Chapter 1

It was a lazy summer afternoon in Deling City. The air was infused with an aroma of blooming flowers, which grew in neat rows around the Caraway Mansion. Rinoa Heartilly, a sixteen-year-old girl, was sitting on the edge of her bed inside a large cool room. Her beautiful raven hair with barely visible bronze highlights was being meticulously brushed by a servant girl slightly younger than Rinoa herself.

"Today is the big day, Miss Rinoa. You must look your very best for your papa's birthday party tonight."

"Yes of course," answered Rinoa, however her mind was far away. For twelve long years, she has been living like a prisoner inside the Caraway Mansion. Her mother died when she was only four years old and ever since then her father has never let her out of his sight. The only way she could be free to roam the great Deling City by herself without the annoyance of the guards hired by her father was to sneak out which she had learned to do quite skillfully.

Father would kill me if he knew. A wave of memories engulfed her senses.

She remembered a time before her father became a well-known Galbadian General widely recognized not only in Deling City but as far as the ever-mysterious Esthar. She remembered her mom—a petite woman with pale skin and expressive brown eyes. Many said that Rinoa looked a lot like the late Julia Heartilly. How happy she was back then… Guided by a sudden urge of emotion she touched a small silver ring that hung on a delicate chain about her neck.

I miss you, mom. A hot tear rolled down her cheek but she quickly wiped it off before Nailah, her servant girl, noticed and started pestering her with incessant questions. Rinoa's mind slowly transitioned back to reality. Today was no doubt going to be a real bore. She hated her father's parties. They were so fake—mainly a chance for a bunch of politicians to get together and gossip about the possibility of a return of the sorceresses. Her dislike of political gatherings was not to be mistaken for ignorance for Rinoa was a very intelligent and bright young woman whose heart broke every time she heard about the awful doings of Vinzer Deling whose cruel rule she utterly despised. However, her father absolutely refused to hear anything of the sort saying that it was not a woman's job to worry about politics.

Rinoa stood up. "I am going to the garden, Nailah. Tell father I'll be home in time for the celebration."

"But Miss, you'll ruin your hairdo…." She probably would have added something else, but Rinoa quickly walked out the door despite Nailah's protests.

At first, she thought about just wondering around the flower garden to help her clear her head. No, she had to get out of here—the invisible walls of her perfect life— a perfect prison were too much for her to absorb.

"Yes, Deling City, that is where I will head," she said to herself. She was sure she would find Zone and Watts, two of her closest friends, at the Galbadia Café which was a meeting place for young people with radical political views that opposed the ruthless dictatorship of President Deling. She remembered that Zone and Watts should have been back from Timber today where they went to meet up with some of their old buddies.

Father would definitely not approve. Rinoa smiled at her own devilishness. She still clearly remembered the harsh words he said to her after first learning about the friendship.

"Rinoa, I forbid you from associating with that kind of people. They are trouble— nothing more than street rats that crawled out of the gutter. What would my associates think if they found out my own daughter was consorting with that gang of…" Not being able to find an appropriate insult he stood there glaring at her and then walked out slamming the big wooden door.

That "kind of people"…. the words burned into Rinoa's head echoing many times over. How dare he say that without knowing the first thing about them?

She walked up to the door with a brightly colored sign overhead that clearly read Galbadia Café. The interior was very simple in appearance. The furniture, once decorated with elegant red cloth, was now faded away. The wooden tables were saturated with the distinct scent of Gayla liquor which got its name from a monster that lived somewhere out in the Trabia snowfield and was said to produce an intoxicating substance that caused deep sleep in its enemies. Rinoa has never seen a real monster herself. Of course like any well-rounded girl, raised in a less than stable political time, she was taught to use a weapon—her favorite being the blaster edge which she handled with great skill.

Rinoa walked up to the bar. "Good afternoon Ceph," she greeted the fellow with straw-colored hair and timid gray eyes who stood behind the counter.

"Hey Rinoa, can I get ya something?"

"Nothing yet. Have you seen Zone and Watts today at all?"

"Nah, I don't think they are back from Timber yet. Sorry. But as soon as I am done here, do you wanna go, umm…. out to a movie or something? Of course, you don't have to, I was just curious. I am sure you already got something planned."

Rinoa smiled, flattered. "Another time perhaps. I can't be gone long because my father is expecting me at home in a couple of hours."

She was disappointed not to find Zone and Watts. She wasn't expecting to cut her time at Deling so short. "I guess I'll go to the mall instead," she thought. "Maybe they still have that pretty dress on sale." With that in mind she gave Ceph a quick smile (making him turn a bright shade of red) and left the café hoping to catch the next bus headed towards the mall. She was sure that in the midst of preparation for the nighttime celebration she would not be missed at home just yet. Little did she know just how profoundly that seemingly unimportant decision would affect her summer, and in many ways her life…