Tara Marakov's hand flew up to press against her mouth, trying to keep from letting her giggles from escaping. Unafortunatly, she forgot her own silence rule and a few of her giggles slipped away so she gasped and ducked as her brother's hand shot out as he swiped at her.
"Run for it, Tara!" laughed Brion, shouting loudly. Gregor whirled around to chase blindly after his brother; Tara took this chance to compose herself before racing off.
"Gregor! Brion!" called a maid, stopping their game of blind man's bluff. "Milords, it's time for your studies!"
Tara and her brothers rushed to the maid, tripping over their own feet and laughing all the way. Suddenly, another maid appeared behind the last, wringing her hands nervously.
"Mistress Tara!" called the other maid. Tara stopped dead in her tracks and looked to her brothers. They looked puzzled as the other maid called to their little sister; after lunch and a quick game, the three siblings were tutored together till later in the afternoon. The maid appearing and calling to their sister was a new development.
Gregor shrugged at his two younger sibilings glances and walked to the maid that had called him. Brion turned and hugged her around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Tara, it's probably nothing-maybe it's father needing to talk to you."
Tara grimanced. "But I haven't done nothing!"
"You went rolling in your dress again-father did tell you to stop." he pointed out. Tara pouted and gazed worriedly at the maid.
"You don't think I upset father-do you?"
"No," he shrugged, "He'll probably tell you it's unladylike again and send you off to your studies."
Tara placed her clenched little fist to her mouth to hide her pout. "You think so?"
"Sure." he answered. "He did it last time." He smiled and ruffled her hair then turned and raced to the maid with his brother. "See you later, Tara!"
Tara stood there, trying to smooth out her grass stained dress. She drew a deep breath to get her courage up, daintly lifted her skirt, then slowly walked to her maid to prove she could be ladylike then smiled up to the maid to say See? I can do it! The maid flashed her a nervous half smile before snatching her hand and hurrying her down the hall.
Tara looked about the maginficent hall with it's lavish pictures, overflowing flowers in their exisquite vases, and plush carpets peeking out from underneath doors. Beside her, the maid clutched painfully at her hand. Frowning, Tara viewed this hand before looking up at the maid. "Where are we going?"
The maid jumped and stared down at the girl before plastering that false smile again on her face. "Oh-ah, we're going to see your father, mistress Tara!"
Tara stared up at the maid. Just why was this maid so nervous-maybe she was new. The new maids always worried about meeting her father. Satisified that what she believed justified the maid's odd behavior, she let the maid hurry again down the hall.
Quickly, the maid drew up infront of a large oak door-behind it, Tara knew was her father's office. I must be getting in trouble again. thought Tara with a sinking feeling in her stomach.
The maid knocked at the door then led her in after a moment. "Your majesty, your daughter, Tara."
"That'll be all," dimissed her father with a wave of his hand. The maid nearly leapt back out into the hallway and shut the door with a snap. Turning towards her father, she was struck by how he looked-his usual majesty that he commanded was gone, and his regal face looked pinched. He waved her forward with a nervous smile. "Tara-come here, dear child."
Tara laughed when she realized that she mustn't be in trouble, because father always dismissed maids and servants before yelling at her. She raced up into his lap and tossed her arms around him. "Yes, father? Why'd you send for me?"
Her father looked at her a moment before beginning to explain to her why he was about to change her life forever-by exiling her and taking away her right to the throne.
----------
Tara grumbled as she checked her watch again. "Oh, where is he!"
"Where's who?" laughed a voice behind. She spun about and laughed as she threw her arms about her brother.
"Brion!" she laughed. He pulled back, pointing a finger in her face.
"Naught-ah!" he tsked her, "Call me Geo-Force!"
The two laughed and linked arms as they walked down the street.
----------
Tara stood absolutely still, deaf to the cries around as she stared up at the television screens.
"King Viktor is dead! Long live King Gregor!" blared the news reporter. Tara watched as the scene unfolded on the television; her father's corpse was being presented and worshipped like a fallen god.
King Viktor is dead...
"Late last night, King Viktor's convoy-"
Dead...
"was attacked by an unnamed group-perhaps terrorists-"
Dead...dead...
"and the King was shot and killed."
Dead...dead...dead...
"His son, Prince Gregor, shall be crowned King in less than a week!"
Dead.
"Long live the new King, King Gregor!"
Suddenly, the earth buckled and shifted around her as tears streamed down her face.
Dead.
----------
Rumors chase after her now, forever trailing just below her feet. She's worried they'll catch up to her and chain her down. She walks all over the countryside, slips past borders, and sometimes, she'll even fly on those boulders. From Tara to Terra, she wanders the earth.
Terra enters town. A young boy smiles for her before running into the street then-bang!
The town comes down around her feet.
She walks along the coast and someone recongizes her. "Bastard child of the King!" they jeered, and as the tears welled up in her eyes, the mud shifted and washed them into the sea.
----------
She escapes to America, looking for hope.
What she found were more rumors.
"Did you hear about the Teen Titans?"