"If you want to follow a dream, Alee, you have to wake up first!" Aliriel, Princess of Tyra, the youngest and only daughter to the King, glare at her older brother. He was Bryan, and he would be King once their father was gone. A practical man nearing his twenties, Bryan did not stand for nonsense like what Alee was proposing.
"You just think it's impossible." Alee argued. "How will they say no to me, I'm a princess!" Bryan scowled at her. She was asking him to let her leave. Leave the palace and go to the neighboring country of Tortall. She wanted to get away from her father and from his guards. Bryan was strong enough to stand up against King Mavir, she was not. If she could get away, and teach herself to be strong-
"Are you listening to me?" Bryan demanded as he brushed his brown hair out of his eyes. Alee blushed and shock her head. Her brother sighed, went down on his knees, and grasped her shoulders. His piercing blue eyes held her green ones. "Alee, the King will never let you go. And if you run and he finds out...its impossible. And why would Tortall take you? We just had a war three years ago. They have control over almost all of Tyra! I said no, and I mean it." He touched her cheek. "I won't have you getting into trouble." Alee jerked away from his touch and turned her back on him.
"Fine, I'll....I'll ask father!" She declared.
"Do you want him to hit you again?" Bryan demanded, a little too sternly. Alee felt tears welling in her eyes. Bryan sighed when he saw her face. "Don't cry, Alee. I'm sorry." He pulled her to his chest. The thirteen-year-old cried softly. "Don't go near him Alee, he's just...well he's not a good father. He's not even a good King, but you must be strong and stay here until I can take over." Alee looked up at him, still angry.
"Why? Why can't I just go? Father won't be able to do anything if you claim you don't know." She was rambling now. "I hate him. I won't wait another ten years in this prison. I won't stay. I'll run away. I don't care what you think-"
"Alee hush!" Bryan put a hand over her mouth. "Do you want to wake the entire palace?" He demanded. She stayed quiet. "Look, his guards are everywhere. If the people didn't like me so much he'd have disowned me by now and claimed the throne for another fifty years. If you leave Alee, you can't come back. Not until he's gone. And where will you stay? A princess, alone, in a strange country, it makes no sense." Alee frowned.
She just wanted to leave. Her father hated her, why would he want her here? You're special, was all her brother ever replied when asked. Ten more years? Ten more years under this tyrant? No, she couldn't stand his abuse, not only of her but of the people. The drought was striking everywhere, his strike rules forced money from even the poorest class to be given as taxes. If he stayed in power...the empire would collapse. She had never thought of it this way before. If only Bryan were King.
A sudden crash outside the door sent Bryan to his feet, sword drawn in one hand while the other pushed her behind him. "Stay here, Alee. Something's happening." He left her alone in the dark. Alee did not stay. She ran to the balcony, and looked down to the floor below. People, people everywhere. Armor shinning and swords clashing. The black uniforms of her father's guards could barely be seen, but the blue, red, and yellow of Tortall was everywhere. Had the war started again?
And suddenly the King's guards were gone, fleeing even from the center of the room, where they had been circling her father. The King looked around frantically, and Bryan made it to the floor. He stepped in front of her father. No, Alee thought. They'll kill them both. No. Tortall's Knights moved in, forcing Bryan away. They had hold of his arms and held him back as their leader came forward. He had wavy black hair and dark eyes. He was the commander of the King's Own, she had seen him before.
"King Mavir, you are under arrest for the unethical treatment of a group of our soldiers, and your own people. You will be taken before the courts...or you will die here. Choose." His voice was cold, low, and threatening. The King spat at the man in the blue uniform that had a sword to his throat. Alee did not know what to do, so she watched the sword fly sideways. She watched the blood fall. They had killed her father. They had killed the King. And now they turned to Bryan.
"You just think it's impossible." Alee argued. "How will they say no to me, I'm a princess!" Bryan scowled at her. She was asking him to let her leave. Leave the palace and go to the neighboring country of Tortall. She wanted to get away from her father and from his guards. Bryan was strong enough to stand up against King Mavir, she was not. If she could get away, and teach herself to be strong-
"Are you listening to me?" Bryan demanded as he brushed his brown hair out of his eyes. Alee blushed and shock her head. Her brother sighed, went down on his knees, and grasped her shoulders. His piercing blue eyes held her green ones. "Alee, the King will never let you go. And if you run and he finds out...its impossible. And why would Tortall take you? We just had a war three years ago. They have control over almost all of Tyra! I said no, and I mean it." He touched her cheek. "I won't have you getting into trouble." Alee jerked away from his touch and turned her back on him.
"Fine, I'll....I'll ask father!" She declared.
"Do you want him to hit you again?" Bryan demanded, a little too sternly. Alee felt tears welling in her eyes. Bryan sighed when he saw her face. "Don't cry, Alee. I'm sorry." He pulled her to his chest. The thirteen-year-old cried softly. "Don't go near him Alee, he's just...well he's not a good father. He's not even a good King, but you must be strong and stay here until I can take over." Alee looked up at him, still angry.
"Why? Why can't I just go? Father won't be able to do anything if you claim you don't know." She was rambling now. "I hate him. I won't wait another ten years in this prison. I won't stay. I'll run away. I don't care what you think-"
"Alee hush!" Bryan put a hand over her mouth. "Do you want to wake the entire palace?" He demanded. She stayed quiet. "Look, his guards are everywhere. If the people didn't like me so much he'd have disowned me by now and claimed the throne for another fifty years. If you leave Alee, you can't come back. Not until he's gone. And where will you stay? A princess, alone, in a strange country, it makes no sense." Alee frowned.
She just wanted to leave. Her father hated her, why would he want her here? You're special, was all her brother ever replied when asked. Ten more years? Ten more years under this tyrant? No, she couldn't stand his abuse, not only of her but of the people. The drought was striking everywhere, his strike rules forced money from even the poorest class to be given as taxes. If he stayed in power...the empire would collapse. She had never thought of it this way before. If only Bryan were King.
A sudden crash outside the door sent Bryan to his feet, sword drawn in one hand while the other pushed her behind him. "Stay here, Alee. Something's happening." He left her alone in the dark. Alee did not stay. She ran to the balcony, and looked down to the floor below. People, people everywhere. Armor shinning and swords clashing. The black uniforms of her father's guards could barely be seen, but the blue, red, and yellow of Tortall was everywhere. Had the war started again?
And suddenly the King's guards were gone, fleeing even from the center of the room, where they had been circling her father. The King looked around frantically, and Bryan made it to the floor. He stepped in front of her father. No, Alee thought. They'll kill them both. No. Tortall's Knights moved in, forcing Bryan away. They had hold of his arms and held him back as their leader came forward. He had wavy black hair and dark eyes. He was the commander of the King's Own, she had seen him before.
"King Mavir, you are under arrest for the unethical treatment of a group of our soldiers, and your own people. You will be taken before the courts...or you will die here. Choose." His voice was cold, low, and threatening. The King spat at the man in the blue uniform that had a sword to his throat. Alee did not know what to do, so she watched the sword fly sideways. She watched the blood fall. They had killed her father. They had killed the King. And now they turned to Bryan.