This chapter was my first piece of original writing coursework for my AS level English Language course, which I've posted in various places on the internet to get critiques/reviews. So if you could take a minute after you've read, it would be greatly appreciated if you could write me a small review. Thanks!

What I Always Wanted

Part One

I remember when I was a child, everything was so…bright. Soft and warm, and perfectly…bright. Mother would sing gently to herself, just watching the world pass by through the window from her room, and I would sit at her feet watching her, thinking she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, her hair white-blonde and braided and her ears long and sharply pointed . The light would shine through the glass and encase us in its warming gleam, and I would get the feeling that everything was as it should be, and perhaps it would always stay like this.

Bright.

I saw a demon for the first time at that age. I was so in awe of that magnificent being, this person whom all the other children were scared of. I recall it so well. We all stood behind our mothers’ skirts, grasping the material in our small hands, as the breath-taking beings entered our great halls, a party of exactly five. Some were tall and others were short, and some were fat and others slender. Some had wings and others tails, but that’s not really what I first noticed.

While the other girls whimpered to their mothers I looked on, my eyes wide with curiosity, at the most captivating array of colours I had ever seen. The most beautiful to me was the tallest. Standing with his shoulders back, and his wings folded tight against his muscled back, his skin and scales the shade of a dying rose, a deep, bloody red that caught the light and shone and glittered with all the grace of a ruby. He made my mother seem dull in comparison.

I was completely captivated. I had never seen something so striking in my life. One of the boys started to cry and his mother whisked him into her arms, hurrying from the room with a thankful look on her face. One of the King’s personal servants, looking nervous, came forward and quietly took them from the hall. I presume to see the King.

After the demons had gone, the parents stood around gossiping with one another for a while, and we played, dancing and singing our songs as if nothing had happened.

I listened to a group of women carefully. Their words were so cruel. Working my way around the groups of adults, they were all saying the same things, huddled together, standing upright, retaining their grace.

I couldn’t understand why they said these things. Why were the demons here anyway? Later, sitting under the window, I built up the courage and asked my mother why everyone hated the demons so.

“Izrazana,” she breathed, smiling out of the window, “it is in our blood. Long ago there was a small war between the elves and the demons. Did you know that? We tried to help them change their ways, their ways which were black and lustful, to become a more pure race, like us. They are an aggressive, deceitful and indulgent people. But they refused our help. They have been bitter towards us ever since. Now, play for me, child.” She indicated to my harp, leaving it at that brief explanation.

As I began to pluck the strings in the order of her favourite song, I thought hard about the demons. Were they truly so bad? Did they really do anything wrong? Surely we were the ones at fault for trying to change them without their consent?

It wasn’t until years later that I understood that that visit was to discuss and renew the peace treaty between our people, so the mistakes of the past would not be made again.

It’s a small consolation that they all regret that war, even if they all still hate each other. Even if I must try and hate the demons too.

“Lady Izrazana!”

“Hmm?” I answered.

“Are you on another world? I’ve called your name three times!”

I mumbled an apology.

We stood outside the Porting chamber, waiting for the preparations to finish so we could enter. I’m impatient at the best of times, and they were taking so long I was finding it hard to concentrate. I pressed my fingers to the warm metal of the circlet on my forehead. Tiana, my maid, was waiting with me while the princess made her farewells to the friends and servants that weren’t joining us.

I hadn’t wasted a second in accepting the invitation the princess made to accompany her and her uncle on this trip, along with several servants, and fighters for protection. The peace-treaty trip. The elves turn to travel. Imagine, seeing demons again! And where they live, what their palace is like, and what-

“Izrazana, I’m so glad you accepted my request!” Princess Alira sang, taking my hand in hers.

“How could I have declined?” I laughed “We must stick together, you and I, Princess.”

I couldn’t possibly tell her the real reason I had agreed so readily.

We may be the best of friends, yet I still feel the need to use her honorific. Even if I’m the heir to one of the Four Noble Houses, and her friend, I am still beneath her, and must respect her duly.

“I can’t believe I must go on this journey, Izrazana. Sending me to meet these horrifying, ugly creatures!”

“You know very well a member of the royal family must go, Princess,” came the booming voice of Ueva, uncle of Princess Alira, commanding general of the elven fighters, and best archer in elf history.

Alira’s ear twitched and she glared at Ueva, something that does nothing to help her less than stunning features. I love Alira dearly, but she certainly isn’t the most beautiful elf I’ve ever seen.

“Why can’t they just send some Shadows there, surely that’s a job for them!” Alira whined, pouting like a child.

I flinched at the remark. The Shadow Elves, the lowest in the elf hierarchy, are generally seen as lowly and only worthy of doing the most menial tasks by the aristocracy, the highest ranking Light Elves. My family and friends. Because of this prejudice, they live in the outskirts of elf territory, furthest away from us, the Lights.

They are still ranked higher than demons, though.

“Shadow Elves are as graceful as you and I, Princess, and I think it’s unfair that you must continue to talk about th-“

“There you go with your equivalence speech again, Izrazana! Must you always lecture me?” Alira snapped at me.

It’s true though. Every elf born is the same, even if some, we, have fairer hair and skin.

“Well, the trip must be made, and your father is too busy, your mother too fragile, and your brother too young, which leaves you, Princess. So if you wouldn’t mind,” Ueva growled, indicating to the now open door to the Porting chamber.

Alira made an indignant noise and flounced away, her servants following hurriedly with her things.

“Lady Izrazana, let’s get this terrifying thing done with quickly, shall we?” Ueva smiled, allowing me entrance to the room before him.

I nodded stiffly, heading into the chamber.

I breathed out, clenching my jaw tight. It hurts my heart to have to feign hate for the demons. I feel I’m betraying myself every time I do. And that had become quite often nowadays, it seemed. If possible, I stay quiet.

Holding my skirts, I stepped up to the platform, where the circle had been drawn. The bags, servants and fighters were already there, as was a frustrated Alira. I walked to her side, and said nothing. Ueva joined us.

The doors were closed, and the porters took their positions around the platform on raised sections that adjoined to the central platform, giving the entire shape the image of a giant cog. They sat cross-legged and closed their eyes, preparing for the invocation.

I had never actually been ported anywhere before, yet I wasn’t scared. I was ecstatic, and struggling to contain my joy from Alira and Ueva. I bit the inside of my cheek gently, and knotted my fingers together in impossible patterns, breathing shakily.

The circle begins to glow, the runes and markings inscribed within its boundaries building slowly, as if pulling in energy, getting brighter with every passing moment.

Suddenly, with a noise like a gust of wind, everything turned a blinding white. Shutting my eyes, I prayed the others couldn’t hear my heart beating as loud as I could. There was an empty feeling in my stomach that was quite unpleasant, but it wasn’t painful, and there was no other indication that I was being flung through space and time by magic.

I felt like there was nothing beneath my feet, like I was about to fall, and yet safe at the same time. That warming light wouldn’t let me fall.

And, just as suddenly as the light appeared, there was solid ground beneath my feet. I stumbled a little. I felt the rough surface of a stone floor through the thin silk shoes I wore.

“General Ueva, how wonderful to see you again!” I heard a gruff voice.

“And you, General Skoth,” Ueva’s strained voice returned.

My eyes flickered, opening to see the ground. I felt a little light-headed now. Perhaps porting wasn’t as easy as I had thought. My fingers went to my circlet again, a nervous habit picked up from my mother.

I raised my head, to see Alira smoothing out her dress and hair, and generally fussing over her appearance. Past her I saw Ueva, and the same demon that had come to our palace years ago. The one with the beautiful scarlet scales. He was still just as stunning.

“General, I don’t believe you’ve had the honour of meeting our lord, King Yochre.” Skoth half bowed to his lord, a huge demon of blue scales with large wings, and a sharp face. His features were relatively human in comparison with those of Skoth.

The King nodded his head toward Ueva, and proffered his large hand, which Ueva took, bowing into the shake with great reluctance. The elf stepped back, his arms by his sides, his shoulders rigid and his chest puffed out, no doubt trying to seem bigger to the heavily muscled King.

I laughed to myself quietly at Ueva’s foolishness, before turning my eyes to the beauty of the demon great hall. But before I had time to appreciate its lavish beauty, draped with thick velvets, lit with enchanted candles to burn brighter, decorated with large portraits and expensive items, adorned with thick rugs and gilt furnishings, so different to the simple halls I know, something else caught my eye.

A young demon, hiding behind the King, looking guilty, was scuffing his bare feet on the floor. He looked so…human.

His face was that of an angel’s, with soft features all in the right proportions. His hair was long and dark, loose down his back, falling down to his wing joints, shining in the candles’ bright light. His scales and skin were blue, ranging from a deep royal colour to a pale aqua, soft and bright.

His chest lightly muscled, his wings large and powerful, folded against his back. He simply wore a pair of billowy black shorts, with a tie at the knee, and a white sash tied with a metal clasp as a belt.

The demon was about my age, about sixteen, maybe a year older.

And he was the most handsome person I’d ever seen. My face began to redden as I quickly looked away, embarrassed by staring at him so openly. My heart was pounding, my stomach flipping over.

What was this feeling? After-effects of porting? Or…maybe-

I looked over at Alira to find her staring at me, her eyes ablaze. She must have been watching me the whole time. The princess’ face was contorted with disgust, and shaking her head slowly she returned her gaze to the introductions.

“And, of course,” Skoth grinned with pointed teeth, and indicating to the young demon with a wave of his hand, “his son: Prince Aether.”