Raven

Prologue

Copyright to this book belongs to DukendDuchess (Izzy). All ideas in this book are original and no part of this book is to be used without the permission of the author.  

Hi guys,

This is my first story ever so it is not going to be perfect. There will be grammar and spelling mistakes so if you spot one can you please point it out to me politely. I am Australian, therefore I write in British English so words like realise, favourite and colour are meant to be spelt like that. Also, this story is prewritten because if it weren't my updates would be irregular and I realise how annoying that can be. So for your sakes, I decided to write it all before publishing on Wattpad.

Here we go, I hope you enjoy :)

Izzy

All I can hear is my heart pounding in my ears as I run. The stone floor is icy cold underneath my bare feet which are gradually turning numb. I dart around a corner and through a pair of open doors. Quickly, I shut them and search for something to block them with. After spotting a small, wooden flagpole, I rush over to it and slide the pole through the door handles, preventing anyone from opening the doors.

I step back and give myself some time to catch my breath. There are people chasing me, people that I know are strong enough to eventually get through this door. I have to start running again if I want to escape them. I can't let them capture me as they work for my kingdom's enemy, Queen Bronwen.

She is wicked and cruel, an evil villain. She conquers kingdoms and turns green pastures to stretches of barren dirt. Bronwen is the destroyer of everything good in this world and now she's taken it upon herself to capture me. I do not understand why but I know that I cannot allow her to. I am the sole heir to Zaraeli's throne and my parents will never have another child, even if I am gone.

Now I can hear people of the other side of the door. I have waited too long, they've caught up to me. I turn to run when something bashes against the door. I face it once more, knowing I have to run but I can't. I am frozen in place as the door rattles again. Soon they'll break through and get me.

Suddenly, the door comes crashing down. I raise my hands to shield my eyes as splintered wood goes flying. Some of it gets caught in my long, silk nightgown or in my dark hair while others hit my arms and legs, some piercing skin and drawing blood. I bite my lip and fight back the tears as I at last drop my hands to my sides. Before me I see three figures towering over me. Each one is a brute of a man, looking ready to kill me on sight. But they do not.

'Come here little princess,' one sneers. 'We're not going to hurt you.'
Another man steps towards me. 'No, but that doesn't mean she won't!' This causes them all to laugh menacingly.

I shrink back, knowing that they mean Queen Bronwen. What does she want with me? I may be young, only ten years old, but I know that whatever it is, it isn't good. I also know that if I run, she will never stop hunting me.

The first man lunges at me and I step backwards. As they continue to grab at me, I keep backing up until my back is met with a cool, stone wall. I know then than it is all over, I'm trapped. These men will succeed in bringing me back to stand before their Queen. They will undoubtedly be rewarded for this, showered with praises from all Bronwen's followers and receive lands and titles from her herself. I squeeze my eyes shut as their hands take my arms, dragging me along with them.

Deep down, I am secretly hoping that my father's knights will come to my rescue, like knights do in the fairytales. After all, I am a damsel in distress in this moment. But fairytales are not real and I can't allow myself to get carried away in such fantasies.

'Princess!' A man cries.

I fling my eyes open, glancing around for the source of the voice. I know that I shouldn't get my hopes up but I actually have a chance to be saved. At last, I spot a small group of five knights coming around a corner just behind us.

Colourful words spill out of my captors' mouths as they toss me to the floor before whirling around to attack the knights. With their curved swords drawn, they charge while I watch on from where I kneel on the floor. A child shouldn't see such horrid things but I cannot tear my gaze away.

My father's knights run their swords through Bronwen's thugs. The three bodies fall to the floor with a thud as their blood pours from the wounds in their chests, right over where their hearts used to beat. I get to my feet, even though my legs feel like jelly and my stomach is threatening to hurl up my previous meal.

'Are you alright, your highness?' The youngest knight out of the five asks, his voice sounding concerned.

I look up at him and the other four which have gathered around me. I nod, then look to the one familiar face out of the group. It is Sir Nicholas, one of my father's closest friends. His hazel eyes search me for any serious injuries before he bows his head.

'I apologise for not being there at the start of the attack,' his deep voice says. 'We got caught up with another group of Queen Bronwen's men.'

I shake my head. 'Do not apologise. I am just glad you found me, Sir Nicholas.'

He nods once and looks at his men, giving them a silent order to form a guard around me.

'Come, Princess. The King and Queen await you just outside the castle walls.'

I follow him through bloodstained corridors while the other four knights surround me, ensuring that none of our enemies can reach me. As we walk, my eyes take in all the bodies and blood. My face pales a little at the sight and I feel a little sicker in my stomach. I've seen things today that ten year old girls should never see and I know that these images will forever haunt me.

'Don't look at them, Princess,' the youngest knight whispers to me as we step over the bloodied bodies of men, women and even other children.

I swallow and take his advice, forcing myself to look ahead of me instead as we continue down the passage. At last, we turn a corner in an unfamiliar part of the castle and find ourselves in a poorly lit passage which I am told will take us straight out into the forest.

We are silent as we walk through it, the only sounds that can be heard are our echoing footsteps and the sound of fighting in and around the castle grounds. The clash of metal on metal is one I've grown familiar with tonight.

At last we emerge in the forest, right next to a moonlit clearing. In the clearing I can see both my parents sitting upon majestic horses. I do my best not to run from the safety of the knights around me and to my mother. 

I step into the clearing and look up at the Queen. There is relief on my mother's face, relief that even though I am shivering and bleeding from dozens of tiny cuts, I am alive. As I look to my father, I see that he is too but the expression soon disappeared from his face as he nods to Sir Nicholas.

The old knight lifts me onto a small white mare before being the knights over to my father. I hold onto the reins tightly and grip the saddle with my knees. Soon, my parents and I will be safe, far from all the fighting.

'Your Majesty's,' Sir Nicholas addresses my parents. 'You must go, we will take care of these brutes.'

Without a word, my father kicks his horse forward. Both my mother's horse and mine follow his, setting off at a gallop through the forest, leaving the knights behind as we are carried to safety under the starry night sky. As we do, I think to myself just how lucky I am to have escaped. Perhaps if this was to ever reoccur, I wouldn't be so lucky. But for now, I am safe and I will remain this way, for now at least.

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