Keylee
“Keylee! Keylee!” The child’s high pealing voice echoed through the tall, curved grape vines, the branches groaning under the cargo of succulent amethyst fruit. He giggled, a delicious sound like the gurgling of a fast flowing stream. The child was around six years old, chubby, fair-skinned, with rounded blue eyes and a mop of curly blonde hair. He looked like a cherub fallen from the sky. It was a warm summer’s afternoon, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. It was so hot that even the butterflies seemed to be moving slowly, as if enjoying the heat.
Keylee Alianna de Moncutan looked up. She was embroidering a petticoat, and the designs were particularly intricate. This one was dragons and grape vines entwined around the border and roses curling round the corners. She pulled on the pink satin thread and tied the knot. It broke with a loud snap and the needle fell to the floor. Kailin, next to her looked up briefly from sniffing an interesting scent in the bushes, but, summarising that his mistress was in no danger, went back to scenting the delicious smell. Keylee sighed. She was terrible at embroidering. Keylee was a Duchesse, at the strange age of fourteen where it is hard to say if she was a woman or a child. Her parents described her as being wilful, stubborn and disturbingly spirited. She was precocious, which was considered improper in a child her age. Her hair was dark, like the glossy mane of a bay horse or the gleaming inside of a conker, curly and unruly. It was tied up in an elegant twist, like all girls’ should be, but a few locks of dark hair had escaped from the tight bun and coiled endearingly by her slender neck. Her eyes were large and a doleful, dark brown, like a deer’s. Half fierce intelligence, half glitteringly vivacious; all trouble. She too had pale skin, like fresh cream. Her face was slim and puckish; all sharp angles. The only item of jewellery she wore was a simple strand of pearls, rustling around her neck. A delicate, gossamer veil of the lightest pink fluttered in front of her oval face each time she took a breath. Every girl in the country from the ages ten to twenty wore a veil, unless, of course, they married before. It was considered vile and disgusting for a man to look upon a young unmarried girl in the face. Similarly, girls over ten could not leave the house with their hair loose and must cover their legs. Even poor street urchins wound dirty cloth around their faces, tied their hair up in knots and bunched more materiel around their legs. Men, of course could wear what they wished. That was the way of the world, she thought, scowling.
“Gabriel!” Keylee called in her curiously low voice, which sounded like warm dark chocolate, comforting. Her little brother galloped towards her eagerly. Her brother was the most precious thing to her in the world. She had been his protector since his birth and he had always adored her, hero-worshipped her.
“Kay, Daddy’s going to teach me how to shoot arrows!” Gabriel cried, as if this was extremely important. “Arrows” he repeated, as though Keylee may have misheard.
Keylee smiled. “You’ll be the best.” She said, ruffling his hair.
Gabriel grinned, a smile of teeth and gaps.
“I’m going to be the best warrior ever. I’m going to join the army!”
“No.” Keylee said quickly. “That’s not a good idea. You shouldn’t join the army. No. Da won’t let you. Besides, you’re the best at fighting here anyway.” She bestowed another tender smile on Gabriel’s golden, curly head.
“No.” Gabriel shook his head violently, his thick curls tousled. “You are.”
Keylee’s smile disappeared faster than a rabbit fleeing from a hunting fox down its hole. “Gabriel.” She hissed. “Be quiet.” Gabriel stuck his bottom lip out, pouting.
“But you are.” He insisted. “I saw you practising.” He was running around her now, pretending to ride a horse. “You can shoot well.” He lisped, smiling with the air of someone cradling a bombshell. “But you can do the sword even better.” Keylee leapt up and ran after him, hitching her long skirt up.
“Gabriel, be quiet.” She shouted. Keylee was fast and Gabriel knew it. He squealed and ran.
“I saw you,” He panted as he wriggled out of Keylee’s grasp. “You...could...do all... of black... That’s even...better than...Da-” But Keylee had caught him now and pinned him against a grape vine. Behind her, Kailin growled softly, his angular hackles rising. Gabriel swallowed. He had never had a particular love of Kailin, his restless air and quiet foreboding not appealing to the little boy.
“Gabriel. You must never tell that to anyone.” She whispered, her chestnut eyes deadly serious. Gabriel was still struggling, but Keylee was stronger than him by far and Gabriel sensed a lost cause.
“But it’s true!” he muttered rebelliously, petulant, stubborn little child.
“Gabriel!” Keylee shouted, gripping his arms.
“Kay...” He muttered.
“Swear and promise?” Keylee demanded, still cautious. Gabriel swore and promised.
“Go.” Keylee said, releasing him. “And don’t forget!” She shouted after his retreating figure. Gabriel was already galloping back through the vineyards, ready for his archery lesson. Keylee sighed. Gabriel was so fickle, forgetting in an instant. He wouldn’t remember that Keylee could fight. He couldn’t. Keylee snapped out of her reverie and started searching for the fallen needle, groping around in the dust.
She swore suddenly, the foul word tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop it. She raised her finger to see the wound better. It was not deep, but the tip of the needle had broken off into her finger and could be infected. Keylee hurried to the stone fountain. She ran the wounded finger under the freezing jet of water, partially numbing it, then plucked the small piece of metal out with her finger tips. It stung and Keylee blinked back tears as the blood started to flow afresh.
“Don’t be stupid” She muttered to herself, rinsing the wound pensively under the chill water. If it got out that she fought, it would not just be Keylee’s honour at stake. But that was not the least of her secrets. She stared down at her hand. The wound was glowing slightly. The cut was already closed. Keylee shook her head. No, there were worse things.
All of chapter 1 was too long!
