A Royal Fate

Chapter 1: A Forgotten Princess

A Forgotten Princess

I had never needed to so much as lift a finger while I lived at the castle at Merida.

Every wish and want was carried out without any delay, and anything unsatisfactory was immediately removed.

And it was a total boar.

Nothing I did was fun or adventurous, and the clothing alone was enough to dive anyone mad.

Every other hour I would have to change into a completely different gown, hairstyle, and jewelry, all for the sake of pleasing the nobles.

This was one thing my father, King Cyrus, was unwavering about, and no amount of protests could change his mind.

"Pleasing the nobles is a part of life when you live in the palace," he had told me time and time again, "you will have to do it whether you like it or not, so get use to the idea."

But I hated it with a wild abandon, and every chance I got I would sneak out of the palace and ride out into the forest.

It was only so that I could get away from the bustle of royal life, but after a few years I discovered I liked being out in the wild, and took to learning archery and field craft.

Though my father would never know, I was one of the best trackers in the capital, and could out-shoot most the guards in the garrison.

And so it went, me hiding out in the woods for the better part of the day, and then coming home to wild parties and meetings that drove me insane.

But that was all about to change one stormy night.

The first thing I knew was the alarm bells were ringing, and the guards outside my door had left.

I clamored out of bed, and dressed for riding.

I had found years ago that breeches and a shirt were far more comfortable while in saddle than a fancy gown.

Around my neck was the royal pendant, which never left my person, even in sleep.

I crept out of my room, and walked straight into my uncle Rodger, brother of my father the king.

He cursed for a second, then saw who it was he had bumped into and quickly caught himself, "My apologies my princess, the darkness tricked these old eyes and I didn't know it was you. If you'll excuse me, I have urgent business in the garrison."

He walked past me, and I then noticed my shirt had a stain that hadn't been there before.

I examined the dark substance for a second, but looked up as a group of soldiers passed me, heading to my father's room.

I followed them and was surprised they entered the room without asking for permission.

I ran in after them, about to reprimand them for insubordination, but as I entered the room the sight before me stopped me dead.

Lying in bed was my father, and though his eyes were closed as if in sleep, the dark stains on the sheets and clothing betrayed the darker truth.

The king had been murdered.

I backed out of the room, and ran for the stables.

Now I knew what the dark stain on my shirt had been.

What I had thought was wine or other food was actually blood.

My uncle had killed the king, and there was only one reason he would do so.

Power.

He wanted the throne for himself and killed my father to get it.

I remembered that when these kind of things had happened in other countries distant from Radeon, the uncle or other relation would kill off the men of the bloodline to secure his place as ruler, but the women would be spared for more sinister purposes.

If the queen was alive, she would become the man's new wife, and any daughters would become brides for his sons.

But my mother died when I was little, so the only woman for him to marry was me.

I thought about my options as I raced through the halls and back rooms, but one thing I did know was I had to get out of the capital and find help.

Myths of old told of six swords, known as the Soul Sabers, who would appear in times of great crisis to help the champion of Radeon.

It was also said that only one of royal blood could find them and use their power.

I knew I had to find help in people, but I also knew that without the Soul Sabers, nothing could stop my uncle from taking over the country.

I raced into the stables and gathered my gear.

My bow and quiver, two knives I kept in a double-scabbard, and my trusty mare Snowshoe.

I had also grabbed my money purse on my way out of the palace, so I would be able to buy supplies and tavern rooms if need be.

I saddled Snowshoe and galloped out of the main gates.

Right as I passed under the wrought-iron spars, the great chain that held them up was let loose, and they crashed to the ground with a Crash! of finality.

I knew my uncle had tried to contain our people within the city, so no one could spread the word of the king's murder.

But I had a feeling he wanted to contain me as well.

If he had trapped me inside the city, it would have been all too easy to force his will upon me.

Luckily I had foreseen his plans and escaped out from under his nose.

These brooding thoughts plagued my mind through most of the night.

Only stopping when I fell asleep under a pine off the main road.

While my horse and I slept fitfully under the tree, the storm raged through the night, howling winds and pelting rain only inches from our noses.

The next morning dawned with the calm that follows such a storm, but I knew soon another kind of storm would be hot on my trail.

During the night I was sure my uncle had found me missing and searched the palace.

After not finding me there, he would have checked the rest of the city, again to no avail.

He would then have known I had escaped the city, and ordered his guards to find me.

Given how much work that would take and delays from the storm, I figured I had about four hours left until he would send his guards outside the city.

Four hours to escape.

I led Snowshoe out from under the pine, and once again saddled her to continue.

I had to put as much distance between me and the palace before the alarm was sounded.

Over the rest of the morning I met many traders along the roads, and many told tales of a port city about a day's ride to the east.

I thanked them and on the next crossroads took the Eastern road towards the port city of Talon.

The road grew far busier as I neared Talon, and more often than no I was off the side of the road letting large trading carts pass.

The people also grew far gruffer, and I had to remind myself multiple times that, to them, I was a simple country girl with no business being on such a busy trade route.

As I crested the last hill that overlooked Talon, I could see why it had that name.

Talon was a city that bordered a rounded bay, and most of the buildings were near the water.

The layout gave the rough appearance of a claw curving its way around the edge of the bay, with the thicker end to the North.

I nudged Snowshoe into a canter, and followed the road into the city, with a feeling of wonder and caution mixing in my mind.

It would not do for me to make it all this way, only to be found out and dragged back to Merida in chains.