Post by Rin Minigawa on Apr 28, 2011 14:08:27 GMT -5
Chapter One....
"Is it not the job of a SERVant to SERVE ones tea on time?!" Boomed the loud voice of a very angry red-head. The mid-day sun shone in through the stained glass windows of the Brinzellian castle, spilling across the stone floor covered in the finest of rugs.
"Yes milady, forgive me milady, a thousand apologies..." peeped a young servant girl as she poured the princess' tea with an steady hand. A second servant was silently making the bed, magnificently woven sheets and blankets were smoothed to pristine vision of flawlessness.
The flame-haired princess held her head high, arms crossed.
"A thousand apologies indeed," she snorted, "You may go now. Leave me."
Both servants curtsied politely with a "yes milady," and swiftly left the room.
"She's a dragon that one," whispered the younger servant to the other.
"No wonder she's a shrew." replied the older one, "It's her nineteenth birthday today and not one suitor dares come near her. Her mother was wed at sixteen!" The younger girl giggled,
"She'll die an old and lonely hag! Forever known as the terrible, fire-breathing princess of Brinzell!"
"Shh, she might hear you." and then they were out of earshot.
The princess, in fact, had heard them.
"A shew? A shrew am I?" She slammed down her teacup, and then dissatisfied with the loud "chink" of the china, she abruptly stood and overturned the whole table. The sound of the table falling and the china breaking and scattering fine porcelain shards across the floor was much more to her liking. She turned and kicked the chair over as well.
"Mother was a fool," she muttered walking to the window and looking out through the image of a rearing unicorn. Her mother was a tiny slip of a girl, pale skin with a splash of freckles, topped off with green eyes and red hair. Lira, however had only inherited her mother's hair and eyes, not to mention her dainty nose and chin. However her skin was sun-kissed like her father, she was taller than most girls, almost as tall as the men in her father's court. She would have been beautiful, if it weren't for the ever turned down corners of her raspberry shaded lips and the dainty crease between her brows.
Her impish mother had little effect on teaching her manners or how to be a lady, she only knew she was always unhappy, never satisfied, and ever restless. Her father, though mostly absent through her life, had arranged a ball for that evening in a last and futile attempt to find her a husband; she dreaded the thought.
"Your mother was proper," said a voice. In a fury Lira whirled about, ready to scream at whoever was spying on her, but her eyes found no one, her thick green and gold skirts illuminated by the colors of the window as she stood, fists clenched glaring around her room. The gold circlet in her hair shone like the jewels resting on her forehead as she retorted,
"What do you know of my mother?" Her mother had grown ill and died only a year and a half after Lira's birth, Lira was always blamed for being a demon child who had sucked the life right out of her.
"That matter is not something of concern. Tell me child, what is it you'd like most?"
Lira scowled,
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"I am Morgain, your fairy godmother, come to grant you a wish." As she spoke a small, hunched old woman dressed in gray and brown stood before her. She held a cane of knotted and twisted wood, her face was hooded and hidden from sight. Lira was glad. She didn't want to look upon the ugly creature and turned away.
"Why are you so ugly?" she asked rudely,
"I am as you make me lady." The woman bowed behind her.
Lira sniffed, ignoring her, "A wish is it? How many?"
"Just the one dear," the woman cracked her face into a wicked smile.
"Right," Lira crossed her arms, considering. She could wish for her mother, but she decided she didn't care for that much. She could wish for her father's affection, to be queen, to be married, or perfect, but she decided she didn't care about those things either. "I wish," she finally began, glaring at the stained glass unicorn. The unicorn embodied everything she was told she was supposed to be, and everything she was not. She decided to hate the creature, her mother, and the empty-headed fluff that served to be ladies of court and wealth. "I wish that I was greater than any lady here in the castle, and greater than any man as well, so I wouldn't need to marry or obey anyone."
"Granted," cackled the woman, disappearing in an instant, "run outside, young shrew. Run. And you shall have your wish." then her and her voice were gone.
Wide eyed, she pulled up her skirt and ran to pull open the heavy wooden door and dashed down the hall, down the stairs and into the courtyard. She looked around, a moment. The fairy was no where to be seen, and there were very few people at the far end of the court yard, servants doing their work. No one seemed to notice her at all. She spun a round, wondering if she had imagined it all. Then a fury gripped her. If she was to be made a fool....
That was it, she stormed off out of the courtyard and into the forest. A short walk for her, she knew the forest well as she spent most of her time there away from the castle and her governesses. A fairy was sure to be found there. She didn't think of how she would punish the fay for making her a fool, only wanted to find her and give her an earful of shrill complaints. However she came to a dizzy stop as soon as she could no longer see the castle behind her.
Fire coarsed through her veins and twisted in her gut. At first she thought it was her own anger, but her anger faded and was replaced by surprise at the pain. She groaned in agony as the twisting in her stomach worsened and she doubled over onto her knees, clutching her sides. The burning inched up into her throat, her eyes, and then tore its way down her back.
She felt the circlet fall out of her hair and she called out to the empty forest. What magic was this? What evil curse had been fixed upon her? She curled over on her side, her vision gone red. All she felt was the burning, fire, she was on fire! Or so it seemed. She heard the distant tearing of fabric, then there was a pinching sting among the burn she felt. She was blinded, screaming, twisting, tears streaming from her eyes and there were no arms to hold her, no hands offered to her. She felt bitter at this despite the pain and cursed her father's subjects for their incompetent heartlessness. Then there was a noise among the screams, it was a terrible roar. The pain faded like a falling curtain, the roar began to subside, but the screams did not.
When she could see, she gazed down to see suddenly a few hunters were running from her and shouting, their faces white with fear. It was about time, she thought, until she felt something bounce off her shoulder. She looked to see an arrow bounce harmlessly to the ground.
Suddenly aware of herself, Lira realized she was looking down on the men, rather than up at them, from her place on the ground, and when she looked at her uninjured shoulder, it was covered in red scales! In a second she was flapping her wings and spinning about as if she were mad. She was a dragon! Suddenly she was pelted with more arrows and she ran, or barreled away. She bared nearly three dozen pearly daggers from under her lips as she made her way. The men ran, more arrows followed, she crashed though the thick trees like a bumbling ogre and ran like ever before both in fear and in triumph. It seemed only minutes had passed when she finally erupted into a field. She recognized it as the borderland between her homeland of Brinzell and their neighboring kingdom of Shireglen, had she really gone so far in so short a time? Regardless, she gave a triumphant roar. Her green eyes now blazed with true fire behind them.
She spread her wings, she was lithe and thin for a dragon, graceful almost. Her black claws shone as if polished as she walked around the field like a queen. She thanked the fairy, for now shew as greater than any man or woman in the castle, and now, she didn't have to be wed or attend the ball. How wonderful. She then set to learning to use her new wings, and began to climb the rocky plateau that overlooked both kingdoms. Her wish had come true, and she was going to make the very most of it.
~~~~
Meanwhile, within the ivory white palace of Shireglen, Princess Thrae sang to herself in the garden. Flowers of every shape and color surrounded her along with endless fountains and sunshine. She sat adorned in a light blue, almost white gown, made of light silky fabric, accented with perfectly stitched dark blue petals. Her golden, almost white hair and dark blue eyes both seemed to sparkle as she hummed, weaving a crown of flowers for herself.
Smiling, an older woman approached her with a basket of berries,
"Lady, you look like an angel sitting like that. It's a wonder you haven't taken a suitor."
Thrae giggled,
"I don't love them Mara," she said, finishing the flower crown and standing up.
"Lady, if I may, it's not about love. But the good of your father's kingdom. You know he's ill and your mother worries so. It is your eighteenth birthday, the kingdom needs an ere."
The princess smiled and placed the flower ring on the woman's head.
"An ere the kingdom shall have, if I am given a true and pure love."
Mara shook her head and took the flowers from her hair and put them in her basket,
"You really are a pure creature my lady, I bless the man who wins your heart someday." She then curtsied, "excuse me, they'll be wanting me in the kitchen."
Thrae smiled and nodded kindly. She watched the woman walk away and then turned and gasped. There before her stood a beautiful fairy, her wings glistened , and was adorned in tiny flowers that looked like gems; she wore a hooded cloak, her face hidden.
"Who are you?" asked Thrae, breathless.
"I am Morgain, your fairy godmother, come to grant you a wish."
"A fairy! You're beautiful!" exclaimed the princess.
"I am as you make me lady," bowed the fay.
Thrae was delighted,
"A wish! Alright, I wish..." she closed her sapphire orbs, "for a love most pure, most true, and most everlasting."
The fairy before her, inclined her head,
"Granted, now run fare creature, run to the far end of this garden into the forest and beyond and you shall have your wish." And then she was gone.
Excited, the princess gathered up her skirts and ran, her slippers gliding over the ground. She ran as graceful as a deer. And soon the garden gave way to endless trees. She continued to run when suddenly she felt warm all over. As if her limbs had all turned to pudding. She stopped running and sat against a large rock, putting a hand to her head before she fainted.
Waking up, she was still alone in the forest, and was able to slowly get to her feet. But they were no longer feet that she stood upon, but hooves. She steadied herself and walked several feet. She was no longer human, that was certain. She felt her heart fall, had she been fooled? Where was this love she was to meet? She had not wished to be a horse! However upon finding herself a pond to drink from, she realized she was much more than a simple horse. She was blessed with becoming a unicorn. How her blue eyes sparkled against fur as white as snow, her horn glistened with magic. She felt so pure, as if she were love itself.
With joy she ran, feeling the power in her new muscles, listening to the sound of cloven hooves beating the ground. After a while of this, she stopped. She was lost. She had never been in the forest, always too afraid to leave the garden. Perhaps she had hoped that her wish would have been granted the way she had meant it and that her love would whisk her back to the palace so she'd be safe. She should have known better. She wandered and wandered until she came to a field near a plateau. Exhausted she lay down in the flowers and wept. But her weeping was replaced with terror as a horrendous cry echoed through the sky. She looked up in time to see a great red dragon banking over the field and a terrible glow filled it's jaws. She bolted out of sight as fast as her new legs could carry her as a wall of flame erupted on the far end of the field and the beast came to land in the twisting fire.
She blinked and looked again to see a nude woman about her age dancing in the fire, unharmed, her hair was as blood. As soon as she thought the comparison, her own blood chilled. The woman in the fire had stopped dancing, and was staring straight at her.
"Is it not the job of a SERVant to SERVE ones tea on time?!" Boomed the loud voice of a very angry red-head. The mid-day sun shone in through the stained glass windows of the Brinzellian castle, spilling across the stone floor covered in the finest of rugs.
"Yes milady, forgive me milady, a thousand apologies..." peeped a young servant girl as she poured the princess' tea with an steady hand. A second servant was silently making the bed, magnificently woven sheets and blankets were smoothed to pristine vision of flawlessness.
The flame-haired princess held her head high, arms crossed.
"A thousand apologies indeed," she snorted, "You may go now. Leave me."
Both servants curtsied politely with a "yes milady," and swiftly left the room.
"She's a dragon that one," whispered the younger servant to the other.
"No wonder she's a shrew." replied the older one, "It's her nineteenth birthday today and not one suitor dares come near her. Her mother was wed at sixteen!" The younger girl giggled,
"She'll die an old and lonely hag! Forever known as the terrible, fire-breathing princess of Brinzell!"
"Shh, she might hear you." and then they were out of earshot.
The princess, in fact, had heard them.
"A shew? A shrew am I?" She slammed down her teacup, and then dissatisfied with the loud "chink" of the china, she abruptly stood and overturned the whole table. The sound of the table falling and the china breaking and scattering fine porcelain shards across the floor was much more to her liking. She turned and kicked the chair over as well.
"Mother was a fool," she muttered walking to the window and looking out through the image of a rearing unicorn. Her mother was a tiny slip of a girl, pale skin with a splash of freckles, topped off with green eyes and red hair. Lira, however had only inherited her mother's hair and eyes, not to mention her dainty nose and chin. However her skin was sun-kissed like her father, she was taller than most girls, almost as tall as the men in her father's court. She would have been beautiful, if it weren't for the ever turned down corners of her raspberry shaded lips and the dainty crease between her brows.
Her impish mother had little effect on teaching her manners or how to be a lady, she only knew she was always unhappy, never satisfied, and ever restless. Her father, though mostly absent through her life, had arranged a ball for that evening in a last and futile attempt to find her a husband; she dreaded the thought.
"Your mother was proper," said a voice. In a fury Lira whirled about, ready to scream at whoever was spying on her, but her eyes found no one, her thick green and gold skirts illuminated by the colors of the window as she stood, fists clenched glaring around her room. The gold circlet in her hair shone like the jewels resting on her forehead as she retorted,
"What do you know of my mother?" Her mother had grown ill and died only a year and a half after Lira's birth, Lira was always blamed for being a demon child who had sucked the life right out of her.
"That matter is not something of concern. Tell me child, what is it you'd like most?"
Lira scowled,
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"I am Morgain, your fairy godmother, come to grant you a wish." As she spoke a small, hunched old woman dressed in gray and brown stood before her. She held a cane of knotted and twisted wood, her face was hooded and hidden from sight. Lira was glad. She didn't want to look upon the ugly creature and turned away.
"Why are you so ugly?" she asked rudely,
"I am as you make me lady." The woman bowed behind her.
Lira sniffed, ignoring her, "A wish is it? How many?"
"Just the one dear," the woman cracked her face into a wicked smile.
"Right," Lira crossed her arms, considering. She could wish for her mother, but she decided she didn't care for that much. She could wish for her father's affection, to be queen, to be married, or perfect, but she decided she didn't care about those things either. "I wish," she finally began, glaring at the stained glass unicorn. The unicorn embodied everything she was told she was supposed to be, and everything she was not. She decided to hate the creature, her mother, and the empty-headed fluff that served to be ladies of court and wealth. "I wish that I was greater than any lady here in the castle, and greater than any man as well, so I wouldn't need to marry or obey anyone."
"Granted," cackled the woman, disappearing in an instant, "run outside, young shrew. Run. And you shall have your wish." then her and her voice were gone.
Wide eyed, she pulled up her skirt and ran to pull open the heavy wooden door and dashed down the hall, down the stairs and into the courtyard. She looked around, a moment. The fairy was no where to be seen, and there were very few people at the far end of the court yard, servants doing their work. No one seemed to notice her at all. She spun a round, wondering if she had imagined it all. Then a fury gripped her. If she was to be made a fool....
That was it, she stormed off out of the courtyard and into the forest. A short walk for her, she knew the forest well as she spent most of her time there away from the castle and her governesses. A fairy was sure to be found there. She didn't think of how she would punish the fay for making her a fool, only wanted to find her and give her an earful of shrill complaints. However she came to a dizzy stop as soon as she could no longer see the castle behind her.
Fire coarsed through her veins and twisted in her gut. At first she thought it was her own anger, but her anger faded and was replaced by surprise at the pain. She groaned in agony as the twisting in her stomach worsened and she doubled over onto her knees, clutching her sides. The burning inched up into her throat, her eyes, and then tore its way down her back.
She felt the circlet fall out of her hair and she called out to the empty forest. What magic was this? What evil curse had been fixed upon her? She curled over on her side, her vision gone red. All she felt was the burning, fire, she was on fire! Or so it seemed. She heard the distant tearing of fabric, then there was a pinching sting among the burn she felt. She was blinded, screaming, twisting, tears streaming from her eyes and there were no arms to hold her, no hands offered to her. She felt bitter at this despite the pain and cursed her father's subjects for their incompetent heartlessness. Then there was a noise among the screams, it was a terrible roar. The pain faded like a falling curtain, the roar began to subside, but the screams did not.
When she could see, she gazed down to see suddenly a few hunters were running from her and shouting, their faces white with fear. It was about time, she thought, until she felt something bounce off her shoulder. She looked to see an arrow bounce harmlessly to the ground.
Suddenly aware of herself, Lira realized she was looking down on the men, rather than up at them, from her place on the ground, and when she looked at her uninjured shoulder, it was covered in red scales! In a second she was flapping her wings and spinning about as if she were mad. She was a dragon! Suddenly she was pelted with more arrows and she ran, or barreled away. She bared nearly three dozen pearly daggers from under her lips as she made her way. The men ran, more arrows followed, she crashed though the thick trees like a bumbling ogre and ran like ever before both in fear and in triumph. It seemed only minutes had passed when she finally erupted into a field. She recognized it as the borderland between her homeland of Brinzell and their neighboring kingdom of Shireglen, had she really gone so far in so short a time? Regardless, she gave a triumphant roar. Her green eyes now blazed with true fire behind them.
She spread her wings, she was lithe and thin for a dragon, graceful almost. Her black claws shone as if polished as she walked around the field like a queen. She thanked the fairy, for now shew as greater than any man or woman in the castle, and now, she didn't have to be wed or attend the ball. How wonderful. She then set to learning to use her new wings, and began to climb the rocky plateau that overlooked both kingdoms. Her wish had come true, and she was going to make the very most of it.
~~~~
Meanwhile, within the ivory white palace of Shireglen, Princess Thrae sang to herself in the garden. Flowers of every shape and color surrounded her along with endless fountains and sunshine. She sat adorned in a light blue, almost white gown, made of light silky fabric, accented with perfectly stitched dark blue petals. Her golden, almost white hair and dark blue eyes both seemed to sparkle as she hummed, weaving a crown of flowers for herself.
Smiling, an older woman approached her with a basket of berries,
"Lady, you look like an angel sitting like that. It's a wonder you haven't taken a suitor."
Thrae giggled,
"I don't love them Mara," she said, finishing the flower crown and standing up.
"Lady, if I may, it's not about love. But the good of your father's kingdom. You know he's ill and your mother worries so. It is your eighteenth birthday, the kingdom needs an ere."
The princess smiled and placed the flower ring on the woman's head.
"An ere the kingdom shall have, if I am given a true and pure love."
Mara shook her head and took the flowers from her hair and put them in her basket,
"You really are a pure creature my lady, I bless the man who wins your heart someday." She then curtsied, "excuse me, they'll be wanting me in the kitchen."
Thrae smiled and nodded kindly. She watched the woman walk away and then turned and gasped. There before her stood a beautiful fairy, her wings glistened , and was adorned in tiny flowers that looked like gems; she wore a hooded cloak, her face hidden.
"Who are you?" asked Thrae, breathless.
"I am Morgain, your fairy godmother, come to grant you a wish."
"A fairy! You're beautiful!" exclaimed the princess.
"I am as you make me lady," bowed the fay.
Thrae was delighted,
"A wish! Alright, I wish..." she closed her sapphire orbs, "for a love most pure, most true, and most everlasting."
The fairy before her, inclined her head,
"Granted, now run fare creature, run to the far end of this garden into the forest and beyond and you shall have your wish." And then she was gone.
Excited, the princess gathered up her skirts and ran, her slippers gliding over the ground. She ran as graceful as a deer. And soon the garden gave way to endless trees. She continued to run when suddenly she felt warm all over. As if her limbs had all turned to pudding. She stopped running and sat against a large rock, putting a hand to her head before she fainted.
Waking up, she was still alone in the forest, and was able to slowly get to her feet. But they were no longer feet that she stood upon, but hooves. She steadied herself and walked several feet. She was no longer human, that was certain. She felt her heart fall, had she been fooled? Where was this love she was to meet? She had not wished to be a horse! However upon finding herself a pond to drink from, she realized she was much more than a simple horse. She was blessed with becoming a unicorn. How her blue eyes sparkled against fur as white as snow, her horn glistened with magic. She felt so pure, as if she were love itself.
With joy she ran, feeling the power in her new muscles, listening to the sound of cloven hooves beating the ground. After a while of this, she stopped. She was lost. She had never been in the forest, always too afraid to leave the garden. Perhaps she had hoped that her wish would have been granted the way she had meant it and that her love would whisk her back to the palace so she'd be safe. She should have known better. She wandered and wandered until she came to a field near a plateau. Exhausted she lay down in the flowers and wept. But her weeping was replaced with terror as a horrendous cry echoed through the sky. She looked up in time to see a great red dragon banking over the field and a terrible glow filled it's jaws. She bolted out of sight as fast as her new legs could carry her as a wall of flame erupted on the far end of the field and the beast came to land in the twisting fire.
She blinked and looked again to see a nude woman about her age dancing in the fire, unharmed, her hair was as blood. As soon as she thought the comparison, her own blood chilled. The woman in the fire had stopped dancing, and was staring straight at her.
I wish more people would write this much about my story.
