Stories told under the Stars

Short Story #5

"Princess Argella! Wait!" Governess Arika cried out as the princess ran down the hall.

The princess giggled as she continued to run down the hall and rapidly searched for a place to hide. Her sister, Saera, was running the opposite side. But, of course, governess Arika wasn't following Saera but following her since she was always the one getting punished.

But almost like a trick from a mage, a door appeared at the end of the hall. A door she never got came across.

Princess Argella didn't understand how her governess Arika isn't able to find her. The room wasn't hard to find. It had appeared to her while she was running away from her governess Arika. It was as if Brundox, the first Dragon king, had helped her play hide and seek.

Her mother, Queen Natasha, always got onto her for being a 'wild child.' But it wasn't her fault! She hated having to sit down alongside her sister and having to do her studies. No doubt her governess Arika is probably speaking to her mother.

Argella crawled closer to the back wall of the room and listened as the steps of the guards outside the room. The little girl turned with a little giggle as she looked around the room.

It wasn't a room that she was familiar with. Her parents made her sister and her explore the castle of Thonhildr to protect them from getting lost. This room, though, wasn't one she had ever come across.

Suddenly, a sound of a dragon roar comes from outside the door, almost as if the dragon was prowling down the hall. It's impossible due to the narrow halls. Although, the halls used to be wider due to the first queen, Tatiana, allowing her children's dragons to roam the castle.

The princess walked back towards the door and pushed it open slowly. But there was nothing there...not even the hall. Argella turned and found that the room was slowly fading to black.

She gasped and without hesitation jumped through the door and into the darkness. But she found herself falling on nonexistent floor. Something was holding her up, but she had no idea what it was. She pushed herself up and turned to see that the door was gone as well.

Suddenly, she heard her mother's voice coming from the distance.

"Argella," it echoed through the void.

"Mama," the princess called out.

"Argella...where are you?"

"Mama, I'm here!" She cried out and began to run towards the voice.

"Princess Argella!" Governess Arika called out. "You must come out!"

"I'm trying!" the princess began to cry out as she continued to run.

She abruptly stopped when she caught the sight of a huge dragon in front of her. The dragon was crouched and was already breathing a ball of fire in its mouth. Argella began to back away but bumped into something.

Argella turned and began to scream but a hand covered her mouth and pulled her deeper into the black hole.

The princess was never seen again...