Princess Arnalia hated carriages. They bumped and rattled and even tipped. She had been in one or on a horse for the past week and was getting immensely tired of the whole affair. Her best friend, Lade Sophile of Rosenbride, had somehow managed to jam herself comfortably into the corner of the carriage and was reading a book. Arna, on the other hand, was leaning awkwardly over her knees and trying to ignore the roiling feeling in her stomach.
Her father, the King of Opyll, had been invited to a Grand Royal Hunt, a quad-annual event hosted by a different kingdom every four years. And, this year, it was Drinse, a Kingdom located a convenient two weeks from Opyll. Arnalia winced at the thought. Then again, she had wanted to come, a fact that led to her increasingly grumpy mood as it meant that she couldn't blame it on anyone else.
About a month ago, she had been wallowing in boredom, Her brother, newly crowned Prince of Woran, had married the Crown Princess and moved 300 miles away just the week before. Her older sister, the Crown Princess Rose, was on a trip with her husband to see his parents. And Sophie was always off with Evan, her new fiancé. All in all, there was nothing to do. So, when her father had told her that he was going on a trip to Drinse, Arnalia had begged to come.
And when Evan had had to return to the University for his last semester, Sophie had become depressed, bored, and unspeakably annoying to be around. So, knowing that a change of scenery would perk her up, Arnalia had invited her to come as well. And, now, here they were.
The Hunt generally lasted somewhere from a week to a month, depending on where they were going, and it looked like this one was going to be long. The King of Drinse was known for his Hunting Wall, and his kingdom had a large deer population. Luckily for Arnalia, however, she would be staying at the Royal Palace, sight-seeing.
Suddenly the carriage stopped, with a grand lurch that nearly knocked Arnalia to the ground. Sophie looked up from her book and craned her neck out the window.
"We're here!" Sophie said joyfully, facing her friend again. Said friend sat up grumpily and grimaced back.
"Hoorah." She said.
A horse rode up outside of the window, a tall man in his late thirties atop it. "Arna, dear, please try to make a good impression. You'll be here for a while." And, before his daughter could say anything, the King rode off again, toward the front of the long train of carriages, carts, and horses that made up their traveling group.
Arna opened her mouth to yell something out the window toward her father, but Sophie cut her off. "How many times do I have to say it? You were the one who wanted to come."
Arna settled back down resentfully and tried to look calm, rearranging her skirts. "I'm beginning to seriously regret it."
"Beginning! Anyone within a hundred feet of you since we started this trip would think by now that you were being dragged here against your will."
"True." Arna laughed. "But you have to admit that anyone who's heard you these past two weeks would think that Evan was dead or something." Sophie sighed sadly. "Don't you dare start again!"
"Ok, so I suppose that we're both no fun to travel with. I guess that's why they stuck us in this carriage, so they wouldn't have to listen to our incessant whining." Sophie's voice turned high and nasal. "My stomach hurts, my head hurts, I hate carriages."
"Oh Evan, oh Evan, I'll never survive without him. Why did he have to go back to the University? I miss him ever so much." Arna retaliated.
"I do not sound like that." Sophie broke off her rant about hard carriage seats.
"Yes, you do." Arna laughed, and actually did fall as the carriage started off again.
Sophie sniffed jokingly and settled back into the corner with her book while Arna tried to clamber back onto her seat, hoping that it wouldn't take long to reach the palace. A few minutes later she gave a little squeal.
"Look, look, Sophie!"
"What?"
"The Stadium!"
"What?"
"Look!"
Sophie turned. A giant building loomed before her, arched and domed and decorated with colorful flags. Through the closest arch, a huge entryway, she could see a large circular track and seats all the way around. Like the ancient Coliseums.
"…So?" Sophie turned back to her book and couldn't help smiling at her friend's exasperated groan.
"It's the Stadium Sophie. All the best warriors train here! I can't believe it's right there!"
"Arna, you'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking. They'd never let you in, and even if they did, you'd be the only girl there. I mean, back at home you can do whatever you want, but back home you're the princess. Here, you're not even a citizen. And you promised your father that you'd stay out of trouble." Sophie put her book down.
Arna adopted a look of innocence. "What? Do you think that I would ever do anything unladylike? I'm insulted!"
Sophie snorted and picked her book up again, knowing that there was nothing she could say to change the princess's mind.
A few minutes later they reached the palace. Servants whisked the two girls up to their rooms, leaving Sophie at hers first. She flopped down on her bed, relishing the silence, when a knock came. Thinking it was her luggage, she opened it quickly.
"Are you ready?" Arna stood in front of her, wearing a loose dress and what appeared to be legging under her skirt. Sophie got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Ready for what?"
"To go to the Stadium, of course!" And with that, Sophie was pulled out her room and toward certain doom.
I might want to mention, quickly, that the two stories are on completely different time sets, but Arna and Serena are the same age. Just for reference.