Gift For A Friend.

Chapter One -

A young woman stood upon her balcony. She sighed as she observed the view that had once taken her breathe away, but now it just seemed stale. The walls to the castle were like a cage. They held her away from happiness and adventure. Like the view of her to-be kingdom, Celeste's perspective of the walls had changed. They had once made her feel safe, and seeing such tall things caused her to giggle when she was younger. Gray stones piled on top of one another. How remarkable. But it was now her tomb.

Clangs erupted into her thoughts and she narrowed her brown eyes. Looking down, she noticed that her close friend, and confidante at times, was sparring with another one of her friends. Matilda, a girl that was a year older than herself with light brown hair and teal eyes with pale skin, held up her practice war-hammer to shield herself from Bryce's advances. Bryce was a pale boy with blonde trimmed hair and striking blue eyes. She had always been fond of their friendship. He backed off and allowed Matilda to stand, but she took the opportunity to strike at his legs. With a laugh, he fell down onto the grass.

"Bryce, thou art getting sloppy." Matilda laughed, her speckled cheeks high as she smiled. Celeste smiled at Matilda's remark. She always had at least one up her sleeve.

"Or thou art just better than I." He replied mockingly as he sat up.

"Most likely the latter." With a quick, fluid movement, Matilda held up her hammer and blocked the strike that Bryce had attempted to batter her with. Celeste tucked her flowing dark brown hair behind on ear and called down to the two.

"Sirrah! Thou two art noisier than my father at night!" With that one remark, the two quickly looked up and smiled. Bryce quickly stood up and bowed silently. As he straightened up, he quickly greeted her formerly.

"Princess Celeste. I am sorry if I hast disturbed thou." While he stood straight, Matilda leaned against the handle to her practice hammer and glared up at Celeste teasingly.

"Ah. We were merely practicing, princess." She approached the balcony and stood almost under it, and looked straight up. "Have thou forgotten how to have fun?" Celeste frowned and shook her head slightly. She opened her mouth to say some remark, no doubt, before the door to the castle opened suddenly and the king stepped out. He was laden in a long robe with a crown atop his head and a scowl on his face.

"Celeste! I would expect better from thou! Mingling with such.... common folk." He gestured to Bryce. "And Matilda! I would expect better from the general's daughter, as well." His thick eyebrows furrowed when nobody moved. Finally, unable to hold it in, Celeste groaned and faced her father.

"He is the most honored blacksmith's son! Why art thou being so... malapert!" With an exasperated grunt, she whipped around and stormed inside. The two young adults standing on the grass smiled at each other. On the contrary, the king looked furious. He turned his glare towards Bryce.

"Leave thou daw!" The king shouted and whipped around before storming inside, much in the same style as his daughter. Bryce sighed and turned towards Matilda.

"I best be leaving. Hopefully I shall be back soon." And with that, Bryce turned towards the large gates far behind them. Matilda sighed as she watched him leave unattended.

"Do thou not have an escort?"

"No. I am usually left unattended. I know my way around the kingdom, anyway. See thou soon." Matilda frowned as she watched him leave. She enjoyed his company, but the king certainly didn't. Sighing, she looked up at the balcony door that had been slammed shut so violently. In fact, the curtains inside were still swinging gently. She had better go speak with her friend.

;~!~;

Celeste paced around her spacious room. Why did her father have to be so ignorant and rude? He never let her do anything that she actually enjoyed to do herself! And now he has to insult her friends right in front of them. Not that that was anything new, but did he really need to do it? He might be the king, but that didn't give him free-range to do what ever he wanted.

A gentle knock on the door startled her out of her furious thoughts. She immediately knew who it was. Walking towards the door, she opened it to see Matilda standing there like she always had when they were kids. She was dressed in her usual leather armor. It appalled her father, but he knew enough to not insult his general's, and good friend's, daughter.

Moving aside, she allowed Matilda to enter. Not that she would ever deny her. She knew that Matilda would always be there for her. When they had been children, they were inseparable. Everyone knew that when they saw one, the other wasn't too far away. That was just how it was. Matilda could confess anything to her, and Celeste could do the same.

Sitting down cross-legged on her bed, Matilda knew the drill and copied her. After a moment of comforting silence, Celeste finally spoke.

"I do not understand why my father must be so rude. He loathes the fact that I have befriended people below me in the caste of power. But there is nothing that thee can do." Celeste said the last line with passion. She was a very emotional person. Yet she knew how to hide it at the best of times. "And he believes that he always has to watch over I as if I was made out of porcelain! I am not a doll!" Celeste threw her hands into the air, then quickly fell back onto the bed. Matilda sighed and turned towards the large window that had been covered by the curtains.

"Why art the curtains drawn? It is a beautiful day. Thou must let the light in."

"I cannot stand seeing the kingdom anymore. It reminds me of who my father truly is."

"We all have got a role to play. Thou shall be filling thee's someday. And I shall be filling mine. Until then we are killing time, hunting monsters in our minds."

"Do thou really think that I will enjoy being queen to a stranger?"

"No. I do not. But you truly are important to this world." Matilda was surprised by the words that came from her own mouth. She looked at Celeste, who had her eyes closed. Unexpectedly, an inkling of envy grew within her. She was beautiful, clever, and truly important to the kingdom. Matilda knew that she would never be general. She was a woman. Nothing could be done about it. "We must sleep. Hopefully our dreams will collide." Celeste seemed to agree with this thought. Matilda laid down and closed her eyes. She never realized how exhausted she was.

Then the nightmares came.