Chapter 1
A boy, a monkey, and a princess
It was a hot day in the Land of Lasta, it was one of those summer days when there's no sight of the sun, but the land was still hot. Even the castle was hot, it was so hot you could have roast an egg on its stone walls. The only people who seemed happy where the guards, for they love eggs in the morning, and two children who were always up very early to practice and play. The only weird thing was that they happen to be sword fighting and one happened to be the princess.
"For someone who wants to be a knight when they grown up, your quiet bad," said the princess to the boy who opposed her. They were about the same age but the boy had at least a year on her.
"Ha, that's what you think your highness," he bowed with his sword at his side and the princess so the opening.
"Yes, yes I do," she knocked the sword right out of his hands and raised hers up to his neck.
"You cheated."
"No I just say your weak spot and I went for it," she inched closer ready to strike.
"Tor,"
"Yes"
"I know this is a bad time but your father's right behind you," she squeaked and spun around, dropping her sword on the ground ready to explain to her father what he was doing. While Princess Tor was getting ready to explain to her father what was going on the boy took the time to pick up the sword, and hold it against the princess's neck.
"Any last words?" asked the boy.
"You, you are a terrible boy Tom Kint,"
"Those are your last words! You're supposed to beg to live, and convince me that you should, not insult me!" He pushed the blade closer to her neck.
"So you want me to do something like this," she turned around to face him, "Oh Tom I know I never told you this but before you kill me, there is something I need to tell you," she said in a much sweeter voice.
"Yes?"
"Ever since my mother died, you have been the only one who has gotten me to smile, to laugh, to be happy again. You are the only person I care for truly," she could fell his hands slacking on the sword, she continued, "Tom Kint, you are my only friend and I hope one day you find it in your heart to care for me as much as I care for you," she then with you her might pushed her self up so she could reach Tom's face, and kiss him like there was no tomorrow and that he really was going to kill her.
Tom was so taken he let the sword slip completely, and did not realize that Princess Tor took the sword. The princess pushed Tom over and he lay on the ground with Tor on top of him. "Was that better?" asked the princess.
"Um, yes put it could use some work," and he pushed the princess off of him embarrassed, and sat up, taken in the scenery of the room for the first time. He had lived there all his life and not once noticed how tall the room really was. There were six pillars in a circular position holding the ceiling above them up. He then looked at the three stained glass windows of Queen Mary, King Harry, and one of Princess Tor when she was little.
While he was looking at the glass the sun came out and shown a beautiful blue right on the princess. He really never looked at her that way before it was just, the princess, but after she said thoughts things about him, even though she said them to trick him he knew it was her true feelings. He still felt differently about her, the way her dirty blonde hair fell on her face perfectly, the way her cloths, even though it was not one of her princess gowns but one of Tom's old pants and shirt, just fit to make her look like the way he felt about her, and the way her eyes sparkled as she ways yelling at him. Yelling at him? Tom had forgotten that the princess started to flip out after his last statement but he had just tuned her out like he always did when he said something like that and then the princess would yell at him for saying this, and that's how everyday with the princess went.
Tom and the princess would wake up everyday and go and practice with the weaponry before the knights started their training for the day. They would send Cookie, Tom's little monkey, out to be the lookout and they would practice until someone won, usually Tor would win but Tom would never give in with out a fight. The princess for some reason was very good with weaponry, and Tom asked her to train him so he could become a knight. Tom kept looking at the princess as she continued to yell at him, and finally she had to catch her breath. When Tom didn't say anything in his defense, she asked "Aren't you going to say something?"
"You have-," Tom started his statement but never finished because Cookie came through the door, and jumped on the table. He was dressed in his usual attire a red little vest with two gold strips on both sides, red and gold was the Kingdoms colors, and his little spectacles hung around his neck.
"You two better be leaving soon, the Knights are on there way," he jumped from the table onto Tom's shoulder and the three left the room before the knights arrived and started asking questions. Once they saw the cost was clear they started to run for the secret passageway that leads to the princess's bed chambers. They were almost there when they heard. "Victoria Mary Jayne Catherine!" Tor stopped in her tracts she was done for, because she knew that voice anywhere.
"Tom, you and Cookie go ahead, I'll catch up," she tried to smile.
"Coming Father!" Tor turned around and walked towards the room they just passed. She opened the door all the way and walked in, "yes Father?" He was looking at a parchment as he sat in his royal throne. He wasn't a big man but he was rounded but that did not take away the sharpness about him. He had brown hair, large eyes, and a crooked nose from a when he broke when he got into fight with his brother when he was eight. He also had round brown beard. He was at least six feet tall and he was in his royal robs already for the days work, of figuring out which lord should get what and hearing what the peasants were going to ask him. The room they were in was the Great Hall the King's favorite room.
The room had lots of tapestries coming down the walls all in the kingdom's colors red and gold. One particular tapestry was the royal crest that hung behind the three chairs on the throne. The crest was a red background with a golden dragon on its hind legs, ready to shoot fire. The room also had a lot of stain glass windows but these were just of the King and the Queen.
Finally the King looked up from his parchment, ready to see his beautiful daughter standing in front of him, but instead of seeing his beautiful daughter in one of her royal gowns she was in Tom's old cloths and brown boots, that the Princess designed herself. She did not design the designs on the boots because the boots were plain brown; she added a surprise to them. Her hair was all tattered like she was just riding a horse for hours on end. The King was not at all happy with the way his daughter looked. "Victoria what are you wearing?"
"While, Tom and I went for an early horseback ride so instead of getting my nice pretty dress's dirty I thought I should wear something that I could," she said with a smile.
"Oh, that makes sense. I just wanted to tell you that the royal Duke of the North will be arriving soon and I want you to come and show him around."
"Why? I hate that kid!"
"Victoria, his a year older than you, his not a kid, and you will be turning fourteen in a month so act like it, now you will show this boy around understood?"
"Yes father," she said glumly.
"Good, now go get ready," the King looked down at his parchment once again like his daughter wasn't even there.
Tor then walked out of the Great Hall up to her room, where she found Cookie and Tom waiting for her. Tom was sitting in his usual chair right in the corner of the room, and Cooke was taking a nap on her bed, made of the kingdoms colors as well, when Tor slammed the door shut Cookie woke up, startled. "Don't take the Princess!" and put up his fists.
"Cookie, the princes is not in danger, she's right there," said Tom.
"Oh thank god you're safe," said Cookie, sitting back down on the bed. Tor walked over and flapped her-self onto the bed, and did not move for a long time.
"Tor, are you okay?" asked Tom but Tor did not reply, "Tori, you can tell me anything," she rolled over to face him, "now what's wrong?"
"It's not that important," said Tor.
"Apparently it is because it is making you unhappy," the Princess sighed.
"Well, my father's making me give a tour of the kingdom to the worst person a live."
"Who?" asked Cookie.
"The Duke of the North," replied Tor.
"What's wrong with him?" asked Tom.
"He's the most immature person in the world, he thinks he's better than everyone else when he can't do much of anything, he likes the color purple and he wears a fake mustache! And that's just for starters," Princess Tor took a breath.
"What's wrong with the color purple?" asked Cookie.
"I don't know it just bugs me!" she slammed her hands on the bed side table, making her candle fall on the ground which see used for reading at night.
"Alright, alright just calm down, did your father say that you had to do this alone?" putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Well, no but I think he implied that I should," said the princess wondering what Tom was up to.
"But did he say you had to do it by yourself?"
"No," said Tor again, "What are you getting at?"
"I was just thinking that since I'm your royal bodyguard I could just happen to be there to protect, of course," he said with a smile.
"Oh Tom you're a genius!" She embraced him with a hug.
"I have my moments," replied Tom.
"And what about his royal bodyguard's side kick?" asked Cookie.
"Oh thank you too Cookie, you don't know what this means to me!" hugging the little monkey.
"If we are going to do this you better get ready, so we will leave you to it," Tom started walking out towards the door over the red and god rug that lay in front of Tor's bed. We he realized Cookie was not behind him so he called back, "Come on Cookie!"
"Coming Tom," Cookie jumped off the bed and ran to the door to catch up with his master. Once outside of her room, the castle started to shack like an earthquake was occurring. Tom came sprinting back towards Tor's room to see if she was alright. Tom was about to open the door when the door fell open, and Tor was standing right there.
"What's happening?" asked Tor, another rock slammed into the castle gate as they spoke.
"I don't know, but we should get you to the Great Hall," said Tom and he grabbed her by the arm and they started to run.
"The Great Hall, why?"
"That's where I'm supposed to take you if there ever was an attack on the castle."
"And you think this is one?" They walked by one of the window and stopped to see a huge army on the horizon ready to attack the castle. The army had purple flags waving and catapults shooting everywhere.
"Yes I would say it is," Tor and Tom started spiriting to the Great Hall. When they arrived they saw the King dressed in his armor and generals at the ready to hear the orders from the King. The Great Hall was not how Tor left it, it now had weapons everywhere, and long tables were brought in with maps spread out all over them. Tor and Tom just had to stair in aw, at how the room changed completely.
"Victoria, Tom what are you doing here?" asked King Harry
"Tom said if there was ever an attack he was suppose to bring me here," Tor said answering her father.
"Is that right?" he said looking at his Head General.
"Yes, Sire that is what you instructed for him to do," said the Head General.
"Well then I have you to thank for saving my daughter," he looked at Tom,
"I was only doing my duty to serve you, your highness," and Tom bowed to the King.
"Now Victoria, sit over there while we figure out what to do," said the King.
"Yes father," said Tor and she started to walk over to sit in her chair on the thrown when she turned around to face her father again, "before I go sit over there and be quiet while the big boys play war can I at least now one thing?"
"Other than the fact that you are the rudest child I know and is asking for a smack" replied King Harry.
"Yes other than that," said the Princess with a smile.
"The Duck of the North he is attacking because he doesn't like what lands I gave him to lord over."
"Oh" said Tor and walked over to her chair to wait for further instructions. Tom followed right at her side, with Cookie on his shoulder.
Hours went by and the bombardment of boulders still struck the castle. The King and his Generals still could not get the opposing army to retreat an inch. It was getting dark and the Duck of the North finally stopped attacking the castle for the night. While Tom and Tor were getting ready to go to sleep for the night Tom had a brilliant idea to make the army retreat. "Tor!"
"What! Are you okay?" turning to face him.
"Yes I'm fine I just figured out a way to make the Duke's army retreat for awhile," he told her.
"Well what is it?" she was so anxious to end the war as fast as it started.
"Okay, my idea is that our army goes trough the back of the castle and spilt up into two teams one goes into the right side of the forest and the other goes on the left. Of course we would have to do this in the mask of the dark night."
"Of course," replied Tor happy to hear a plan that might work.
"Then as early morning comes and their army is in ranks we attack at both side and squeezes the army making retreating be the only option."
"That's brilliant! You have to tell my father!" She ran at him grabbed his arm and started dragging him to go the Great Hall to see her father.
"But Tor what if he thinks its stupid?" Tom asked.
"He won't!" she called back to him. They finally reached their destination and Tor opened the door with a bang, the Generals and the King looked at the two of them shocked at what they were doing here, when Tor said, "Tom has an idea!"
"What? Tor go back to your-" but the King never got to finish his statement for Princess Tor continued.
"Tom has an idea about how to get the Duke's army to retreat."
"I don't know if it will work though," said Tom shyly.
"What's your idea son?" asked King Harry, so Tom told him his idea, and the King actually thought it was a good one. He told his generals to prepare for their attack, while he walked his daughter, and Tom, back to her room.
They walked in silences for a moment or two, but Tor broke it, "I told you that it was brilliant!"
"Yes, you did well my boy, and I was wondering if I could talk to you for awhile?" Tom and Tor stopped in their tracks, "alone," Tor got the message and continued on her way to her room.
She walked down the cool hallway hours until she reached her room. She opened the door and sat on her bed waiting for Tom, so he could tell her what her father wanted. Minutes turned into hours and the Princess's eyes began to get heavy, and still Tom had not arrived. Finally Princess Tor decided to go to sleep and talk to Tom in the morning.
The next morning did not start like the one before, there were no catapults shooting at the castle, to wake anyone up, or any shacking of the castle. That's why the Princess slept through the entire retreat of the Duke's army, for she had a rough day the day before and did not go to sleep till very late. In the late morning Tom came to her room. He knocked on the door, and no one answered. Then he got worried, he tried the door to see if it was locked, it wasn't, so he barged in. "Tor, you in here?" again no answer.
"Tor, please, answer me!" he said a lot louder, he started walking over to the bed, "Tor?" The Princess pulled at an itty bitty dagger from under her pillow, with her eyes closed, as though she was still asleep.
"Who are you and what do you want?" she said with her eyes still closed.
"Tor it's me, wake up!" He took the dagger from her and shook her shoulder a bit.
"Tom, what are you," but she cut herself off, "Tom, get out of here!" she said much more awake pulling the covers over her.
"Of calm down, it's not like you don't have cloths on," he said reluctantly.
"That's not the point, I'm still the Princess, so when I say get out, GET OUT!" she pushed him of the bed.
"Alright, alright I'm going but your father would like to see you in five minutes, for breakfast. He wants to celebrate his victory," Tom said with a smile.
"Don't you mean your's?" she asked. Cookie was just waking up from his nap on Tom's shoulder and started squirming.
"I made it for the King," picking up the little monkey from his arms and started to cradle him.
"Spoken like a true knight, congratulations! Now let me get dressed so I won't be late."
"Yes you majesty," he took a low bow, and made his way to the door. Tor took the pillow that she was sleeping on and throw it at him.
"Get," she said again and he was gone. Tor got dressed for the day in one of her Princess gowns, not her usual training cloths. She owned a lot of gowns in lots of different colors, but today she felt she needed to honor her Kingdom, so she picked a nice red to put on, that touched the floor like all the other gowns. She walked over to her little desk that also happened to have a little mirror so she could put on her little terra, and walked out to meet Tom, who still was holding Cookie.
"You look beautiful," said Tom starring in aw.
"Thank you now will you please escort me to the dinning hall," she said heading in the direction to the dinning hall.
"About that, the dinning hall is under reconstruction, it was one of the places that was hit yesterday," said Tom.
"Then wear does my father want me to meet him?"
"The Great Hall."
"I should have guessed," she started her way down the opposite direction.
The two of them were about to walk into the Great Hall when Tom stopped. "What's wrong? Aren't you coming?" Tor asked.
"No," Tor was shocked.
"What?" Tor squeaked, "Why?"
"I have to get ready."
"Ready for what?" Tor had a feeling what the answer was but she hoped she was wrong.
"I'm going with the army."
"You mean you're going to war?" a tear fell down her cheek.
"Yes, your father asked me last night to go with his Head General and fight with him. He said he needs me."
"He always says that," she was still trying to hold back crying.
"I'm going to be a knight! Isn't that what we always planned?" he wanted to know why she wasn't happy for him.
"That's what you always planned, now you've got your wish and you're going to throw me aside a dirty rag!"
"I'm not throwing you aside, I'm just living me dream. I thought you would be happy for me!" at this point Cookie was fully awake, and wondering what was going on.
"Oh of course, I always wanted to see you die!" Tor couldn't hold it in anymore she busted into tears.
"I would die for my Kingdom, for you!"
"What if I won't let you go?" she tried to say calmly.
"It's already has been decided," said Tom looking into her eyes trying to find so way to convince her that this was the right thing for him.
"Fine go!" and she turned around and started back to her room.
"Where are you going?" yelled Tom.
"I'm going to do some women's work, where no one dies!" she called back still going towards her room.
"But you never do women's work!"
"Well I have thirteen years of work that I need to catch up on!" she started moving through the hall faster.
And that was the last conversation Tor and Tom would have for a long time.