Rated T for possible violence in later chapters.

Dear Mandy,

I have sent this letter with the most trusted of our messengers. I am sure you know the current situation we are in, and only hope that you can come as quickly as possible in order to preserve a part of our family. I cannot stop my tears; Char has gone, and I feel as if everything is lost. Frell has fallen into the hands of Alkador, and I can see his men marching towards us from the tower window. I must go, Eleanor is crying again, and they are battering at our gates. This will be my last letter to you, my dear Mandy, my only hope is that you may bring little Eleanor to safe hands. It will be difficult, I know, for Alkador has many spies and resources, but Eleanor's safety is vital. You know what kind of man Alkador is; the power-hungry traitor will only plunge our kingdom into despair. Perhaps someday you may tell Eleanor her story, and lead her and her descendants to restore Kyrria to it's former glory. But before then, do whatever you must to protect her. I trust you completely.

My love,

Ella

King Alkador overthrew the late King Charmont of Kyrria a century earlier, in 1539, proceeding to officially take the throne in September the same year. King Charmont and his Queen are confirmed to be dead, but the body of their daughter, Eleanor, remains undiscovered, and is rumored to have survived, though such theories remain unconfirmed. Court scribes during that time have described the country to be in a state of ruin, with unkempt streets and starving citizens, while the King and Queen remained removed from their countrymen, enjoying a stylish and expensive life in Frell. Since the revolution led by Bemus Alkador, however, Kyrria flourished under the rule of the later King Alkador, who is an ancestor of the current Queen Sybil.

Extracted from A History of Kyrria

PRINCE EDWARD TAKES IN BEGGAR GIRL: NEW EDITION TO THE ROYAL FAMILY

Prince Edward, husband of Her Royal Highness Queen Sybil, extended a hand of hospitality to a young beggar girl of 7 last night, who was caught with a band of city pickpockets. The intentions of the Prince remained unknown, but a member of the royal guard let slip that the Prince intended to give the girl a title, but raise her away from his family. "I suppose he pitied the girl", the guard said, "She's too small to take part in criminal actions; she might have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

It was a dark night, soaked in drizzling rain; the moon seemed reluctant to shine as it hid behind thick grey clouds. Soon, a storm would hit, one that would later said as the largest thunder storm Kyrria had ever seen, purging the streets of Frell, removing the dirt and grim and despair that had settled upon the city. People came out to the city streets, standing in the pouring rain, wondering if it indeed signaled a change in their fortunes. Whispers carried, but only the brave dared to truly hope for a new start after a century of misery and poverty.

And it was during that night that the cry of a newborn infant rang from a lone shack a little ways from the slums of Pakka, a small town on the outskirts of Frell. And when the baby girl opened her gray eyes for the first time, her mother, Eleanor, closed her eyes and smiled, feeling that at last, she could die in peace, knowing that her daughter just may be that ray of hope that would bring justice to the world and restore their family honor.

Two days later, a plump fairy came to the shack, and was seen leaving with a bundle in her arms. When a kind lady called on the young but desperately poor lady of the shack, she was shocked and horrified to find the lady lying dead in her bed, her lips curled in a knowing smile.

"And pray tell why I should take her in? I have no place to house such a baby, nor is this any place a lady should be brought up in!"

The wizened old woman stood at the door with her arms crossed, glaring at the plump, hooded figure. She glanced back inside the house, at the group of drunken thieves singing loudly at her table.

"I trust you are a smart lady, missus,"the hooded figure stated, "you should know a special person when you see one. As long as you keep her safe and bring her up in a decent way, she will be prepared to go her own way when she is ready."

The old woman studied the bundle before her cautiously. Though trapped in poverty and forced to reside with local thieves, the woman was wise and had befriended some gnomes in her early years, learning much from them. She gasped. "She's... is she not...?"

"Yes." The answer simple, as the figure placed the bundle in the woman's arms and promptly disappeared into the heavy fog.

"I name you Isabel."

I'm still working on the plot, but thought I'd post the prolouge and the first chapter first, and see how people like it. Suggestions on improvements and how the story should develop are very very welcome! Review Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ella Enchanted, or any of it's characters.