Chapter One

I need to get away from them. My feet are pounding against the leafy forest floor, in the dark. I hear their voices behind me, calling me back, those drunken idiots. I knew it was a bad idea going though that village, but I needed to get away. I look behind me, watching the light of the knights lanterns fade. I'm safe, for a moment. I must keep moving, or they will find me. I look ahead, I see a small wooden cabin, and I run to it, hoping it's safe for me. I knock on the wooden door, praying that someone will answer. I pull my hood tighter around my head, not showing my face. They can't see my face, no one should have ever, but sadly, the knights did. That's why I ran, I was just asking for directions then they saw my face. I curse under my breathe, thinking my face. I shouldn't have let my hood fall, but it did. Suddenly, the door opens.

An elderly woman opens the door. She was small, like a little mouse, and she had the white hair to match. "Good evening ma'am, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I must ask for a place to stay." The woman looked at me for a moment, trying to see my face. I pulled my hood slightly tighter, but then she smiled. "Of course my dear, you must be frozen out there. Come in, come in." I breathed a sigh of relief, and walked into the small cabin. It had a small table with two chairs sitting in the middle of the room, a wood fire burning, and the smell of cooking soup filled the air. I hadn't eaten in days, and the soup smelled like heaven. "GAHORAND! GAHORAND! WE HAVE A GUEST! Deary, don't you want to take that hood off?" she asked me. I shook my head, "I'm just a little cold, and I would rather keep my hood on." A lie, a lie I always tell.

An elderly man, Gahorand, I assume, walks in. He was rather tall, unlike his mouse-like wife, and had a mop of grey hair on his head. He had a mustache too, a bushy one. He said, "Gloria, what are you talking about? What about a guest?" The sweet elderly woman, Gloria, smiled at her husband and said, "Yes honey, we have a guest." then she smiled at me. Gahorand seemed to just notice me and slightly smiled and said, "Good evening, I am Gahorand Grandfotah, and this is my wife Gloria Grandfotah, and you are?" I paused, I was about to say I was no one, just a girl from the village looking for a place to stay, but I couldn't. I didn't want to lie to them, for they are letting me stay in their home. So, I said, "Let me show you who I am..." and let my hood drop…... They gasped as soon as they saw my face. I ask them, "May I sit?" They both nod, still looking at my face, and we all sit down. I sigh, "I know you're wondering about me." Gloria nodded quickly and said, "How are you so-" I shushed her. "I must tell you my story first so you will understand..."

"Well, I must start with my mother. My mother was the most beautiful woman in the entire world, long, wavy, shining gold hair. Brilliant and always happy blue eyes, and perfect in every way. Now my father, he was a handsome thief, always on the run, charming his way out of trouble, till he came across the village my mother was living in. They fell in love with each other, got married and soon after, they had a baby. That was me; can you guess how I turned out?" Gloria and Joe just kept staring at me, and I looked at them, "I looked more amazing then both of them. I have my mother's long, golden hair, with my father's handsome jade eyes. They wanted to keep me, I know they did, but somehow the word got out that the two most beautiful people in the world were having a child, well, many kings didn't have daughters, and they wanted beautiful daughters, so they were sending people to take me away. My father knew this, being a thief of course; he wrapped me in a blanket, kissed my mother good-bye, and ran off into the woods. He came across a thief camp, dropped me off at a friend of his, April, and ran back to my mother.

April raised me like I was her own flesh and blood, she was kind. She had light-brown hair, gentle brown eyes, and she was a wife to a thief, does not make much sense, being the sweet person she was, but she was in love. I grew up in the camp, learning the ways to steal, pick-pocket, tried not to be noticed but people, mostly the men, couldn't stop looking at me. They would just stare, and stare, and stare, like I was some animal." I held the feeling of wanted to stab something, but now wasn't the time. "I finally ran away, April had died and men were looking to marry me. So I ran, with nothing but a dagger and wit to help me survive, but men still look at me. I was just being chased by some knights a moment ago, but I am fast."

Gahorand and Gloria just kept staring at me, at my face. I haven't changed much; in fact April told me I just kept getting more beautiful. I was angry, angry that April was gone, that I was on my own now and that I'm still running. I looked with hatred in the glass plate on the table. I could see my face, and I hated what I saw. I hate my beauty; it is the worst thing about me. Gloria frowned and said, "If you never knew your parents, how do you know all this?" I looked up at her, with tears silently falling down my face. "April told me, she told me mostly about my father, how happy he was, how all the women loved him, and how he met my mother." All it took was the word "mother" to make me sob. I sobbed right there, in front of such kind strangers. I sobbed, then I felt someone behind me, I looked up, and I saw Gloria giving me a hug. I must have looked shocked, because Gloria smiled. I haven't been hugged since April died. I sobbed onto Gloria's shoulder, feeling like a child, and then Gahorand walked over to us and hugged us. I just sat there, sobbing, then whispered, "Thank you, thank you for the place to stay." Gloria said sweetly, "You're quite welcome dear." I took in a breath then said, "I can only stay here for one night, or else the knights will find me."

Gahorand smiled at me, a true smile not the fake one he had moments ago, "Stay as long as you need to." Gloria then helped me up and walked me to their guest room, then said, "Goodness, we don't know your name." I smiled weakly at her and said, "Daniella".

I must have fallen asleep after that, for I cannot remember more. I was sitting at their table, gather up the few things I have, and Gloria told me that I shall not leave till she made breakfast. The smell of roasted ham and sizzling eggs filled the small kitchen while Gloria was like a wizard working. Watching the eggs, ham, boiling water for tea, and the fire all at the same time. I watched. I never learned how to cook, just to steal. When she brought me a plate of the heavenly food, she said, "I'm sorry we don't have much-" but I was too busy eating the eggs. They burned my tongue but I did not care, they were wonderful. Gahorand came in from outside, he was chopping wood outside, then he sat next to me. "Good morning Daniella. How did you sleep?" I smiled a blissful smile, "Refreshing." It was hard to talk, because I was eating and my tongue hurt, but Gahorand just laughed and laughed. He and Gloria were the sweetest people, letting a stranger into their home, feeding me, treating me like family. I finished my food, grabbed my sack, and my hood. I hugged Gloria and Joe, holding onto this moment. I whispered to them, "I will never forget you." They both responded, "Neither will we." I walked out of their little cabin, and run again. I felt like I should have done more for them, maybe even one more thank you, so I ran back, just to say thank you one more time. I saw the little cabin, the small wooden cabin, a smile almost came onto my face, and then I stopped cold.

I saw the flag. Not just any flag, the royal flag. The flag that the knights carry around on their horses. Where there is that flag, there are the knights. I hid behind a tree, far enough away that they wouldn't see me but just close enough to hear what they were saying. Gloria had just answered the door, and she and the knight in the front were talking. I had to listen close to hear.

"-sorry, but I haven't seen a girl here lately. Could you describe her more?" I hear Gloria say to the knight. The knight responds, "Well, she was beautiful... and lovely..." Gloria snorts, "You already said that, you also said she was the most beautiful girl you have ever seen." "That's because she was, right men?" He called to the other knights. Gloria looks at him with hawk-like eyes. "I believe you are wasting my time, I have a stew I need to finish, now if you don't mind-" she almost closed the door. Then the knight said, "If that girl is hiding and you are lying to us, we will burn this house down." He was not lying.

I gasped slightly; I didn't want them to find me. These were the knights I met the night before, well "met" would not be the most accurate term. I was lost in their village, and was looking for someone to give me directions towards the Cleverwood forest, where all bandits, thieves, and traitors of any kind live, when suddenly one of them fell on top of me and my hood fell off. I quickly stood up, pulled my hood back on, but it 'twas too late, they have seen me, and they wanted me. They were going to get what they wanted. So I ran, that's what a thief does when trouble occurs. They must have tracked my footprints… I forgot to get rid of my footprints, and now Gloria and Joe were going to pay for it.

Gloria gasped, "You can't do that! You have no right-" The knight smirked back, "And you have no right to defy the prince of this kingdom of what he wants." That confused me and Gloria both. "Prince," Gloria asked "What does the prince have to do with this?" The knight's smirked deepened, "I'm glad you asked. You see, the prince has been looking for a wife for many-a years, and he just happened to be looking out his tower window when I was talking to the lovely lady in question. He immediately was breath taken by her, and then saw that she ran away. He demanded that we find her, and we followed her tracks from last night to here, now where is she?"

I can't let them do that, I just couldn't. Even after one day with me, I feel like they are my family, Gloria with her mousy-face and Joe with his bushy mustache. I can't let this happen to him. I slowly creep out of my hiding space, making sure my hood was still on tight, and I cleared my throat, "Huhmmm..."
The lead knight turned and smiled, "Well, if this isn't the lady in question..." he grabbed my hand and smiled, "Dear girl, why don't you come back to the castle, your prince is waiting for you..." I wanted to spit in disgust, he was grinning like a joker, like he was enjoying this. Gloria is stunned, just standing there. She comes over to me and hugs me. "Daniella, Daniella, oh Daniella, you didn't have to do that..." The knight pushes the old woman to the ground, growling. "Don't touch the girl." He sneered. I screamed, "HOW DARE YOU PUSH AN OLD WOMAN ONTO THE GROUND LIKE THAT, GLORIA!" I got out his grip and bent down next to Gloria. "Are you ok? Oh Gloria, are you ok?" Gloria sits up, and I breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm fine, dear, but you should listen to them, don't argue with me, young lady, you must go with them." I sobbed onto her shoulder, wishing that I didn't have to, but I knew I did, to protect them.

And that, dear readers, is just chapter one.

I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO PILE INTO ONE CHAPTER, so leave me alone.

I'll try writing more, but it might take awhile.

And now, like the witch I am, I will disappearte, but you must first review this.

NOW, would be the best time.