Two Little Princesses

In the tenth year of the reign of King Adancus in the Kingdom of Charn in the capital city of Charn in the center of the world and in the month of Bruma, two daughters were born to the King and his wife, Queen Ara. The first was named Jadis and the second was Bellatrix. As the firstborn, Jadis was named heir to the throne of Charn. Jadis and Bellatrix grew up in the royal court and learned everything that two young princesses should know: history, grammar, etiquette, riding, and politics. Bellatrix was a lively girl who loved the outdoors, but Jadis would stay inside often and study the art and science of magic. And so it continued into their tenth year when it was customary to betroth high-born girls to princes. The girls were often to be found in the palace gardens, which were their favorite spot in the whole kingdom.

Princess Bellatrix giggled as her winged mouse nibbled on her finger.

"Aliger, that tickles!"

In answer, the mouse scurried up her arm and onto her shoulder, bringing even more giggles from his owner. Next to her, her sister yawned and continued lazily stroking her own mouse which was sleeping curled up in the palm of her hand. Princess Jadis had quickly gotten bored of their furry birthday presents after they received them seven months ago. She had been more excited at the news that by her next birthday she would be married to a rich prince. Bellatrix had not been as enthusiastic, but that was only because she thought that after she was married then she would no longer be allowed to climb trees or swim in the river. Rolling her eyes, Jadis sighed as her sister's pet winged mouse began to nibble on her ear and Bellatrix began to giggle harder than ever. All she thought of was playing instead of turning her mind to serious things like sorcery.

This short hour of free time was brought to an end with the sound of the bell ringing for dinner. Princess Jadis stood up slowly so as not to awaken her own pet mouse, Alatus. No longer was she was a little girl playing in the gardens but the daughter of the king of kings and was expected to behave as such. Her sister got up less gracefully because she was trying to balance her mouse on her shoulder and less was expected of the second-born to the king anyway. They made their ways up the garden stairs and into a cool hall.

At the end of the hall there was a flight of stairs leading up to their bedrooms and they hurried up them. Or at least Jadis stepped briskly and Bellatrix hopped two stairs at a time. Aliger the winged mouse miraculously stayed intact on her shoulder and before Jadis could rebuke his mistress for being such a tomboy (not that she would have cared), she was in her bedroom taking off her playclothes (taking care to put Aliger in his cage first). Then she put on the dinner dress that had been put out for her by a servant and in a few minutes (it took Jadis a little longer), she was running back down the stairs to the great hall where all the great feasts were given. For today another suitor was to try to impress Jadis and her parents enough to become betrothed to her.

Prince Alacer of Affinis sat restlessy between his father and his potential father-in-law, King Aduncus. For the umpteenth time he reached up to straighten his coronet and fidgeted a little in his chair. He moved around the silverware around his plate a bit and brushed an imaginary speck of his breeches. Smoothing an imaginary wrinkle on his sleeve, he gulped nervously and drew his cloak about him more for although it was summer, the cold setting sun did not give any heat and hardly any light. That was why the great hall of the royal palace of Charn was lit with hundreds of candles on this night. Alacer thought about the dire situation of his homeland that had led him here tonight in this chilly hall.

Only five months ago, his own father, King Altor, had called him into his private chamber, which was something he never did so Alacer had known that something was up. Altor had gestured toward a pile of scrolls on the table with one on top containing a map of Affinis and the surrounding kingdoms. His father explained that the areas marked in red had been free lands that were now annexed to the kingdom of Charn. Alacer looked at the map again and realized that it was nearly all red. Only Affinis and a small kingdom to the north called Boreus remained untouched.

"The only thing separating us from subordination is the Desert of Aridus," said Altor. "Aduncus will not risk a dangerous desert crossing to conquer us, but you never know." Now Altor revealed the real purpose for summoning his son to his private chamber. "King Aduncus has a daughter who is of marriageable age and is to be queen after he is gone," he said pointedly. "If we were to be joined to the House of Charn through marriage, our whole kingdom would be saved. It would be your princely duty to your country and your king to do this."

Alacer was less than eager to marry a girl he had never seen or met before in his life. But he knew his father was right and there was no way around it. Affinis was like a bug in the eyes of Charn and only marrying into its royal family would stop everything he loved from being sucked into the bowels of Charn. That was how he had come to bid a teary farewell to his mother and make a week-long journey across the desert. Now here he was about to meet the princess whom he must marry to save Affinis.

Suddenly it occurred to him what marriage was. It meant living in the same room of the same house forever with one person whom he did not know at all. What if she snored or spent so much money on dresses and other womanly things that the kingdom went bankrupt? Or worse, they were both heirs to their respective kingdoms and it was their duty to produce more heirs of their own! He was only thirteen-years-old! Did his father not know that he was not ready for all that!?

His thoughts were interrupted as the doors to the great hall opened to admit a beautiful girl only a few years younger that himself. Her party dress looked too pretty for her frizzy hair which she had forgotten to brush but her brightly sparkling eyes and the skip in her step more than made up for it. She waited politely for the doorman to introduce her as she straightened the skirt of her dress. Just her presence seemed to warm the room instantly as the warmth seemed to radiate from her pure face. The short sleeves of her dress revealed arms that were used to gripping strong tree branches and swimming for hours without tiring.

"Presenting her royal highness, Princess Bellatrix!" yelled the doorman to the room at large.

Alacer's heart sank. He had been hoping that the girl was Jadis since he was almost beginning to like her already. She took her place a bit down the table from him and he lost sight of her behind her parents. Again he brushed off his breeches. All this waiting was making him antsy.

"Presenting her royal highness, Princess Jadis!"

The prince turned just in time to see another girl enter the great hall with much more grace but less vivacity than Bellatrix. She looked almost exactly like Bellatrix except her hair was neatly combed and brushed and the train of her dress was much longer to signify her higher rank. A page took her arm and led her to sit between her parents in a chair two places from Alacer. He had no more time to wonder what she was like since servants were already entering with large platters of food to start the meal with.

Dinner was marvelous! First was bird's nest soup, a delicacy reserved only for the royalty of Charn. Then came the roast avis, a bird native to Charn and used in many of their recipes. And on and on the courses came until Alacer felt like he could not eat another bite. After dessert, the court of Charn retired into the ante chamber to chat and wait for the food to digest in their stomachs.

Bellatrix was full and felt sleepy so she groaned to think of all the time she had to socialize, as was customary after a fancy dinner in Charn. But she only groaned inwardly for to show outward discontent was below a princess of Charn. The foreign prince caught her eye and gave her a small smile so she smiled back politely but really she would rather be in bed. Grudgingly, she thought normal ten-year-old girls got to go to bed whenever they wanted and thought that she should be treated the same. After all, she was a high-ranking princess and the daughter of the king of kings so she should at least have some control over what she did and when she did it.

Jadis smoothed her skirt after she curtsied gracefully to the king of Affinis, who her father was introducing her to. As she straightened up she looked into his eyes. She knew that you can always tell how powerful a person was by looking in his or her eyes. His eyes did not display great power so he could not be that noble, which indicated a mix of commoners blood in him. These foreign nobility married just anybody and thus their position was diluted with the sentimentality of the lower classes. Princess Jadis cringed to think that she might be marrying into such a low-born family but, like a good princess, she did not show her outward discontent.