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Chapter One:
There was nothing spectacular about that face, a pert nose, freckled cheeks a stubborn mouth. It was the face of a commoner. Her cheeks were not the usual plum cheeks; rather they thin and slightly flushed. Clearly she had had a hard life.
She had always known she was different. Her magic had allowed her to understand people's thoughts- all people's thoughts, even those who had the Gift. She had heard ever since childhood that this was impossible, and so she had never told anyone. And they had never suspected
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"Kimmy! Get down here this instant and help me with the dishes!"
"Coming, Mother!" the girl replied. She walked down the narrow stairway. How she hated her house! The paint was peeling off of the walls and she could have sworn the floorboards were rotted through and were going to collapse at any minute. She made sure to walk lightly so that the floor did not come crashing down around her- or, rather, that she did not go crashing through the floor. Eventually she made it into the kitchen.
"Kim! How many times do I need to tell you to help me around the house! I cannot get everything done by myself, you know."
"I'm sorry, mother," the girl softly replied.
"You were up there reading again, weren't you?" Kimmy looked down at these words. In truth, she had crawled down the side (there was a pipe that she could slide down near her window) of her house and into the street again, eager to find something of good value to steal for the Rogue.
Ever since Aine had taken over the court of the Rogue, there had been a pressing demand for precious jewels. Aine had changed the idea of "steal what you can, when you can" to "steal when I tell you to, or die." Because of this, Kimmy, or Isis, as she had been nicknamed, had been forced to sneak away from her house whenever she had a chance to go "jewel hunting."
She saw exactly what she needed. The king's son was riding through the market. He was not dressed formally, so no one recognized him for who he was. She did though, and she took advantage of this. She slipped through the crowd toward him, deciding what she would take. There was a small jewel hanging off of his bracelet. She reached for it and somehow managed to unhook it from where it was clasped. She stood where she was, hearing nothing inside of the mind of the king.
That is definitely unusual. Kim thought to herself. She stared after the boy, and when he turned and looked at her, she gave him look for look. It's almost as if he knows I took something from him. How strange! She would, however, have to think about this later because she needed to return to her house before her mother realized that she was gone. She turned and slipped into her house.
She did not notice the faint glowing of the jewel in her pocket. The prince did, and he took note of the house where she disappeared.
He turned to his comrade, riding by his side and said, "She has it."
There was nothing spectacular about that face, a pert nose, freckled cheeks a stubborn mouth. It was the face of a commoner. Her cheeks were not the usual plum cheeks; rather they thin and slightly flushed. Clearly she had had a hard life.
She had always known she was different. Her magic had allowed her to understand people's thoughts- all people's thoughts, even those who had the Gift. She had heard ever since childhood that this was impossible, and so she had never told anyone. And they had never suspected
************ ************* *************** ************ ************
"Kimmy! Get down here this instant and help me with the dishes!"
"Coming, Mother!" the girl replied. She walked down the narrow stairway. How she hated her house! The paint was peeling off of the walls and she could have sworn the floorboards were rotted through and were going to collapse at any minute. She made sure to walk lightly so that the floor did not come crashing down around her- or, rather, that she did not go crashing through the floor. Eventually she made it into the kitchen.
"Kim! How many times do I need to tell you to help me around the house! I cannot get everything done by myself, you know."
"I'm sorry, mother," the girl softly replied.
"You were up there reading again, weren't you?" Kimmy looked down at these words. In truth, she had crawled down the side (there was a pipe that she could slide down near her window) of her house and into the street again, eager to find something of good value to steal for the Rogue.
Ever since Aine had taken over the court of the Rogue, there had been a pressing demand for precious jewels. Aine had changed the idea of "steal what you can, when you can" to "steal when I tell you to, or die." Because of this, Kimmy, or Isis, as she had been nicknamed, had been forced to sneak away from her house whenever she had a chance to go "jewel hunting."
She saw exactly what she needed. The king's son was riding through the market. He was not dressed formally, so no one recognized him for who he was. She did though, and she took advantage of this. She slipped through the crowd toward him, deciding what she would take. There was a small jewel hanging off of his bracelet. She reached for it and somehow managed to unhook it from where it was clasped. She stood where she was, hearing nothing inside of the mind of the king.
That is definitely unusual. Kim thought to herself. She stared after the boy, and when he turned and looked at her, she gave him look for look. It's almost as if he knows I took something from him. How strange! She would, however, have to think about this later because she needed to return to her house before her mother realized that she was gone. She turned and slipped into her house.
She did not notice the faint glowing of the jewel in her pocket. The prince did, and he took note of the house where she disappeared.
He turned to his comrade, riding by his side and said, "She has it."
