The Outcasts

Chapter 1 - "My Creek"

 Allure began her daily walk towards the nearby lake with her rusted tin bucket and her boots scuffing past the grass as she strode through the field. A quick image flashed in her mind of her falling in a hole in the ground, she shook her head in embarrassment. She didn't know why she had thoughts such as these. Thinking to herself,  her idea was that it was the burden of being an outcast. 

Centuries ago, there lived two beautiful kingdoms that symbolized the picture of love, starting as one kingdom named Savant  with two queens, Queen Ambrosia and Queen Celeste. Before they were wedded, their separate continents made the agreement of marriage. Since the marriage was more transactional, there wasn't much love. For at least a year the environment of the kingdom was rather ... stiff and mellow. 

One rainy afternoon, Queen Celeste felt a sense of jealousy, Queen Ambrosia would walk through the halls with a mysterious fellow and it sparked anger in her majesty, Celeste. Their story of falling in love was quite simple really, her majesty took her sword from the sheath and sliced off both his arms, that way he'd never touch Queen Ambrosia the way Queen Celeste despised. 

For a moment Queen Ambrosia was stunned at the action, she looked into Queen Celeste's eyes with a fire burning in her, only she was not angry, she was deeply pleased. My father refused to tell me what happened next but he did tell me that once their love had been fulfilled they split their kingdoms in two. They still loved each other, but they both were quite opposites. Queen Ambrosia had more interest in war and weaponry while her majesty, Queen Celeste was far more intrigued with agriculture and the environment around our world. 

However, overtime this loved ceased, the differences took a toll on their capacity of seeing each other eye to eye. And so it was a situation of "This continent is not large enough for the two of us". The Queen Ambrosia had won the official crown by civilian vote and the former titled Celeste would then become our leader of the Outcasts.

The Outcasts had then and still live in the shadows of once being an equal to the Kingdom of Savant. The outcasts are forgotten and left behind, the two sides have not interacted since then, until...

After shaking away the shame of her embarrassing thought, she looked forward and held eye contact with a pair of light brown eyes, she waited for him to look away but he didn't. She could tell by his clothing he was no outcast, he must've been the royalty her father told stories about. She gazed at his eyes in wonder if he would kill or seize her, but he did nothing but look.

Allure took this on as a challenge and continued looking into his eyes, she watched how his iris resembled the inside of a chopped tree. "I win." His voice ruptured the silence of the forest making her flinch.

She cleared her throat regaining her senses but then she was washed over with confusion. "You win? Win what?" She said with creased brows. "You blinked," he said with a smirk that left her dazed. "20 times—We were both doing a staring contest, right?" Allure felt a bit perplexed because in reality she was just staring at the stranger in wonder. The girl wondered why he counted the number of blinks she had. They both stood across about 6 feet away with a creek blocking the two. "Um, right, you win." She said under her breath looking at the water flowing across.

"What?" He asked squinting his eyes. She looked back up at him and spoke under her breath once more; "Your eyes, they resemble tree trunks." He replied with a slight raise in his voice; "What?" He began inching closer towards the creek to get a better listen. Allure was amused, a smile cracked in her lip but she quickly wiped away the look. "I'm an outcast." She said looking down trying hard to sink the feeling of laughter. With unlucky timing the water in the creak slowed allowing her voice to be carried normally. "That's not very kind to say to yourself." He replied with a look of confusion in his features.

Her heart dropped, and she watched as the water ran clear to where tadpoles were visible. She then looked up and saw that the man was gone, whipping her head left and right trying to spot the tall and lanky figure, she saw the man walking away. Not only did his eyes resemble trees but his figure did as well. "Where are you going?" She shouted and squeezed the handle of the bucket in her hand. Allure hadn't had any company since her father left, he was meant to explore and search the land some more. But, he made it clear to his daughter that if he did not return by the 10th moon she should not go looking for him. The girl waited 20 moons before she began searching for her father, he could not be found. By 30 moons, she created a memorial for her father and mourned his loss, she knew he'd been taking by the forest, it was the life of an outcast he'd say.

 "Miss me already?" He uttered with a tone of playfulness.

"No," She shouted self-consciously. "I just feel like I should know who's going to be near my creek." He stopped in his tracks and made his way swiftly back to his original spot but then began walking through the creek. Allure began slowly backing away, he took notice of this and stopped in the creek. "Your... Creek?" He said with a smirk. "Yes. This is my land." She hesitated as he was much closer now. He then snorted and said "If you say so." 

She folded her arms and squinted her eyes.

He appeared very pleased with this reaction so she straightened herself and chocked up a dry laugh and demanded; "And what land do you own, sir?" "Well... Miss, this is my land," He stated this with his whole chest, pridefully. "This is my kingdom." She then dropped her bucket and knelt to the ground. "Your highness, I beg for your forgiveness-" She pleaded with a shaken voice. He then felt ill-placed and regretful at the action he put the woman in.  "I apologize, please stand, you mustn't bow for me." He said with guilt.

"I-"

"Thank god, my legs were killing me." She groaned in annoyance. His eyebrows creased in surprise. "You surely waste no time." He said perplexed. "Shall I get back down in the dirt because you're the Prince of Savant?" She asked wryly. "Well," He stopped a beat and looked down. "It is assumed that-"

He was then interrupted by a noise of Allure filling her bucket of water. "It is assumed that you're a stranger, sir. Nor do you appear a prince." She said huffing while carrying the bucket. Yes, he was not at all an outcast but no royalty would walk into these woods. "You can't tell by my looks? I think I appear quite royal." He jested scratching his stubbled jawline.

She lingered her eyes for far too long and quickly looked back at her bucket of water. "Before I leave, I must help you with that bucket." He added. "Why of course, your highness, as you wish." She said sarcastically. He made his way out of the creek and approached her.

To be continued...