Crowned

Chapter Two

Adelaide's POV

I haven't even been out of that house for 20 minutes and I'm already feeling so many emotions, sadness, happiness, jealousy, Every God-damn emotion you could think of under the sun. I feel deprived in a way - of life itself, don't we humans strive with socialisation? I may have been cooped up all my life but It doesn't mean I didn't learn a thing or two. I read every book in that library at least 3 times over, and there were a lot of books in there. I'm 20 years old and you'd never believe this is the first time I'm seeing a lake with my own eyes. Any normal person who hasn't been sheltered and seen many lakes by now would probably just see a fairly big hole with water filling it like a swimming pool of sorts. However, I see a paradise close to what you'd see depicted in the Garden of Eden or the painting's you'd see in Churches, of water nymph's seducing God's with their beauty, bathing in all their naked glory. I know it sounds silly and cliche but there is always beauty in nature. It reminds human-kind of the blessing's we were given, life being the main one, but unfortunately you have selfish people in this world who ruin the soil we are standing on by shedding blood through chaos and war - power hungry mongrels is what they are. Dictator's who want to control the world, taking on the role of God because they believe they are the 'chosen one' or because they 'heard a voice whisper to them in their dreams.' They are the type of people who look at this Lake and see either something of inconvenience or something to own. It can never be owned as it is made by the forces of nature but those power hungry people see it as the land they own, what they have plundered; robbed and reaped from their spoils of war. What I know about this kingdom is that it was overrun by a demon-like creature. Someone with no-remorse for the people he has killed, he's ruthless and decided to take the path of bloodshed to rob the throne instead of earning it like every other person of high status in this kingdom previously. If anyone challenges this tyrant king he makes sure to kill them will his own hands, or so the stories say, I don't believe that though, I believe he is a coward and doesn't even go through the effort of wasting his time on such 'trivial' matters, he'll just get his lackey's to take care of the problem. Lucian is his name - ironic name if you ask me, Lucifer, Lucian. I won't let the tales scare me though, I have a mission and that is to live life even if for a little while. He's got no business with me and I don't with him. I'm a stranger to him and very insignificant. I might as well not exist, not to mention if he was ever to set his attention on me then that means I've most definitely strayed too far from home. What I'm aware of, where the manor is situated and the main city, it's supposedly on opposite ends of the kingdom. Pulling myself out of my reverie, I turn my attention back to getting a fair enough distance away from the manor, so the guards of the manor won't drag me back like they did every other time. Turning away from the majestic lake that has started to illuminate a beautiful purple colour, as the moon is right above the lake reflecting off the water giving it an other-worldly look. I could stay there all day basking in its beauty but time isn't on my side so I'll have to keep moving until dawn breaks.

The sun has started to rise and I'm already feeling exhausted because I haven't had a break since I left. It's been 5 hours of non-stop walking. Just in that short time I feel so amazed by what I've seen, fireflies lighting up the way in the dark for me, stone pathways leading to little houses that look like little fairies would live in. Hills surrounding meadows, full with beautiful flowers, strange noises coming from bushes, howls echoing into the night. The sounds should have terrified me but instead I was caught in awe and completely thrilled with the idea of running into wolves. They are said to be vicious animals that are very territorial. But it would be amazing to see them in their natural habitat howling up to the moon, running with no care in the world. They truly are magnificent creatures. I must've travelled at least 17 miles from home and I still seem to be nowhere near civilization. Just goes to show how hidden I truly was, secluded in the middle of nowhere. Not a God-damn soul for 17 FUCKING MILES! How much longer? Knowing my luck I'll end up doing a full circle back to the Manor somehow. Walking along I finally spot a little cave covered by vines and moss. It looked magical, like a portal to another realm. A realm filled with mythical creatures you thought were part of your imagination or told in stories your parents read to you as a child. I decided to investigate further and moved the vines aside to find a cindered down campfire, the flames were long put out but the coal still had an afterglow indicating to me the person who set the fire up was fairly close by. However, I can't tell whether they will be coming back. I decided I was that exhausted. I needed a little rest and surely the person who had not long vacated the area wouldn't be back so soon, not with the sun rising high into the sky, letting off a gentle heat into the space around us. "I only need a couple of hours rest and then I can be back on the road, I'm sure the man or woman won't mind." I whispered to myself. Setting down my belongings, I used my bag as a pillow and I quickly found two flint stones and decided to relight the fire. The wood still seemed usedable but I decided to look around for some wood logs and conveniently enough there was a pile of them in the corner of the cave. Picking a few up, I threw them into the fireplace and resumed making a spark to quicken up the spread of the fire. After a couple of movements with the flintstones the fire was brought back to life. After I had warmed my body up a little by the fire I placed my head down on my bag and fell asleep nearly straight away. My sleep was peaceful at first until everything turned dark and a scene began to play in my head. A nightmare that forced me out of my foolish desire to carry on my journey.