Castle Thy'din

Chapter 1

The door shut and Caroline sat straight up. Getting out of bed, she slid back the hidden panel on her wall and pulled on her hooded robe. It was black, like everything she put on for nights like these. Silently, she strapped a dagger to her forearm, pushing the robe sleeve down over it. Tieing her boots, she quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail and pushed her hood down.

Walking over to the window, she pushed the curtains to either side and hopped out, grabbing the edge. The wind lapped at her exposed skin, causing goosebumps to rise up on her pale skin. Gripping tightly, she went from one handhold to the next, descending the tower, until she was close enough to the edge to jump off, landing in a crouch. Standing up, Caroline walked through the empty courtyard, nodding to the guards at the door. They knew her, of course, but they wouldn't say anything. They never have.

Caroline got through the gate and let out her breath. Slowing down, she took a moment to look up at the sky. The moon sat on its perch in the sky, glowing with white light. The sky surrounded it, dark and blue and mischievous. It was a perfect night to be out.

Caroline was daughter of King Augustus. Relationships with other kingdoms were crucial to this small city-state, and she had no doubt that the man would marry her off to some fat noble if he needed. And after that, Caroline shuttered. She knew very well what happened to women in that situation.

Nights like this give Caroline peace of mind, where she can almost escape from the hours smiling at her 'potential husbands', the tight corsets and flowery, dresses, the hours of putting makeup on her 'unacceptable face'. Anything.

To most people, though, her face was anything but unacceptable. Her pale, unblemished skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. Freckles dotted among her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were a deep blue, reflecting every star in their depth. Her hair was a blood red, flowing down to her shoulders in perfectly straight strands. Her perfect teeth glittered like tiny jewels.

She continued walking, through empty roads and alleyways. She made her way through a tunnel, down to a little bar carved into a corner. Trekking further down the beach, she sighed as she saw the shadows dance across the windowpanes. It was full.

A gust of wind blew into the bar as Caroline pushed the door open and stepped in. One or two heads turned, and she pulled the hood down lower to avoid being recognized. She went to a corner table and sat, soaking in the sounds.

She didn't know why but she loved it here but she did. The atmosphere here was total bliss, filled with something she could never get enough of-fun.

Eventually, she found herself hypnotized by the music, ringing out over the tables and patrons, filling her head with the sweet melody.

Caroline didn't know how long she sat there, watching people come in and out of the bar, making merry, but she was soon shaken from her trance as three men walked over to her table.

One of them sat across from her, flashing a rotted smile.

"Now what would a pretty little lady like you be doing at a place like this?" asked one of the man's companions , who missing a few teeth. "You don't belong here, I can tell."

The other piped up, this one missing an eye. "She must be bad news, i'll 'betcha"

The first got really close to her face, his breath stinging her eyes. "Come with us, sweet pea, we've got thing we wanna do tuh you" He clamped one cold, calloused hand around her arm, pulling her to her feet.

"Go away," Caroline almost yelled, pushing the man away. She rolled up her sleeve, pulling the dagger from its sheath on her arm. Kicking him away, Caroline pushed her stool back, settling into what she had seen was a fighting stance.