A beautiful white dove sits perched upon a thin tree branch surrounded by a crystal clear spring of water next to a waterfall. The water is so clear it looks like one sky is lying on top of another. The bird shifted ever so gracefully twitching its neck. Then suddenly a fast dark arrow flew in front of the dove barely grazing one of its feathers jolting the dove up into the sky, flapping rapidly into the sun.
A young man stands just below the enormous tree holding a bow and arrow in his hands slowly retracting his grip on the string of his bow. He stares i dissapointment at his escaped prey but shrugs it off and returns his bow around his shoulder. He wipes away a bead of sweat from his forehead, as he notices the mist from the falls cooly kissing the back of his neck. He kneels down over the pond to get a drink and caught a glimpse of his reflection staring back at him. He is tall with light feathery brown hair that varely goes down to his shoulders. He has deep brown eyes, broad shoulders protected by shoulder-bladed armor, and a well cut body. As he filled up his leather canteen with the fresh spring water, he watched a family of ducks glie across the water: all of the little duckling following their mother. He stood up straight and pressed the canteen up to his lips to take a drink. He swallowed as he lowered the jug and screwed the lid back on. He took a last deep breath of fresh air before heading back into the woods.
He calmly walked through the bushes and twigs as they snapped underneath his large brown leather boots. As he passed a large bush he looked down and saw a helpless little chipmunk cornered by a long black snake. The snake curled its head back making an evil hiss as the chipmunk shuddered with fear. The boy drew his sword and quick as a blink made a slash through the air, there was a short pause before the snakes head rolled away. The boy resheathed his sword and smiled at the chipmunk and then turned to proceed onward through the forest. the chipmunk straightened up and hopped over to take a better look at its rescuer. It stared, as he walked away, with a tilted head and curious eyes and tiny paws curled up to its chest. Then the fury little creature quickly leaped after him. As the boy reached the end of the woods he looked up and saw an enormous citadel embeded in white stone. it stood upon an open field of green grass and stretched as far as the eye could see. The chipmunk hurried up to the boys feet and stopped likewise to behold the cities beauty. The boy proceeded forward to the front gates of the citadel where he stood looking up at the battlements of the closed doors. A figure, looking almost like an ant from the distance, peaked over the edge.
"Is That you Matthias?" the figure yelled down the wall in a somewhat sarcastic tone.
"You know it is, Thomas. Now open the gate already," said Matthias.
"Only because you asked so nicely." The man disappeared from the top of the battlement and Matthias heard Thomas yelling at a guard, "Oi, don't just stand there, you heard him, open those gates, chop chop!". Slowly the giant doors were pulled open by giant, rusty, chains of chrome. Matthias couldn't help but smile at Thomas, his best friend since childhood and cousin, who had the wonderful ability to always make him laugh. As the doors swung back they revealed a city of lively people, chattering amongst themselves as they went on with their busy lives. Shopping carts of all sorts surrounded the entrance of the citadel beckoning street goers to choose their products for purchase.
Matthias walked through the dirt covered streets with the chipmunk at his heels. Matthias could see the knights dueling in their armor near the armory, along with the archers who were shooting at haystacks to gain practice. Everywhere that he looked Matthias couldn't help but love his Kingdom of Belleview. From behind him without warning Matthias came up and put Matthias in a headlock.
"Where have you been off too, Cousin?" Thomas asked as he tightened his grip on Matthias.
"Ah, you know," Matthias put his hand up to Thomas' chin pushing him backward and at the same time swept his legs out from under him knocking him to the dirt filled ground, "The usual."
"Yes, your sister, Myrtle, said that you had run away never to return again. And i could hear the trumpet sound at the thought. I said 'Let him go, it can't do us any harm, especially to me anyways.' " Matthias smiled and let his cousin up from the ground. "So where did you go? Another one of those dreamy day walks of yours again?"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didnt, but like you were saying it doesn't matter anyways."
"You ought to stop leaving the castle so much, it's not safe you being prince and all."
"Well I enjoy it. And besides what do I care, nothing ever happens around here anyways."
"You ought to care, your father wasn't too happy to find out that you were alone in the woods again. It's full of thiefs and outcasts who can't wait to get there hands on your father, the King. Lucky for you, you've got the best protection from our city guards."
"Well then, what do I have to worry about?" smirked Matthias. Matthias and Thomas continued conversating as they made their way to the great hall where sat his mother and father at the dining table. His eleven year old sister walked by him in a blue gown.
"You're in trouble!" she whisered and taunted him by blowing rasberries at him. He stuck his tongue out at her, and they continued exchanging offensive gestures until the king cleared his throat and they looked up to see their parents glaring at them.
Matthias walked over to them with Thomas whispering in his ear, "You're in trouble!" Matthias glared angrily at him, and as they got closer to the table he said, "I think I'll just wait outside." Thomas walked off and left the hall while Matthias cautiously approached the dinner table at which his parents had been feasting on turkey, and stuffing, and steamed vegetables. They had servants at their hands and feet. His father patiently picked up his napkin and dabbed his mouth with it, then gently placed it onto the corner of the table. He let out a deep agitated sigh.
"Father I -"
"Where Were You?" his father demanded.
"I just took a walk," replied Matthias nervously.
"By walk i take it you mean outside of the citadel?"
"I was hunting."
"Oh! Hunting you say? And what did you bring back?" the king asked.
Matthias' speech lowered to a mutter, " I ... er... missed."
"After 10 years of sword and archery training I would think it rather hard for you to miss."
At this point Matthias was tripping over his words trying to think of what to say before his mother let out a whale of horror.
"A RAT!" She screamed as she spotted the chipmunk on the dinner table sniffing around the turkey. It stiffened as if instantly petrified before realizing the King was running at it with a carving knife. The little creature darted across the abnormally large table knocking over cups and bowls dodging the chops delivered from the King's knife as the queen continued screaming bloody murder. Her servants tried their best to calm the woman but she was on the verge of a heart attack. The chipmunk leaped from the edge of the table directly onto Matthias' shoulder cowering in fear as it burrowed its head into his neck. The king walked threateningly toward the Prince, his red and orange robes gliding across the marble floor. He pointed the sharp knife at the chipmunk.
"Is this your doing?" He snarled.
"He sort of followed me, I guess, I don't know," Matthias stammered.
"Well take it ouside and kill it! I'll have no rodents creeping around My halls. And as for you: You are seventeen, next year you become of age. You are going to be king, so start acting like one. I will not have my kingdom passed on to a man who can't take care of himself let alone hundreds of other lives!" The King returned to his thronelike chair and threw his napkin back into his lap. Quickly a servant came and adjusted it properly, whilst the rest of them were still pampering the Queen from her state of shock. Matthias made his way outside of the Great Hall. He turned to Thomas who was leaning against one of the columns.
"I'll have to catch up with you later Thomas," said Matthias and continued walking towards the outer wall of the citadel with the chipmunk still cupped between his hands. He reached a fragment of the giant wall and stopped and then he pushed against the white stone on five different bricks. then a secret door opened, the stone grinded against itself making a low rumbling noise. Matthias stepped outside of the walls again and knelt down to the soft grass and gently placed the chipmunk on the ground. The chipmunk turned around to look at him with its soft black eyes. "Go," he whispered. He gave it a soft nudge with his fingertip towards the forest. The chipmunk continued gazing up at the giant who saved its life, and watched him as he stepped back through the walls as they sealed behind him. The little chipmunk sat there for a moment staring up at the great walls of white stone before it retreated back into a bush. It spun around in the dirt making a nest-like bed with its paws. It curled up pulling its tiny little tail in close, its eyes gently grew heavy and began to close, lulling it into a sleep of its own.
Later that night, Matthias lie in his bed staring out his window looking up at the stars, and admiring their beauty. He pushed his quilt down past his toes and slid his feet out of bed and sat up. He rubbed his eyes restlessly and wondered over to his window, pondering on his life, and thinking to himself of what it might be like somewhere else away from all the responsibilities of being a prince. Aways from the stress of it all. He looked down at his city to survey its serenity. He stood there for a moment and then turned back around to return to his bed. He just barely missed the shadow of a figure, gliding through the streets with great stealth disappearing from site as soon as it appeared.