Chapter 1
"Quit looking at me like you want to kill me." My twin said to me. Bran, my annoying twin brother and best friend was sitting across from me in the carriage. He slumped in his seat and crossed his arms, returning my glare.
"Don't mention Cynthia to me again or I will do more than glare at you." I retorted. Somehow during our conversation, he had mentioned Queen Ella's daughter, my sworn enemy. That started our glaring match.
"Maybe if you tried to be friends with her, things would get better." Bran said, obviously ignoring my warning.
"I did try, for most of my life." I said.
"Maybe if you tried harder..." Bran said, his voice trailing off. He got a far away look that he usually got when he was in deep thought.
"Did you ever consider the possibility that I don't want to be friends with Cynthia?" I asked, my sudden question breaking Bran's reverie.
"Diana, both Ella and mother are pushing for a lasting friendship between our families." He said, breaking down my defense. Mother had always wanted our families and countries united by the friendship they had shared. They wanted both me and Cynthia to keep that treaty. That for me was impossible.
Just as Bran opened his mouth to break my defenses some more, a horse galloped up along side us. The rider was cloaked in a heavy black cloak and yelled to our driver to stop the carriage. The driver stopped and both Bran and I jumped from the carriage. I had drawn the sword that I kept at my side during long journeys like this because one could never know when a band of robbers or ogres would come jumping out of the woods.
The rider dismounted and drew off his hood. Instead of a man's short cropped hair, I saw the long chestnut hair of a girl. Green eyes, too much like Queen Ella's stared back at me. This was no ordinary messenger, this was Princess Cynthia of Frell, my worst enemy.
"Quit looking at me like you want to kill me." My twin said to me. Bran, my annoying twin brother and best friend was sitting across from me in the carriage. He slumped in his seat and crossed his arms, returning my glare.
"Don't mention Cynthia to me again or I will do more than glare at you." I retorted. Somehow during our conversation, he had mentioned Queen Ella's daughter, my sworn enemy. That started our glaring match.
"Maybe if you tried to be friends with her, things would get better." Bran said, obviously ignoring my warning.
"I did try, for most of my life." I said.
"Maybe if you tried harder..." Bran said, his voice trailing off. He got a far away look that he usually got when he was in deep thought.
"Did you ever consider the possibility that I don't want to be friends with Cynthia?" I asked, my sudden question breaking Bran's reverie.
"Diana, both Ella and mother are pushing for a lasting friendship between our families." He said, breaking down my defense. Mother had always wanted our families and countries united by the friendship they had shared. They wanted both me and Cynthia to keep that treaty. That for me was impossible.
Just as Bran opened his mouth to break my defenses some more, a horse galloped up along side us. The rider was cloaked in a heavy black cloak and yelled to our driver to stop the carriage. The driver stopped and both Bran and I jumped from the carriage. I had drawn the sword that I kept at my side during long journeys like this because one could never know when a band of robbers or ogres would come jumping out of the woods.
The rider dismounted and drew off his hood. Instead of a man's short cropped hair, I saw the long chestnut hair of a girl. Green eyes, too much like Queen Ella's stared back at me. This was no ordinary messenger, this was Princess Cynthia of Frell, my worst enemy.