A/N: Thank you SOOOOO much, chava! I owe you big time. Thanks for those
creative headings you suggested in your review. So right now I want to make
it clear to everyone that chava came up the headings "A Humorous Prince",
"A Serious Prince", and "A Rebellious Princess", so don't give me the
credit. (This chapter was edited so it's not as confusing as before.)
Thanks again for the reviews. =)
A Humorous Prince's POV
Twelve long chimes from the grand clock that sounded out the hours for the kingdom marked the arrival of midnight. I flung my covers off of my bed and grabbed the knapsack hidden in my closet, along with a long knotted rope that would help me escape. I secured it and then, with the knapsack on my back, lowered myself out my open window. Carefully I went down, knot by knot. Then I looked down. And froze. I still had a long way down. While I was frozen there, swinging back and forth gently, the rope was starting to slip from where I'd secured it. Within a second it was free, and I was on the ground. And I was in pain. Tremendous pain. I'd landed flat on my rear in a puddle of mud that had rocks in it.
I walked bow-legged to the stables, where my method of transportation was saddled and prepared to leave. It was very painful getting on the stallion, and my butt was definitely going to be bruised, but I made it, and got the horse moving. The wall surrounding the palace was very short, only 4 feet high, so it wasn't difficult to escape. Its reason for being so short was beyond me; the only beings it would be able to stop were rodents and vertically challenged creatures such as gnomes and dwarves.
Once outside and on the main road I stopped and waited for my accomplice. But first I got off the saddle and gave my poor bruised rear a break.
~`~`~`~`~`~
A Serious Prince's POV
At half past twelve I got up out of my bed and pulled the sack I was bringing with me out from under my bed. Then I opened my door, held my breath, and walked out into the hall. The guards that were posted outside of my door lie sleeping against the wall. I'd gone into the market the previous week (disguised as a peasant, of course) and bought a vile of sleeping potion from a sage I'd established a friendship--of sorts--with. All I'd had to do was open it, hold my breath, place it in the hallway, and wait for the guards to inhale it. Once I got downstairs I walked into the library, quietly shutting the door behind me. A window was slightly ajar in there, and I opened it and climbed outside. My horse was waiting for me in the stables, and once I was on her we just had to walk over the wall and we were free. Easy. The not easy (or, to be more precise grammar-wise, uneasy) part was getting away without being noticed by the guards posted in random spots next to the wall. I managed it, and got away.
"You know, our parents truly make it easy for us to escape," I said when I met my brother on the main road. He was rubbing his horse's side.
"I wonder what they'll say when they find out we're gone," he replied.
"I'd rather not think about that at the moment. Let's just get going…" I watched him for a moment, and then choked back a laugh. "Why are you waddling?" I asked.
He winced as he sat down on the saddle, and replied with, "I'll tell you later."
~`~`~`~`~`~
POV of The Rebellious Princess
Two weeks after my grand escape, I was sitting astride my horse, gazing curiously at Greenwood Forest. The name didn't sound menacing, and the place didn't look frightening, but I got off my horse and walked into it warily. The forest was probably the best place to go if you were running away, as I was, but only because no one dared enter it. In it lived every fairy tale (and non-fairy tale) villain that was imaginable. Dragons, ogres, werewolves, and many other demented creatures lived there. Some pleasant beings lived there also, such as unicorns and fairies, but they weren't as big a portion of the population as the corrupt beings. For that reason, everyone feared that forest.
~`~`~`~`~`~
Several days after their disappearance, the two noblemen entered Greenwood Forest. It seemed like a normal place; the birds in the trees sang songs and the sun was bright in there.
"When is it supposed to get scary?" Prince Raymond (the one with the bruised behind) asked.
"As soon as evening comes," replied Prince Adrian.
The two continued on until they came to a clearing. Not far from it was a stream, which, when they tested it, turned out to have good water. They made camp there.
~`~`~`~`~`~
POV of Rebellious Princess
It had been not even two hours since I'd entered the forest and already I was in peril. Actually, more like grave danger. Inches away from death. Basically already dead. I had my back up against a solid rock wall, and I was standing on a mossy ledge. A strong waterfall several yards to my left was rushing down to meet sharp rocks. A dragon shrieked angrily from twenty feet above me, and then quickly swooped down. It missed its target though, and hit the wall several feet away from me. I screamed shrilly, and it echoed through the forest. Perhaps some creature had heard my cry and would come at any moment to rescue me. But the chances were slim.
I looked around me, searching desperately for a place to hide, a nook in the wall, anything. Then I saw it. About three yards to my right, where the ledge got wider and slowly merged into the hill, was a cave. It had a narrow entrance that the dragon would never be able to fit more than a claw into. I'd be safe there. I inched my way over to it, hoping the dragon wouldn't turn around and dive at me. Just as I thought that, it turned and began its descent. I was almost there, only a few feet away. I dodged into the cave, but slipped. My head hit a rock, and I suddenly felt very dizzy. The last thing I saw was something narrow flying through the air and piercing the dragon in the belly.
"Why am I here?" was the first thought that entered my head as I opened my eyes and looked around me. Then I remembered the dragon, and wondered what had happened after I'd passed out. Curious, I stood up. There were very few trees in front of me, so I was in a clearing. But how deep into the forest was I?
"How did I get here?" I wondered out loud.
"Your mother birthed you. Then, around a decade and a half later, I'm guessing, you were kidnapped and taken here, where you met Fire-breath back there." The voice came from behind me. I spun around to see a young man standing before me, one side of his mouth curved up in a half-smile. (This young man is the humorous prince from earlier.)
"Not quite. I came of my own free will, without an escort," I replied.
"No horse?" the man asked.
"However close I may be to my horse, I don't believe she counts as an escort. But yes, I did bring my faithful steed." The man smiled at me. He looked about 18, two years older than me. He was nearly a head taller, with an athletic frame. His hair was golden, and his eyes a light blue. His smile was goofy, just like his attitude.
I looked around him, and noticed a small but sturdy hut. Beside it there was a fire pit with two logs that apparently served as seats. Noticing my interest in the site, the man spoke.
"Would you like to take a seat?" he asked, gesturing to the logs by the fire pit. "My brother will be returning soon. He just went to, uh, freshen up a little bit."
Just as he said that, the man in which he was speaking of came walking up to the site. He grinned at the both of us and took a seat beside his brother on the other log. There was an awkward silence among us for a moment. Then the brother who had just returned took a deep whiff of air.
"Stew's ready," he announced happily. "And fortunately for you, my lady, we have an extra bowl. I figured my idiotic brother would end up burning his so I made three bowls instead of two." The young man got up, went into the hut, and returned with three crude-looking bowls. He filled each with stew and then gave us our meal.
Studying him as I ate, I noted he and his brother didn't look much alike, except for age. They were probably twins. The second brother was slightly taller. He had the same frame as his brother, the same mouth, but everything else about him was different. The second brother had green eyes instead of blue, and he had a more philosophical attitude about him.
As it was quiet, perhaps too much so for my comfort, I decided to make conversation. Now would be a good time to ask what had happened after I'd passed out inside the cave by the waterfall, and what the names of my gallant heroes were.
"So, what exactly happened back at the waterfall?" I asked, focusing my eyes on my stew.
"I wondered when you'd get to the topic. Well, my brother here had the intelligence—for once—to shoot several arrows at the dragon's belly. It wounded the creature enough that it had to land, where we killed it and rescued you," replied Brother Number Two.
"Thank you," I said quietly. After a pause, I asked what their names were.
"This, my lady, is Ray (that would be the one that greeted the princess first), and I am Adrian."
"Those names sound familiar," I murmured.
"Yes, but it's very unlikely that we've met before. We're two peasants who ran away."
I watched them as they sipped their stew from their bowls for a moment, and then responded.
"I don't believe that's true."
"Why not?" asked Ray, confused.
"Well, first of all, I don't know very many peasants that raise their pinkies into the air when they drink something. Secondly, even though you're clothes are dirty; it's still easy to determine what they look like, and the material is far too rich for any ordinary peasant to afford." I smiled smugly at them as they gaped at me in awe. "The two of you are Prince Ray and Prince Adrian, who escaped from their kingdoms several weeks ago," I concluded. The two eyed me suspiciously from where they sat.
"How should we know that you aren't royalty?" said Ray.
"Because you have no way of proving it."
"May we be informed as to how to address you?" Adrian asked.
"Yes. My name is Elle, and that's what you should call me."
A/N: One last thing! In case you were wondering, Elle doesn't have a concussion or anything. She just got knocked out. Bye!!!!!
-fufie
A Humorous Prince's POV
Twelve long chimes from the grand clock that sounded out the hours for the kingdom marked the arrival of midnight. I flung my covers off of my bed and grabbed the knapsack hidden in my closet, along with a long knotted rope that would help me escape. I secured it and then, with the knapsack on my back, lowered myself out my open window. Carefully I went down, knot by knot. Then I looked down. And froze. I still had a long way down. While I was frozen there, swinging back and forth gently, the rope was starting to slip from where I'd secured it. Within a second it was free, and I was on the ground. And I was in pain. Tremendous pain. I'd landed flat on my rear in a puddle of mud that had rocks in it.
I walked bow-legged to the stables, where my method of transportation was saddled and prepared to leave. It was very painful getting on the stallion, and my butt was definitely going to be bruised, but I made it, and got the horse moving. The wall surrounding the palace was very short, only 4 feet high, so it wasn't difficult to escape. Its reason for being so short was beyond me; the only beings it would be able to stop were rodents and vertically challenged creatures such as gnomes and dwarves.
Once outside and on the main road I stopped and waited for my accomplice. But first I got off the saddle and gave my poor bruised rear a break.
~`~`~`~`~`~
A Serious Prince's POV
At half past twelve I got up out of my bed and pulled the sack I was bringing with me out from under my bed. Then I opened my door, held my breath, and walked out into the hall. The guards that were posted outside of my door lie sleeping against the wall. I'd gone into the market the previous week (disguised as a peasant, of course) and bought a vile of sleeping potion from a sage I'd established a friendship--of sorts--with. All I'd had to do was open it, hold my breath, place it in the hallway, and wait for the guards to inhale it. Once I got downstairs I walked into the library, quietly shutting the door behind me. A window was slightly ajar in there, and I opened it and climbed outside. My horse was waiting for me in the stables, and once I was on her we just had to walk over the wall and we were free. Easy. The not easy (or, to be more precise grammar-wise, uneasy) part was getting away without being noticed by the guards posted in random spots next to the wall. I managed it, and got away.
"You know, our parents truly make it easy for us to escape," I said when I met my brother on the main road. He was rubbing his horse's side.
"I wonder what they'll say when they find out we're gone," he replied.
"I'd rather not think about that at the moment. Let's just get going…" I watched him for a moment, and then choked back a laugh. "Why are you waddling?" I asked.
He winced as he sat down on the saddle, and replied with, "I'll tell you later."
~`~`~`~`~`~
POV of The Rebellious Princess
Two weeks after my grand escape, I was sitting astride my horse, gazing curiously at Greenwood Forest. The name didn't sound menacing, and the place didn't look frightening, but I got off my horse and walked into it warily. The forest was probably the best place to go if you were running away, as I was, but only because no one dared enter it. In it lived every fairy tale (and non-fairy tale) villain that was imaginable. Dragons, ogres, werewolves, and many other demented creatures lived there. Some pleasant beings lived there also, such as unicorns and fairies, but they weren't as big a portion of the population as the corrupt beings. For that reason, everyone feared that forest.
~`~`~`~`~`~
Several days after their disappearance, the two noblemen entered Greenwood Forest. It seemed like a normal place; the birds in the trees sang songs and the sun was bright in there.
"When is it supposed to get scary?" Prince Raymond (the one with the bruised behind) asked.
"As soon as evening comes," replied Prince Adrian.
The two continued on until they came to a clearing. Not far from it was a stream, which, when they tested it, turned out to have good water. They made camp there.
~`~`~`~`~`~
POV of Rebellious Princess
It had been not even two hours since I'd entered the forest and already I was in peril. Actually, more like grave danger. Inches away from death. Basically already dead. I had my back up against a solid rock wall, and I was standing on a mossy ledge. A strong waterfall several yards to my left was rushing down to meet sharp rocks. A dragon shrieked angrily from twenty feet above me, and then quickly swooped down. It missed its target though, and hit the wall several feet away from me. I screamed shrilly, and it echoed through the forest. Perhaps some creature had heard my cry and would come at any moment to rescue me. But the chances were slim.
I looked around me, searching desperately for a place to hide, a nook in the wall, anything. Then I saw it. About three yards to my right, where the ledge got wider and slowly merged into the hill, was a cave. It had a narrow entrance that the dragon would never be able to fit more than a claw into. I'd be safe there. I inched my way over to it, hoping the dragon wouldn't turn around and dive at me. Just as I thought that, it turned and began its descent. I was almost there, only a few feet away. I dodged into the cave, but slipped. My head hit a rock, and I suddenly felt very dizzy. The last thing I saw was something narrow flying through the air and piercing the dragon in the belly.
"Why am I here?" was the first thought that entered my head as I opened my eyes and looked around me. Then I remembered the dragon, and wondered what had happened after I'd passed out. Curious, I stood up. There were very few trees in front of me, so I was in a clearing. But how deep into the forest was I?
"How did I get here?" I wondered out loud.
"Your mother birthed you. Then, around a decade and a half later, I'm guessing, you were kidnapped and taken here, where you met Fire-breath back there." The voice came from behind me. I spun around to see a young man standing before me, one side of his mouth curved up in a half-smile. (This young man is the humorous prince from earlier.)
"Not quite. I came of my own free will, without an escort," I replied.
"No horse?" the man asked.
"However close I may be to my horse, I don't believe she counts as an escort. But yes, I did bring my faithful steed." The man smiled at me. He looked about 18, two years older than me. He was nearly a head taller, with an athletic frame. His hair was golden, and his eyes a light blue. His smile was goofy, just like his attitude.
I looked around him, and noticed a small but sturdy hut. Beside it there was a fire pit with two logs that apparently served as seats. Noticing my interest in the site, the man spoke.
"Would you like to take a seat?" he asked, gesturing to the logs by the fire pit. "My brother will be returning soon. He just went to, uh, freshen up a little bit."
Just as he said that, the man in which he was speaking of came walking up to the site. He grinned at the both of us and took a seat beside his brother on the other log. There was an awkward silence among us for a moment. Then the brother who had just returned took a deep whiff of air.
"Stew's ready," he announced happily. "And fortunately for you, my lady, we have an extra bowl. I figured my idiotic brother would end up burning his so I made three bowls instead of two." The young man got up, went into the hut, and returned with three crude-looking bowls. He filled each with stew and then gave us our meal.
Studying him as I ate, I noted he and his brother didn't look much alike, except for age. They were probably twins. The second brother was slightly taller. He had the same frame as his brother, the same mouth, but everything else about him was different. The second brother had green eyes instead of blue, and he had a more philosophical attitude about him.
As it was quiet, perhaps too much so for my comfort, I decided to make conversation. Now would be a good time to ask what had happened after I'd passed out inside the cave by the waterfall, and what the names of my gallant heroes were.
"So, what exactly happened back at the waterfall?" I asked, focusing my eyes on my stew.
"I wondered when you'd get to the topic. Well, my brother here had the intelligence—for once—to shoot several arrows at the dragon's belly. It wounded the creature enough that it had to land, where we killed it and rescued you," replied Brother Number Two.
"Thank you," I said quietly. After a pause, I asked what their names were.
"This, my lady, is Ray (that would be the one that greeted the princess first), and I am Adrian."
"Those names sound familiar," I murmured.
"Yes, but it's very unlikely that we've met before. We're two peasants who ran away."
I watched them as they sipped their stew from their bowls for a moment, and then responded.
"I don't believe that's true."
"Why not?" asked Ray, confused.
"Well, first of all, I don't know very many peasants that raise their pinkies into the air when they drink something. Secondly, even though you're clothes are dirty; it's still easy to determine what they look like, and the material is far too rich for any ordinary peasant to afford." I smiled smugly at them as they gaped at me in awe. "The two of you are Prince Ray and Prince Adrian, who escaped from their kingdoms several weeks ago," I concluded. The two eyed me suspiciously from where they sat.
"How should we know that you aren't royalty?" said Ray.
"Because you have no way of proving it."
"May we be informed as to how to address you?" Adrian asked.
"Yes. My name is Elle, and that's what you should call me."
A/N: One last thing! In case you were wondering, Elle doesn't have a concussion or anything. She just got knocked out. Bye!!!!!
-fufie