Pariah
This is a template for a novel I'm going to write, so please review if you have the time, . Criticism welcome!
Summary
Bryony is no ordinary princess, and her damsel in distress no typical wronged noble lady. Princess Bryony is a kleptomaniac, who has dragged her family's name through the mud with her common thievery. Saoirse is a witch, outcast from society for her albinism and black magic, imprisoned by an egotistical prince after having tried to seize his throne. When Bryony steals something precious from her wicked fairy godmother, she is locked under a curse riddling her life with misfortune. Rebelling against her arranged marriage to Prince Edwin, she meets Saoirse and rescues her as part of a lucrative deal they strike. But with an enraged fairy, troublesome princes, various dangerous mythical creatures, and the law, pitted against them, the course of true love never did run smooth.
Epilogue
Bryony's POV
For a princess, I was never one for ladylike languishing – I myself relish a good sword fight; jousting, duelling and hunting aren't the most of dainty pursuits, but they are mine. I never chose my blue blood - my dreams are of being a knight, of blood and glory; or even a better a brigand or a bandit, to steal through the night, plundering and pillaging. When I look in the looking glass it isn't Princess Bryony, heir to the throne, future ruler of my kingdom I see; it's just a young woman with unruly short red hair, tattoos on her arms, and dirt on her face. A fighter, not a damsel in distress. A disgraced noblewoman, surrounded by whispers and an air of scandal. A pariah.
Chapter 1
Bryony
"Well well, if isn't our Crown Princess, come to flog her stolen wares!"
"I could hardly leave all the thieving and skulduggery to the men now I could I?" Bryony grinned, slapping the one eyed innkeeper on the shoulder and striding into the dingy tavern, "Good to see you again, Olaf." She flung her bulging bag down on a table. "Gather round ladies and gents, the black market has arrived!"
The unsavoury members of the tavern slunk forward, jingling purses and rubbing their hands. "Here we have dragon's tooth, a very specimen indeed, will make a deadly dagger, extracted in the highest peril, I'll be asking a high price for this. This caught your eye, sir? Nixie venom. Pure, mind you. Not the watered down stuff you get in apothecaries. A highly illegal substance, so you'll be wanting to keep this on the sly, if you get my meaning. The fine lady I filched this from led me on a merry dance, I can tell you. A pinch of this stuff will polish off any enemy in a jiffy..." Bryony's customers clustered round her in a grubby knot, haggling furiously.
"Bryony!" A low voice cut through the clamour. Though the inn was a melting pot of the most shifty and notorious thieves, pirates, and bandits that besmirched the kingdom, the crowd parted respectfully and fearfully around the newcomer, muttering, winking and nudging each other. "Elsinore," replied Bryony, pushing back her hood. The stranger's dark cloak billowed behind her, and the bone beads and black feathers braided in her long hair clinked as she moved. Her pale skin was stretched taut over jutting cheekbones, and her teeth were sharp against her lip when she smiled.
"Let's go somewhere... more private," Bryony murmured, steering the imposing figure that was her fairy godmother into one of the back rooms, away from prying eyes.
"Have you got the package I require?" the fairy asked, extending a long elegant hand. Bryony smiled, "It wouldn't do to keep one as fair as you waiting", and placed it in her outstretched hand.
"And what do you want in return, little thief?" Elsinore demanded, her feral face lighting up as she leant forward – every fairy loves a bargain - regarding Bryony as a cat would another creature, as if trying to decide whether she was a mouse or a fellow feline. "I don't imagine it will be a low price."
Bryony tipped her head back and looked at her fairy godmother calculatingly. "I'm sure I can think of something."
A gleam around the fairy's throat caught Bryony's magpie eye. She reached up and pulled it out of Elsinore's cloak. The pendant swung from her hand. "I think I'll take this for my pains." The other woman immediately slapped her hand away.
"Sometimes the clichés are true, my love," she said, with a dangerous edge to her voice, raising a finger to trace Bryony's cheekbone. "If you stole this from me then you would rue the day it came into your possession." Her finger slipped down to caress the pulse beating at the mortal girl's throat. Bryony swallowed, her cocky demeanour slipping. She knew how little pressure you had to apply to stop that pulse.
"I'll settle for a kiss then." The princess flashed her companion a brash, challenging smile. "I've heard a kiss from the fey can break curses, or even make a mortal live forever."
"Well, there's only one way to find out if that's true," responded Elsinore with a crooked smile, leaning forward and kissing her, Bryony's arms winding round her neck.
An hour later, the princess strode out of the 'The Poisoned Apple' inn, whistling nonchalantly. She'd received plenty of precious bounty in exchange for her loot, a reassurance that all the danger and potential disgrace was worthwhile. She never asked for money in exchange for the stolen trinkets she sold, but she demanded her payment be substantial and impressive – unicorn heartstring, a vial of liquid hemlock, a syrup that induced madness in its drinker – these were just some of the prizes she had come away with today. But her newest most valued treasure was the fairy pendant she now wore around her neck. It had only taken one moment of distraction, one kiss. Pity foresight wasn't one of the powers Elsinore possessed. Bryony gave a smug, defiant grin at the thought. Never mind that she didn't know why it was such of such importance, the best part of nicking stuff from other people is knowing that what you're pocketing is precious to them. She pulled up her hood, and shouldering her bag she made her way back to the palace she had the misfortune to call home.
Elsinore
Back in the inn, a piercing shriek of fury suddenly rent the air. The tavern's shifty inhabitants simultaneously stopped their rowdy fighting, wrestling, and bragging, and cowered. The fairy clutched her bare throat. "The little bitch!" she screamed, her ornate black wings beating against her back. Olaf stepped forward and with a snarl and a flick of her hand he was hurled backwards through the air. His head cracked sickeningly against the wall, and he crumpled on a heap on the floor, twitching, a snail trail of crimson creeping across his face.
"I curse you, Bryony, daughter of Imogen!" Elsinore spat, "A plague upon those you love most, and may the hearts of your people turn against you! Hardship will be your constant shadow, and I vow that from this day on you will never be free of me!"
Bryony
Bryony was halfway back to the palace when an invisible force hit her. She felt as if she'd been felled with an axe. It only took one little act of petty thievery to turn your fairy godmother into a maniac hell-bent on revenge. With the pendant she'd bought a one-way ticket to doom.
When she stumbled to her feet, she saw she was surrounded by a group chain mail clad watchmen, with the stomach-sinkingly familiar insignia of her family's royal crest emblazoned on their chests. She had never, ever been caught before. Gritting her teeth, she mentally cursed Elsinore and her own foolishness – this was her godmother's doing. "Gentlemen! What a perfect night for a moonlit stroll! As you can see I have just been taking one myself!" She brandished the sack of goods with an inviting smile, "I don't suppose I could interest you lads in -"
By this time the head of the guards had darted forward and twitched off her hood with the tip of his sword. "Well, well, look how the mighty have fallen!" he snickered, interrupting her. "Cuff her up, boys. Our own princess, caught skulking around like a common thief! Tut tut, what will Mummy and Daddy say about this, eh? They won't be able to get you out of hot water this time, my pretty. I'll be getting a pay rise for this. Drinks are on me tonight, lads! Crown princess Bryony, you are under arrest."