To Love a Prince
Disclaimer: I only own the characters you don't recognise, the rest are Tamora Pierce's wonderful creations….even Neal sob
This is my first fic so I hope you like it! I got the inspiration for it at one in the morning and was up for another twenty minutes, scribbling away, so I hope you all appreciate it! Constructive criticism welcome.
Chapter One
Lady Katherine of Tare was going to court in Corus to find a husband.
She wrinkled her nose at the very thought.
Officially the trip was for the two unmarried daughters of Tare to be presented a court and to have a chance to see the city but this young teenage girl new the true purpose of the event.
Just sixteen the some-what wild daughter of William and Mavis of Tare had no real intentions of obeying her parents and marry as soon as someone was mad enough to propose to her and was determined to marry for love not money but she didn't have enough courage to openly defy her parents.
The girl brought up mostly in the country was too shy, too quiet and bookish to rival the court beauties but not quite as plain as she believed herself to be, her wavy, light brown hair definitely her best quality framing her round face and delicate features, she had hazel brown eyes, and although she would never be anyone's definition of dazzlingly beautiful she was fairly appealing and sweet-looking even if she faded before her three sisters.
So young Kate was not flirty, gorgeous wife-material but neither was she a warrior or a fighter like the Lioness, she had briefly considered joining the Queen's Riders but had abandoned that dream rather quickly as she was very clumsy, not strong enough to even lift a sword, let alone wield it and had been bested in the only thing she was remotely good at, archery, by her eleven-year-old brother, Luke.
As the bumpy carriage took her, two maids and her elder sister, Jayne, closer and closer to the palace and her inevitable marriage, Kate wondered just who she would end up marrying, she hope whoever he turned out to be would let her live in the country, she loved it so much more then town, it was more free somehow, away from the rules and etiquette that seemed to follow the family and friends she had at the palace. Kate hated having to live her life the way protocol demanded. Kate's childhood had been idyllic, as she lived faraway, in the countryside her parents hadn't reinforced the manners of court too hard and she had played from dawn to dusk, traipsing around the woods with her siblings and an ever-changing cast of cousins that had come to spend a few days or weeks with her. Kate hoped her husband would not make her live in a huge, stuffy, caging city and allow her to continue this life.
Perhaps she would find a kind, easy-going man who would let her live where she wanted or maybe a scholarly dreamer, who wouldn't care what she did as long as he had some books to bury himself in, or else an absent, glory-seeking, heroic knight who spent more time of fighting bandits and monsters then at home.
She sighed, yes, that was the life doomed for her but she didn't dwell on it, didn't dream about knights in shinning armour or roguish, devilish gypsies to come and take her away for a life of adventure and excitement. Oh no, never once had she fancied when the travelling Players performed for the evenings entertainment or when the King's Own passed through town that one of them would take her away from her dismal, boring, old life.
A girl could dream, couldn't she?
Kate was interrupted from her musings as the carriage approached the city and her sister gave her a poke. "Stop your dreaming, Kate, we're almost at the palace. Margaret said it was giant!" Jayne said, referring to their excitable, passionate cousin. Kate offered a little smile, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "We're staying with Margaret and Aunt Emma, aren't we?" "Yes. It will be so much fun! Oh, look, Katie, darling." Jayne cried as they rounded a bend and the palace came into view. "Isn't it fantastic!" She laughed out of pure joy. Kate looked at her, smiling softly, then joined in, letting her troubles slide away.
She had to admit it was breathtaking, the sun was setting, casting an orange/pink glow over the palace. "It is beautiful" Kate answered, her mind already weaving tales of beautiful, trapped damsels, evil dragons, ugly whitches and handsome princes.
End of the first chapter, did you like it? Please r&r!!!