THE BEGINNING
Darkness. Everywhere I look, everything is dark. A perfect day for a funeral. The harsh wind blows though the trees, bending them to its will. The thunder claps and lighting streaks though the black clouds. I look down at the fresh grave, tears streaming down my face. All the people who where in the court came today to mourn for my father. But now there was no one left, I am all alone. The rain pours down in sheets, soaking my black dress, leaving me shivering. The grave was now muddy, running from its high rest on the hill, down onto my satin slippers. I didn't care at all; I wanted to die right there on the spot. Lightning lit up the burial ground, and I stifled a scream. There was someone at the foot of the woods, twenty feet away. I saw the person coming up to me and I didn't run away, for there was no need. My guards were standing near, twelve in all, spread throughout the woods. When the person came up to me, I noticed that it was my friend Shand. Shand was a handsome man, always nice to me, not just because of my linage, but because we were best friends since we were babies. His mother was my wet nurse, when my mother died two weeks after childbirth. "Shand, you scared me. I thought that everyone left. What are you still doing here?" He had a worried look on his face, and I knew what he was going to say. "Milady, I didn't see you come into my home for the night, so I knew that you were still here. You'll catch your death out here. Please milady, let me take you to my home, where you can have a nice hot bath and nice warm food." He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Please Angelina, come with me, we only have one week together." I melted when I saw his smile. He always, one-way or the other got me to do everything he wanted. Of course he never took advantage of me, but it didn't mean that he never took me. I walked towards the road with Shand's arm around me, and was surprised to see Astara there; my pure white mare was waiting with her head raised, even with the sharp wind blowing. She was a proud horse, and she refused to let anyone ride her when she was captured, until one day I, without my father's consent, rode Astara. She trusts Shand because he helped me train her, but if anyone else goes to ride her, she rears and bucks. I mounted Astara, and Shand mounted Aster, his black stallion. People were always eyeing us, for a woman to ride a white mare, and a man to ride a black stallion together meant that they were courting each other.
I turned around to see my twelve guards mount their horses, and follow us. Normally they would be right behind and in front of me, but I asked then earlier that they kept there distance. They were very reluctant because Vagnone was still alive and his minions were running around.
Vagnone was the one who the court thought killed my father. But I knew that he really did. Vagnone was my mother's cousin, and a mage. Vagnone wanted my mother for his bride, but family that close isn't allowed to marry. So she went to my father, cousin of Bryam, who was king of Arwen, and married.
My mother was a beautiful woman, from what I have seen from paintings. She had long silky brown hair, which came down to her waist, and high cheeks; something that my father told me that we had in common. But the thing that we didn't have in common was that she was a very short woman, about five feet, while I was my father's height at five foot nine. My hair was dark, almost black, and my eyes were an odd sight. They were a piercing blue, were as both my father and mother had brown.
We traveled in the storm for about a half an hour, before entering though the gate to Ella castle, built back hundred years when the people rose up and defeated the Dark Witches.
The stable boys ran out and they all avoid me, for they knew about Astara. I dismounted and walked to the large stable, almost as large as the castle in Eltair.
I patted Astara down, and threw two blankets over her. I added new hay for her, and gave her oats. Then one of the stable boys gave me a blanket and left to take care of the other horses. Shand was waiting for me at the end of the stable, looking fairly pleased with himself.
Darkness. Everywhere I look, everything is dark. A perfect day for a funeral. The harsh wind blows though the trees, bending them to its will. The thunder claps and lighting streaks though the black clouds. I look down at the fresh grave, tears streaming down my face. All the people who where in the court came today to mourn for my father. But now there was no one left, I am all alone. The rain pours down in sheets, soaking my black dress, leaving me shivering. The grave was now muddy, running from its high rest on the hill, down onto my satin slippers. I didn't care at all; I wanted to die right there on the spot. Lightning lit up the burial ground, and I stifled a scream. There was someone at the foot of the woods, twenty feet away. I saw the person coming up to me and I didn't run away, for there was no need. My guards were standing near, twelve in all, spread throughout the woods. When the person came up to me, I noticed that it was my friend Shand. Shand was a handsome man, always nice to me, not just because of my linage, but because we were best friends since we were babies. His mother was my wet nurse, when my mother died two weeks after childbirth. "Shand, you scared me. I thought that everyone left. What are you still doing here?" He had a worried look on his face, and I knew what he was going to say. "Milady, I didn't see you come into my home for the night, so I knew that you were still here. You'll catch your death out here. Please milady, let me take you to my home, where you can have a nice hot bath and nice warm food." He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Please Angelina, come with me, we only have one week together." I melted when I saw his smile. He always, one-way or the other got me to do everything he wanted. Of course he never took advantage of me, but it didn't mean that he never took me. I walked towards the road with Shand's arm around me, and was surprised to see Astara there; my pure white mare was waiting with her head raised, even with the sharp wind blowing. She was a proud horse, and she refused to let anyone ride her when she was captured, until one day I, without my father's consent, rode Astara. She trusts Shand because he helped me train her, but if anyone else goes to ride her, she rears and bucks. I mounted Astara, and Shand mounted Aster, his black stallion. People were always eyeing us, for a woman to ride a white mare, and a man to ride a black stallion together meant that they were courting each other.
I turned around to see my twelve guards mount their horses, and follow us. Normally they would be right behind and in front of me, but I asked then earlier that they kept there distance. They were very reluctant because Vagnone was still alive and his minions were running around.
Vagnone was the one who the court thought killed my father. But I knew that he really did. Vagnone was my mother's cousin, and a mage. Vagnone wanted my mother for his bride, but family that close isn't allowed to marry. So she went to my father, cousin of Bryam, who was king of Arwen, and married.
My mother was a beautiful woman, from what I have seen from paintings. She had long silky brown hair, which came down to her waist, and high cheeks; something that my father told me that we had in common. But the thing that we didn't have in common was that she was a very short woman, about five feet, while I was my father's height at five foot nine. My hair was dark, almost black, and my eyes were an odd sight. They were a piercing blue, were as both my father and mother had brown.
We traveled in the storm for about a half an hour, before entering though the gate to Ella castle, built back hundred years when the people rose up and defeated the Dark Witches.
The stable boys ran out and they all avoid me, for they knew about Astara. I dismounted and walked to the large stable, almost as large as the castle in Eltair.
I patted Astara down, and threw two blankets over her. I added new hay for her, and gave her oats. Then one of the stable boys gave me a blanket and left to take care of the other horses. Shand was waiting for me at the end of the stable, looking fairly pleased with himself.