Chapter One~
Standing at the edge of the cliff, she looked back at her city. Her long, embroidered dress flew in the wind, and the crown atop her head sparkled in the sunlight. Her lengthy, flowing copper hair waved in the breeze, as her sea foam-jade eyes closed to a half-lid. The mahogany cloak wrapped around her shoulders whipped wildly left and right, as she turned to fully face her city. Her home. Currently bursting into flames in her colorful imagination. Although the city was peaceful, she wished it would fall at any moment. So, whispering a soft goodbye in the tongue of Italian, she unfurled her golden wings and flew into the sky.
"Wait--!" she swore she heard somebody scream.
She put it into the imagination category. She soared through the sky, twisting and spiraling, catching updrafts in the wind. She flew about three more paces, then swooped down to the forest floor and retracted her wings. She tried to move forward, but her movements were restricted by her long gown. So, she hatched a brilliant idea. She took her shining crown off of her head, and used it to cut the dress, so it came down to her knees. She also tore the long sleeves off of the dress, and then placed the crown back on her dainty head delicately. Then, she trudged through the forest, pushing away branches and stray vines. Suddenly, she heard a twig break behind her. She reached into the travel bag that was perched upon her shoulder agilely, pulled out a sharp, jeweled dagger, and twirled around in a defensive position.
She came face-to-face with a man sitting upon a pure white horse, with a bow and arrow set to shoot. A quiver of arrows lay on the man's back as well as the skin and fur of some animal.
"Who are you?" demanded the man, as he held his bow at his side. His horse snorted, and pawed at the dirt beneath it's hooves.
The girl shifted, and stared at the man with cold, determined eyes.
"I am not stupid enough to tell my name to a complete and total stranger, sir Knight," she said briskly, raising her dagger, causing the light from the sun to reflect off of it and into her eyes, making them unbelievably green.
The man chuckled, as if he found her temper amusing. He put his bow down on the saddle that was strapped onto his horse, and placed the arrow he had back into his quiver. Then, he got off of his horse, and stood a couple of feet away from the girl.
"I admire your brutishness, Milady. I am a trustworthy man, I assure you. My name is Jacob. Jacob Vagabond." Jacob said, making a slight bow.
The girl still stood in her defense, as if evaluating Jacob's person. Then, she straightened to a more friendly posture and put away her dagger.
"You have earned my trust, sir Vagabond," she said."my name is Annabelle Roy."
Annabelle took a slight bow as well. Jacob paused for a minute, as if having a mental argument, and his eyes widened a fraction. He put his palm over his head, and his brow creased in confusion.
"Wait...Roy? Isn't that the royal family name? That makes you...the princess of Eternia!?" he exclaimed.
Annabelle rolled her eyes and sat down on a nearby rock.
"If I knew you would treat me as royalty, I wouldn't have told you my last name," she stated.
She took the gemmed crown off of her head, and threw it into the lake just ahead of her and Jacob. Then she shifted her sea foam eyes to her travel bag, and reached into it to pull out her dagger. Clutching it tightly, she raised it behind her head, aware of Jacob tracing her every moment. Pushing the blade against her nape of her neck, she cut off all of her long hair, leaving it a short copper bob. Annabelle heard Jacob choke on his surprise, and laughed quietly. She folded her hands in her lap, and stared silently out at the lake before her.
"You see, sir Knight, I am an independent woman, far unlike those superficial women in the noble status. Royalty, wealth, fame; they are meaningless to me. As long as I get to live my life the way I dream it shall be lived, I am an ecstatic person." she said, dipping her hands into the water.
Jacob watched her with his mouth gaping open. He knew it was rude, but he wasn't exactly paying attention to that fact. He thought it peculiar that she had no interest in money, since every woman he knew was obsessed with gold and valuable things. A strange emotion tugged at Jacob's heart, and his hands clenched into tight fists. Annabelle pulled her hands from the cool water, and ran them through her hair to get them dry again. She then shifted her gaze to Jacob, and her brow raised in confusion.
"Why are you looking at me as if in the thrill of a chase, sir Vagabond?" she questioned, a slight smirk blooming on her pale face.
Jacob's face flushed, and he looked to the side in embarrassment. He walked toward his whinnying horse, and jumped up to mount it.
"Where are you headed, princess?" he asked bluntly, trying to change the subject.
Annabelle, completely aware of Jacob's intentions, chuckled and arose from the rock she was perched upon.
"I would appreciate it if you would not call me princess," she said."for I no longer wish to carry that title."
Annabelle picked off her cut-off hair, and, clutching it in her hand, raised it to the sky. She opened her hand, and let the copper locks fly in the breeze. Then, she picked up her forgotten dagger, pushed it into her travel bag and started to walk away through the thick forest. Jacob looked after her in surprise, not believing that she would daring enough to journey through the forest on her own.
"Hey, wait! Will you not consider allowing me to escort you to your destination?" he called after Annabelle.
Annabelle looked back at Jacob and slightly smiled. She turned back, and walked towards him.
"Do you not trust my sense of direction, sir Vagabond?" she asked.
Jacob winced lightly, and looked at Annabelle's approaching form.
"It's not that. It's just that I...would feel un-eased, knowing that a woman, even if not of royal birth, was roaming the forest by herself. At least grant me the permission to ride you into the mainland," he explained.
Annabelle couldn't decide. Would she go with this handsome, promising stranger, or find the city herself? She didn't have long to decide, however, because someone was lurking in the shadows, and he was hungry for bloodshed...