Chapter One
The Sleeping Prince
The marbled halls of Eleora glistened. Alabaster pillars, flickering with hints of gold, were chiseled with the faces of angels. Purple curtains were hung loosely on the walls with mirror-like floors below. The corridors were empty, echoing with the ringing of wind, until a lone leopard walked by. The big cat trotted silently, paws muffled, and wore a leather collar around its neck and a white bangle clasped on its left foreleg.
A door had been left opened—just a crack—at the end of the corridor and the leopard nudged through. Inside was a large bedroom. The leopard glided across a black and white floor and went to a velvety red bed, putting its massive paws upon it, only to discover that it was unoccupied. Disappointed, the feline abandoned the bed for a set of doors leading out to a balcony. It slinked across the floor, belly almost dragging, and past white curtains billowing from sea wind. On the balcony was a sleeping figure, resting peacefully on a couch, a hand drawn over their face. It was a young man named Daniel, crown prince and heir to Eleora's throne.
The sleeping prince lay unaware of the large cat stalking him, moving only once to replace a leg bent in the air with the other. The leopard was crouched low, ears slicked back and mouth open, skillfully eyeing its target before pouncing. Daniel sprung into consciousness, limbs flailing in surprise as the leopard slammed onto him.
"Tabitha!" he growled, holding the leopard by the throat. Tabitha chewed playfully at his hand. The prince was tall and handsome, his skin lightly tanned and his hair the color of sand. His eyes, perhaps his best feature, were an otherworldly shade of blue, a trademark characteristic of his family's bloodline.
Daniel sat up on the sofa in an attempt to push her off. Tabitha finally slid down and sat obediently beside her master. Daniel stood up, brushing the fur off of his clothes. His attire was a white jacket, ending a bit above the elbow and had a raised collar. His pin-striped vest zipped down the middle and was left parted towards the bottom, revealing his naval. His black pants were a sharp contrast to the rest of his clothes, as was the ebony gauntlet that covered his left arm. He bent down briefly to pick up a thin golden sword before leaving the balcony, Tabitha trailing behind.
He whisked through his bedroom, buckling his sword to the leather belt slung loosely around his narrow hips. His room was spacious, much too large for a single person. Swords and other bladed weapons litter the floor by a wardrobe with some evidence of practice scarring the walls.
Daniel left the room with Tabitha jumping up at his sides, demanding his attention. He paid the leopard no mind and quickly left the corridors behind, his footsteps a faint echo in the wind-ghost-like.