The dimly lit woods beckoned to her. The setting sun slowly putting
the world into darkness. Darkness she longed for. One that matched her
heart and soul. One that hid her from the person she hated most. The King
of faeries, her father, his majesty King Glanored the third. She sat down
near a small lake in a clearing some where into the forest and let her mind
return to why she hated this man so much.
~*Flash Back*~
"I will not marry the dukes son, Alfred. He is a slow, dim-witted, pansy excuse for a man and I will not, cannot ever conceive the though of being near him for more than 15 minutes," she ranted.
"Although you are beautiful and a well trained ruler and fighter, Aria, but you can not take the throne without a man by your side," her father rationally explained.
"I can do better, let me find a man worthy of my love."
"You can not love. What is the point?" Glanored shouted.
With that she had run out of the room, but his voice followed her out, "Who could want a strange girl like you!"
~*End Flash Back*~
She found her self enraged by the memory. She was too beautiful for Alfred. Her long midnight colored hair slowly waving down to her mid-back. Her proud nose fitting perfectly with her regal face. Her body perfectly toned from training hard to fight from the age of four. And her most startling feature was her silver eyes with flecks of pure refined gold showing through only now they were red as anger seeped through her body giving them the look of fire. Another strange feature was her birthmark. A wolf howling at the moon right above her chest.
*Damn him* She though forcefully. *Sounds like he doesn't even love me. Doesn't matter though. I can't love him. He's absolutely right. I am strange.*
Her inability to love was something she was born with, as well as the power to be able to do whatever she saw someone else do, and this inability to love seemed more of a strength to her than a weakness. No one could mess with her mind or heart, but she could theirs. You could tell if she had been some where due to the shattered hearts in her wake. She just thought of it as practice. She slowly came to realize that she would have to go through with this "marriage" if she wanted to be queen.
*But I will never sleep with him!*
Just the thought of him touching her made her shiver with disgust. She hadn't seen him since she was ten and she was sixteen now.
*maybe he has matured somewhat. He is eighteen.*
She trudged back to the castle to tell her father she would do it, she would marry Alfred. Well at least meet him, she couldn't guarantee marriage yet.
Three weeks later the day dawned on a sleeping man out on the road, already awake sleeping man out on the road. Already awake he watched the sunrise waiting for the rest of his men to catch up. Today would be the day his life was over. Clutching to his bedroll, not wanting to get ready to move out to his doom. How could his father agree he would marry this girl. The last time he'd seen her he'd been twelve and she had been a pompous, ugly, conceited brat. He hoped she'd gotten uglier, maybe she would lose her pride then, but then again he didn't want to marry an ugly woman. He deserved better than this girl. He was handsome enough to have any girl he wanted. His golden-red hair looked like a flame atop his head. His eyes were a brilliant green with small flecks of black and gold. His body was strong from years of training to be a Knight through all his thinking his company had gotten ready and now started to home out. He climbed on his white stallion and rode to the front of the column to talk to his adviser, Zaniel.
"What if she is still ugly?" was his first and most insistent worry.
"My lord," he replied exasperatedly. "If she is ugly you don't have to marry her. This is a trial to see if it would work out."
"But how can it work when she can't even love?" Knowing full well of her abnormality. "Not to say that I'd ever fall in love with her."
"I'm sure you wont my lord," was the last thing either of them said the rest of the way.
When they arrived he caught no sign of Aria anywhere, at least the Aria he remembered. However he did see a gorgeous girl with hair so black it gleamed blue and silver gold eyes.
*I would marry her any day* he thought giving her a suggestive look.
The girl happened to catch this look as she looked around for Alfred. She was sure that this was his company.
*That guard with the red hair doesn't look that bad,* was her thought as she sent back a suggestive look of her own. Zaniel got down off his horse to introduce his lord. He saw the servant girl look suggestively at his lord.
*Who is this girl to look at him like that?*
"May I present my ILord/I Alfred of Bandwing."
Alfred jumped down off his horse, "I come in search of Princess Aria. Where is she?"
"I am right here my lord," she answered stepping out of the crowd waiting for his gapping mouth to look much like a fish. He granted her wish almost immediately along with Zaniel who had considered her a servant.
"My lord I greet you to my humble home in hopes that we can make something between us."
*God I cant wait to get all this formal crap over with.*
"Thank you for welcoming me, my lady, and my wish is for your hope to come true."
*She probably still has a stick up her butt.*
They walked inside and as soon as they were out of view of everyone she told him, "Your room is the 4th door down to hall that way. A servant will come and get you for dinner and if you need anything pull the string by your bed and a servant will assist you," and started waling away.
"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked her back.
No answer. She just kept walking away as if she didn't hear him.
*Two can play at that game.*
He walked in the direction that she pointed him in.
*Damn him! Why does he have to be hot. This gives me one less reason to refuse this marriage. I think I need some time in the practice courts.*
She went to her room and got dressed in her fighting clothes. (Think Jackie Chan in the beginning of Shang High Noon.) Her smooth silk pants cascaded around her like a skirt while her sleeveless shirt fit tight to her body, hugging her curves in their perfection. She was ready to get rid of all her frustration. Her body already knew the sword dance she was doing. She allowed her mind to float into bliss as she parried, lunged.and struck another sword?
"You know, you really should pay attention to what you are doing. You could have killed someone," Alfred mocked her.
'How is it your allowed to hold a sword? Don't you belong in a kitchen mixing flour and baking pies?" She asked as she pushed his sword away from hers.
"A little feisty are we?" Alfred asked raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"I'd rather die than have you look at me like that again."
"Would you care to duel then?" raising his sword to tap hers.
"Are you sure you can wield your knife there?" She inquired tapping her sword on his.
"Lets go then!" Alfred shouted and the duel began.
For over 2 hours they lunged, parried, backed off, and came near enough to punch, but neither got the upper hand.
"Let's take to the air?" Aria wanted to know if he could fly and fight at the same time.
"Why not?" he answered unfolding his black feathered angel-like wings and rose up into the air. Following him up shortly after, Aria seemingly floated up on her clack dragon-like wings.
A faerie's wings showed there level of fighting skill. Black was the highest rank in any form of fighting. Angel wings meant you had mastered sword fighting. Dragon meant you had mastered all forms of fighting.
Their aerial battle began and much like the ground they were evenly matched. They were so intent on their duel that they didn't notice the rotating black clouds above them. Finally Aria bested Alfred by hitting him across the chest with the dull side, and forced him to land. Her gloating did not even last a minute as she felt something pulling her backwards. She looked behind her to see a vortex slowly pulling her in. The pull continually getting stronger, she couldn't fly out of it.
"Alfred help!" she cried out knowing he was her last and only hope.
Alfred looked up just in time to see her vanish into the clouds.
A year later the faerie people had looked everywhere for their princess, but had found not one clue as to were she could be. The king in desperation to find the heir to the throne went in search of the fortune faerie in hopes that she could tell him where Aria was. He found out where the fortune faerie was and what was needed to sacrifice to her and went to her.
"My dear King. There is no way to find your daughter. She is riding the lines of time and space. However a prophecy I will give you.
"Through time and space she flies in chaos, waiting for her day. She will be needed later to hold her peoples death at bay. A loveless warrior is and will remain, Until one pure in his love for her Can shatter her heart of decay. For to defeat the growing evil Wolf and Lion must lie together Trust each other And love so completely. But sadly as the ice begins to melt She must lay down her life for her friends."
Mean while Aria sat in her chaotic prison waiting for her time to come.
~*Flash Back*~
"I will not marry the dukes son, Alfred. He is a slow, dim-witted, pansy excuse for a man and I will not, cannot ever conceive the though of being near him for more than 15 minutes," she ranted.
"Although you are beautiful and a well trained ruler and fighter, Aria, but you can not take the throne without a man by your side," her father rationally explained.
"I can do better, let me find a man worthy of my love."
"You can not love. What is the point?" Glanored shouted.
With that she had run out of the room, but his voice followed her out, "Who could want a strange girl like you!"
~*End Flash Back*~
She found her self enraged by the memory. She was too beautiful for Alfred. Her long midnight colored hair slowly waving down to her mid-back. Her proud nose fitting perfectly with her regal face. Her body perfectly toned from training hard to fight from the age of four. And her most startling feature was her silver eyes with flecks of pure refined gold showing through only now they were red as anger seeped through her body giving them the look of fire. Another strange feature was her birthmark. A wolf howling at the moon right above her chest.
*Damn him* She though forcefully. *Sounds like he doesn't even love me. Doesn't matter though. I can't love him. He's absolutely right. I am strange.*
Her inability to love was something she was born with, as well as the power to be able to do whatever she saw someone else do, and this inability to love seemed more of a strength to her than a weakness. No one could mess with her mind or heart, but she could theirs. You could tell if she had been some where due to the shattered hearts in her wake. She just thought of it as practice. She slowly came to realize that she would have to go through with this "marriage" if she wanted to be queen.
*But I will never sleep with him!*
Just the thought of him touching her made her shiver with disgust. She hadn't seen him since she was ten and she was sixteen now.
*maybe he has matured somewhat. He is eighteen.*
She trudged back to the castle to tell her father she would do it, she would marry Alfred. Well at least meet him, she couldn't guarantee marriage yet.
Three weeks later the day dawned on a sleeping man out on the road, already awake sleeping man out on the road. Already awake he watched the sunrise waiting for the rest of his men to catch up. Today would be the day his life was over. Clutching to his bedroll, not wanting to get ready to move out to his doom. How could his father agree he would marry this girl. The last time he'd seen her he'd been twelve and she had been a pompous, ugly, conceited brat. He hoped she'd gotten uglier, maybe she would lose her pride then, but then again he didn't want to marry an ugly woman. He deserved better than this girl. He was handsome enough to have any girl he wanted. His golden-red hair looked like a flame atop his head. His eyes were a brilliant green with small flecks of black and gold. His body was strong from years of training to be a Knight through all his thinking his company had gotten ready and now started to home out. He climbed on his white stallion and rode to the front of the column to talk to his adviser, Zaniel.
"What if she is still ugly?" was his first and most insistent worry.
"My lord," he replied exasperatedly. "If she is ugly you don't have to marry her. This is a trial to see if it would work out."
"But how can it work when she can't even love?" Knowing full well of her abnormality. "Not to say that I'd ever fall in love with her."
"I'm sure you wont my lord," was the last thing either of them said the rest of the way.
When they arrived he caught no sign of Aria anywhere, at least the Aria he remembered. However he did see a gorgeous girl with hair so black it gleamed blue and silver gold eyes.
*I would marry her any day* he thought giving her a suggestive look.
The girl happened to catch this look as she looked around for Alfred. She was sure that this was his company.
*That guard with the red hair doesn't look that bad,* was her thought as she sent back a suggestive look of her own. Zaniel got down off his horse to introduce his lord. He saw the servant girl look suggestively at his lord.
*Who is this girl to look at him like that?*
"May I present my ILord/I Alfred of Bandwing."
Alfred jumped down off his horse, "I come in search of Princess Aria. Where is she?"
"I am right here my lord," she answered stepping out of the crowd waiting for his gapping mouth to look much like a fish. He granted her wish almost immediately along with Zaniel who had considered her a servant.
"My lord I greet you to my humble home in hopes that we can make something between us."
*God I cant wait to get all this formal crap over with.*
"Thank you for welcoming me, my lady, and my wish is for your hope to come true."
*She probably still has a stick up her butt.*
They walked inside and as soon as they were out of view of everyone she told him, "Your room is the 4th door down to hall that way. A servant will come and get you for dinner and if you need anything pull the string by your bed and a servant will assist you," and started waling away.
"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked her back.
No answer. She just kept walking away as if she didn't hear him.
*Two can play at that game.*
He walked in the direction that she pointed him in.
*Damn him! Why does he have to be hot. This gives me one less reason to refuse this marriage. I think I need some time in the practice courts.*
She went to her room and got dressed in her fighting clothes. (Think Jackie Chan in the beginning of Shang High Noon.) Her smooth silk pants cascaded around her like a skirt while her sleeveless shirt fit tight to her body, hugging her curves in their perfection. She was ready to get rid of all her frustration. Her body already knew the sword dance she was doing. She allowed her mind to float into bliss as she parried, lunged.and struck another sword?
"You know, you really should pay attention to what you are doing. You could have killed someone," Alfred mocked her.
'How is it your allowed to hold a sword? Don't you belong in a kitchen mixing flour and baking pies?" She asked as she pushed his sword away from hers.
"A little feisty are we?" Alfred asked raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"I'd rather die than have you look at me like that again."
"Would you care to duel then?" raising his sword to tap hers.
"Are you sure you can wield your knife there?" She inquired tapping her sword on his.
"Lets go then!" Alfred shouted and the duel began.
For over 2 hours they lunged, parried, backed off, and came near enough to punch, but neither got the upper hand.
"Let's take to the air?" Aria wanted to know if he could fly and fight at the same time.
"Why not?" he answered unfolding his black feathered angel-like wings and rose up into the air. Following him up shortly after, Aria seemingly floated up on her clack dragon-like wings.
A faerie's wings showed there level of fighting skill. Black was the highest rank in any form of fighting. Angel wings meant you had mastered sword fighting. Dragon meant you had mastered all forms of fighting.
Their aerial battle began and much like the ground they were evenly matched. They were so intent on their duel that they didn't notice the rotating black clouds above them. Finally Aria bested Alfred by hitting him across the chest with the dull side, and forced him to land. Her gloating did not even last a minute as she felt something pulling her backwards. She looked behind her to see a vortex slowly pulling her in. The pull continually getting stronger, she couldn't fly out of it.
"Alfred help!" she cried out knowing he was her last and only hope.
Alfred looked up just in time to see her vanish into the clouds.
A year later the faerie people had looked everywhere for their princess, but had found not one clue as to were she could be. The king in desperation to find the heir to the throne went in search of the fortune faerie in hopes that she could tell him where Aria was. He found out where the fortune faerie was and what was needed to sacrifice to her and went to her.
"My dear King. There is no way to find your daughter. She is riding the lines of time and space. However a prophecy I will give you.
"Through time and space she flies in chaos, waiting for her day. She will be needed later to hold her peoples death at bay. A loveless warrior is and will remain, Until one pure in his love for her Can shatter her heart of decay. For to defeat the growing evil Wolf and Lion must lie together Trust each other And love so completely. But sadly as the ice begins to melt She must lay down her life for her friends."
Mean while Aria sat in her chaotic prison waiting for her time to come.