(A/N: This is a story I wrote for my friend but got really into it, Some sayings and places in this story,I used from City of Bones/Ashes by Cassandra Clare. but the story is entirly mine. Hope you enjoy it.)
Beyond the Castle Gates.
CHAPTER 1.
Once upon a time in a far away land, where princesses and princes and monsters of the fairytales still existed, lived a beautiful princess by the name of Andrea. She was a beautiful girl, with long blonde, wavy hair. Her eyes were described as crystals, so cold and hard with an imperishable blue colouring, her beauty was stunning and all the men in the land seemed to notice as well.
These men lined up for miles and miles, just to see the princess. They fought dangerous battles just to impress her. Many have asked her father for the princess's hand in marriage.
But the poor princess was not fond of the idea of matrimony. She usually spent her days in her bedroom, gazing out the window, looking just beyond the hills and valleys, towards the forest.
Now Andrea was always told by her Father the King, to never go into the forest alone. He always reminded her of the horrors she could face if she entered the dark, mysterious forest. But that didn't stop Andrea from always thinking about this forest, it was the one thing that was left unsure to her. Princesses always get everything they want, as did Andrea. But the forest was the only thing out of Andrea's reach, and that made her curious.
Andrea heard a knock on her bedroom door; she quickly closed her window and jumped into bed as she called for them to come in.
Her mother quietly opened the wooden door of Andrea's bedroom. Her room was very large with white drapes covering the window across from her bed.
"Are you still up, my dear?" Andrea's mother, The Queen Emily asked. Now Emily, you see, was the prettiest women of the land. Her long wavy brown hair fell to her mid-back, as her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light from the candle in her hand. The candle sent shadows across Andrea's mothers pale face as she waited for Andrea to reply.
"Yes Mother, I cannot sleep." Andrea said in an implacably sweet voice. Andrea watched as her mother walked towards Andrea's bed with the candle in her hand, and her long white night-gown dragging soundlessly behind her. Emily sat on Andrea's bed and settled the candle in her lap.
"Andrea, I am in need to talk to you about an important situation." Emily said in a whispered voice. Andrea silently nodded her head, for her mother to continue.
"You're eighteenth birthday is tomorrow, my dear. Surely you have not forgotten." Andrea was quite surprised. How could she have forgotten about her birthday?
Emily continued.
"Andrea, an eighteenth birthday of the king's daughter means many important things. You are now an adult and are ready to make your own choices in life, but being eighteen also means that it is your turn to fulfill your rights to the crown and you must marry…"
Andrea froze. She had never thought about matrimony in such a serious way before. Of coarse there had been many men from around the land who asked to take her hand, but she didn't think of it as an important problem, until now. Now it was inevitable.
Andrea laughed a shrilly laugh.
"Oh Mother, you must be mistaken. I cannot marry! I have not found a decent husband to make mine!" Andrea hoped in vain that her mother would agree.
her mother looked at her daughter with a guilty glare.
"I expect you to marry, Andrea. There are no other options. You will become queen of this land with a faithful husband by your side. End of discussion."
The queen rose from the bed and walked towards the door, shutting it quietly behind her to leave Andrea to think of the horrors tomorrow may hold.
"You will not disobey me daughter! I am king and my word goes! I am not going to listen to your whining no longer! You are marrying!" Andrea's father yelled, from his chair across the breakfast table. His face was red and his crown sat stiffly on his bald head. He returned to eating his breakfast but his black eyes did not leave hers. Andrea glanced down at her food. Her stomach didn't feel well enough to eat anything. She needed some fresh air.
"Father, if you would excuse me I think I am going to step outside." Andrea stood up and placed her napkin on her untouched plate of food and walked towards the doors of the Castle.
She stepped outside into the courtyard as the sun beat down on her skin. The feeling was very calming. She walked towards the exit of the castle grounds, scurrying the stones underneath of her shoes.
As the oversized wooden doors opened it revealed the many valleys and rivers and beauties among the castle walls. Andrea never like being kept in the bounds of big stones walls. She enjoyed her freedom. The warm wind picked up her beautiful blonde hair and swayed it around as well as Andreas white dress.
She walked in the valleys for a while, until she stopped dead in her trail. The forest was right in front of her. The dark trees stretched up to the sky covering the sun, leaving her in the shadows. Beyond the trees was dark and misty, but that did not stop her from taking a step forward.
She entered the forest. It was not so dangerous. A couple of birds here and there? Oh a squirrel walking by? She laughed to herself humourlessly as she walked farther into the forest. The woods were silent and dark, but she could still see the blazing sun at the tree tops.
She walked and she walked, not understanding why this place was such a threat to her. It was actually beautiful.
She was so caught up in her thinking she hadn't noticed that the sun was starting to set. She looked up at the sky, which was now twilight.
While looking up to the tree tops her dress caught on a loose branch and made a rip in her gown. "Oh no." She breathed as she tried to unravel her dress from the tree branch.
All of a sudden everything went black.
The sun had gone down, and she was alone in a black forest, and she could no longer see the edge of the forest.
Andrea was suddenly extremely frightened. She thought back to all those stories her mother had told her when she was a little girl, about the forest and what monsters it holds. She started to walk the way she came, but she realized she was just making no progress.
hmmph!
Andrea spun around to see where the noise came from. It was a grunting sound that made a shiver run up her spine. Her palms were starting to sweat and the hair on the back of her neck was standing.
Crackle.
Another noise. She spun around again, feeling the eyes of someone on her, watching her. Grrrroowwwll.
That noise was not a noise from someone. But a noise from something. something was following her. She began to pick up her pace and started to run. She ran and ran trying desperately not to see if something was following her trail. She looked to the side of her and saw a big black figure running between the trees beside her. She froze dead in her tracks, as she met the red eyes of a beast.
The eyes were a glowing red, appearing from the blackness of the branches, it was big and strong, and defiantly not human. She backed up as the creature came closer. She could now see it. It was a monster but had the face of a man. The hair on its head was blonde and his face was pale but his body was fur covered and oversized, packed with outstretched muscles and limbs.
She could only give one word to describe this horrid beast.
She thought back to all those stories she had read with her mother about creatures such as these, and she remembered looking at a picture of it in one of her books. It was called….
A Werewolf.
She cried for her life as the monster neared her, extending his mouth packed with sharp pointy teeth, towards her shoulder.
And then…everything went black
x
(A/N: Please review if you like it, it really makes me happy. Next chapter will be up ASAP.)