The Porcelain Girl

Chapter One

~Chapter One~

"Mariette, did you finish your lesson for today?" The queen asked her daughter.

"Ofcourse mother." Mariette said, flipping back her chesnut hair.

"How did it go? Was the new balance mentor suitable?" The queen always fretted that her daughter would fall and break her fragile skin, so she had to make sure the mentor was perfect.

"Yes, she was very...balanced." Mariette seemed to have her mind elsewhere, so the queen decided not to push the subject. The queen gave a nod, a wave, and left. 

Finally. Mariette's mother was gone, balance classes were over, it was time to see Arich. Mariette picked up her huge layered skirts, and ran (carefully), to the castle exit. 

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Outside of the castle waiting, was Prince Arich. Arich has been courting Mariette for several years now, and both kingdoms were happy, especially Arich's kingdom-if they were married, then Arich wouldn't be ruling alone. No one wanted him ruling alone.

"Riette." Arich smiled his best smile, showing off his pearly-whites. She curtsied in answer and gave off a small smile. 

"Riette, it is almost your birthday." Arich said with a surprisingly small amount of emotion.

"It is." Mariette raised her eyebrows, as if to ask what he was talking about, as if she didn't already know.

"You're almost the marrying age now, and I would like to make you my wife." He looked up towards the sky nervously.

"Oh Arich, I do! I will, well, I would, but how can we be married when a simple touch could crush me? How can we wed when we cannot hold hands, or embrace?" Mariette hoped he had a plan.

"I have been thinking; why is it...no one has ever tried...to find the wicked fairy that...cursed...your birth? Why not try now?" This plan had taken Arich a while to plan, no matter how simple it seemed.

"Would the knights search? Or the wizards? Maybe the servants? Would you go?" Mariette searched his eyes but they only showed disbelief.

"Me?" He laughs whole-heartedly. "I am a prince, ofcourse I cannot just...leave my kingdom!"

"You wouldn't leave for just a bit? Not even for me?" Mariette couldn't help but feel hurt.

"Well, no...I have...errands to run! Right now...infact. So...I will be off. Good day! Don't forget to mention my brilliant plan to your mother!" With that, Prince Arich was off.

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"That sounds like a dangerous journey my child." The queen scolds.

"But mother! I can't be a widow forever!" Mariette whines desperately.

"This dark fairy hasn't been seen in years! It would be a wild goose chase!" The queen says impatiently.

"No one ever even searched! You want me like this! A widow! Alone! You only ever care about my safety, but never my feelings." A tear falls out of Mariette's eye, but she lets it fall. All her life she never found a reason to cover up her tears.

"If it means this much to you...I will send a small group of knights, servants, and a wizard." Mariette always found a way to bend her mother. "Although you, are certainly not going." The queen folds her arms and watches as Mariette gracefully nods, then walks to her chambers, with a plan in her mind.

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"Too fragile and young indeed. I want to confront this jealous fairy myself." Mariette whispers to herself, as she gathers up her things to leave. She walks carefully to the royal wagon. She pays the carrige man with extra gold to bring her to a small secluded cabin in the middle of town; right next to where the knights, servants, and wizard would leave the following day. The transition was smooth. She made it silently to and from the carriage no louder than than a whisper. But right before she made it into the cabin, a young man practically ran her over.

"Watch where you are going! You..peas-" Mariette had to stop herself, peasants didn't call each other peasants.

"Ma'am" The man nodded his head, but there was a smirk on his face. Mariette immediately disliked him, and decided that she would ignore him. That didn't work, though, because he followed her up to the cabin.

"Might I ask you where you are going?"

"No, you may not."

"Are you going to seek the wicked fairy?"

"Perhaps, now, go away, unless you can make use of yourself." Mariette tried to hurry inside the cabin, but the annoying man stuck his foot literally in the door.

"Go away." Mariette tried to sound firm, but he just laughed at her.

"You need me."

"No I don't!  I don't even know you!"

"I know how to find this fairy." He smiled.

"Then go to the other cabin." Mariette couldn't hide her excitement, this wouldn't be a wild goose chase afterall!

"The other people who are seeking this fairy, the ones in the other cabin...they said they don't 'trust' me." He sighs, there was was a pleading look in his eye.

"Why?" This was news to Mariette, she didn't want any untrustworthy people near her.

"I don't know. They didn't like my father? Perhaps it's because their jealous of me." Hi smiles a broad, cooky smile.

"Why would anyone be jealous of you?" Mariette silently scolded herself, why was she always so rude?

"My good looks of course!" He chuckled and walked into the cabin easily, Mariette hadn't been pushing on the door, for fear of shattering her fingers. The man jumped into one of the cabin beds.

"My name's Cassious by the way." He said, then, in an instant he was asleep.