The Only One: Zelephina
Prologue
A small 8 year old girl dove behind the green bushes, hiding from the guards.
"Zelephina? Zelephina, come back this instance! Your father is calling you!" A black figure yelled into the vast midnight sky. With a mighty growl, he kept on searching the grounds for traces of the kid.
The poor child was barely breathing and was as still as a stick behind the bush. She didn't dare make a move, for it would cost her a chance of a lifetime.
"If that girl doesn't get back here this instance, so help me I will…." The head guard grew less patient by the second. The king would never forgive him…
Zelephina began to feel tears sliding down her cheek. She just wanted to be free. It was too late now. The guard was slowly inching towards her. To roam far away was her destiny. But for now, all that awaited her was the ball and tons of snotty dukes and duchesses.
Finally, her spot was revealed.
"They you are, you little brat. Now get back into the ball! Everybody is waiting for you!" She struggled in his arm for a moment, but soon decided it wasn't worth it… So she took his hand and walked towards the main room… Where she would have to pretend to be happy with her life in front of everyone…
"What took you so long? Where was she?" The king demanded from the knight.
"I'm sorry your highness, but she was trying to escape. Apparently, she doesn't want to come, but I have no clue why. There are lots of sweets, nice little girls her age, and I am sure she will have a great time with all the people to converse with." He replied curtly.
Sure…
Zelephina knew that she wouldn't… people were either too afraid to speak to her, or teased her. Actually, all the little girls would tease her because of how shy she was and would call her ugly. They were wrong though. Zelephina might have been shy, but she had inherited her mother's beauty. She had long, elegant, wavy brown hair that was occasionally golden /auburn from the light and deep sapphire eyes that were always quite lonely looking. For today's occasion, the ball, she was wearing a graceful teal colored dress with her special blue ribbon laced up in her hair.
"But… I do not like dances..." She tried to fake out of the situation by being shy. Of course, that wasn't her real reason. On contrary, she loved to dance freely in the gardens.
The king bent down to her and whispered harshly in her ear, "Listen to me child… Without me you wouldn't be here. Now show me some respect this instant!" Zelephina, being use to being treated so poorly, whipped away a single tear and went off with her head low.
I despise my life…why was I born into high royalty? Why can't a just be normal girl without being threatened and worked everyday…
She decided to accept fate for tonight and went on to go enjoy herself at the party while she could.
A small boy, the age of Zelephina, with dark, shaggy brown hair and gorgeous brown eyes came walking in with his father by his side. Apparently, his father was no stranger, because everyone but the king bowed before him.
"Your highness, I have come with my son, Murtagh." The man curtly bowed and held out all hand. Murtagh just gave him a fake smile and a short bow. He didn't want to stay with his father so he walked off to find something to do. Although, there really wasn't anything to do, so he just walked out onto the porch.
He sighed and decided he could think to himself for a while.
Father wants me to dance with girl…but all the ones I saw in the ball weren't pretty enough… They all looked very spoiled and bratty… My father said something about the king's daughter coming tonight…She sounded different from what I've heard … I've never seen of her before, but my father tells me she is very shy, quiet, and tends to runaway a lot…Well, from that description, she sounds a lot better then the other ones…
Back at the ball, Zelephina had to cope with the 3 worst girls of the Algeasia.
"Hey Zelephina. I love your dress. I could die for it! Literally!" One girl sneered while another stuck her tongue out at her.
"What do you guys want with me…?" She asked the trio sadly…
"We just want to tease you as we always do! What's so wrong with that???" The girl her stuck her tongue out pretended to act all innocent.
The trio had begun to gang up on the poor little girl, slowly cornering her, until they reached the door to the porch.
"Look, ugly, your nothing but an ugly, scary monster! Nobody wants you! Not even your own parents!" The lead girl told her. Finally, the three opened the door and all punched her onto the rail.
The shaggy brunette boy was just minding his business when he heard a huge crash.
"What could that have-" The boy was stunned from the sight. There, lying a couple feet next to him, was a teary girl his age that had just been punched at the same time by three others. The trio was going closer and started punching once again. The poor girl was trying to hold back her tears. Usually he didn't like to help the weak ones, but she was an acceptation.
"Stop!" He yelled at the trio. "What do you think your doing to your poor friend here? You can't treat people like that?"
"O- Wait! This isn't what it looks like! See we're just trying to help her up…" One of them stuttered to the mysteriously handsome boy. He growled in a low voice, "Leave her alone now, and leave before I tell your parents." And with that, the trio scurried off in fright, like the little devils they were.
The boy slowly neared the teary eyed girl, being very precautious.
"Are you ok?" He asked shyly and hesitantly offered a hand. Zelephina grasped his fingers and Murtagh pulled her up straight into his arms. Blushing at their distance, they both stepped back a bit.
"So, what happened there?" He asked her quietly.
"Nothing too bad… They always tease me so it wasn't a big surprise…" She muttered softly. The boy suddenly felt a huge rock of pity hit his throat. The poor girl… He wanted to know why they could be so mean…
"Why do they tease you, if you don't mind me asking?" Murtagh questioned.
"I don't mind…" She smiled, "Anyways, they tease me because of who I am… Their envy causes hatred. The only way to take it all out for them is to beat me up so that they won't be so jealous…" Zelephina replied.
"What would make them jealous in the first place?" His eyes got larger by the second. How could he have never heard of this girl?
"They're envious of me because I am the king's daughter… They think that just because I am his daughter that I get special treatments, toys, and gifts…" Her voice was literally tearing up as the conversation went on… "They don't know anything about my life… They think my life is easy…" She gave a scornful laugh…
"Oh…" He said with a slight frown, "Well, um, what do you want to do? I probley will have to go in soon because my father will make me dance. He says dancing with a girl improves you charm. I don't really care about that stuff though… I'd rather just leave this place and run free on my own…" He looked up towards the dark sky, waiting for something to happen.
"I would love for that to happen to me too…To just run away from all your life… That would be very pleasurable, wouldn't it?" She raised her head towards the dazzling night sky. They both just stood there for a minute, looking into the deep, vast night.
"Oh, pardon me, but I didn't catch your name." Zelephina asked with a small smile.
"Oh I am Murtagh, son of Warrior Morzan," He said with a slight bow, "And what may your name be?" He questioned.
"I am Zelephina, daughter of King Galbatorix." She once again gave off her famous, shy smile.
"Oh, it is 9:00. I have to go inside. My father told me to meet him at 9 to find a partner to dance with for the big dance." She frowned slightly and began to turn away.
"Wait!" Murtagh cried out. He walked towards her, closer and closer. "Will…will you be my dance partner." With his cheeks going red, he took her hand in his.
"I would be delighted…" She replied with a blush.
A blush slowly crept up the boy's face. There they were; just standing together, holding hands and starring into each other's eyes, waiting for the right song.
"Again, thank you for asking me…" She gave off her rich, famous shy smile.
"My pleasure." He replied.
In that moment, hand in hand, they slowly began dancing their way across the floor. It wasn't as easy as it had seemed, for the pace would occasionally miss a beat, and some steps were out of place. Murtagh was getting worried, but soon the butterflies in his stomach flew away.
Step with step, pace with pace! Everything matched accordingly. Sparks flew as they glided with ease. People began to step aside and let the couple dance with the spotlight.
"Murtagh, we are in the spotlight…" The princess worriedly told him.
"Don't worry; it'll all be fine. You're doing great." He gave a little grin.
"Thank you…" She said with awe.
Finally, with only a couple seconds left, the boy twirled her out rhythmically. Then they ended it out with a curtsey and bow.
"Good job…" Murtagh complemented her.
"You too." She replied softly. For a couple of minutes they just stared into each other's sparkling eyes. A connection was immediately recognized between the two. They were too busy focusing on each other to notice that their father's approaching.
"Zelephina, stop wasting your time!" Her father yelled as he neared her.
"Same with you, Murtagh! You two have been staring into each other for five minutes straight!" The Forsworn leader growled his son.
"So-sorry father…" They both apologized as both fathers glared down at their own child.
"Don't ever make another mistake like that, am I clear?" The girl's father yelled and harshly slapped her across the face.
Zelephina tried to stay calm, but it wasn't that easy. As soon as the men walked away, she burst into tears.
"Are you ok?" Murtagh broke into fear. She slowly nodded her head as she began to wipe away the tears.
"Murtagh… I think I have to go now. I can't make my father any angrier or who knows what he'll do to me?" She slowly told him.
"Zelephina, please! The ball isn't over yet!" He tried to convince her the best he could.
With a sweet smile, she whispered, "Thank you Murtagh… You had set my wings free tonight… I only wish they could stay that way forever…"