Chapter 1
The sun was bright as it shined through the small window. Vallen opened her eyes, she was thinking about that strange man. How long had she been asleep since then? Or had it happened at all? Was it just a dream? No it couldn't have been, it seemed so real. Suddenly she remembered her wounds she did fell a little dizzy, she took a deep breath and winced. 'So it wasn't just a dream!' she concluded. 'But who was he? Gabriel? Was that his name?' her thoughts were interrupted when a lady came into the room. "Oh, so you're awake that's good. How do you feel?"
"Well it hurts to breath a little, and I have a huge headache."
"Well, that's expected when you have 3 broken ribs and a concussion!" She said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"The last time I woke up, who was in here with me?"
"Last night? It was the young man who brought you here, he has hardly left your side these past 4 days!"
"Well if he has hardly left my side then where is he?" Vallen interrogated.
"Oh I finally got him to go get on a walk, he hasn't been out of this house all the time he's been here!" she replied. "Don't be frustrated, although he has no idea who you are he has care for you these past few days!"
"I'm sorry," Vallen apologized, "May I ask, who are you?"
"Me? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Faren, my husband and I run the inn here in Valia." She was a small, plump, and cheery woman. "Now may I ask, who are you?"
"My name is Vallen," this was her short reply.
Faren was about to ask her for more information, but they were interrupted as Gabriel came in. "Hello," he greeted them. Then he went over to the bed, and said, "So your finally awake?"
Now that there was light, Vallen could see him clearly, she immediately noticed his big crystal blue eyes, his dark black hair, and his kind face. His hair fell over his eyes in a way that made her want to reach up and push it back in place. She was truly shocked at how hansom he was, but she didn't show it in the slightest (she had years of training to help her keep her face emotionless.) "What are you talking about? I was awake last night, wasn't I?"
He sighed, "Yeah I guess you were." Faren quietly left the room.
He sat down on the chair that was next to the bed. Vallen noticed this. "According to Faren you have spent a lot of time in that chair these past few days."
He just nodded. They were both quiet for a while, then Gabriel said, "You know who I am and where I'm from, so it's my turn; what's your name? And where are you from?"
"My name is Vallen, I am heir the throne of Kashi." She replied. He noticed a hint of sadness in her voice.
In spite of that he smiled, "I figured you were a princess."
"What made you say that?" she looked at him puzzled.
"Oh, it's just you're tone, and the way you talk."
"You could tell all that from just my voice?"
Gabriel nodded, "Hey don't forget, I'm a royal to!"
She smiled, "I know."
"Where did you say you where from again?" he asked, "I didn't quite catch it."
"Kashi," she sighed deeply, and then winced.
"Kashi?" he looked thoughtful, "Isn't that the country where woman are treated unfairly?"
Vallen gave a sarcastic laugh, "Ha! Unfairly! That's just putting it lightly!"
He looked at her and cocked his head a bit, "What do you mean?"
She turned away from him, "Look, I do not want to talk about it right now, plus I'm tired. Could you please leave?"
He nodded, "Ok, I'll come back and check on you later." He stood up and went to the door, then he paused and looked back at her. It surprised him to see tears running down her cheeks. He fought the urge to go comfort her and left.
He walked down stairs and went up to Faren, "Hey, do you know if the town library has any books on the country of Kashi?"
"As far as I know they should." She replied.
So Gabriel headed out to find the library, after he did he went and found all the books he could on Kashi, he bought them all to a table and for three hours he sat there reading everything he could find on Kashi. He read all about the laws, and how women were treated unfairly. He was shocked at how woman were forced to be married to the man their family chose for them. When they were they had to wear long black robes, with veils black over their faces that only had slits for eyeholes. They couldn't leave the house, unless they had there husband's permission, and they couldn't even read or write, because a woman's education was not important in Kashi.
After he read as much as he could stand, he went back to the inn. He glanced at the clock. 'Three hours?!?' He thought, surprised. He went directly upstairs, but when he got to her door he stopped. 'What am I going to say to her?' he asked himself. He was about to turn and leave but he stopped himself, he gently rapped on the door, half hoping she was asleep. But he wasn't so lucky, "Come in." Vallen called.
He walked in and went over and sat on the chair, "Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you," she replied. "Faren brought me some lunch a little while ago, it was so good!"
He smiled and nodded, "She dose cook excellent food!"
"Hey Gaberi-," she began.
Gabriel held up his hand, "Please, call me Gabe."
"Alright," she agreed, "Gabe, I know you have a right to know about Kashi, and where I came from and everything but…I just…" she hesitated, "it's just to painful to talk about it right now, do you understand?"
He looked troubled, "Vallen I have a confession to make… while you were asleep I went to the library and read up on Kashi. So I know about the way women are treated, and personally I was shocked!"
Vallen nodded, "I understand, I would be to. And don't feel guilty about going to the library at all! In fact I thank you for doing that, it saves me from telling you about my country."
Gabe sighed, relief showing on his face, "I'm so glad, I thought you might think it as me going behind your back."
She shook her head, "Oh not at all! You have every right to read about anything you want."
He smiled at her, relived.
~~~~~~~
The sun was bright as it shined through the small window. Vallen opened her eyes, she was thinking about that strange man. How long had she been asleep since then? Or had it happened at all? Was it just a dream? No it couldn't have been, it seemed so real. Suddenly she remembered her wounds she did fell a little dizzy, she took a deep breath and winced. 'So it wasn't just a dream!' she concluded. 'But who was he? Gabriel? Was that his name?' her thoughts were interrupted when a lady came into the room. "Oh, so you're awake that's good. How do you feel?"
"Well it hurts to breath a little, and I have a huge headache."
"Well, that's expected when you have 3 broken ribs and a concussion!" She said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"The last time I woke up, who was in here with me?"
"Last night? It was the young man who brought you here, he has hardly left your side these past 4 days!"
"Well if he has hardly left my side then where is he?" Vallen interrogated.
"Oh I finally got him to go get on a walk, he hasn't been out of this house all the time he's been here!" she replied. "Don't be frustrated, although he has no idea who you are he has care for you these past few days!"
"I'm sorry," Vallen apologized, "May I ask, who are you?"
"Me? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Faren, my husband and I run the inn here in Valia." She was a small, plump, and cheery woman. "Now may I ask, who are you?"
"My name is Vallen," this was her short reply.
Faren was about to ask her for more information, but they were interrupted as Gabriel came in. "Hello," he greeted them. Then he went over to the bed, and said, "So your finally awake?"
Now that there was light, Vallen could see him clearly, she immediately noticed his big crystal blue eyes, his dark black hair, and his kind face. His hair fell over his eyes in a way that made her want to reach up and push it back in place. She was truly shocked at how hansom he was, but she didn't show it in the slightest (she had years of training to help her keep her face emotionless.) "What are you talking about? I was awake last night, wasn't I?"
He sighed, "Yeah I guess you were." Faren quietly left the room.
He sat down on the chair that was next to the bed. Vallen noticed this. "According to Faren you have spent a lot of time in that chair these past few days."
He just nodded. They were both quiet for a while, then Gabriel said, "You know who I am and where I'm from, so it's my turn; what's your name? And where are you from?"
"My name is Vallen, I am heir the throne of Kashi." She replied. He noticed a hint of sadness in her voice.
In spite of that he smiled, "I figured you were a princess."
"What made you say that?" she looked at him puzzled.
"Oh, it's just you're tone, and the way you talk."
"You could tell all that from just my voice?"
Gabriel nodded, "Hey don't forget, I'm a royal to!"
She smiled, "I know."
"Where did you say you where from again?" he asked, "I didn't quite catch it."
"Kashi," she sighed deeply, and then winced.
"Kashi?" he looked thoughtful, "Isn't that the country where woman are treated unfairly?"
Vallen gave a sarcastic laugh, "Ha! Unfairly! That's just putting it lightly!"
He looked at her and cocked his head a bit, "What do you mean?"
She turned away from him, "Look, I do not want to talk about it right now, plus I'm tired. Could you please leave?"
He nodded, "Ok, I'll come back and check on you later." He stood up and went to the door, then he paused and looked back at her. It surprised him to see tears running down her cheeks. He fought the urge to go comfort her and left.
He walked down stairs and went up to Faren, "Hey, do you know if the town library has any books on the country of Kashi?"
"As far as I know they should." She replied.
So Gabriel headed out to find the library, after he did he went and found all the books he could on Kashi, he bought them all to a table and for three hours he sat there reading everything he could find on Kashi. He read all about the laws, and how women were treated unfairly. He was shocked at how woman were forced to be married to the man their family chose for them. When they were they had to wear long black robes, with veils black over their faces that only had slits for eyeholes. They couldn't leave the house, unless they had there husband's permission, and they couldn't even read or write, because a woman's education was not important in Kashi.
After he read as much as he could stand, he went back to the inn. He glanced at the clock. 'Three hours?!?' He thought, surprised. He went directly upstairs, but when he got to her door he stopped. 'What am I going to say to her?' he asked himself. He was about to turn and leave but he stopped himself, he gently rapped on the door, half hoping she was asleep. But he wasn't so lucky, "Come in." Vallen called.
He walked in and went over and sat on the chair, "Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you," she replied. "Faren brought me some lunch a little while ago, it was so good!"
He smiled and nodded, "She dose cook excellent food!"
"Hey Gaberi-," she began.
Gabriel held up his hand, "Please, call me Gabe."
"Alright," she agreed, "Gabe, I know you have a right to know about Kashi, and where I came from and everything but…I just…" she hesitated, "it's just to painful to talk about it right now, do you understand?"
He looked troubled, "Vallen I have a confession to make… while you were asleep I went to the library and read up on Kashi. So I know about the way women are treated, and personally I was shocked!"
Vallen nodded, "I understand, I would be to. And don't feel guilty about going to the library at all! In fact I thank you for doing that, it saves me from telling you about my country."
Gabe sighed, relief showing on his face, "I'm so glad, I thought you might think it as me going behind your back."
She shook her head, "Oh not at all! You have every right to read about anything you want."
He smiled at her, relived.
~~~~~~~