The Journey of Vengeance

Prologue (part 1)

"Get down, Adelaide! We must hurry!"

The voice of my father thundered through the house, a usual cottage you would see when you would wonder around in this part of the city: small, wooden, 2 high and mostly broken.

With one last stroke through my honey brown hair - which as usual, wouldn't stay put - I ran as fast as I could downstairs to see my impatient father waiting for me in the doorstep.

"We can't be late, Adelaide! It's not everyday that a usual civil like you and me has been invited to the Royal Feast of Possibilities!"
"Yes father, I know."
"Well, Sir Burton won't wait a few more minutes for us, so let's go quickly!"

For the last time I looked in the broken mirror in the hallway. A thin and tall girl looked back at me. I looked at my long hair that never listened to my commands and the two bright-green fierce eyes who looked back at me, a bit misshapen thanks to the cracks in the mirror. Note to myself: don't forget to remind father for the 23rd time to repair the mirror.

I caught up with father just when he walked out of the Civil Section into the Soldier Section. The houses improved drastically into medium-sized white houses of brick. They're all look-alike and I always wonder to myself when I walk here: Has anybody ever been so lost here that they couldn't find their way back and just died in this certain alley?

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by father.
"Adelaide, it's no time for daydreaming, my dear."

"I know father, it's just.."

"Just what?"

"Since mother died all those years ago, we've never been back to the Royals. Are you sure you're up for this?"

He looked me in the eyes and said: "Of course, my dear Laide. There's nothing your wise and old man can't handle."
Not knowing what would happen that day, I kissed my father on the cheek and said: "You're the best father I could ever wish for."
I wish I could've warned him.

We pursued our way towards the Royal District. After a little while the house started to contain a bit more color and started to contain more floors. There were also a lot more people in the streets here. Not poor and scary Civils or rough Soldiers who stared at you, but these were Royals. Or maybe servants, but still, an other league of people. I felt out of place while wearing my favorite brown pants and my dark green jacket which complimented my eyes according to my father.
The people wore pink and turquoise and colors I didn't even know existed! They had glitters all over their hair and jewels with more stones than I ever thought a human being could even carry.

Thankfully they didn't even notice me and my father. They were all way too busy with their dresses and all the other arrangements for the big feast.

We pursued carefully, not stepping onto anybody's toes, towards the castle gate. When we reached it a guard immediately went standing in front of us: "Why are you here?" He talked in a way that didn't amuse me. It was like he was talking to some rats, trying to steal the treasures of the owner of the house.
"We've been invited to the Royal Feast of Possibilities."
The guard looked skeptical but let us through.

The moment I walked through that gate, I felt like I entered a whole different world. One without crime, war or fear. One with peace, love and hope.
I needed to blink a few times before I succeeded in clearing my head.

"It are the flowers." A dark voice spoke from behind me. Startled by the sudden sound, I turned around to look who scared me. There stood a boy, around my age, maybe a bit older. He smiled and his sparkling eyes looked at me like they saw a mystical creature.

"Why are you talking to me? Leave me alone."
"Wow, is it a talent to be able to ask such blunt questions immediately?"

The boy smiles secure of himself. Now that I looked at him, it did occur to me that he wasn't just a boy. No, he was a hot boy and a Royal! His naughty ice-blue eyes looked at me as I was his trophy of the day.

"Just let me pass, please?"

"Well, I could do that, but what would be the point of talking to each other if you don't at least tell me your name?"

I looked nervously behind me, looking for my father. I saw him looking at some blue-purple flowers, intrigued by its beauty, about 10 meters away from me.

"Okay, fine. My name is Adelaide Memphis."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Memphis." He bowed and took my hand to kiss my palm gently. "My name is Blake Burton."

"The pleasure is all mine." Maybe my mother did die when I was 10, but that didn't mean I didn't have any manners at all.
"But you said your name is Blake Burton, as in: Sir Burton?!" The puzzle pieces fell into place. The fact that he was so handsome, that he wore very fancy clothing, his love for himself and his confident way of walking around: of course he was the son of the 2nd most important man of the biome: He was the son of Sir Burton, the Recruit Master!

"Yes, that would be my father." There it was again, that naughty smile.

I kind of liked it...
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"Adelaide!"
My father called me from behind me. With one last look at Blake, I ran to my father.
"Who was that?" My father asked.
"Oh, just some guy. I told him to back off." I saw my father looking at me from the corner of my eye, but I suddenly saw some very interesting grassroots... We walked further in silence. I wonder how big these castle grounds could be?

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Turned out, they could be quite big.

There it was. Bigger then my greatest conception and more magnificent then I could've ever imagined.

The castle.

It rose from the earth like it had just been built in a split second. With 7 towers which had their own 5 towers circling around them and the multiple rooms which looked like they had been glued on the castle walls, the castle was almost hypnotizing to look at. Random thought: Has an artist ever been really hypnotized when drawing the castle, just by trying to discover all the details the castle has?

And with the castle rose a enormous crowd. I almost felt dizzy by looking at the crowd. I've never been such a social person. I like to sit by myself where no one can hurt me and nobody can let me down. But well... I didn't have a choice in this matter really. I would have to endure this one day surrounded by Royals.

The trumpets played the Royal "sound": Tu-Tu-Tu-Tuuu-Tu-Tu-Ti-Tu-Tu-Tuuu. Yeah, something like that.
After that, all the people gently walked inside and the feast had started.

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Hello! Thank you so much for reading this prologue (part 1)! I've so many ideas for this book and I really can't wait to let you see them! Haha, I already love Blake :D!! What about you? Please let me know what you think about it!

Love ya,
Josien <3