A/N
this is an original story and i hope to use it later. the plot is my creation, and(though it is a bit twisted)i hope to use it later and really publish a version of it.
confusing, so try and keep up, it goes pretty fast. (which can be a good thing.)Chapter 5
Royal blood
The sun had shifted into her window the next time Anyé awoke. The golden afternoon sunshine streaming through the bars cast black stripe shadows across her body. Anyé stretched and yawned, and laughed when she saw the shadows.
'Bumble bee...' she giggled half-awake.
She jumped to attention though, when looking around, she saw the tray of food just in front of the flap in the door. She fairly launched herself at the food tray, going head long into the door with a spectacular crash. The pup skittered across the floor just in time. The sound brought the guard back, chuckling at her.
'If every one tried to escape like you, I would be out of a job, and you'd knock yourself out, for us! Oh, before they hang you, you should thank that new boy. He's only been here a fortnight, but his mistakes always seem to benefit the prisoners."
'The new boy?' Anyé asked confused.
'The new boy, the guard you nearly killed yesterday when you fell down the hill. He found your little buddy there,' he indicated the puppy. 'And made sure he got in here safe and sound. The cap's wanted to skin 'I'm' at this the puppy whimpered.
Anyé gave a hesitant laugh, still a bit dazed from her lunge. The guard turned and left, chuckling uproariously as he went. Anyé sighed, thinking how stupid she was. She knew from the guard's hints she had fully embarrassed herself, and here she was crashing into doors in her excitement to get at...what? Cold soup (with little things... well, she thought, it seems better not to think about those.) And some (definitely old…)Bread.
'Well', she announced to the puppy as he climbed into her lap. 'Waste not, want not...' she cringed at the very notion of eating the soup, but picked up the bowl and with trembling hands, placed the edge against her lips and took a sip...
'Not bad actually, here you try some' she put the bowl down in front of the puppy; he sniffed it carefully and practically dove into it.
'Guess you're hungry! Here has some of this too,' she had to use her knee to break the bread in half but managed an even enough split. She dipped the crust into the soup (what was left, the puppy really was hungry.) And when they had finished, Anyé looked into the bottom of the bowl, at her reflection.
A girl with wavy chestnut brown hair, a few inches below her shoulders, short for the longer style many her age favored, (she remembered how she had shocked all the inhabitants of the valley, when she cut it with a kitchen knife three years ago, so she could compete in the annual jousting tournament by pretending she was a boy; for girls were forbidden to ride in the competition.) her eyes were 'dirt colored' as she called them, others said they were 'gravy', or 'tree bark' colored (she was not quite sure how to take the former, 'Gravy'?) the green dress she wore was slightly frayed at the hem, probably from running.
On an impulse, she felt inside her pockets and realized that her money had bee taken as well. She sighed and resumed her scrutiny of her reflection. Her freckles stood out against her summer-tanned skin, she would be celebrating her birthday in about a month, and she would finally be 20, and able to leave the valley forever if she wanted to.
For now she was bound to it, like a dog on a chain... stuck forever to wander among the same trees...
'What is THAT?'
She shouted at the bowl-mirror, standing up in shock, and knocking the dog off her lap.
A good-sized 'goose egg' as Mary called them was on her head.
'That must've been some fall' she exclaimed, 'what did happen yesterday?' she inquired of the pup its head cocked to one side, as if he too was trying to remember...
When her vision began, it was as if she was reliving the day, but she would not be able to change her fate, she had not mastered that skill yet.
After leaving the forest path (and finding the puppy) Anyé and Tara had wandered the streets of Hadsworth, looking in the shops casually. After a wile they split up, planning to meet up later on in the square. Anyé headed to the bazaar, which were tent shops and brightly colored carts, loaded with goods. It was a beautiful day, and most of the shops had their doors thrown open to allow the cool breeze to meander in and tempt the shoppers with a glimpse of what they could buy.
Vendors of every type: human, elfish, ogre, dwarf (and a few demons, they preferred the cities though and were a rare sight here) packed the street, each shouting (squeaking grunting and, dwarfs were covering their rather large ears) over each other to let their prices be heard. Anyé tucked the puppy a bit tighter into her cloak; he had given a few merchants quite a scare, popping up at the worst moments.
After paying for something with a absent minded clerk, Anyé noticed a small, grubby sort of shop at the end of the street, she found herself drawn to it, like a moth to a flame, and while the clerk turned to the next customer, she walked towards it, not noticing the stranger in the hooded cowl slip a scarf into her bag.
The shop had no name; the worn sign over head bore only a small insignia of a faerie, telling all that within were items of great value. She hugged her cloak tighter to herself, (producing a yelp from the puppy) and headed in side. The shop was a bit more welcoming than the outside with lots of trinkets like music boxes, jewelry, and a myriad of other collectable items.
A woman stood behind the counter, not old, but not young, her hair streaked with gray, giving away her age. She was seemingly asleep... at least that's how she appeared to Anyé, until she spoke.
'I've been waiting for you.' she said in a cloudy voice that although quiet, filled the room.
'18 years I've been here, just waiting for you'
A bit taken back Anyé stared, 'is this some sort of joke?' she demanded. 'Because it's not very funny.'
'It's not a joke at all. You're my first real customer, most people come in and look, but I can tell that you're going to buy something.' replied the woman; the look on her face told Anyé that she was dead serious.
'And very probably your last! I'm not going to buy anything, I don't know why I even came in here.' said Anyé as she started to leave, but the woman stopped her.
'For one of the old KZ's I'll read your fortune...but I'll understand if you don't have one, they are illegal.'
Anyé turned slowly, her curiosity roused, her future always interested her, it was the ultimate surprise, and something Saul had warned her against since she was young. He forbade her the use of crystal balls, oracles, fortunetellers, and even those sweet bread cookies that Tara's mother pushed little pieces of paper into, with cute sayings in them. Well, she thought, Saul's not here, is he?
'Ok, I'll bite' decided Anyé, slapping the forbidden currency down on the counter.
'That's good! Very good!' smiled the witch, in what she must have thought was a toothy way.
'Between you and me,' the witch beckoned Anyé closer with a gnarled finger. 'I won't have any of those "Henric" pennies in my shop calling money 'hen pens' Disgraceful! That's what they are!' Anyé nodded her head; Prince Henric indeed had no respect for the crown.
The old kings had kept to the initials tradition, but Henric needed to be special.
'Well,' sighed the witch, 'lets get this over with shall we?' she took Anyé's hand in hers and closed her eyes, she hummed a tune for a few seconds, and then she went silent. Her body went rigid, and her frail grip on Anyé's hand tightened likes a vice.
The shock of this sudden change caused Anyé to yelp in pain, and drop her cloak (and dog) to the floor. Anyé struggled against the witch's grip until suddenly the woman released her, eyes snapping open. The force of Anyé's struggling sent Anyé crashing backward into a shelf full of small glass figurines, where she slunk to the floor. The woman wrung her hands distractedly for a few moments, while Anyé and the puppy sat on the floor, among the tinkling of the broken trinkets.
'It's you; I-I-I can't believe it, its' you!' the woman crossed the room and embraced Anyé, knocking more of the trinkets off the shelf.
'Ok,' hesitated Anyé 'I think I'm definitely leaving now.' she rose to her feet and picked up her cloak, whistled to the dog, and tried to ignore the woman's protests.
'Wait, you must listen!'
'I have no interests in any of this nonsense anymore. And I'd like my KZ back!' Anyé demanded.
The woman sighed 'I'll give your money back and let you go as long as you hear me out."
Anyé shook her head. 'Fine, I don't need my money, I'll just leave!'
The witch began to laugh, 'You are so much like your father! He was stubborn too. You're not leaving' she added as she flicked her wrist, the locks, and bolts on the door clicked themselves shut.
Anyé's confusion was rising as she raised her hand in return and concentrated hard, the locks unbolted and the door began to swing it open.
The witch looked impressed as she walked in front of it and gently pressed the door closed. 'Bravo, bravo, but I bet you can't do that again.'
Anyé knew she wouldn't, it took too much out of her.
'Now, I hope you'll listen too me.' the woman stared at Anyé intently, her gray eyes searching every inch of Anyé's face, as if looking for something she might have lost.
Anyé breathed heavily, averting her own eyes, feeling exhausted and dizzy from her small bit of magic.
'Listen carefully,' the woman said quietly, re-bolting the doors as she spoke. 'I have seen your particular fortune several times in the past. Once when you were just a baby'
'What?' interrupted Anyé?
'Shh' hissed the witch. 'I said listen!'
Anyé looked shocked that any one would speak so harshly.
'Once through Saul Carter's. And finally, I saw your fortune again just now.'
Anyé stared in amazement, Saul never would have agreed to a reading. 'You read Saul's fortune! But my uncle doesn't believe in fortunes!'
Seeing the look on Anyé's face, the woman held up her hand to stop any more interruptions 'yes I did read Saul's fortune, but now it is time to complete my own.' the witch looked around quickly, her darting eyes wide with suspicion.
'Royal Blood must return to the throne.' she said as she tapped Anyé on the shoulder with a long crooked finger.
The puppy's ears perked up and he cocked his head to one side.
'What are you talking about? I'm not royalty, my mother was a poor faerie and my father was an outlaw, both died before I was a year old.'
The witch started to laugh. 'Saul did use his imagination, poor faerie and outlaw indeed! Your mother was the late queen Bernadette, wife of king Zan, your father...'
'Hold on a minuet!' said Anyé in disbelief. 'That's not possible, I mean, the princess has been missing for so long, every one claims she is dead, the house of king Zan is over. It's not true, I won't believe It.' decided Anyé.
The witch laughed again. 'Well I can see that some of Saul's habits have rubbed on to you. You will understand soon, everything will be revealed in good time.'
The sound of foot falls and the tinkling of the bell above the door as someone knocked loudly pulled the two back to reality, they both looked at the door way. The witch flicked her wrist and the door unbolted and the strangers entered.
A young uniformed man and a hooded figure walked in and looked about, but Anyé couldn't make much more out than that, the sun shone too brightly through the opening. Anyé turned back to the witch, and jumped back in shock; she was gone.
dont mind the cliffhanger (almost)
there's another chapter coming up.
thanks again to my few reviewers!
the rest of you should feel very ashamed! you can redeem your selves by reviewing!
thanks
DL Shores
