Chapter two 

It had been months since Clover  and her siblings arrived, the busy palace life still something to get used to, and not to forget the housekeeper and her orders which made Clover shiver with the thought of her strict and high voice. She and Aster spent most of their days cleaning dishes, mopping or scrubbing floors clean, their hands had grown more rough because of it, Clover was not used to working till her hands blistered, the temple was strict, but not that strict. 

It was spring now and with it Clover felt herself become restless and full of life, like always when the springtime comes. She had once described it to Aster as coming back to life after a long near death sleep. Aster only stared at Clover and told her that she was not some character in a play. 

Clover was bored as always as she and Aster were scrubbing one of the great halls, she didn’t know which one as there were far too many, they all looked the same to Clover. She threw her rag into the soapy bucket and groaned. "This would go much faster if i could just-" 

"Don't you bloody dare," Aster growled, halting in her work. 

"It would only take-"

"No," 

Clover grumbled slumping as she crossed her legs and arms in a childish protest, "then i won't work," 

"Clover," Aster grits. 

"No, if I can't just simply ask the water to kindly sweep the floor for us then I refuse to do anything."

"I swear to the goddess i will hit you and you'll wish you'd just gotten back to work," 

Clover fell back onto the floor with a huff, blowing her loose strands of hair away from her face. She brought her left wrist up above her face, narrowing her eyes of the intricate black ink like markings that permanently stained her skin. A flutter grew in her chest as she stared, her mind wandering at all the possibilities.

"What do you think they'll be like?" She spoke suddenly,

"Who?" Aster rumbled still not happy her sister wasn't helping her, 

"Our soulmate, fated partner, the one, our goddess given-" 

"I get it," she cut off tired, she stopped her scrubbing for a moment, pausing in thought, she wasn't a daydreamer like Clover and hadn't ever given it much thought, she gazed down at her mark on her left wrist just barely visible from under her sleeve. It had been there since the day she was born as is everyone else's, but only one person in the world shared the same mark as hers which terrified her. A soulmate, her perfect half.  "Why?" She questions, 

Clover smiles, "it just sounds wonderful," she says blissfully, "i just know they'll be good looking, kind, gentle, interesting, oh and of course they'll love me," she giggled, "it will be love at first sight," 

Aster rolled her eyes, "sure, it will be just like a fairytale," she mocked. 

Clover turned to look at Aster frowning, "you'll see, i just know it. I've had an ache in my gut since yesterday, and I swear my mark started to burn last night. They're close, I can feel it." 

Aster repressed a snort, getting back to her work, shuffling along the floor on her hands and knees, trying not to let the dread of a soulmate consume her. 

Only a few moments later did the hall's double doors open revealing the housekeeper, her beak-like nose strung high in the air along with her chin, gliding across the room to the two girls. She looked down at them like bugs, finding she did not care much for them since they had arrived at the palace. 

"You there, girl." She points at Clover who now sits up straight trying to look as if she were busy inspecting the floor. "I need you to go to the west wing to the captain's office." Clover gulped, the captain of the guards was a cruel man, she had only stumbled upon the training grounds once, but the captain knew non such thing as compassion when it came to his guards, nor to anyone else from what she heard from the rest of maids. "He has papers he needs to give me but I am far too busy to collect them, he will know which ones to hand to you." 

"But i have not-"

"Did you not hear me!" She screeches, "you will do as you are told girl. Now go!"

Clover jumped up onto her feet as fast as she could, her eyes trained to the ground as she quickly passed both Aster and the housekeeper. 

Her footsteps were rushed as she travelled further away from the hall. Once she knew she was no longer close by she stopped taking a breath. She allowed herself to take a leisurely pace, imagining herself as a high lady, in a silk gown flowing along down her legs. Her steps becoming more purposeful walking with more poise than before, she twirled around lifting the skirt of her dress up. She glanced about the hallway that was gilled in soft creams and golds. The walls decked in priceless painting and portraits. 

Clover grinned, a tune in her head as she imagined she was dancing, she hardly noticed the burn that engulfed her left wrist, till it grew to an exstresating agony. She stopped glaring at her mark with confusion hissing in pain rubbing it as if that would make the hurt go away, she absently slowly carried on to walk, she came to a halt as she bumped into something hard crashing to the floor with a hard thud. Her hands stung at the impact of the fall as did her legs and backend. 

"You stupid girl!" A voice yelled forcing Clover to look up to see a group of men. The one shouting at Clover seemingly being an attendant to some lord, but all were most definitely of a high rank. "How dare you be so careless!" Clover gazed dumbfounded, not able to come up with anything, she shook as the man looked down at her as if he wished to stomp her to death. "Are you stupid?! I should have you whipped!" He ranted, "are you listening?"

She picked herself up off the ground, "I-i d-d-didn't see you i was l-lost in thought, i-" her words were cut off, just as she stood on her too legs the man's right wrist rolled as his hand came flying towards her face, she took notice of the many jewelled rings that decorated his fingers, just as it made contact with her face, striking her cheek by her lip and nose. The cold metal of the rings denting painfully on her face, catching briefly on her lips. She staggered back by the force of the slap, stunned. 

"What is your name girl, I'll see to it that you are properly punished."

She was quiet for a moment, "C-Clover," she stuttered in a whisper, still in shock. The man snarled at hearing her name turning back to a man who seemed to be the highest of the ranks out of the men, all the while who gazed at Clover with an unreadable expression. 

Clover did not take notice that her once black markings had turned to a glowing gold on her left wrist only the well dressed man who stared at her did. 

"I am so sorry your majesty, our servants are not always so badly behaved. I will speak to the housekeeper to make sure-" 

The well dressed man ignored the attendants grovelling, taking a step towards the girl. His fingers lifted to her now red cheek, brushing tenderly along the swelling skin, his thumb inching across her lower lip, smudging the bit of blood from where the attendant's ring caught.

All grew silent, Clover started with puzzlement into the man's eyes, yet felt a comfort from the forest green that illuminated down to her golden ones. 

"Y-your majesty," one of the men interrupted timidly, The man turned around releasing Clover's cheek. All the men began to talk, as Clover stood there quiet as a mouse, she caught sight of her wrist gasping as hot tears streamed from her eyes, the embarrassment and humiliation washing over her in waves, looking at the back of the man who was her soulmate, not taking in the words the men were speaking to him. She shook her head, her heart pounding, this was not at all the way she wanted things to go, stifling a sob, she stepped away from the group till she was at an all out sprint. She did not know what she would do but she could not face him, not after being berated and slapped like that in front of him, she took no notice of the dying plants that shrivelled and darkened as she ran past. 

She ran till she got to the servant quarters, panting in breath after breath, she sobbed like a child trying to make it to her and Aster's room. 

“Clover?” her head turned up, spying her brother, without a word she rushed to him falling into his arms, hugging him tightly, crying on his shoulder. He took her into his room, where his room mate looked up to them startled, “Give us a moment Will,” Basil spoke deeply, staring the boy down, he nodded quickly rushing out not wanting to find out what Basil would do if he refused. 

Basil placed Clover on his bed, as he took a seat next to her, “what’s the matter Clove?” he spoke softly using her nickname, “has someone been bothering you? Tell me who i’ll set them straight-” 

“It’s not that,” she sniffled, “i-i met my soulmate.” 

Basil could only gaze at his sister silently, “he’s not ugly is he?” 

Clover shook her head, “no, no, he’s-he;s,” she didn’t finish, “i ruined it, it all went wrong and all because i didn’t see where i was going,” she rambled, 

“What happened?” Basil asked, acting patient. 

“I bumped into some lords i think, i wasn’t paying attention, i-i fell on the floor, and this man was yelling at me, then he-he hit me really hard and-” she stopped taking a deep breath as a new sob escaped her lips, “oh Basil it was humiliating, i just stood there mute, and then he walked up to me and-and-” 

“Calm down,” Basil soothed, he was always so great at comforting her, “I'm sure he was too transfixed on you to care about anything else.” 

Clover's shoulders shook and she rapidly shook her head, “no, i can never face him again.” 

Basil sighed, he knew she thought the world was over, she was dramatic at the best of times and her crying was not helping the situation. 

“And-and now,” she started, “I'll be in trouble with the housekeeper because I didn't get her papers.” 

“What did you need to get?” he questioned lifting off the bed, making Clover bounce up a bit, 

“Some papers from captain in his office on the west wing,” she sniffed, 

He nodded, “don’t worry, stay here, I'll get them for you.” He walked out the room letting out a breath as he closed the door, shaking his head, knowing he’ll have a headache later. The palace was already up in a tizzy because of the king of Spendia arrival. It was surprising to all that the kings decided to talk about trade deals in person, but Basil didn’t care much about the politics, unlike his roommate Will. 

Basil made his way to the west wing, sure that Clover would be over the whole thing by evening meal and desperate to find her soulmate again, asking just about everybody if they knew who is. He just hoped there would be enough ale to drown out her gushings about her all so perfect soulmate. Yes he was sure she would be her happy self soon enough. 

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