**
CHAPTER FOUR
It was always a girl.
Flashes of different women flew through Elizabeth's dreams, running, always running from an unseen foe. They spoke in different languages, but that didn't matter- she could understand them and the urgency of the situation. They were scared, mostly, but in each of them, a tiny grain of relief.
Frightening men with contorted faces, snarling and growling surrounded them. Each girl stood strong, resigned, as if they knew they wouldn't see tomorrow.
A girl in a long dress, running quickly through cobblestone streets, her mane of curly dark hair matted with sweat and dirt. Blood streamed from cuts on her forehead and side, but she wasted no time in attending to them. Her dress was hindering her movement, but she ran with all the speed she could muster. A long piece of wood was clutched in her hand, her knuckles white.
The last image was of a dark skinned woman, face painted with tribal art. A fire burned brightly before her and she circled it, walking with the refined grace of a predator waiting to strike. She stared, and her gaze bore deep, yet she remained silent. She circled the fire again, her attention never wavering.
Elizabeth awoke in a cold sweat, disturbed by her dreams. She had felt everything the girls had, all the fear and excitement and euphoria.
It had scared her more than she ever thought possible.
The morning came, a fresh dawn breaking over the horizon. Elizabeth sighed and left the warm recesses of her bed, feet touching the stone floor and shivering. Dressing, she willed the dreams from her mind and prepared herself for the day.
Morning came too quickly, in Rupert Giles' opinion. He paced around his study; ancient books and volumes of information were spread throughout the room. The desk was covered with papers and notes, the wood surface no longer visible beneath the mountains of research.
The messenger had come late the night before, and he had not slept since, his mind too intent on the situation before him. He had come to Buffonia for a reason, and now that reason had manifested itself, fifteen years after he had first entered the country's borders, wife and daughter in hand.
Jenny and Olivia had passed on, leaving Giles alone. Oh, how he wished for his wife and daughter now- maybe they could offer some comfort and support in what he had to do. A difficult task, certainly, but hopefully not impossible.
Rupert Giles was a Watcher. A member of the Watcher's Council, he was schooled in the finest academics and fighting arts. He had spent his childhood in study, with only the tiniest hope that he would ever be able to use his knowledge.
But now that time had come. The Council was a rigid organization, dating back to..… the beginning of man, Giles guessed. They watched and trained and studied and fought- all for one purpose.
To stop the forces of darkness. Fight the good fight.
Aid the Slayer.
One girl in all the world, chosen randomly in every generation. When one slayer died, another was called. She was the only one who could fight them; she had the strength of ten men and the skill of the finest warrior.
Vampires, Demons- Evil to be eliminated by the slayer. The public would never know of the evil that the slayer fought, the Watchers worked too hard to ensure its secrecy.
So the Slayer was alone.
Giles hated to do what he was ordered to, but he had no choice. The safety of the kingdom, the world, depended on the Slayer, regardless if she was unaware of it. To subject a girl to the….pain of isolation and violence. It was a cruel act, in Giles' mind, but necessary.
A Slayer had died; a new Slayer was called. Such is the way of things, thought Giles.
But this time, the Chosen One was a fifteen-year-old spirited princess.
Said princess was eating her breakfast, what would have normally been a delicious meal was ruined by her mind's unrest. Thoughts of her dreams plagued her, took over her thoughts so much so she didn't hear her mother calling.
"Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" her mother called impatiently, frustrated with her daughter's lack of a response. Shaken from her reverie, Elizabeth left the table and ran to her mother, leaving her half-eaten food behind her.
Her mother's weaving room was at the end of a long stone corridor. The narrow hall had always scared her as a child, and even as a young woman she did her best to avoid it. Today it had disturbed her even more than usual, reminded by a scene in her dream. One of the girls had run down a hallway like this, fear coming off her in waves.
Elizabeth shook her head, trying to clear her mind. If she didn't stop thinking about the dreams, she was going to go crazy. For the hundredth time of the morning, she willed the dreams from her thoughts.
She entered her mother's chambers, Queen Joyce sitting at the loom. Seeing her daughter enter, Joyce spoke.
"Elizabeth. Do try to be more punctual, dear. A Queen must-"
"Always be on time," Elizabeth finished. She knew her mother's rules and could recite them by rote. "I'm sorry….. I was distracted. It wont happen again," she apologized.
"Very well. I've arranged for you to go out and visit the village today. Practice your social skills among the people. A Queen must always be gracious and kind," Joyce smiled, anticipating her daughter's reaction.
As expected, Elizabeth grew excited. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Elizabeth squealed, happy at the prospect of getting outside and into the village.
Joyce smiled in amusement. She loved to see her daughter happy. She knew she could be harsh sometimes, but she really did love her daughter. As her wedding to William approached, Elizabeth's mood became more somber and morose with each passing day. The wild child who had caused her so much trouble when she was younger was all but gone. Joyce sincerely hoped this trip into the village would do her daughter some good.
"Go, child. Dress for your outing," she dismissed Elizabeth, who in turn, raced out of the room.
Bolting down the hallways with an enthusiasm she hadn't expressed since she was a young child, Elizabeth quickly put on her common clothes. A plain brown dress would be her clothes for the village; she didn't want her royal status announced. She would just be a Buffy, a normal girl, shopping for her family in the market. Not Elizabeth, the Princess of Buffonia.
Her excitement overwhelmed her, and for the moment she forgot about her problems. For the first time in a long while, no thinking was done about the future or William or her dreams. She was just a fifteen-year-old girl ready to have some fun.
**
END CHAPTER FOUR
A/N- Review, review, review, (made my point yet?), review, review!
Next chapter- Buffy's visit to town. Buffy sees Giles, meets the o-so-suave Riley (note the sarcasm), and mingle with the village people (NOT the 70's group! I swear!! *g*)
A/N 2- Anyone willing to create a graphic for Slayer and the Slave for me, please contact me at Sundevil009@yahoo.com. You'd be credited with it on my site, and I'd be eternally grateful. I'd do it myself, but I have an evil computer who thought it was okay to mess up my PhotoShop. Anyone willing, please. : )
Love, D