Royal Rules

Part 1

It was blissfully quiet. The forest was NEVER quiet near the castle, but I found a spot only a few short miles away that was perfect. The crunching of leaves under my bare feet sounded like the snapping of bones compared to the silence, and the very thought made me wince. Suddenly, a nimble baby squirrel shot out of the brush nearby, scurrying up my leg and onto my shoulder to scorn me. I almost rolled my eyes at his seriousness, thinking of how cute he was.

"I know what today is, why do you think I'm NOT there?" I laughed lightly, ignoring the urgency in his voice.

"Alright, I'm going! Allow me to give you a lift oh wondrous messenger," I teased my companion, holding out my hand. He scurried into my palm, and I gingerly placed the little critter into the pocket of my bright red dress. It stopped right above my knees and puffed out at the ends, and I hated it.

I craned my neck to look behind me, admiring the silvery glow of my wings. I'd always loved how silky and elegant they looked in the sun's beams. I was propelled off the ground at my own command, bursting through the forest canopy and rising up until my toes brushed the leaves atop. I was supposed to be at the Elder tree for the ceremony, and I frowned as I spotted the giant mass of red leaves swaying in the distance. I zoomed towards it, awarded with the familiar sound of conversation getting louder as I neared.

I smoothed out my dress and fixed my necklace just before landing, feeling a million eyes focus on me as I touched ground. I looked over the crowd of nymphs and animals until I spotted my mother, who was conversing quietly with one of the elder nymphs. I walked towards them, causing the conversation to die down to hushed whispers. My mother shot daggers at me with her eyes, a smile plastered on her face. The Elder stepped towards me, and I relaxed at his warm smile.

"Ah princess, we have been awaiting your arrival! Come now, we must begin." I flinched as he placed his hand at the small of my back, gently nudging me toward the Elder tree. He then turned to the crowd, leaving me to face my greatest fear.

"Welcome creatures of the forest! On this sixteenth year of having our beloved princess, we shall determine her suitor, and the future ruler of our kingdom. With the touching of her being to the Elder tree's trunk, we shall find our leader! May this day mark a continuing era of peace!"

The crowd's roar made me jump slightly, and my stomach churned uncomfortably. I held my head high and stepped onto a section of the tree's root, which immediately started to glow. A rush of power surged through me, and I gasped slightly as the glow traveled from the root to my feet. It was a strange sensation, like something was taking over my body. I watched the light continue to travel up my body, and I noticed that I was unwillingly lifted off the ground. Just as the light was starting to reach my head, there was a shout in the crowd, and my attention shifted to where everyone was watching me. As soon as my concentration broke, the
light went away and I dropped almost ten feet before my wings opened up and slowed my fall. I still hit the ground hard, but at least none of my bones were broken. I groaned at the pain, feeling arms help me up.

"Daughter, are you alright?" My mother was at my side in a matter of seconds, and I wanted desperately to brush her off. Two guards emerged from the crowd, dragging a male my age behind them like a prisoner. I winced as he was pushed to the ground, forced to kneel in front of my mother.

"You... you have interrupted my daughter's choosing." Her voice was hard.

"Yes... it seems I have." The whole crowd gasped as he talked back to Mother, but for some reason I was intrigued by his audaciousness.

"What is your name?"

He raised his head at my voice, a slight smile on his face. His caramel skin was spotted with dirt and grime, but it didn't hide his strong jaw and cheek bones. His eyes were an intense and cloudy grey that made me silently suck in a breath.

"It's Jacob," he replied confidently, and if it were a different situation I would've smiled.

"Did you think it was amusing to interrupt the choosing of our future king, or do you have something against having a new ruler?" I couldn't get over how amazingly calm he looked despite the situation. If Mother and Father had a say in it, his head would be theirs.

"I think the princess should be able to choose who she weds instead of having the Elder tree choose for her. The rules of the royals are unjust," he said loudly, producing an exaggerated gasp from the crowd. I scrutinized the stranger who had saved me from making the worst mistake of my life, wanting desperately to hug him.

"You may release him," I told the guards, and they obeyed. "I should punish you, but I'm in a very generous mood at the moment. The ceremony shall be postponed... for now." At this my mother stiffened, but I kept my composure.

"So what do you propose?" Jacob asked in an amused tone, and I beckoned to him. As everyone watched, I led him far enough into the trees so that no one could hear or see us. "Why'd you do it?" I was surprised by the question.

"I agree with you. If I am to marry I should have the choice of my spouse instead of having him chosen for me," I whispered, glancing toward the Elder tree to see my mother striding towards us. Jacob leaned against the nearest tree, comfortably stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his pants.

"You're the only princess to say something about it," he commented, eyes stormy.

"Look, I can't talk right now. Meet me three miles north of here in an hour," I murmured, straightening myself up. Before he could respond my mother came from behind me and stood beside me.

"Daughter, may I speak to you alone for a moment? Excuse us," she rudely interrupted us on purpose, and I nodded curtly to Jacob as I was rushed away. I waited for her to say something, quietly floating beside her as she strode on without a word.

"Mother, please say something," I urged her, and she sighed.

"My dear daughter, you know that all I want is to do what's right. I know how you feel about all of this, but it's... its tradition." I looked at her, so strong and confident, and wished I could be the same.

"I know mother, but would it kill anyone to break tradition for once?" I bit back my words as she silenced me with a look.

"We will not argue about this any longer. Tomorrow the choosing shall continue, and we will act like this episode never happened. Understood?" I let her walk away, knowing she needed some time to cool off. Meanwhile, I headed to the other side of the forest to cool down and take my mind off of things. Multiple creatures came out of their hiding to greet me, and I tried to be as composed as possible as I nodded to each one in greeting. When I finally reached my spot, I floated up into the trees and laid down on the biggest branch I could find. The breeze was a perfect contrast to the warm sunlight, and I closed my eyes to listen to a bird happily chirping in the trees.