Ophelia
Chapter 1
I will never forget the day I met Ophelia; indeed, who could? Ophelia is one of the few people on this earth who leaves an impression on whomever she meets. I met her years ago, but I still remember it clearly. It was the beginning of spring, and I was just 18.
I had just had a fight with my older brother, Osian. He had been a pain since his birthday the past fall. I had no idea why turning 23 made him change like that! As I recall, we were arguing about flowers. He refused to have them in the halls. I wanted them. Well, with one thing leading to another, I eventually stormed out of the castle, angrier then an ogre with a large appetite. As I swooped like an overgrown bat (for I was wearing black that day) into the garden and beyond, to the edge of the forest, she just appeared. As if by magic (although, once one gets to know Ophelia, everything she does is magic, and therefore her magic is rarely noticed). As I gaped at her, with her torn blue dress, it came to a point at her fashionably tiny waist and set off her big brown eyes, which were at that moment almost hidden beneath her long eyelashes, she suddenly whipped her head to face me. I blushed. Not that I had any reason to, although I had been staring at her, she was probably yet another woman out to marry my brother, and therefore deserved my stare. Thank goodness he inherited father's sense on the subject of women, and did not fall for the "damsel in distress" routine. Although why he had to inherit mother's temper instead of father's, I knew not.
"He's inside." I shouted. Very un-princess like.
"Excuse me?" She said.
"I would give anything to have a voice like hers," I thought. It was enchanting. I moved closer to her, for I did not wish to shout again.
"I said 'He's inside,'" I told her.
"Who is inside?" she questioned.
"So maybe she had not come for the prince. But then why did she come?" I wondered. "Prince Osian."
A look of shock swept over her face. For a moment, she stared at me in disbelief. She looked around her quickly, with a rather confused expression. "Well, you did come to see him, didn't you?" I thought.
"Oh!" She said.
I was about to question her on what she was doing there, but I was unfortunately interrupted by none other then my brother, no doubt he had come to yell at me again.
"Adriana! Adriana, are you out here?" he shouted. I wondered briefly why it was not considered un-prince like for a prince to shout, but it was un- princess like for a princess to.
"Yes!" I shouted anyway, and threw a bit of irritation into my voice, so he would know I took no pleasure in his finding me.
He walked up to me, an exasperated expression plastered on his face. His expressions were always easy to read, and (almost) always told exactly what he was thinking.
"Nancy wants you," He informed me. I could tell he did not like being a messenger boy. "She said it had something to do with the dress you were wearing yesterday, and she made some comment about how you could never go a day without ruining what you were wearing, and causing more trouble for the servants because they have to fix them if they possibly can and how you should learn to act like a princess."
I wished he were not so long-winded. If he weren't then I wouldn't have to here the same thing from Nancy herself, but in greater detail.
"She exaggerates." I said. Sometimes I went a week at a time without ruining a dress. Osian raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
The torn dresses reminded me of the visitor, and I looked at her briefly. Or at least I tried to. She wasn't there.
"Oh! Where could she have gone to?" I shouted. It was more of an exclamation then a statement.
"Who?" Osian asked.
"I don't know. She didn't introduce herself. She just sort of appeared when I came out. She was right over there." I pointed.
"Are you by any chance looking for me?" that rich voice called out, and she suddenly came into view, jumping from a branch of a tree that bordered the edge of the forest.
"Yes! How did you, I mean who are, what are" I stopped speaking, at a loss for words.
"Yes?" she questioned.
"Who are you?" I finally blurted out.
"Ophelia" she replied.
"Do you have a last name and a place of origin?" Osian asked sarcastically. I gaped at him. He usually did not care how people looked when he met them or conversed with them, but the argument must have put him in ill humor, for he was rarely this rude.
"Pixies do not have last names, but I've lately been living in this forest." She replied in a calm manner, to make up for my brother lacking his.
I do not know which shocked me more: that she was a pixie or that she was living in the forest. Surely, pixies are not so wholly uncommon, every one knew they existed, but very few people had actually met a pixie. They are usually reserved beings, partially because they are hard working and partially because they are just reserved by nature. They had a gift to read other people's feelings (one of many gifts I should say) but the majority of the (almost non-existent) pixie population rarely revealed any of their own. She was clearly not of the majority of the pixie population, for she had shown quite a few different expressions in our brief moments together. Yet she had not reacted to my brother's rudeness, so it was obvious she concealed what she was thinking from most everyone.
I studied her carefully, and it no longer surprised me that she was a pixie. She was the right height, about a head and a half shorter then Osian, and a head shorter then me. She had dark brown hair, sleek and shiny, but I had no idea how long it was because it was held up in a bun by a beautiful piece of jewelry. Her deep brown eyes and long eyelashes were only part of her beautiful face. She had two tiny ears, a nose that would be called adorable by some, and a beautiful mouth. In addition to that she had, at the moment, flushed cheeks and dirt on her face, although the dirt was not noticeable at a distance because she had richly tanned skin. She was strikingly beautiful, even with the dirt. And as to living in the forest. well, I must admit I was afraid of ogres, and I was surprised that anyone would want to live in the forest. Then again, elves lived in the forest. Her voice interrupted my thoughts.
"And you are" she let her voice trail off.
"Adriana, Princess of Kyrria." I informed her.
"Delighted." She curtsied. It amazed me that she could muster up as much dignity as she did when she had dirt on her face and a rip in her dress. She looked expectantly at Osian. He said nothing. He just stared at her. I elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow! Oh! Uh, I am Osian, Prince of Kyrria." He bowed. She curtsied.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, your Highness."
"Please! Please, call me Osian."
She nodded, and I wondered what in the world possessed him to say that. Only his family and close friends were allowed to be on such close terms. I wondered briefly if he was taken in with the fact she was so different then the people who he usually had to associate himself with.
I threw in a "And me Adriana," so as to avoid an awkward situation.
He cleared his throat.
"Well, what brings you here Ophelia?" He questioned. Then he blushed. "Hope you don't mind, I took the liberty."
"Of using my first name?" She half questioned, half completed the sentence. My brother nodded. "Well," she said with a laugh, "you hardly have a choice! And I must confess I had no idea I was coming here, I didn't know where I was going, I was just" she paused, "running."
"Running?" My brother stated in disbelief. After so many damsels in distress, it was hardly surprising that he was amazed.
"Yes."
"From?"
"Him."
"Him?"
"Him."
"Your father?"
"I am orphaned."
"Oh! I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It is not your fault."
"Who is he?"
"He is my teacher- was my teacher. But now."
She looked lost. I pitied her. So did Osian.
"Look," he said, "Why don't you stay with us for a few days and then head back to wherever in the forest it is that you came from? You look lost."
"What?! Oh, no, I could not possibly"
"I insist," my brother interrupted. Very rude of him.
"But," she started.
"No! You must! You will be very happy here." He said with a smile.
"I would not be sorry to know you much better," I chimed in, giving out a smile of my own.
"I suppose. If your family agrees," She caved.
"I'm sure they will," I said, "They will be delighted."
"Thank you kindly," she said. Her manners were as charming as her voice.
Little did I know that that fateful, yet uneventful day would be the start of not only a wonderful friendship, but also an adventure, one that I shall never forget.
~Adriana (From Princess Adriana's personal memoirs, A Life of Glory, page 97.)
*Author's Note(s):
This is my first fan fiction, so bear with me people! I implore you, please R&R!!! I want to know your thoughts on the story, as well as suggestions as to what can and/or should happen in the story! And don't worry: if you all hate it, I won't finish it (a great loss I'm sure!). The next chapter will be the same thing but from Ophelia's POV. The only reason I did this from Adriana's POV is so I could show the first impression that the Prince and Princess had of Ophelia. I will not be doing that very much thorough-out the story (I don't think so at any rate, but maybe in some of the more important parts): I will only be telling what Ophelia is thinking. The next two chapters are in 1st person, but I was originally planning to write it in 3rd person. Please tell me which you would prefer! Thank you for reading!!!!*
Chapter 1
I will never forget the day I met Ophelia; indeed, who could? Ophelia is one of the few people on this earth who leaves an impression on whomever she meets. I met her years ago, but I still remember it clearly. It was the beginning of spring, and I was just 18.
I had just had a fight with my older brother, Osian. He had been a pain since his birthday the past fall. I had no idea why turning 23 made him change like that! As I recall, we were arguing about flowers. He refused to have them in the halls. I wanted them. Well, with one thing leading to another, I eventually stormed out of the castle, angrier then an ogre with a large appetite. As I swooped like an overgrown bat (for I was wearing black that day) into the garden and beyond, to the edge of the forest, she just appeared. As if by magic (although, once one gets to know Ophelia, everything she does is magic, and therefore her magic is rarely noticed). As I gaped at her, with her torn blue dress, it came to a point at her fashionably tiny waist and set off her big brown eyes, which were at that moment almost hidden beneath her long eyelashes, she suddenly whipped her head to face me. I blushed. Not that I had any reason to, although I had been staring at her, she was probably yet another woman out to marry my brother, and therefore deserved my stare. Thank goodness he inherited father's sense on the subject of women, and did not fall for the "damsel in distress" routine. Although why he had to inherit mother's temper instead of father's, I knew not.
"He's inside." I shouted. Very un-princess like.
"Excuse me?" She said.
"I would give anything to have a voice like hers," I thought. It was enchanting. I moved closer to her, for I did not wish to shout again.
"I said 'He's inside,'" I told her.
"Who is inside?" she questioned.
"So maybe she had not come for the prince. But then why did she come?" I wondered. "Prince Osian."
A look of shock swept over her face. For a moment, she stared at me in disbelief. She looked around her quickly, with a rather confused expression. "Well, you did come to see him, didn't you?" I thought.
"Oh!" She said.
I was about to question her on what she was doing there, but I was unfortunately interrupted by none other then my brother, no doubt he had come to yell at me again.
"Adriana! Adriana, are you out here?" he shouted. I wondered briefly why it was not considered un-prince like for a prince to shout, but it was un- princess like for a princess to.
"Yes!" I shouted anyway, and threw a bit of irritation into my voice, so he would know I took no pleasure in his finding me.
He walked up to me, an exasperated expression plastered on his face. His expressions were always easy to read, and (almost) always told exactly what he was thinking.
"Nancy wants you," He informed me. I could tell he did not like being a messenger boy. "She said it had something to do with the dress you were wearing yesterday, and she made some comment about how you could never go a day without ruining what you were wearing, and causing more trouble for the servants because they have to fix them if they possibly can and how you should learn to act like a princess."
I wished he were not so long-winded. If he weren't then I wouldn't have to here the same thing from Nancy herself, but in greater detail.
"She exaggerates." I said. Sometimes I went a week at a time without ruining a dress. Osian raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
The torn dresses reminded me of the visitor, and I looked at her briefly. Or at least I tried to. She wasn't there.
"Oh! Where could she have gone to?" I shouted. It was more of an exclamation then a statement.
"Who?" Osian asked.
"I don't know. She didn't introduce herself. She just sort of appeared when I came out. She was right over there." I pointed.
"Are you by any chance looking for me?" that rich voice called out, and she suddenly came into view, jumping from a branch of a tree that bordered the edge of the forest.
"Yes! How did you, I mean who are, what are" I stopped speaking, at a loss for words.
"Yes?" she questioned.
"Who are you?" I finally blurted out.
"Ophelia" she replied.
"Do you have a last name and a place of origin?" Osian asked sarcastically. I gaped at him. He usually did not care how people looked when he met them or conversed with them, but the argument must have put him in ill humor, for he was rarely this rude.
"Pixies do not have last names, but I've lately been living in this forest." She replied in a calm manner, to make up for my brother lacking his.
I do not know which shocked me more: that she was a pixie or that she was living in the forest. Surely, pixies are not so wholly uncommon, every one knew they existed, but very few people had actually met a pixie. They are usually reserved beings, partially because they are hard working and partially because they are just reserved by nature. They had a gift to read other people's feelings (one of many gifts I should say) but the majority of the (almost non-existent) pixie population rarely revealed any of their own. She was clearly not of the majority of the pixie population, for she had shown quite a few different expressions in our brief moments together. Yet she had not reacted to my brother's rudeness, so it was obvious she concealed what she was thinking from most everyone.
I studied her carefully, and it no longer surprised me that she was a pixie. She was the right height, about a head and a half shorter then Osian, and a head shorter then me. She had dark brown hair, sleek and shiny, but I had no idea how long it was because it was held up in a bun by a beautiful piece of jewelry. Her deep brown eyes and long eyelashes were only part of her beautiful face. She had two tiny ears, a nose that would be called adorable by some, and a beautiful mouth. In addition to that she had, at the moment, flushed cheeks and dirt on her face, although the dirt was not noticeable at a distance because she had richly tanned skin. She was strikingly beautiful, even with the dirt. And as to living in the forest. well, I must admit I was afraid of ogres, and I was surprised that anyone would want to live in the forest. Then again, elves lived in the forest. Her voice interrupted my thoughts.
"And you are" she let her voice trail off.
"Adriana, Princess of Kyrria." I informed her.
"Delighted." She curtsied. It amazed me that she could muster up as much dignity as she did when she had dirt on her face and a rip in her dress. She looked expectantly at Osian. He said nothing. He just stared at her. I elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow! Oh! Uh, I am Osian, Prince of Kyrria." He bowed. She curtsied.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, your Highness."
"Please! Please, call me Osian."
She nodded, and I wondered what in the world possessed him to say that. Only his family and close friends were allowed to be on such close terms. I wondered briefly if he was taken in with the fact she was so different then the people who he usually had to associate himself with.
I threw in a "And me Adriana," so as to avoid an awkward situation.
He cleared his throat.
"Well, what brings you here Ophelia?" He questioned. Then he blushed. "Hope you don't mind, I took the liberty."
"Of using my first name?" She half questioned, half completed the sentence. My brother nodded. "Well," she said with a laugh, "you hardly have a choice! And I must confess I had no idea I was coming here, I didn't know where I was going, I was just" she paused, "running."
"Running?" My brother stated in disbelief. After so many damsels in distress, it was hardly surprising that he was amazed.
"Yes."
"From?"
"Him."
"Him?"
"Him."
"Your father?"
"I am orphaned."
"Oh! I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It is not your fault."
"Who is he?"
"He is my teacher- was my teacher. But now."
She looked lost. I pitied her. So did Osian.
"Look," he said, "Why don't you stay with us for a few days and then head back to wherever in the forest it is that you came from? You look lost."
"What?! Oh, no, I could not possibly"
"I insist," my brother interrupted. Very rude of him.
"But," she started.
"No! You must! You will be very happy here." He said with a smile.
"I would not be sorry to know you much better," I chimed in, giving out a smile of my own.
"I suppose. If your family agrees," She caved.
"I'm sure they will," I said, "They will be delighted."
"Thank you kindly," she said. Her manners were as charming as her voice.
Little did I know that that fateful, yet uneventful day would be the start of not only a wonderful friendship, but also an adventure, one that I shall never forget.
~Adriana (From Princess Adriana's personal memoirs, A Life of Glory, page 97.)
*Author's Note(s):
This is my first fan fiction, so bear with me people! I implore you, please R&R!!! I want to know your thoughts on the story, as well as suggestions as to what can and/or should happen in the story! And don't worry: if you all hate it, I won't finish it (a great loss I'm sure!). The next chapter will be the same thing but from Ophelia's POV. The only reason I did this from Adriana's POV is so I could show the first impression that the Prince and Princess had of Ophelia. I will not be doing that very much thorough-out the story (I don't think so at any rate, but maybe in some of the more important parts): I will only be telling what Ophelia is thinking. The next two chapters are in 1st person, but I was originally planning to write it in 3rd person. Please tell me which you would prefer! Thank you for reading!!!!*