A/n: Thanks for reviewing! Here is the second chapter.

Chapter One

Fifteen Years Later

            "Nora!" someone cried in the darkness. "Nora Rose!"

            I shoved my head into the pillow, desperately trying to ignore the sound of the woman calling my name. I heard the door open, and footsteps cross to my bed. Someone shook me wildly.

            "Eleanor Rose, you wake up this moment!" the voice called desperately.

            I laughed silently to myself. I loved playing this game with my aunts. A heard a fumbling and was suddenly hit by a blast of sunlight. Even through my closed eyes, I could tell it was a beautiful day. Someone shook me again, frantically. Okay, I thought. You win.

            I slowly sat up and opened my eyes. Ginny stood in front of me, wringing her hands. She was a short, squat woman with frizzy red-gray hair and soft brown eyes. She gave me a deathly look, and I began to laugh.

            "What?" I giddily cried.

            "Nora Rose, you know I hate it when you do that," she said.

            I tried to look really surprised and interested, hoping to gain information by the slip of her tongue. "Why?" I asked.

            Ginny turned her back. "Because…" she said, searching for an explanation, "Because it's irritating. There's work to be done, and you insist on making one of us wake you up."

            She left the room, eyes closed. Nora Rose, she thought. Getting more inquisitive everyday.

            I was left on my own in my bedroom, looking out the window. It was a warm spring day, sunny and balmy. I knew what I had to do. Today was market day, which meant I'd be going into town to buy food and other things we needed. I rolled out of my bed and walked to my closet, pulling out whatever reached my hands first. Then I combed through my messy brown hair and pushed it behind my ears. It was long and curly, reaching the middle of my back. I stared at myself in the mirror, practicing flashing my brown eyes.

            I finally walked downstairs where I saw my three aunts sitting at the table, whispering. They looked up as soon as they saw me, pretending that they weren't discussing anything important or secretive. Allegra had wiry gray hair and alert brown eyes. She was strict and intelligent, the family matriarch. She was a bit taller than Ginny, the worrier, who had woken me up that morning. But the shortest was Estelle, my only aunt who's hair was still straight and red. She was the most fun, and was always lenient with me.

            "Good morning," I said, walking around the table and kissing them all on the cheek.

            "Good morning, Nora Rose," replied Allegra, smiling.

            I looked at them, all sitting up straight and wide-eyed. "What's going on?" I asked, catching wind of their enigmatic attitudes.

            Estelle smiled. "Nothing, my dear!" she cried.

            I frowned. "Where you talking about my birthday?" I asked. "Because I'm going to be sixteen soon?"

            The color drained from Ginny's face. "Why-why would we discuss your birthday in secret?" she stammered. "What's so special about your six-sixteen birthday?"

            I felt myself blush. You shouldn't have said anything, I chided myself. They're going to get suspicious. "Well…" I said, searching for an excuse. "You-you… don't want me to know what your giving me!"

            "Of course," replied Allegra coolly. "We were talking about your birthday present, which you won't know of for another two more weeks."

            I smiled pleasantly. "Right," I said, pouring myself a glass of juice. "What shall I get at the market this morning?"

            There was silence as Estelle, the family cook, thought. "Apples, strawberries, rhubarb, any other fruits you can find, ale, potatoes," she finally listed. "Flour, sugar, salt, lots of vegetables…oh, and would you mind picking up some cloth for me? It's at that new store."

            "Okay," I replied. "Allegra, Ginny, do you need anything?"

            "No, dear," said Allegra.

            "Mushrooms," said Ginny. "No funny kinds, young lady."

            I laughed. "Of course," I said. "Then I'll be off!"

            I slung a cloth bag over my shoulder and walked out the door. Once outside, I skipped and hummed to myself ridiculously. I was in very high spirits, even after my birthday blunder. Allegra, Ginny, and Estelle had no idea that I knew of my curse, but I'd known for years. In fact, I'd known since I was around eleven or twelve.

-Flashback, seven years ago-

            "Allegra? Will you take me to town with you today?" I cried, anxious.

            She shook her head. "Nora! You're only eight! What do you want to go to town for?" she chided.

            I pouted. "I just want to! And today's my eighth birthday!" I whined.

            She sighed. "Alright, but you have to stay at my side the whole time," she warned.

            That was the first day I saw the town of March. It was a small, charming town with friendly inhabitants and a fine market. March was colorful and cheery, and I was swept into it the first time I stepped through it's gates. I held onto Allegra's dress the whole time, fascinated, listening to bits and pieces of conversations. While at the fruit stand, I heard two women gossiping.

            "Today's the day of 'er eighth birthday," one said to the other.

            "What are ya talkin 'bout?" the second cried. "'Bout that forgotten Kyrrian princess, Agnes?"

            Their talk excited me. Today was a forgotten Kyrrian princess's eighth birthday too!

            "King Char and Queen Ella! Their 'firs daughter!" Agnes cried. "She was cursed at birth, 'an now she lives in the forest with three of her fairy godmothers! I've told ya this before, Gloria!"

            "No ya 'aven't. I don't remember," Gloria replied. "So she's just a-waiting for the throne?"

            "On 'er sixteenth birthday, she's supposed to prick 'er finger on a spindle and go into a deep sleep," Agnes explained. "So she can be awoken by true love's 'firs kiss!"

            "'Ho's 'er true love?"

            "The prince of Ayortha, of course!" Agnes replied. "Prince Sidney! 'E's gonna find 'er and befriend 'er when she's older."

            "'How d'ya know all of this?" asked Gloria.

            "I was there!" Agnes cried. "At the palace! The day she was cursed!"

-Flashback, five years ago-

            I was cavorting around a glen I'd discovered, when I suddenly heard a twig snap. I swung around to see a boy of eleven or twelve standing in front of me, smiling. He was tall and pale, with straight blond hair and blue eyes.

            "Hello," he said, pronouncing his l like a y.

            "Hello," I replied cautiously, recognizing his accent as Ayorthaian.

            "I'm sorry I started you, I just heard some tussle and wanted to investigate," he said, trying to sound deeply masculine. "But it was just you."

            "I was dancing," I retorted. "Not tussling."

            "I saw," he said. "It was quite graceful, really."

            "Thank you," I said, beaming.

            "I'm Sidney," he said, bowing.

            "Nora," I replied, curtsying.

            "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in the middle of the woods?" he asked bluntly.

            "I live here," I said. "With my aunts."

             "Oh," he said, somewhat shocked.

            "Where do you live?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

            "Ayortha," he replied. "But I'm in Kyrria for a few years."

            "Why?" I asked.

            Sidney smiled proudly. "I'm on an expedition. I'm a knight," he said. "I'm doing ogre hunts with King Charmont."

            "How exciting!" I cried. "I wish I could be adventurous like that. I have to stay at home and learn to be ladylike."

            "How horrible!" said Sidney, laughing.

            "You have no idea!" I replied.

-End flashback-

            As I'd gotten older, I'd realized the old woman's story was about me. No parents, living with three secretive older women in the middle of the woods. I'd seen Allegra do magic before when she'd dropped a glass and put it back together. I only believed it more when I'd befriended an Ayorthaian knight named Sidney who seemed to appear out of no where when I was alone.

            I didn't tell anyone. Honestly, I was proud of myself for figuring the secret out, and I felt like I'd outsmarted everyone by knowing of my curse. Besides my smugness, I didn't know what would happen if everyone found out that I knew. I wasn't sure what would happen, and I surely didn't want whoever cursed me to know that I knew. That would change everything.

            I reached the March's gate, which was closed. I knocked politely and a small door opened up above my head. "Yes, milady?" a man asked.

            "I'm here to go to market," I called up.

            "What be your name, lass?" the voice said.

            I sighed. "Nora," I said urgently. "And I wish to go to market."

            "No need to get angry, little lady," the man said. "There are troubled times about. I was only being cautious."

            The door opened and I stepped inside. "I'm sorry," I called up to the man. "I'm just pressed for time."

             "It's fine, my dear," he replied, distracted.

            I looked around at the streets. They were empty. I quickly to the town square, where the market typically was. The colorful, bustling community that was normally cheerful during the day had been replaced by a sense of urgency that hung in the air. Families were placing trunks and chests full of their possessions into carriages and carts, packing food and clothing on horse's saddlebags, and gathering their children together carefully.

            What's going on?

            Suddenly, I saw a young girl, no older than twelve, sitting with two other boys, and holding a baby. The four of them had flaming red hair, and were dirty and ragged, dressed in scraps of cloth. They were skinny and emaciated, fear in their blue eyes. Something made me approach them.

            "Hello, lass," I said. "Can you tell my why everyone is packing their carriages?"

            She looked up at me, frightened. "You haven't heard?" she cried.

            "No," I replied. "I don't live within the walls of March."

            "There's an order of men," she whispered. "They've been taking over towns in the Kyrrian countryside. We've gotten word that March is in their path, and everyone is fleeing."

            I paused. "Who are these men? Why are they taking over Kyrria?" I asked.

            "They're called the Oderians, the disgraced Kyrrian soldiers," she explained. "They plan to kill King Charmont and Queen Eleanor, and take over the throne."

            "What?" I cried. "Why?"

            "I know not," she replied.

            I looked at her and the three children around her. "Where are you going?" I asked. "Where are your parents?"

            "We've no parents," she said. "We've no where to go."

            I stared at them. I couldn't explain what, but something inside me was telling me to take them back to my house with me. There was something about this girl that was so important. She seemed to know something vital, and I wanted her with me.

            "What are your names?" I asked.

            "I'm Ophelia," she said. "These are my brothers, Cedric and Simon, and my sister, Eva."

            I smiled. "I'm Nora Rose," I replied. "And I know a place where you can stay."

            Ophelia's jaw dropped. "Where?" she cried.

            "My cottage. I live in the middle of the woods, we'll be safe there," I explained.

            She smiled at me. "Thank you, Nora Rose!" she cried, standing and curtsying. "I'm forever in your dept."

            "Don't be silly," I replied, taking Cedric and Simon by the hand. "The pleasure is all mine."

A/n: Setting the scene. It'll get interesting, especially next chapter! Please review!! Please!