The Warrior's Tale

Chapter 1

      The sun shone though an open window of a beatiful stone castle. A fairy flew in and over to the person sleeping on the bed. The fairy was a male with blue skin and moss for hair. He was wearing pants made out of leaves and a vest of woven vines. He tapped the sleeping person to wake them up. "Good moring, princess! It's time to wake up." The fairy said. The princess rolled over and yawned. She rubbed her eyes. "I'm up. What are you so happy about today, Salis? Did those eggs you were watching hatch?" Asked the princess. "No, not yet. I'm excited because a certin knight is back from his scouting mission. You know what that means Aspen." Replied Salis. "He's back? Yes! That means I can train again. I just need to get though my lessons today. Now I have something to look forward too." Smiled the princess. "I also found some of your mother's favorite flower. One of my fairy friends grew some out of season. Let me go grab them." Silas flew out of the window. 

                                                                          Aspen POV

      I walked over to the window and sighed. My mother, the late queen. She was killed one day when she decided to tried to see if any of the nearby towns or villages would be willing to trade with us without knowing where the goods came from. The people attacked her and the envoy. They overwhelmed and killed them after trying to question them about where they came from and who they were. Father send half the knights to save them but they were too late. The knights, in revenge for killing their queen, ransacked the village and captured those responable for the deaths. They were dragged before my father to face justice.  The leader was put to death and the others are still in our rarely used dungons. There has been some talk about when they'll be able to leave but I'm not sure. They would have to swear to never reveal our location or join our community here and forget their old lives. I'm not sure about either option. How would be be sure they would hold their oath? How would the others react to them after knowing what they had done? I sigh. I think over what lessons my aunt is going to put on my schedule for today. Probably history, politics, lit, art, and embrordery. I sigh. I know that some of what I'm supposed to learn is perparing me for when I'll become queen but the others are just so I'll make a good wife to who will be my king. I'm sure I want to marry, at least not yet. I don't really favor any of the suitors that have been to see my father recently. I don't want to marry someone who just wants to be king. I've been trying to talk my dad into letting me marry after being crowned, but his advisors won't hear of it. Stupid old men. 

     At least I'll be able to sneak away for some fighting pratice with Ethan later. I want to be able to protect my people without only relying on the knights. Leading them into battle with my head high, not hiding somewhere while they fight for me. One day I'll show everyone what I'm capable of, especially those men in the court with outdated ideas about how a woman should act and be allowed to do. I will be the one running the kingdom one day, not whoever I marry. They could assist me but I will have the final say in how things are done. I will honor my mother and how she did things while going about it my way. Silas come flying back though the window, carrying a few Daffodils and Orchids. I smile "Thank you. These are lovely. Please send my compliments to your friend." I take the flowers from him, take a sniff, and look for something to put them in. "You're welcome. I wanted to do something to make you start your day with a smile. Now would you like for me to get the others to do your hair or are you just going to pull it back from your head until you sneak away for pratice?" I hum for a second, thinking. "Get the others and do my hair up to my tutor's standard. You know how she gets if I'm not the perfect princess she thinks I should be. Remember when I wore that light summer dress that fell just above my knee."  I walk over to my vanity and grab my hairbrush. I brush my hair while walking over to my closet to pick an outfit for today. "Yes, you would have thought that you were walking around in your underwear the way she reacted." Silas said before flying to get the other fairies who like to help do my hair.

    I choose a light purple dress with white laces on the coreset and belt while also having green flower embellisments on the top and around the bottom. I lay it on my bed and grab a pair of tights and brown shoes. I take my nightclothes off and walk over to my face washing basin. I wash my face and wet my hair a bit. I change into my underwear and dress. I go back over to my vanity and sit down. Silas comes back with three other fairies. I greet them and they start planning how to do my hair for the day. They braid three sections halfway and pull them together, then they braid the rest. I thank them and offer some fruit and nuts in exchange for doing my hair. I sigh, put my shoes on, and leave to meet my father for breakfast before meeting my tutor for lessons.