or something.

"The dark aura is back and something was moving in the darkness, Jason," I whisper to him as the ice forms a sphere around us. I keep the fire going by relighting it.

"Talia, you're being paranoid. Step back before something happens between us, okay?" He basically snaps at me.

"Jason, I am serious! When I went into the forest, I felt the same dark aura that I did near Sir James's corpse! I'm not being paranoid! Whatever is out there is not human, or alive for that matter!" I yell back, the fire flickers brighter and the ice surrounding us makes it colder.

"Talia, control your magic before we freeze!" He yells, folding his arms over his chest. I make it colder, the fire going out, and I can see that his lips are turning blue. That's not good.

"Then don't doubt me, assassin," I tell him, moving so that I'm on his lap. Once he relaxes a little from my sudden move, I relight the fire and warm up the air around us.

Something hits the ice around us, making it crack. I yelp, strengthening the ice on instinct. I look out into the night, past the layers of ice, and I spot a dark figure. It is darker than the night, which means it is the source of the evil aura. I place my hand on the grass, pushing myself up, and stare at the figure.

"Weakling, you are of no worth for the magic you possess. Surrender it or face the death of someone who you wish to not lose." I hear something, or someone, say in my head.

"I have lost everyone I love, there is no one else you can take from me!" I shout at the figure, the faces of my little sisters flash through my mind. Losing them was the most painful thing I have ever experienced.

The figure disappears after another hit to the ice sphere that is protecting me and Jason. I sit back down, I hit my right thigh as hard as I can to release a little of the anger that had suddenly formed in me. I did lose everyone I love, in one single day I lost my family. I realize now that they won't ever be coming back for me, that they most likely forgot who I am in their lives, they most likely never wrote another letter to me. I see darkness cover the outer layer of ice, I strengthen it, and lay down on my side. Unwanted tears form in my eyes and I let them fall. I can't stop any of this, all this is my fault anyway. If I didn't have this magic, then my family wouldn't have left me alone. If I was stronger, then Jason wouldn't have to save me every time I got in trouble. If I could make my way to the castle on my own, then I would never have met the assassin who has saved my life.

I curl up in a ball, tears streaming down my face. I feel the cold well up inside me, freezing my heart and soul. I feel the heat try to melt away the ice.

"Talia..." I hear Jason whisper, I feel his arms wrap around me. I'm lifted from the grass and placed on his lap, I lean into his warmth. I'm cold, which isn't right.

"It's all my fault," I whisper, sobbing at the same time.

"Nothing is your fault, sweetheart. You were blessed with two kinds of magic, you were placed in this world for a better reason than I was." He whispers into my neck, where he placed his face. I can feel his warm breath right there and I sigh deeply. He shows me affection when I need someone there for me.

"Jason, I thought I told you never to call me 'sweetheart' ever again." I smile, moving so I was face to face with him. His arms were wrapped around my waist, holding me so that my back was flushed with his chest.

"I thought that was a suggestion, princess." His smirk makes my breath catch in my throat. Am I falling for him?

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I wake up with a heavy arm wrapped around my waist. I carefully lift it up and out or the way, I stand up and start a fire with a snap of my fingers. I dig around one of our bags, unable to find something to cook for breakfast, or maybe lunch? I have no clue what time of day it is!

"Tal..." I hear Jason mutter in his sleep, my cheeks warm. I glance over at him, his sleeping form making butterflies erupt in my stomach. How did I fall for Jason? He is an assassin, a very dangerous one at that, and yet here I am. A mediocre waitress, who is sixteen. I cook up some meats and vegetables that Jason had got a couple days ago.

"Talia? What are you doing?" I hear a slightly husky male voice ask from behind me.

"I'm making breakfast, little assassin," I reply, turning around to face him. I giggle at the look on his face, I caught him off guard with my little nickname for him.

"We have to head to the castle, we're days late." He says, stuffing some food into his mouth.

After breakfast, we pack up and mount the horses. We pass over a bridge, the rails covered in ivy and moss, on our way to the castle. A few nights ago, Jason told me that it would take another half day to arrive at the castle, that the gowns the women, even the maids, wear are all fancy, that all the men, even servants, wear tuxedos all day long. That the queen will be filled with joy at the site of me, which I highly doubt. When I was five years old, or younger, the queen had visited my village…

Flashback

"The queen is here! Jacob, get Talia in her pink dress! Now!" Mommy yelled. Daddy dragged me away from my toy dolls and stuffed me into that ugly, tight, pink dress they bought me a few days ago.

After that, we were ready to go.

"Lianne, Talia, let's go meet the queen." Daddy leads us to the middle of our village, where a huge dark blue carriage sits.

The door of the carriage opens, out comes a woman in a pure white gown comes out. She's as tall as daddy in those shoes, the back of them having a taller part, and her hair is the same shade of red as mine! The lady looks down at me, in my mommy's arms, and holds out a little white wolf puppy towards me. I reach for it but daddy takes me away.

"Sir, this puppy is a gift from me to the little girl. Please let her have it, you know why it's for her." The lady tells Daddy, giving the wolf puppy to him.

"Leave us alone, you witch!" Mommy yells at the lady.

With the maddest face ever, the lady gets back into the carriage and leaves. Later that day, while I play with the little wolf puppy, Mommy and Daddy tell me that lady was the queen and that they would be in huge trouble.

End of flashback

I wonder what had happened to my little wolf pup friend. It seems so trivial, so unnecessary, to even be thinking about what had happened to it. I'm pulled out of my thoughts by an arrow flying past my face, a ball of water coming next.

"Who goes there!" Yells a female voice from atop the wall before us. The cobble wall has ivy and moss, like the bridge from earlier, and there are flowers sprouting from the vines.

"Evana! Long time no see!" Jason says to the lady with white wings and dark hair. Evana, I think that's her name, glances at Jason then to me.

"Who's the ginger? Is she another one of your accomplishments?" She asks, her wings folding into her back. I scowl at the word

"The name's Talia, I am not an accomplishment of Jason's. He brought me here from my village because, according to him, the queen wishes to see me." I tell Evana. She chuckles and flies off, Jason then takes my hand and we enter the castle.

I am astonished by how amazing the interior looks. Midnight blue drapes, black rugs, and roses in every vase. As we walk, I see some tapestries. I stop in front of one, a woman holding a child with fire and ice surrounding it and a white wolf puppy with them.

"I made that one myself, I figured you would like it." I glance to where the feminine voice came from and saw the queen, white streaks in her fiery red hair. "Jason, thank you for bringing me Talia, it means so much to me. As a reward, as I promised, you are now the personal guard for our long lost princess and a member of the royal guard."

"Thank you, your highness. I'll see you later, Tal." Jason walks off with a couple guards, leaving me behind with the queen.

I walk down a few halls with her, until we reach the throne room. Inside, a total of six throne-like chairs are placed, one for each member of the royal family. The only problem is that there are five, not six. The queen leads me through another set of doors, into the royal hall where the royal family's sleeping quarters are. Again, there are six rooms but five members of the royal family.

"You, Talia, will be sleeping in this room," the queen stops in front of a door and opens it. "It was your room when you were born, I and the king did some redecorating so it would fit you much better now."

"What do you mean? I wasn't born in a castle, I was born in my village." I tell her, confused by her statement.

We walk into the room, the walls a pale blue and the furniture a pale pink. Some stuffed animals on shelves, books on multiple shelves, and a queen-sized bed. Fit for a, well, princess. I go to face the queen again when a white ball of fur pounces on me.

"I see Snowflake has recognized you, Talia. I didn't know if she would or not, but looks like she does." The queen laughs a bit while I wrestle the wolf off me. I recognize what she called the wolf, it was the same as what I called the wolf puppy that was given to me all those years ago.

"My queen, why did you give me this wolf when I and it was so little? My father and mother made it disappear less than a month after you gave her to me, why would you do something like that for the daughter of a village family?" I ask, sitting down on the bed. I look at the queen expectantly.

"I did so because Snowflake is the same age as you are." I give her a confused face. "You see, every member of my family has an animal that ages and dies at the same time as them. We all have a special connection to these creatures, its a bond between animal and human. I could see the bond between you and Snowflake the moment you two first saw each other, which was an hour after you were born. Jason also has a bond with an animal, a black wolf named Icestorm. Jason may not be part of our family, but he has some of our blood in him, and he has as much power as you do, my daughter."

"'My daughter'?!" I exclaimed, standing up from the bed.

"I am your mother, Talia. You were taken from me the night after your birth, it tore me and your father up. But now, you are here, where you belong, with me." She stands and takes my hands. This woman can't be my mother! There is no possible way!

I take a step back, then bolt out the door. I run into the throne room, everyone bows to me, and I run into the main hall. I search the crowd for Jason but have no luck. I feel my breathing quicken and my heartbeat do the same. I feel the ice and fire come from my fingertips, the same way they do when I have a nightmare. I use the ice to make a wall around me in a corner, I huddle there. I try to calm myself, but it won't work.

"Talia! Where are you?!" I hear male and female voices yell out over the crowd. Why is there a crowd here anyways?!

"My queen! There's someone over here surrounded by ice!" I hear someone shout, their silhouette seen through the ice. Another silhouette appears, followed by another then another. Soon, I am completely surrounded by ice and strangers.

I add a layer of fire then a layer of ice so then no one can see me. This can't be real. I can't be the daughter of a queen, let alone a royal of magic. True, I do have magic, but I was raised as a commoner. My parents were villagers, I've lived with them my entire life.

"Tal, let me through." I hear Jason say from outside the wall made of ice and fire. I glance up and only see silhouette after silhouette, not a single one looking like Jason. I must be hearing things.

"Talia, please come out. I know it can be very surprising, finding out that everything in your life has been one huge lie, but you must come out." I hear the queen say, her voice not wavering and laced with worry. How can she worry about someone that she only just met?

"Have everyone leave me alone!" I scream, the cold of ice and heat of fire radiating off me and the wall I have made. I hear a scream, I feel ice in my heart and fire in my soul.

I black out. The sound of ice shattering and water on fire. They got to me, they'll now hurt me for what I have done.

Jason's Point of View

"Jason, thank you for bringing me Talia, it means so much to me. As a reward, as I promised, you are now the personal guard for our long lost princess and a member of the royal guard." The queen says to me like a dismissal.

"Thank you, your highness. I'll see you later, Tal." I walk off with a couple guards. They bring me to the guards quarters, right across from the throne room.

We enter and the first thing I take notice to is how many weapons there are. Bows, crossbows, swords, daggers, and more! This is assassin heaven!

"I see Jason the Assassin is here, again." Says the craziest and insane magician in this kingdom, Alexander Scarstone. Seriously, this guys is so hyper it gives me a headache.

"Alexander the soon to be a prisoner or Alexander the magician? Either way, leave us alone." I tell him, gripping my dagger. I will slice this guy if it wouldn't send me to the dungeon.

"The magician, deary. Who's this 'us' you were referring to?" He asks.

Then I hear someone shout, "My queen, there's someone surrounded by ice!" Talia, you are in so much trouble!

I bolt from the guard room to the throne room, seeing a block of ice keeping someone in a corner. Only one person would do that, and that's Talia. My Talia. I walk through the crowd, to Talia and try to get through.

"Tal, let me through," I say, placing my hands on the ice. It isn't cold a moment later, then I see a wall of fire on the other side.

"Talia, please come out. I know it can be very surprising, finding out that everything in your life has been one huge lie, but you must come out." The queen, standing beside me, says. She's terribly worried for Talia, I can tell by how her voice is and the look on her face.

"We have to bust through! That girl won't come out on her own! She's a monster, just like Alexander Scarstone!" I hear a male, probably in his thirties, yell. Men start to break away the ice, the fire fizzling to an end as the ice hits it, and then I see her.

Talia is curled up in a ball, her hair is fiery red that fades to an icy blue. The queen gasps, I pick up Talia and carry her through the crowd and into the room the queen had prepared for her. This can either be good or bad, and she is no monster like that man said she was. Talia is the princess that everyone will love and will cherish, for she is in the prophecy. Much like I am…