The Chosen Star

Chapter One

Once upon a time, the sun was shining brightly in the very early morning.

The birds were chirping delicately loud, and common villagers around the city of Windings were greeting each other with hellos and how-are-yous with bright smiles on their lips as their faces expressed nothing but happiness.

Some greeted each other with hugs, handshakes, or no physical contact but rather just light verbal conversation so they wouldn't come off as rude or offensive.

In the middle of the lovely town, there was a big cottage that had a home in one half while the other half was open to the public.

The other half was a shop that contained nothing but canvas paintings of nature, people, and animals and papers with song lyrics and poems that hit people in the heart more than anything.

The name was "Ereva's Paintings & Writing Shop," and the person who runs that cottage shop was a beautiful 19-year-old young woman who had such beauty and smarts that no one could ever resist it the second their eyes landed on her.

But there was irony in it.

Irony in how she is viewed by most people in Windings.

She was called "the girl who did everything" in the country because she did almost everything necessary to survive.

Part herbalist, part babysitter, part everything but one.

She doesn't know how to fight, and she's always wanted to know how but never got around to it because she's learning how to survive with everything she has.

As she was sitting down, working on a painting for a customer who would only pay her two silver pieces for it, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she shouted, not taking her eyes off of the painting.

Two royal guards dressed in a purple uniform with white stripes on the sides and their swords strapped onto their left hips walked in.

The girl finished a spot of what she was painting on the canvas and put down her paint palette on the mini stand next to her, then looked at the two guards.

She was shocked to see that they weren't happy.

As a matter of fact, they looked upset but tried to keep a straight face. Looking more closely, the girl had guessed that they, more like, were upset... for her.

Knitting her eyebrows in confusion, she said, "Gary, Yuri. Did something happen?"

The first guard, Gary, stepped forward and replied, "You were summoned to the castle of Your Highness, King Wright Windor, Jasmine."

The girl, Jasmine, put down her paintbrush and got up as she asked, "What's going on?" Gary turned away and walked out of the cottage.

Yuri stepped forward, and Jasmine looked at him with pleading eyes.

Her big, black eyes, which he and Gary knew so well, were getting to him.

He offered his hand as he whispered, "I'm sorry, but we're not at liberty to say. However, I tell you to come with us, or King Wright will have you over there by force, and Gary nor I will be the ones to do it."

Fearful of what could happen if she refused, Jasmine took Yuri's hand, and he led her outside to the carriage and helped her inside.

Once inside, Yuri closed the door, and he told her, "It's going to be okay. Gary and I will be right there."

Jasmine nodded, letting out a shaky breath.

Yuri had given her an assuring smile, and his hazel green eyes had sympathy for them, but the reason why is unknown.