Long ago, when I was young, I thought there were two types of people in the world: good and bad. The good who protected the light, and the bad who swore to destroy it. My mother always told me the world wasn't that black and white. So when she died I thought she would always come back. But that was the child part of me. The part that didn't want to believe a mother would leave her sixteen year old girl. I guess I thought she wouldn't let me marry the Duke of Shire. So long as she was here nothing bad would happen.
The night before she died she seamed on edge, scared even, though I've never seen her so. She took me close to her and told me if anything happened to her, I should find my father, even though I've never met him. She said that he lived in the forest across from the castle we lived in. After the funeral a messenger was sent out to tell my sister, and my wedding was planned. The date set, and invitations sent out. Everyone was coming, even the prince of England who was cousin to my fiancé. This would make me in a place of power and my family third in line for the throne.
Sometimes I wonder if my mother's death wasn't an accident, she said we were dealing with very powerful people. I am in no place to conceive conspiracies at this moment only days away from my wedding. Guests will be arriving in the morning. I've asked if my father would be invited, and each time I am given a look of pure mockery. When I ask about my sister, they just laugh. I could leave. Do what my mother told me and find my father. But that is not ladylike of me, then I think why would I ever want to be.
I tap the ink to the paper and sign my name. I already know what I'm going to do. So when I'm done blotting away the extra ink I roll up the scroll and through it in the fire. I only wrote it to make sure I wasn't dreaming, that I wouldn't wake up from this cold nightmare. Everyone said the wedding would take my mind off of my mother, but it has only made things worse.
The moon was high in the sky when I fell asleep on my bed, and the sun was only hours away when I woke up again. I sat up in bed in the silence of the night. Then, I suddenly got up, dressed, packed, and walked out of the room.
My leather sole boots made no sound on the castle tile, and most guards were stationed on the wall. All doors had been oiled that day for the wedding, so I slipped out of the castle with ease. I didn't dare take a horse, for they were easy to track.
On the edge of the forest I looked back, but only for a moment, to wonder who I was: the good or the bad. The one who changed everything for the better, or the one who would throw it into chaos. I turned around and pushed my way through the dark leaves. I didn't know where I was going, all I knew is my father was here, most likely deep in the heart of the wood.
Sherwood forest has always been a place for bandits and outlaws to attack, visitors always go through it's roads anyway, so it was still good hunting grounds for those who wanted to get rich. Just in case I'd brought my sword, bow, and arrows.
I'd been walking for many hours when I stopped suddenly. The soft sound of people talking bounced off the trees. I looked around but could't see anyone. I stiffened as straight as a board when the point of a sword dug into my back.
"Walk forward," The man said (I knew it was a man because of the deepness of his voice), "Hey guys," he called, "look what I found." Suddenly over twenty men appeared in trees, bushes and coming out of tents I hand't noticed.
"Who are you?" I asked loudly. The men laughed.
"You don't know who we are?" one of them asked walking up to me. I shook my head, "We are outlaws. Now what are you doing in our camp?"