Prolouge:
The muddy water slurped and the Princess in scarlet felt as if she were going to be sucked under into the murky depths of the river. She hoisted her muddy gown higher as she trudged through the water. She groaned in disgust as the water seeped through her slippers, but she set her face in a determined scowl and continued onwards. She thought back on the past hour. So many lives destroyed; her family, her future and her kingdom, were all destroyed. She was all that remained, for the good of her people she must escape.
The dark sludge which made up the river was just above her thighs. Suddenly the sky overhead cracked and lighting hit a tree nearby.
The young princess screamed with fright and stumbled blindly as the rain that had been holding off all day suddenly fell in a torrent. Sheets of water were pelted towards her by the funneling wind in the valley. She was instantly soaked to the skin and her hair was pulled from the confined of its tight bun by the fingers of wind. She stopped for merely an instant to look up through her veil of dark, thick hair which had fallen in front of her face out to the boat which was moored just off shore; it was only a few meters away.
Out of the blue she heard a large splash behind her and a fierce voice try to call her back to him. She dared not look back, she dared not listen. Her heart rate sped up as she, quicker than before, started to run through the deepening water.
In what seemed like an eternity she was by the boat treading water trying to keep her head above the water.
She was glad for the pouring rain and thunder; if it was not there she would be forced to listen to the muddy footsteps of her pursuer getting closer and closer.
With all her slowly fading strength she grabbed the edge of the moss ridden boat and pulled her aching body over the side. At one point the boat felt as if it were going to tip and deposit her back into the river, with no escape route. Luckily her fears of this, did not become a reality as she sat at the bottom of the boat shaking with relief.
The princess lifted up a hand to block the rain striking her face as she stared back at the now burning ruminants of her home.
Close to the river stood the once grand palace. Unnatural flames licked their way up the turrets and engulfed the surrounding forest, cutting off all survivors from being able to make their escape. She knew that she would be the one true witness to the events that occurred that night, one of two witnesses really, the other was following her.
She was harshly jerked back to reality as her pursuer reached the edge of the boat and attempted to board. A tear trickled down the side of the princess's face.
"Elle" the man screamed as he raised one arm on the side of the boat, hauling himself up.
The young man was covered in mud and his hair was plastered to his forehead by the pounding rain. Elle's eyes widened in horror.
He was a monster.
She screamed and scrambled backwards feeling for a weapon, or anything she could use to hold his off.
"Elle, I had to do it. I had to do it for us!" He screamed almost manically.
Still Elle could not say anything, it was like her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. More frantic now, the princess looked for a weapon when suddenly her fingers met some hard wood.
The oar.
Quick as the flames had engulfed the palace; she snatched up the oar and looked at the man in the eye.
"There will never be an 'us'. Murderer," she whispered, but she knew that he could make her every word out.
Elle swung with all her might with the oar at the mans head. With is sickening crunch she felt the oar meet resistance. She looked up just in time to see the mans bloodied face from where she had hit him and his bright green eyes, which ran in their family, staring back at her in shock.
He fell into the water with a loud splash.
Elle sat panting the oar still in hand, staring at the spot where he had fallen. She had killed him, her own cousin.
Shakily she sat down in the boat and hauled in the anchor, she should have felt sad; and yet she did not. That man had destroyed her life, the kingdom and all of her family.
She was not sorry, he was an evil man.
However, she was sorry that she was leaving the country. Elle felt as if she was abandoning it but she was no use here.
One day she or her children would return and her country would be saved. But for now this was her only option, to run away from danger.
She sat down in the middle of the boat and drew her knees up to her chest. Elle sat, and let the current take her down the river to a new home.
To a new life.
A/N: These events occured about ten years before Emma (the main character of this tale) was born. This is the plot and is going to be cruial as the story continued. I was going to make this the interlude later in the story, but I decided I really couldn't avoid putting it at the start of the story. Chapter 5 will be up sooner rather than later.
Just to clear up any questions.
