So, I got so much good feedback on the other story, I decided to publish this one as well. And I promise that this one is going to be a multiple chapter one. Enjoy :)
I was so bored; I wanted to scream at the ceiling. Why did everyone, including me, have to endure another stupid feast to honor the brainless crown prince? 'Because you are a diplomat's daughter that's why' I tell myself. My father had, just two weeks ago, been appointed to the prestigious position of high ambassador. Along with a beautiful new suite of apartments for my parents, and a separate one for myself, we had also been afforded free reign of the palace. On the first day, after being surrounded by people for hours, I wandered off in search of a place to be completely alone.
My mind stopped wandering, and I glanced toward the dais, where the royal family (including the incredibly moronic prince Thor) was seated. At that very moment, he was trying his very best to inhale as much food as he could before he choked to death. His father, Odin, looked on in approval, heaving a great laugh and pounding the table as his son continued to gorge himself. The queen sat aloof, ignoring the antics of her husband and son. A fourth chair remained vacant. I frowned at it in confusion. Wasn't there supposed to be another son? I had been avoiding people for the past weeks and had not formally met the royal family. Everyone knew that there were four members of the family: the king, the queen and the firstborn I had at least seen before, but the second son was more of an abstract concept, as I had never so much as seen him across a crowded room.
I had never really understood the tradition of handing the throne to the first born son, especially when they seemed to be the least-suited to rule. Rolling my eyes at the prince's continued antics, I surveyed the enormous ballroom. Great trestle tables ran the length of the floor and all around them were the courtiers and dignitaries that lived in and around the palace. The feast portion of the celebration was coming to an end as many guests pushed their chairs back from the table and sighed contentedly. The tables disappeared in a flash and an orchestra began to play the sweet strains of a waltz. I retired to the side wall, alone even in the middle of a crowd.
"Such is the life of a wallflower." I muttered to myself, examining my feet, which were clad in beautiful dark green slippers that exactly matched the color of my dress. I had been fitted for an entire new wardrobe almost as soon as I arrived at the palace. Since green was the traditional color of my family, almost all of my new clothing was a variation of the color, and I was beginning to get a bit sick of it. I wasn't even allowed to unpack most of my old clothing. It all sat in trunks at the back of the boudoir that attached to my new bedroom.
The under-tunic that showed through a split up one leg was a slightly lighter shade of green with silver thread etching twisted tribal designs around the bottom hem and about the sleeves. Silver thread chased up the front of the over-dress and curls around the neckline, bunching into an intricate knot at the lowest point sitting over the cleft of my breasts. I wore slender silver chains with emerald drops at the ends hooked into my ears. My traditional piercings had been removed for the celebration. A necklace of braided silver with another emerald the size of a pigeons' egg sat at the hollow of my throat.
The only other piece of jewelry that I wore was a ring in the shape of a tiny silver snake. Its' body wrapped three times around my finger and then bit its' tail, completing the circlet. Its' eye is also a sparkling emerald. This was the one piece of jewelry that the maids, bustling about getting me ready for the banquet a few hours ago, had not been able to persuade me to leave behind in my sumptuous rooms. The charm was a familiar friend and I was nervous enough without intentionally leaving it behind. Even with the comforting weight of the ring, I felt woefully underdressed and plain standing next to the other ladies of the court. Gorgeous silks and satins draped tall, willowy bodies. Bright blues, yellows, reds and pinks blend with lighter oranges, peaches, purples and golds. Jewels encrusted in gold drip from every neck and wrist; rings flash and sparkle brilliantly on at least two fingers of every hand.
'Have these people never heard of silver?' I thought.
The dazzling ladies spun and bowed like breeze kissed flowers, drifting gracefully across the dance floor on the arms of their gallant partners. I sighed quietly and resigned myself to another fascinating evening of watching from the sidelines as everyone around me laughed, danced and fell in love. After about a half an hour, some entertainers replaced the dancers in the middle of the floor. A juggler and some tumblers tried to catch my interest and actually succeeded for a while, until they traded places with a soprano. My pallor of boredom had been eased slightly by the acrobats but the soprano who followed was rather unfortunate. Her voice was indeed good, but untempered by years or practice and she had a tendency to squeak on the highest notes. I slowly moved toward a side door, making sure that no one was paying attention before sliding carefully out and sprinting fleet footed down the long, gilded hallway.
The marble floors were smooth beneath my slippered feet and I made almost no sound as I sped to my sanctuary. The door to the library opened and closed silently and I paused briefly just inside, breathing the smell of the old books. There are so many of them, rows and rows of shelves stacked so high that each one has a ladder on tiny wheels to give a reader access to every book on the shelves. I started to relax because nothing can hurt me here. This was my haven, my favorite place. I smiled widely and set off down an aisle, looking for my favorite corner.
Hidden at the very back of the library, the tiny nook was tucked away and so small that most people overlook it, which suited my purposes nicely. I curled up on the padded bench and picked up the book that I had left there before leaving to get dressed for the party. The light was good, but not so bright that I could not pick out the stars that sprinkle the night sky. I spent a few minutes staring up at them, identifying different constellations and planets, but the book that I held was calling to me so I pulled my skirt down over my feet and began to read. The music from the ballroom floated through the library very softly and unconsciously, I swayed gently in time as I lost myself in tales of heroic deeds and far off lands.
Updates theoretically every Saturday (or sometime during the weekend)
Still learning the ins and outs of this infernal website... Grrr.
My undying thanks to Queen Serenity and Angel897 for their reviews and advice on how to use the website properly.
And bows of respect to Adrillian1497, Pippinsheehan, StrongerThanMost, and HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY (I counted the E's to make sure I got it right) for their prompt following of a rookie writer.