Metallic hooves struck the smooth road that lead to the palace in Eternos. The guards collected at the gate of the palace and asked the incoming wagon to stop.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" called one young man.
"Certainly you recognize the Queen of Eternia?" Adam asked with a smirk.
"Your majesty! Prince Adam! Please forgive me!" the young man cried dropping to one knee. He then stood and shouted. "Open the gates! The Queen has returned!" News of the Queen's arrival spread like wildfire in a matter of moments, before she had even stepped within the walls of the palace. Adam noticed there was a slight change in her attitude as they left the wagon behind with a guard and walked toward the palace. She stopped at the doorway and looked up at the sky. With a deep sigh she followed her son and Aryanna.
Aryanna marveled at the sights around her as Adam took his mother's arm and led her through the palace. As they walked down the corridor, a commotion could be heard in the stairwell.
"Marlena!" came a cry. The small group looked up to see King Randor, leaning over the railing of the stairwell. He rushed down the stairs and then stopped abruptly in front of his wife. Both of their faces were unreadable. Then without warning the Queen turned and walked in the opposite direction. "Marlena! Wait!" the king called out, but she did not stop. She continued to walk down the corridor. Randor pushed past Adam and Aryanna, his robes flying wildly behind him as he scrambled down the corridor. About 50 ft down the hall he caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder. She tried to shrug him off but his grip on her was strong and he spun her around grabbing both shoulders. Adam watched, an anger rising in him. He didn't like how his father was acting. He crossed his arms over his chest and never took his eyes off his parents.
Aryanna took it upon herself to start walking down the stairs and she sat on the bottom steps to give the family some privacy. "I should have stayed home." She muttered to herself. Right now she felt like she was a burden.
Adam watched as his parents began to argue. He couldn't make out what they were saying. Their words only echoed in broken fragments down the hall. His mother was yelling and suddenly pointed at him. His father briefly looked at him and then turned his attention back to his wife. The arguing continued as they began to walk and ultimately disappeared around a corner. Adam sighed and turned. He suddenly realized that the hall was empty and Aryanna was no where to be seen. He walked to the stairs and looking down saw her sitting on the bottom step. She had her face turned and she looked as if she were staring out the door. He slowly made his way to her. "There you are." He said, announcing his presence.
She turned her head, still resting in her palm and regarded him. "I thought you all might want some time alone."
"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that." He leaned against the stone wall, folding his arms over his chest.
"It's not anything I haven't seen or heard before." She told him.
He walked down the remaining stairs and took a seat beside her. "What do you mean?"
"You're not the only one who has parents who fight. Most of us do."
"I don't doubt that other families disagree and then fight, but mine never has before. I'm not used to this."
"You get used to it, but it's not easy."
"Why do I get the hint that you've been through it?"
She gave a lazy lopsided grin. "You're very perceptive, your highness." An uncomfortable silence developed and Adam finally decided to break it.
"If you don't mind my asking, what do your parents fight about?"
"Mainly... me."
"Gee that sounds familiar." It was his turn to give a lopsided grin. "I guess I'm not alone then."
"Nope." She let out; blowing at a stray hair that was hanging in her eyes.
Adam was about to open his mouth to say something when he heard someone yelling out his name. He looked up and saw Teela standing the next level up with her hands on her hips. "Adam! I thought you were going to meet me for your lesson! I see that things never change! You still don't show up! You're hopeless! Just sitting back here hiding!"
"Teela, I'm sorry! I'm not hiding.. I" he leaned back and it was then that Teela caught site of the young woman sitting beside him."
"Oh!" Teela gasped. "I see."
Adam stood. "Teela." He shrugged unsure what to say and then turned to face Aryanna but she was gone. He looked out the door just in time to see her dark hair disappear into the marketplace. He sighed and looked up, but Teela was gone as well. With a deep sigh he let his head fall into his hands. He wondered when he would wake up from this nightmare.
Not much later he decided to take a trip around the market place. He wanted to give his parents enough time to figure things out without interrupting. The day had grown much later. He had lost all track of time sitting on the stairs alone with his thoughts. The scene of his mother and father was fresh in his mind. His mother was not the passive Queen he knew her to be. She definitely possessed a fire that she had been carefully keeping under control. He was in a daze as he walked around the market. He entwined his hands together behind his back. Merchants shouted out to him, trying to get the young prince to buy their wares. He only shook his head politely and continued on his way.
He wanted to talk to Teela, but she was no doubt still furious with him. She might understand about his mother just returning to the palace, but he doubted that she would understand about him sitting with Aryanna. Knowing Teela she would blow things out of proportion. He would wait until she cooled down before talking with her. His thoughts then drifted to Aryanna as he continued to walk. She was a strange girl; Very quiet and she disappeared into thin air. She was the daughter of two of his mother's closest friends. That didn't really tell him much. He didn't know anything about her friends, except that they lived in Noteran. He shook his head and decided he would stop at the bookseller's tent before returning to the palace.
He entered the tent, gazing up at the large bookshelves. He loved to spend time here. The tent was crowded with adults and children scrambling about crazily. All except one person. A woman with long dark hair was running her finger along the leather spines of the books, reading the titles. He immediately realized that it was Aryanna and pretending that he was looking through a book, he watched her. She finally picked a book from the shelf and opened it, leafing through its pages. She looked at the inside front cover, sighed and clutched the book to her chest before putting it back in its spot. She carefully made her way out of the tent, to the outside where she continued to look at more books. Adam stopped by the shelf she had just been at and took a look at the title of the book she was looking at before following her outside. She was leaning over a large wooden barrel looking through a large pile of old worn books.
"Hello." He greeted softly.
"You highness. You startled me." She told him bowing her head ever so slightly. Her eyes were nervous and they lowered to the book in her hand, which she quickly put down.
"You like to read?" he asked. She nodded. "What type of books?"
"History, science, fiction. Whatever I can get my hands on."
"There aren't many women who enjoy reading. At least not from small villages." He noted. She winced and he wished that he could take back his words.
"Some of us are trying to make a better life for ourselves instead of remaining poor farmer's wives."
"There is nothing wrong with that. I salute any woman who tries to break away from what's expected of them." He watched her eyes soften and a slight smile curved on her lips. "You know, we have a very extensive library in the palace. Would you like to see it?" her eyes brightened considerably.
"I'd like that very much." He nodded with a smile and gestured for her to follow him. They walked through the winding corridors of the palace, before stopping at a giant set of blue double doors. The prince introduced her to the guard that stood at the door and told her that she was allowed to enter the library at any time she wished. The guard nodded and the prince lead her into the room. She stood like a stone statue looking up.
"Is something wrong?" he asked when she had not moved for a few moments.
"No...it's just. I've never seen so many books before." She looked at him with a silly grin.
"As I told the guard. You're welcome to visit the library any time you'd like."
"Thank you." She stepped forward and began to run her fingers along the leather spines. " I don't know where to start." She turned to him, the childish grin still in place.
He couldn't help but grin back. "Start anywhere you would like. They're not going anywhere. Enjoy them." She watched him leave the room and she began to read the covers. Choosing a book she sat in a large cushioned chair and began to read.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" called one young man.
"Certainly you recognize the Queen of Eternia?" Adam asked with a smirk.
"Your majesty! Prince Adam! Please forgive me!" the young man cried dropping to one knee. He then stood and shouted. "Open the gates! The Queen has returned!" News of the Queen's arrival spread like wildfire in a matter of moments, before she had even stepped within the walls of the palace. Adam noticed there was a slight change in her attitude as they left the wagon behind with a guard and walked toward the palace. She stopped at the doorway and looked up at the sky. With a deep sigh she followed her son and Aryanna.
Aryanna marveled at the sights around her as Adam took his mother's arm and led her through the palace. As they walked down the corridor, a commotion could be heard in the stairwell.
"Marlena!" came a cry. The small group looked up to see King Randor, leaning over the railing of the stairwell. He rushed down the stairs and then stopped abruptly in front of his wife. Both of their faces were unreadable. Then without warning the Queen turned and walked in the opposite direction. "Marlena! Wait!" the king called out, but she did not stop. She continued to walk down the corridor. Randor pushed past Adam and Aryanna, his robes flying wildly behind him as he scrambled down the corridor. About 50 ft down the hall he caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder. She tried to shrug him off but his grip on her was strong and he spun her around grabbing both shoulders. Adam watched, an anger rising in him. He didn't like how his father was acting. He crossed his arms over his chest and never took his eyes off his parents.
Aryanna took it upon herself to start walking down the stairs and she sat on the bottom steps to give the family some privacy. "I should have stayed home." She muttered to herself. Right now she felt like she was a burden.
Adam watched as his parents began to argue. He couldn't make out what they were saying. Their words only echoed in broken fragments down the hall. His mother was yelling and suddenly pointed at him. His father briefly looked at him and then turned his attention back to his wife. The arguing continued as they began to walk and ultimately disappeared around a corner. Adam sighed and turned. He suddenly realized that the hall was empty and Aryanna was no where to be seen. He walked to the stairs and looking down saw her sitting on the bottom step. She had her face turned and she looked as if she were staring out the door. He slowly made his way to her. "There you are." He said, announcing his presence.
She turned her head, still resting in her palm and regarded him. "I thought you all might want some time alone."
"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that." He leaned against the stone wall, folding his arms over his chest.
"It's not anything I haven't seen or heard before." She told him.
He walked down the remaining stairs and took a seat beside her. "What do you mean?"
"You're not the only one who has parents who fight. Most of us do."
"I don't doubt that other families disagree and then fight, but mine never has before. I'm not used to this."
"You get used to it, but it's not easy."
"Why do I get the hint that you've been through it?"
She gave a lazy lopsided grin. "You're very perceptive, your highness." An uncomfortable silence developed and Adam finally decided to break it.
"If you don't mind my asking, what do your parents fight about?"
"Mainly... me."
"Gee that sounds familiar." It was his turn to give a lopsided grin. "I guess I'm not alone then."
"Nope." She let out; blowing at a stray hair that was hanging in her eyes.
Adam was about to open his mouth to say something when he heard someone yelling out his name. He looked up and saw Teela standing the next level up with her hands on her hips. "Adam! I thought you were going to meet me for your lesson! I see that things never change! You still don't show up! You're hopeless! Just sitting back here hiding!"
"Teela, I'm sorry! I'm not hiding.. I" he leaned back and it was then that Teela caught site of the young woman sitting beside him."
"Oh!" Teela gasped. "I see."
Adam stood. "Teela." He shrugged unsure what to say and then turned to face Aryanna but she was gone. He looked out the door just in time to see her dark hair disappear into the marketplace. He sighed and looked up, but Teela was gone as well. With a deep sigh he let his head fall into his hands. He wondered when he would wake up from this nightmare.
Not much later he decided to take a trip around the market place. He wanted to give his parents enough time to figure things out without interrupting. The day had grown much later. He had lost all track of time sitting on the stairs alone with his thoughts. The scene of his mother and father was fresh in his mind. His mother was not the passive Queen he knew her to be. She definitely possessed a fire that she had been carefully keeping under control. He was in a daze as he walked around the market. He entwined his hands together behind his back. Merchants shouted out to him, trying to get the young prince to buy their wares. He only shook his head politely and continued on his way.
He wanted to talk to Teela, but she was no doubt still furious with him. She might understand about his mother just returning to the palace, but he doubted that she would understand about him sitting with Aryanna. Knowing Teela she would blow things out of proportion. He would wait until she cooled down before talking with her. His thoughts then drifted to Aryanna as he continued to walk. She was a strange girl; Very quiet and she disappeared into thin air. She was the daughter of two of his mother's closest friends. That didn't really tell him much. He didn't know anything about her friends, except that they lived in Noteran. He shook his head and decided he would stop at the bookseller's tent before returning to the palace.
He entered the tent, gazing up at the large bookshelves. He loved to spend time here. The tent was crowded with adults and children scrambling about crazily. All except one person. A woman with long dark hair was running her finger along the leather spines of the books, reading the titles. He immediately realized that it was Aryanna and pretending that he was looking through a book, he watched her. She finally picked a book from the shelf and opened it, leafing through its pages. She looked at the inside front cover, sighed and clutched the book to her chest before putting it back in its spot. She carefully made her way out of the tent, to the outside where she continued to look at more books. Adam stopped by the shelf she had just been at and took a look at the title of the book she was looking at before following her outside. She was leaning over a large wooden barrel looking through a large pile of old worn books.
"Hello." He greeted softly.
"You highness. You startled me." She told him bowing her head ever so slightly. Her eyes were nervous and they lowered to the book in her hand, which she quickly put down.
"You like to read?" he asked. She nodded. "What type of books?"
"History, science, fiction. Whatever I can get my hands on."
"There aren't many women who enjoy reading. At least not from small villages." He noted. She winced and he wished that he could take back his words.
"Some of us are trying to make a better life for ourselves instead of remaining poor farmer's wives."
"There is nothing wrong with that. I salute any woman who tries to break away from what's expected of them." He watched her eyes soften and a slight smile curved on her lips. "You know, we have a very extensive library in the palace. Would you like to see it?" her eyes brightened considerably.
"I'd like that very much." He nodded with a smile and gestured for her to follow him. They walked through the winding corridors of the palace, before stopping at a giant set of blue double doors. The prince introduced her to the guard that stood at the door and told her that she was allowed to enter the library at any time she wished. The guard nodded and the prince lead her into the room. She stood like a stone statue looking up.
"Is something wrong?" he asked when she had not moved for a few moments.
"No...it's just. I've never seen so many books before." She looked at him with a silly grin.
"As I told the guard. You're welcome to visit the library any time you'd like."
"Thank you." She stepped forward and began to run her fingers along the leather spines. " I don't know where to start." She turned to him, the childish grin still in place.
He couldn't help but grin back. "Start anywhere you would like. They're not going anywhere. Enjoy them." She watched him leave the room and she began to read the covers. Choosing a book she sat in a large cushioned chair and began to read.