Chapter 1
Adventures
I leaned against the cold stone, pulling my cloak around me tightly. I gazed at the stars, twinkling brightly. It was cool, clear night, one good for clearing out all of the confused jumble of thoughts in my head. I mean, I don't get it, I hate all these suitors trying to get me to marry them. I hate being a princess! All of these guys all of the sudden are really interested in me, just because I am of age. They probably wouldn't care if I looked like a pig, which could be good....in away. Yet, I don't look like a pig, and I don't want to marry some guy who just wants to marry me because of my status. It's so freakin' annoying! I don't want to marry some heartless cow who has never done a kind thing in his life that doesn't benefit himself at all, really, I don't want to marry someone like that...ugh. Actually, I don't think that calling these men cows gives justice to the nice cows, roaches maybe? No, roaches are less greasy looking than they are.
I began shivering. I climbed back inside my window and pulled out a pair of my twin brother's breeches, and a nice shirt. I then pulled on my boots and my green cloak, carefully clasping it with my leaf brooch. When I climbed back out my window I wasn't surprised to find a figure sitting about 3 feet from my window. I went over and sat down next to my brother, running my long fingers through my curly strawberry hair, which was resting on my shoulders, short for a woman. My brother glanced at me when I sat down.
"Can't sleep?" He asked, laughter in his eyes.
"Nope, you can't either?"
"I wish. What's bothering you Is?" He asked, using his nickname for me.
"All those guys wanting to marry me, just because I am the princess." I said, sighing.
"Puh, you should see the girls, they're worse, much worse." He said, grinning.
"Well, Will, I guess you have a point." I said, grinning back, "but you like all of the girls, most of them aren't airheads, like the men."
"Whatever, of course I have a point, I am the smart twin, aren't I?" He said, shaking with laughter, making his hair, the same color as mine, fall into his eyes.
I smiled and pulled one of his ringlets rather hard. Our hair was one well known thing about us, everyone seemed to find our hair attractive. I just find my hair annoying.
"What's bothering you?" I asked, glancing at him sideways, he had a troubled expression on his face.
"This whole thing about war, I like Tortal and I don't want to go against them in war. They seem to think that we want to fight them, or that we have something to use against them. It's like we've been framed, and I have no idea what we're being framed for." He said, seriously.
"And of course, father wants to rush into things because they hit his honor majorly. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that father only wants to go to war to protect his honor." I said.
"Is, sadly, I believe that what you just said is true." Will said, disappointment in his voice.
I looked at him, surprise on my face, "Are you sure?"
"That's what has been bothering me. I can't think of Father's motive, that's the only reason that I can see, all of his other reasons are stupid and obviously bluffed."
"We've got to stop this! We can't go to war without even having a cause!" I hissed.
"Yes, I know, but how? Father won't listen to reason. The only way we can stop this war is by figuring out who framed us. I think that valuable items or something were stolen from Tortal, obviously something very important, and some how we got framed for it."
"But, how? And who would do something like that?" I wondered.
Then it suddenly dawned on me. It has to be Armstrong, I thought, and then I voiced my thoughts aloud.
"Armstrong, Will! That's the only country that we are constantly fighting against, we're on good terms with everyone else. Armstrong is also Tortal's enemy, it just has to be them! How would they frame us though?" I said.
"I think you're right Is....hmmm, but how would they?"
We both lasped into thought, thinking hard. Then it suddenly hit us, at exactly the same time.
"Will!!! Tortal invited us to send an ambassador a while ago, but remember, we didn't because father was away visiting the Karse Islands. We sent an apology, but then there was a huge blizzard and our messenger got snowed in, maybe that letter never got to Tortal." I said, taking a break so I could breath, Will cut in.
"Yes, then Armstrong could have gotten an impersonator to play the part as our ambassador. Then he could have stolen some special thing of Tortal's, or done something horrible, and then high-tailed it out of there. We of course would get the blame." Will looked at me expectantly.
"I think we're right, Will, but we don't have any proof. What do we do?" I asked.
Will looked at me and grinned. I smiled back, nodding.
"I'll write a letter to Father, you go get your clothes, and a sword. I'll get my daggers."
Will jumped up, grinning. He pulled me to my feet.
"Hurry up, Is. Let's get going." He said.
We both ran to our rooms, jumping through our windows, gathering our things. I scrawled out a sloppy letter and left it for Father. Meeting Will back outside.
Adventures
I leaned against the cold stone, pulling my cloak around me tightly. I gazed at the stars, twinkling brightly. It was cool, clear night, one good for clearing out all of the confused jumble of thoughts in my head. I mean, I don't get it, I hate all these suitors trying to get me to marry them. I hate being a princess! All of these guys all of the sudden are really interested in me, just because I am of age. They probably wouldn't care if I looked like a pig, which could be good....in away. Yet, I don't look like a pig, and I don't want to marry some guy who just wants to marry me because of my status. It's so freakin' annoying! I don't want to marry some heartless cow who has never done a kind thing in his life that doesn't benefit himself at all, really, I don't want to marry someone like that...ugh. Actually, I don't think that calling these men cows gives justice to the nice cows, roaches maybe? No, roaches are less greasy looking than they are.
I began shivering. I climbed back inside my window and pulled out a pair of my twin brother's breeches, and a nice shirt. I then pulled on my boots and my green cloak, carefully clasping it with my leaf brooch. When I climbed back out my window I wasn't surprised to find a figure sitting about 3 feet from my window. I went over and sat down next to my brother, running my long fingers through my curly strawberry hair, which was resting on my shoulders, short for a woman. My brother glanced at me when I sat down.
"Can't sleep?" He asked, laughter in his eyes.
"Nope, you can't either?"
"I wish. What's bothering you Is?" He asked, using his nickname for me.
"All those guys wanting to marry me, just because I am the princess." I said, sighing.
"Puh, you should see the girls, they're worse, much worse." He said, grinning.
"Well, Will, I guess you have a point." I said, grinning back, "but you like all of the girls, most of them aren't airheads, like the men."
"Whatever, of course I have a point, I am the smart twin, aren't I?" He said, shaking with laughter, making his hair, the same color as mine, fall into his eyes.
I smiled and pulled one of his ringlets rather hard. Our hair was one well known thing about us, everyone seemed to find our hair attractive. I just find my hair annoying.
"What's bothering you?" I asked, glancing at him sideways, he had a troubled expression on his face.
"This whole thing about war, I like Tortal and I don't want to go against them in war. They seem to think that we want to fight them, or that we have something to use against them. It's like we've been framed, and I have no idea what we're being framed for." He said, seriously.
"And of course, father wants to rush into things because they hit his honor majorly. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that father only wants to go to war to protect his honor." I said.
"Is, sadly, I believe that what you just said is true." Will said, disappointment in his voice.
I looked at him, surprise on my face, "Are you sure?"
"That's what has been bothering me. I can't think of Father's motive, that's the only reason that I can see, all of his other reasons are stupid and obviously bluffed."
"We've got to stop this! We can't go to war without even having a cause!" I hissed.
"Yes, I know, but how? Father won't listen to reason. The only way we can stop this war is by figuring out who framed us. I think that valuable items or something were stolen from Tortal, obviously something very important, and some how we got framed for it."
"But, how? And who would do something like that?" I wondered.
Then it suddenly dawned on me. It has to be Armstrong, I thought, and then I voiced my thoughts aloud.
"Armstrong, Will! That's the only country that we are constantly fighting against, we're on good terms with everyone else. Armstrong is also Tortal's enemy, it just has to be them! How would they frame us though?" I said.
"I think you're right Is....hmmm, but how would they?"
We both lasped into thought, thinking hard. Then it suddenly hit us, at exactly the same time.
"Will!!! Tortal invited us to send an ambassador a while ago, but remember, we didn't because father was away visiting the Karse Islands. We sent an apology, but then there was a huge blizzard and our messenger got snowed in, maybe that letter never got to Tortal." I said, taking a break so I could breath, Will cut in.
"Yes, then Armstrong could have gotten an impersonator to play the part as our ambassador. Then he could have stolen some special thing of Tortal's, or done something horrible, and then high-tailed it out of there. We of course would get the blame." Will looked at me expectantly.
"I think we're right, Will, but we don't have any proof. What do we do?" I asked.
Will looked at me and grinned. I smiled back, nodding.
"I'll write a letter to Father, you go get your clothes, and a sword. I'll get my daggers."
Will jumped up, grinning. He pulled me to my feet.
"Hurry up, Is. Let's get going." He said.
We both ran to our rooms, jumping through our windows, gathering our things. I scrawled out a sloppy letter and left it for Father. Meeting Will back outside.