Chapter 1

A ten-year-old Anna Valerious looked out the window of her room onto a wintry scene. The houses of the village were caped in sparkling snow that glitters with the light of a thousand stars. People walked about in the streets dressed in their warmest clothes, greeting one another cheerily as they went about their business. Anna envied all of them, especially the children. They played in the snow, ran about in the streets and caused general havoc. Anna would give anything to be like them. She was always cooped up in the palace, training, eating and sleeping. That was her life. She shared this dismal fate with her two siblings, Velken and Celeste. And though it was better than having no company, she really couldn't relate to her moody and secretive older brother and immature pink loving little sister. She was crammed in the middle. Goody for her. "Hey, Dad is wondering why you're late squirt." Velken rudely strode into her room "Ever knock?" Anna turned on her sixteen-year-old brother. He laughed at her glare and plopped himself down on her midnight black comforter,
"No, unless you haven't noticed I'm older." "Point?" Anna asked him angrily.
"That means I'm smarter, stronger, and I have seniority." Velken smirked at her.
"Get off my bed!" Anna shouted at him.
"Make me squirt." Velken laughed at his little sister. Anna had, had enough. She launched herself at him fists flailing and shouting any curse she had ever heard a servant utter. Velken just continued to laugh at Anna and held her head so her thin arms couldn't reach his face. "What is going on in here?" An outraged voice came from the hallway. Within seconds Vanessa Valerious was in her daughter's room and separating her children. "Anna! What in God's name are you doing? And Velken, get off your sister's bed and stand up straight! One of you, explain what's going on." "Hebargedintomyroomandsatonmybedandmadefunofme!" Anna said quickly before Velken could get a word in. "Honey, slower." Vanessa raised an eyebrow at her eldest daughter. "He barged into my room and sat on my bed and made fun of me." Anna said slowly.
"Velken, when will you learn not to make fun of your sister? You're going to need one another some day." Vanessa chided her son gently. "Yah, but"
"No buts mister." Vanessa's tone was strict again, "Don't goad your sister into fighting you, you know you're stronger." "She swore." Velken pointed out. Vanessa's usually pale face tuned scarlet and she turned on her daughter,
"ANNA MARIE VALERIOUS!" Anna shut her mouth with a snap and waited for her mother's anger, "How many times do I have to tell you not to swear? You are impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!!! A princess does not swear. Under NO circumstances. Do you hear me?" Anna remained silent, "I said do you hear me?" "No…" Anna mumbled.
"Speak up." Vanessa snapped.
"Yes." Anna said clearly.
"Good." Vanessa nodded in approval. "Now Velken, tell your sister why you came into her room and be off." "Dad wants you to get to the training room, you're late." Velken said again and left the room. Anna followed her mother out and slammed the door behind her. "Don't slam doors Anna." Vanessa preached to her daughter as she walked away. Anna stomped all the way down the stairs and into the training room where Boris waited sitting in an oaken chair.
"Anna, what's the fuss?" Boris asked his daughter kindly.
"Mom yelled at me again." Anna pouted picking up the short rapier that was her favorite weapon. "What did you do this time?" Boris attempted to hide his smile.
"I swore." Anna sliced through the air with the blade. "Anna. You know she hate's that." Boris reminded her.
"Don't I know it." Anna's tone was bitter. "Your too young to sound like that Anna. You haven't lived yet, and when you've lived as long as me and seen what I've seen, then you can be bitter." Boris attempted to keep his tone warm, but his eyes were haunted. "Tell me a vampire story." Anna asked, calming down now that she was with her father and a sharp metal object was in her hand. "After training." Boris shook his head, clearing out the haunting memories. Anna nodded and got herself in a 'ready' position. Boris circled his daughter carefully, her steady gaze followed him, but she didn't budge an inch. Boris suddenly feigned right and sliced left, Anna's body reacted instantly, parrying the blow and moving with the impact. She was forced on the defensive parrying his blows that increased in force. Finally she sensed his rhythm and in between blows she jabbed the rapier at his side. Boris stepped back and turned, Anna had let her blade go too far, catching his sword on her hilt Boris quickly stripped Anna of her weapon. Placing his blade on her shoulder Boris announced,
"Dead." "How did you…?" Anna began to ask but Boris interrupted her,
"Take your weapon like that. It's an old trick. You catch the blade of your weapon on the hilt, and as you pull away wrench the weapon from your opponent's hands"
"Oh." Anna picked her weapon up off the ground. "Can you teach me?" "Of course." Boris was delighted in Anna's skill and willingness to learn. He had no such luck with his youngest, Celeste. She was too dainty for swordplay, and not strong enough to wield a bow. Healing was her true calling. Ever since she was a toddler Celeste had a certain knack for making people feel better. After hours of practice Anna went up to her room and collapsed, exhausted onto her bed. "OWIE!" The bed squeaked and Anna immediately jumped up, noticing a lump under her comforter. Pulling back the black material she revealed her four-year-old sister, Celeste. "Hey! This is my hiding space, find you own"
"Unless you haven't noticed this is my room." Anna rolled her eyes at her sister.
"Here I come ready or not?" Vanessa's voice rang through the hallway.
"Cover me!" Celeste shrieked, pulling the covers from Anna's hand and pulling them over he head. Anna sighed and sat in her desk waiting for her mother to appear. Vanessa popped her head into the room and said playfully,
"I wonder if Celeste is in here. Hmmm," Vanessa pretended to look in Anna's closet, "No, not here." She turned to look under Anna's vanity, "Not here either." Soft giggles sounded from the lump in Anna's bed. "Hmmm, Anna have you seen Celeste?" "No." Anna's reply was short and to the point. Vanessa sighed and shook her head gently at her daughter. Anna was always like this, serious, never playful. "Huh…well then." Vanessa turned from Anna and looked under Anna's bed. More giggled sounded from the lump. "Well I guess she's not in here." Vanessa was about to walk out when she pounced on the lump and pulled the covers off. Celeste giggled like crazy,
"You found me!" "You betcha!" Vanessa hugged her child warmly. "Your turn to hide!" Celeste announced throwing up her arms. "O.K, count in here up to ten alright?" Vanessa let go of Celeste and glided out of the room.
"One, two three four five, six, eight…" Celeste turned to her older sister, "What comes after eight?" "Ten." Anna replied. "TEN! Ready or not here I come!" Celeste jumped off Anna's bed and ran out of the room. Anna shut the door behind her and grumbled,
"I get no privacy around here!"