A/N: Hi everyone again…. Thanks to all reviewers …. A cookie for you all who reviewed . . Now I apologise sincerely for my story being too short and for not updating often but enjoy this chapter and the next one will be updated soon as well. Enjoy ………
Note to readers: if you haven't figured out already…. Lyrin is 17 years of age right now….
>
>
>
She woke up with a sore throat. Where was she? She was travelling somewhere, travelling……. Her back ached and so did her whole body… she was tired… Why did she feel like this…… so tired….. She tried to speak but nothing came out.
In her weariness, she turned onto her side and gasped at the pain, but her mind slowly clouded over.
She was asleep again.
>
>
>
Prince Tal of Kyrria sat in the carriage staring at Lyrin worriedly. She was injured very badly and he wanted to get to the castle as fast as possible.
However, Tarilne had other plans.
She pointed out that it would make Lyrin even more uncomfortable than she already is, jolting around in the carriage like that, and surely, Lyrin will get worse if she is not so already.
He grudgingly agreed and stared ahead into the horizon.
>
>
>
There were horsemen approaching fast.
Tarilne glanced up from the pale form to the source of the noise.
Someone was coming.
What if the household of Driakes wanted to kill Lyrin…?
But her worst fears were answered.
It was a tall broad man arriving.
She glanced at the prince.
The prince was smiling.
"I'm glad to see you again Darien." The prince greeted.
"Me too. I'd never expected to see you here in all places." The stranger replied warmly.
The two men stopped directly infront of eachother and greeted eachother before the prince turned and introduced the stranger to her.
"Tarilne, meet Darien, my childhood friend of Ayortha who insisted on coming back with me. This is his second visit to the kingdom of Kyrria."
Tarilne stared. This was the man who came with the prince to the Driake's ball.
"Nice to meet you, now I must go and tend to Lyrin." She stated, leaving the two friends to catch up on eachother's stories.
>
>
>
>
>
Few hours later on reaching the castle
"Look we're there!" shouted Tal to both Tarilne and Darien.
Before them stood a huge magnificent building built out of stone.
Tarilne stared at the castle in wonderment as the carriage stopped.
Then she suddenly remembered Lyrin and slowly moved Lyrin out of the carriage.
"Lyrin? We're here." She told the still unconscious form.
She was worried about Lyrin. Her breathing had become more laboured since she arrived and if possible, paler than she was a few hours earlier.
>
>
"Who's Lyrin and why is she in that carriage of yours?" asked Darien.
"My sister." Tal replied.
"Your sister? But you never had one." Darien asked, confused.
"I've always had one. I'll explain to you and her guardian Tarilne once we settle her." Tal answered as he walked to carry Lyrin.
Darien stared at the pale limp form. She was covered in dirt and her hair was all tangled. Poor girl, he thought as he followed them into the castle.
>
.>
>
"Mother! Father! Call the doctors quickly!" Shouted Tal as he neared the guest hall in the castle.
Ella and Char rushed to see what the commotion was all about. And why was their son calling for a doctor?
They rushed towards the guest hall only to find a pale and bruised girl in his arms.
They gestured one of the maids to call for the doctor as they greeted their son.
"Tal, who do you have with you?" asked Ella warmly.
'This is Darien and this is Tarilne, the unconscious girl is Lyrin and she is my sister, in other words your daughter." Replied Tal carefully studying his mother's expression.
Ella's eyes flashed with emotion and she almost fainted with happiness. Char quickly supported her and said, "We'll be in the dining area waiting for you. I'll take your mother to recover there. You take Lyrin to her room before she was gone and come all of you then to have your refreshments. Then Tal, you explain what this is all about."
He smiled at all three and left with Ella towards the north wing.
>...>
>
"Tell us how you found her and why is she all beaten and injured?" enquired Ella.
The prince sat with Darien and Tarilne at the dining table.
"Well, mother and father, I ought to explain to you from the beginning……" said Tal and he explained how he was obliged to go to a certain ball at the Driakes and he took Darien with him.
There he saw a maid who looked like Ella even though she was bruised and dirt crusted. He then went on to how he confronted her and how the next time he went to the Driakes to take her, he found her in a very bad condition.
Ella looked worried at the description and turned pale when in turn, Tarilne described the known cruelty of Riana in the household of the Driakes, and how Lyrin was beaten for just talking to the prince of Kyrria.
Just as Ella was about to ask the maid to fetch the doctor, the royal doctor came himself and told the group that Lyrin was fine, but she needs rest and her injuries will heal in time although there would be scars left on her body which cannot be erased.
Ella thanked the doctor and told everyone to retire early as they were probably tired from travelling so much.
>
>
>
Much later on ………….
Lyrin slowly opened her eyes.
She was lying on something so soft that she could not feel it there. She felt warm and safe for the first time of her life.
The air smelt of roses and sunlight spilt through the room.
Her back ached and her throat was dry and her arms felt sore.
Where was she?
She remembered. She had a beating from Riana and then she was somewhere travelling on something somewhere …. Where was she?
"Lady, are you awake?" asked a familiar voice.
Tarilne!
"Tarilne are you there?" Lyrin rasped.
"You're finally awake! You have slept for three whole weeks my dear. We are in the castle of Kyrria. Do you need anything dear?" Tarilne asked concerned.
"Water please," replied Lyrin feeling dizzy as she tried feebly to prop herself up.
Tarilne handed her water and she drank gratefully.
"Sleep dear, you need rest, another week and the doctor said you can get up…" whispered Tarilne as Lyrin's eyes closed and in moments was asleep.
>
>
Day after day Lyrin had only moments of consciousness but gradually she got better.
After six weeks of staying in bed, the prince, or rather her brother had come to visit her.
He also brought the king and queen who he told Lyrin was her parents as well as his.
Lyrin could still not believe that after all these years of being an orphan, she suddenly had parents. Her eyes had flooded with tears and so had Ella's as Ella walked forward to hug her. Char came after Ella and they both told Lyrin to rest well.
Now today, she was allowed to bath for the first time as the doctor has warned if she was bathed before her wounds were healed, it might affect Lyrin's health very badly.
Maids set the bath up and scuttled to change the dirt crusted sheets on the bed and then began to clean the floor as Lyrin stepped outside her bedroom towards the bath area, next door to her sleeping quarters.
The bath area was huge. It was lined with marble and looked luxurious with the carvings on the wall made from real gold.
There, a new dress was laid out for her to change into, and scented roses were scattered into the water. There was rich smelling soap, a comb, a towel, a ribbon, and a sponge for her to wash her self with.
She undressed and gingerly stepped into the warm water, immersing herself in the water, as she started to scrub herself.
She scrubbed and scrubbed until the very skin itself turned red. She wanted to cleanse herself and her memory of the horrid past, of Riana and the Driakes family.
The water became cold and turned black. Maids entered and she stepped out as the maids took out the dirty water and refilled it with new, fresh and warm water.
She continued her scrubbing. After she was satisfied, she continued on with her hair. She washed it with soap and rinsed it. Then she used her comb and attacked her way through the tangled and matted hair she concealed herself with.
It hurts alot but she still pulled and warred with her hair until it submitted and the once tangled hair became tame and under control.
The water was filled with clumps of long wavy black hair.
Again the maids re-emptied and refilled the bath with warm water, this time adding scented oil as well as rose petals.
Lyrin scrubbed herself for the final time, and stepped out of the bath.
She dried herself and clothed herself in the soft material she was given. It felt so soft and silky.
One of the maids came and led her back to her sleeping quarter which was now cleansed of all traces of dirt.
"Lady, please sit down infront of the mirror as I brush your hair so you will look fit for breakfast," the maid called Ora said as she took out a comb.
Lyrin seated herself infront of the mirror.
She cannot believe what she saw there.
A young pale lady stared back at her. She was pale but her green eyes were bright and the girl looked prettier than Riana.
She touched her face, and realized she was looking at herself….
"Lady Lyrin, I have brushed and tied up your hair. Do you wish to go to the dining area now?" asked Ora, bringing an amused Lyrin out of her thoughts.
Lyrin nodded, still shocked at the notion that she would look so well after being cleaned up.
>
>
Ella and Char sat at the head of the table while the rest, Tal, Darien and Tarilne sat at the side of the table.
"We have invited Lyrin to breakfast," announced Char to the three who sat with them.
"Father, are you sure she is well enough to get out of bed yet?" asked Tal anxiously.
"Nonsense. If the doctor said she is well, then she is," retorted the King.
Then they all heard footsteps coming towards them.
They all turned towards the sound and a startling sight awaited them.
Lyrin looked stunning in her plain white dress with her long, curly and dark hair, led by the maid beside her.
She walked slowly and gracefully without knowing it, and she smiled, her green eyes brighter with joy, and even though she was pale from her illness, no one truly noticed.
Tarilne was the one who recovered from Lyrin's charm first.
"Lyrin, you're well again," she cried and went to lead the girl to the seat beside her.
.
>
Tal stared in wonder.
His sister had cleaned up really beautiful.
He now saw that even though most of Lyrin's features were like Ella, some however still resembled Char.
He looked over at his friend Darien who was openly staring at Lyrin.
>
Darien looked at the beautiful girl approaching the breakfast table. She looked no older than 17 years of age.
She looked so beautiful and innocent, almost angelic.
He glanced up and he saw Lyrin grinning at him, or so he thought, with the smile being actually directed at Tal who was sitting a few seats apart from him.
Then to his joy, Lyrin was seated opposite him beside Tarilne.
For the rest of breakfast he could not take his eyes off her.
She was truly beautiful unlike any woman he had seen.
Her smile was direct and warm, and yet innocent.
If he was ever going to marry, he decided, it would be her. And to think he was considering Riana whose beauty was pale if compared to Lyrin.
Revolving around the idea of marriage, he reflected on the events before he had left Ayortha.
flashback>
"Son, you have become of age to marry," his father the King of Ayortha had said.
Darien had looked at his parents in disbelief.
He was simply not going to marry anyone he didn't know, he had said.
His father then proposed that he will give Darien three months to find the future Queen of Ayortha himself, however, if after three months, Darien still hadn't found a suitable choice, then the king will choose for his son himself.
Darien had agreed. Anything to prevent from marrying was good enough.
He had departed with Tal for one reason, to search for a woman whom he love and wants to marry.
But now he had really fallen in love, he though ironically, with the unknowing girl sitting across from him.
He had felt he could never fall in love but he was now.
He now had to think of a way to propose to the girl and ensure that she will accept the proposal
A/N: told you this is a long chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this. Some characters have not appeared yet but they will soon.
I know this chapter isn't exactly that exciting but it will be after I have introduced all my characters and then start building on the story.
Suggestions welcome!