This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy! Please R&R, and if possible, tell me how I can improve my writing. Thanks!
As the midnight bell rung, a man and a woman hurried quietly through the dark, silent halls of the castle. The man held a young, sleeping girl, around five years old, while another girl, eleven years old, ran behind them, trying to keep up with their adult sized paces. Although she had no idea what was happening, she felt overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation. Curiosity finally overcoming her anxiety, she whispered softly, intending to ask where they were going, "Mama?"
Her mother urgently shook her head and put a finger on her lips, signaling for silence. She grabbed the girl's hand, and pulled her along. Finally, they stopped at a door. It was a normal door, with nothing to indicate it was any different from the other doors. The room itself was also the same as all the other rooms. Inside, it contained a small bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. The woman immediately went and knelt in front of the desk. Her fingers silently explored the elaborate carvings on the edges of the desk until she finally found what she was looking for. She pushed and heard a little click. The man had woken the sleeping child already. When he heard the click, he swiftly moved to the bookshelf. He squinted, trying to read the titles. His eyes landed on a small book. He reached his hand out and took out the book. Immediately, a bookshelf slid over, revealing a door.
Suddenly, a bell started tolling from outside. Soon, loud shouts filled the air as more and more people woke up. "We've got to hurry," the man muttered, kneeling in front of his children. "Listen carefully," he whispered urgently. "If you follow this tunnel out, you will find Gammon waiting for you." Gammon was the man who helped raise the two children ever since they were born. In a way, he was their nanny. "He will lead you to a boat heading to Tortall. There you will find a man named Sir Myles of Olau. You must tell him our names and everything about your life in this castle. Be careful, don't trust anyone else."
"But Papa," the child whispered back, "What about you and Mama?"
Their mother also came and knelt in front of them. "We won't be able to go with you. You are strong, Sera, so make sure to take care of yourself. Here, take my sword." She handed her sword to Sera. Sera took it, trembling. It was the sword that her mother treasured, simple in appearance, yet lighter and quicker than a usual sword. It was a special sword, but Sera didn't know how. All she knew was that her mother always kept it with her. "In Tortall, they let women become knights. We had Gammon notify the castle that you are going to become a page. You are going to be using a different identity. Be a good girl and listen to Gammon."
Her father looked at her with serious eyes. "Sera, you must not ever breathe a word to anyone except Sir Myles about who you really are. The training for a page should be similar to the training you receive right now. You must never complain. Never tattletale on another person. I've heard there were pages that got run out by the other pages simply because they tattled. Also, try not to show off or do anything differently from the other pages. It will only gain you enemies."
Her mother tried to smile. She had tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, Sera. Make sure to take care of your sister. Sir Myles is a nice man. He will help you guys. I love you both. Don't ever forget that," She kissed them both on the forehead.
Their father did the same. "I love both of you, too. Bye, Seraphina. Bye, Kathlene." He steered them both towards the secret door. From other parts of the castle, Sera could hear the voices of men yelling and feet pounding as they ran. "Go now, and quickly."
"But you and Mama..." Sera wanted them to stop acting like that. By now, she had sensed something was very wrong. She wiped at her mother's tears, hoping she would stop crying. "Mama…" she began again.
"We will keep off the guards as long as we can. You have to get away quickly."
Sera had also begun to cry from the intensity of it all. She knew that her life would never be the same again. She was afraid that in leaving her parents, she would be losing them forever. She hugged both her parents, and then reluctantly, began making her way down the corridor. Kat, confused about what was happening, followed. The door thumped behind them, giving everything an air of finality. Inside the tunnel, it was oddly quiet and very dark. The walls and floor were made of smooth stone, and an occasional mage globe helped light the way.
Kat, still confused about what was happening, asked, "Sera, where're we going? Where's Papa and Mama?"
Sera didn't know the answers to those questions, so she told Kat, "We're going on an adventure, but mama and papa have to stay behind or our teachers will worry. When we come back, we can tell mama and papa all about what we did and maybe they can come with us next time."
Kat's eyes started shining. Jumping up and down, she asked, "What kind of adventures? Are we going to meet dragons or lionesses or other immortals? Are we going to become famous?"
Sera giggled, "Lionesses aren't immortals."
"But the teachers always tell us to become like lionesses. And there are lots of stories about them too."
"No, it's the Lioness. And we might be able to meet her. She's the most famous person in the world. Now, we should be quiet or else mama and papa won't let us go."
Kat immediately shushed up, though she continued skipping ahead cheerfully.
After a while, the end of the tunnel finally came into sight. A creaky wooden door led them outside. Stepping into the night air, Sera looked around. They had come out of the back of the castle, next to the canal. The moon was bright, giving everything a slightly silver glow. Just like her parents said, Gammon was waiting for them.
Kat, glad to be out of the tunnel, ran to Gammon and beamed with joy. "Gammon! Where are we going? Are we going to go fight turtles?" Kat asked.
Gammon chuckled, "Turtles aren't worth your time, Katy. Most of them aren't even bigger'n your head." Suddenly, the bell started tolling again. Gammon's face instantaneously turned grim. "We have to get out of here quickly. I'll tell you more when we get going."
He indicated to the canal, where a small boat was waiting. They boarded the boat started gliding soundlessly over the water. They found a pile of their stuff on it, already packed. "When did you pack this stuff?" Sera asked, curious.
"We already had it ready for a couple months just in case something happened. Unfortunately, something did happen."
"What happened?"
"Well…they found out." Gammon's voice was hesitant.
"Who found out what?" Sera felt a shiver go down her spine. She listened attentively, despite dreading what was going to be the answer.
Gammon hesitated before simply stating, "Your parents are spies."
For a moment, Sera felt as if the world around her had frozen. Then, her vision started to swim. She clutched at Gammon's arm, trying to stay standing. Though she was usually calm and could take surprises without blinking an eye, when she heard this news, she started to lose her composure. "You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking." Sera laughed nervously. When Gammon didn't say anything, she stared at him incredulously, "Gammon, say something. Gammon? Gammon!" She shook his arm roughly and continued laughing hysterically. Gammon didn't say anything, waiting for her to calm down.
After a while, Sera's laughter began to die down. "Sorry," she muttered, feeling ashamed.
"'S ok," Gammon told her. "It's the first time I seen you lose it. Sometimes you just have to let it run its course."
"So mama and papa are spies," Sera said, mostly to herself. Out of all the criminals, spies were the most feared one in Maren, therefore they suffered the worst punishments.
"It's best if you don't dwell on it too much. Plus, there's always a chance that they'll get away." Gammon sounded unconvinced by his own words. They both knew that the castle guards were all highly skilled at fighting. Under King Bora, Maren has secretly focused more on military power.
A shadow fell on them, blocking the moonlight. A merchant ship had approached their little boat. Sera started, wondering if there were guards on board. However, Gammon waved it off. "It seems like our ride is here," he commented, then whistled three times loudly. A rope ladder tumbled down the side of the ship. "Well," he grabbed some bags and strapped it onto his back. "Let's go."