Chapter 2: Finding Answers

People carrying baskets of clothing and bread lined the streets. The smell of roasted pig hung thick on the air. Ignoring her stomach's complaints for food, she continued deeper into the village. Peddlers with their daily goods stood 'ready to sell' behind wooden stands yelling the prices of their items to be sold. Gypsies in colorful silk outfits and tambourines danced to silent music. Adriel's heart seemed to dance to the same music with them. She loved the market place. It was so rich with smells, vibrant in colors, and so alive with jolly personalities.

"Why am I not allowed to be here?" Adriel questioned her brain. "There is nothing wrong with the market place. In fact everything is right." Adriel finally came upon her destination. The small run down shop before her held evidence of a much needed new coat of paint, but sadly this request was rebuked. She walked up to the rotted maple wood door and turned the tarnished brass doorknob. The door squeaked on its hinges and Adriel opened it. This sent a chill up her spine. An out of tune bell rang from its perch above the door.

"Welcome to Oracles, Maps, and Puzzles", an old women's voice came from behind the dusty brown counter. "How may I help y. Oh Adriel! So nice to see ye." An old women came out from behind the counter standing a good 5 inches below Adriel's head. An egg white knitted shawl was draped over her shoulders. She wore a green cloak and dress made of satin.

"And I you Shikiya. Good to see you too", answered Adriel smiling.

"What will it be today hmm? How about more schematics of that old manor that ye lives in. As ye recalls, I used to work there. By the way; did those other maps I gave ye work?"

"Yes and it was easy to exit the Manor unseen but."

"Or perhaps ye would like some frog legs. They are said to cure the common cold and lucky for ye they are half price today."

"No I."

"Or perhaps ye want to hear the gossip that I remember from back then. It was when King Pelius was still Regent."

"NO!" exclaimed Adriel. Sensing disrespect towards your elders Adriel quickly bowed to Shikiya in apology.

"Apology accepted", Shikiya said happily almost laughing.

"What's so funny?" Adriel asked.

"Ye are the funny one; I mean no disrespect but, we don't apologize like that any more out here. Ye have been living behind those walls for too long."

"I remember when ye first stumbled into my shop. It was about 5 dragon years (or 122 human years and 24 days) ago."

"How do Dragon years work again?"

"1 Dragon year is the equivalent to 30 Human years and 56 days. Anyway; ye came in here trying to hide from your mother..uh..I mean the Regents wife. Ye were 12 in Dragon years and yet ye still had the mental capacity to decipher and understand things far ahead of your time. The first book ye ever looked at was 'The Dragonian Society'.

You remember how it works don't ye?"

"Yes. On the top of the caste is the Regent, which most of the time is a Dragon but there have been a few Elfs and one wizard. Following the Regent are the Dragons and their families, then come the Elfs, honored Humans, and Humans." Adriel stated informingly.

"Very good. 10 points for the Regents daughter", exclaimed Shikiya.

"Shhhhhhh!" whispered Adriel loudly. "I'm trying to keep a low profile here."

"I'm sorry I've been rambling on again," said Shikiya. What was it that ye wanted today?"

"I want to know,….who my real parents were."

Silence was the only answer Shikiya gave for what seemed like hours but was really only a few minutes.

"Ye must know that this will be hard to accept and I'm not sure if I am allowed to tell ye. Isn't this sort of topic Glariano's area of expertise?", Shikiya said warily, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm 16; I think I have the right to know. All Glariano is thinking about it politics or how much of a failure I am at being a princess."

"Alright; ye can know." Shikiya turned around, walked to the back of the shop and began searching through old boxes. She obviously found what she was looking for because she came back with a small red box in no time. Setting it on a wooden table Adriel cam closer and pulled up a chair. "This belongs to ye", Shikiya said opening the red box. Inside the red box lay a large green object, which was tied to a string. The sapphire stone caught the lamplight in the store showering the red box with green light. Adriel picked it up and ran her hand over the smooth surface but felt something engraved on the back. Turning it over her eyes widened at what was engraved.

"Adriel?" Adriel said out loud testing to see if she wasn't dreaming. Shikiya nodded and Adriel slumped into the chair.

"I shall tell ye more," Shikiya said without waiting for Adriel to ask. "Your mother and father were Elfs. This explains your red hair and your ability to understand and speak Human and Dragonian fluently. The Elfs were masters at understanding Dragons. No one really knows why. However you do not speak Elf but you do understand it right?" Adriel nodded. "Anyway, to save your life your father Fredrick and your mother Catherine led their enemies away from where you were hiding (which was a tree believe it or not)."

"I do believe it." Said Adriel. "Glariano told me that I was abandoned in a tree truck. She lied to me."

"It was probably so you wouldn't go looking for them. Ye see; before ye were born a huge battle broke out called 'The War of The Roses. To be precise it happened from1455 to1487 Human time. Now during this time your father was fighting for the House of York and his best friend William from the House of Normandy (who was also King) sent troops to help fight in the war against the House of Lancaster. William's son was in those troops and died fighting in the war. William vowed that he would avenge his son. Ye see not only did William lose his son but he lost his only heir to the throne thus ending his dynasty. So as his revenge he planed to kill your father's clan. However he was planning on sparing you. His dynasty ended but you were the only heir to your father's throne. He would wait 13 years and then marry you thus causing his reign as King to continue. However William didn't count on the fact however, that your father had spies everywhere and was informed of William's plans before they happened."

"Now I must warn ye; if ye decides to go and find your parents that would be impossible. I'm sorry to say that they past on. It is written that ye are to claim the throne you left behind but where it is know one knows. At least not in here they don't."

"What do you mean by that?" Adriel asked.

"You see there is a barrier that separates us folk from the rest of the world. Inside here we are safe from most sickness, and life is simple and easy. No one has ventured out side the barrier since 1516 Human time when the Dragons found you. They were searching for you. Special type of creatures those Dragon's are. They can hear a baby cry anywhere. If it's close by they will see what they can do."

"Adriel Elizabeth Kellacott", a voice yelled from the door of the shop.

OOOO! I wonder who said that. lol I know:) Please reveiw