Chapter 2: Starborn

Aurora froze in the doorway of her throne room. Three individuals, one man and two women, greeted her: Helson, Guinevere, and Seraphina Thorne. They were distant relatives, being only one step away from her extended family. However that didn’t stop them from acting like they were closer than they actually were. That was a common occurrence within the Helson family: members removed several times over insisted on being referred to with more immediate terms. In their eyes, these people were Aurora’s uncle, grandmother, and cousin. At least Seraphina was technically correct on that point.

“Aurora, my dear, how are you?” Helson joyfully asked, strolling over to Aurora so casually. She forced a smile.

“Uncle!” She said through gritted teeth. “Why in Oblivion are you here?” Helson Thorne was a portly man with light skin and short dark hair. He was the spitting image of an aristocrat; whenever someone pictured a caricature of the rich elite, Helson Thorne was usually what came to mind. It didn’t help he wore over the top, fancy suits every day.

“Come now!” He said, hugging Aurora and patting her on the back. She did not reciprocate. “Do we really need a reason to visit and check up on my favorite niece?”

“You do when we haven’t spoken in nearly, what, two decades? Last time we saw each other dad was still around.” Aurora tried her best to wriggle out of the unwanted hug. Having a new leg and wearing elaborate dresses really restricted her movements.

“And how is the old traitorous dog?” Helson laughed. Despite his choice of words he still seemed plenty joyful. He might actually care about Aurora’s father!

“He… he’s dead uncle.” Aurora said flatly. Helson ceased his playfulness, and slowly let go of Aurora. “Dead for quite some time. He was killed in the war. Mom died not too long ago as well.” Helson looked at Aurora. There was such a genuine look of grief in his eyes. She could hardly believe it was real.

“My dear, I am truly sorry for your loss. The death of your father is a terrible tragedy for our family. I can’t fathom the pain in your heart. We offer you our deepest condolences.” He said solemnly. Aurora waited. And waited. Waited enough for there to be a significantly awkward lull in the conversation.

“And, my mother?” Aurora asked slowly. Helson stood there for a moment, apparently contemplating.

“Sure, why not.” He shrugged. There it is. That was another common occurrence of the family. Marrying into the family was just as bad as not being apart of it at all. To the real Helsons, Ariadne was nothing more than a womb with legs and an annoyingly loud mouth. Aurora did her damnedest to bite her tongue.

“Was there a real point to this little visit?” Aurora growled in as polite of a tone as she could muster. “Or can I go back to my work?” Helson cleared his throat.

“That is something we did want to discuss with you, my dear.” He said somewhat nervously. Aurora raised an eyebrow as he awkwardly fidgeted his hands. “We’ve noticed that you’ve been making some, er, changes. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that these changes are… oh how do I put this?”

“Completely ruining our way of life!” Guinevere quickly added.

“Precisely!” Helson said, the nature of the statement apparently not taking away from his cheerful tone. Aurora blinked, not from the response itself but rather the forwardness of it all. She expected this kind of confrontation. Over the past few years, Aurora had been completely changing their way of life, undoing all the damage her family did. Her dumbfounded expression apparently told Helson his beloved niece was just too dull to understand what he was referring to. “Your new policies seem to be going against everything we’ve been working towards these centuries. In fact, most have been seemingly made to reverse every decision made by the last king.” Helson explained.

“The last king wasn’t even a real Helson!” Aurora started. “He bribed his way into the family!”

“And yet he was still more of a Helson than you.” Seraphina snickered. Her father shot her a glare. She let out a pathetic squeak and resumed her polite, quiet stance. Aurora glanced at her then back at Helson. Seraphina Thorne, beloved princess of the Thorne sect. She was everything a Helson woman should be: small frame, tanned skin, and golden hair. The definition of Solstyan beauty. The opposite of Aurora. She was young too, Miryam’s age, she was most definitely going to Caelestis Academy. The education at least they had in common.

“An oversight we are grateful you caught.” Helson said, his timidity creeping back in. “After that fiasco we combed through our records. We were, uh, quite quick to verify the legitimacy of your birth.” No doubt going in with the hope they could cut her out of the family. “You’re a Helson through and through!”

“Wonderful…” Aurora groaned. “If that’s the case, then my decisions shouldn’t be under scrutiny, as they would be aligning with Helson intent.” She quickly pointed out. Helson chuckled.

“My dear, one stubborn fish does not change the direction of the stream. Nearly, if not every decision you’ve made has gone against the family as a whole. You’re putting us at risk! I mean opening our gates, abolishing the Steel Suns, paying reparations?! Think about what you’re doing!”

“Making people’s lives easier?” Aurora asked, irritated.

“Disrupting the balance of things! The status quo! You’re going to give those things ideas! That they’re equal!” Helson continued to argue.

“Not to mention you sullied the name of our prestigious academy!” Guinevere chimed in again. “You’re letting anyone enroll! My baby has to sit in a lecture hall with ruffians!”

“Nocturnals aren’t ruffians.” Aurora said through gritted teeth. She had to hold back, bite her tongue further. They may not be current royalty but every member of the Helson family holds immense power.

“I was referring to your so-called niece.” Guinevere clarified. “The bastard child.” In one swift motion, Aurora pulled out her dagger from a compartment she carved into her prosthetic leg. She pointed it at Guinevere.

“Don’t forget you old hag.” She hissed. “You married into this family. I outrank you. I could gut you and most of the sects would take my side.” There was a pause. No one moved. The air stilled. Deafening silence filled the room, until Helson slowly opened his mouth to speak.

“I thought you didn’t care about being starborn, Miss Vale.” He said. There was a slight arrogance to his words, a knowingness. In a way, they had won. Aurora’s arm trembled. She faltered, taking a step back and lowering the blade. She took a moment to compose herself.

“Get out.” She whispered sharply. Wordlessly, the Thornes left. Aurora breathed out and tucked the dagger back into her leg. She took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. She tries so hard. She does everything she can to make things right. And yet, at the end of the day, she’s still a Helson. She turned to leave. Maybe she can take her mind off things. Bake something, brew something, do anything to distract herself from reality. She just wished that-

The door opened on its own and Ulric immediately jumped out to hug her.

-her family was here to comfort her.