Chapter 1
The light outside slowly dims as the moon peeks out from behind the hazy clouds. The sound of rats eating the dead bodies of the plagued humans chills the air. The smell is foul, in fact it is so foul it feels as though I can taste it. The sewage that litters the streets has been backed up and kept unclean for weeks now. Horse drawn carriages pass by, as the streets seem to get darker. I pick up the end of my blue velvet skirt to keep the mud from damaging it. If Queen Elizabeth saw that my skirt had been damaged, she would yell at me and I do not need that. Especially since I was supposed to be home by dark, so I probably am in enough trouble already. Queen Elizabeth wears her hair in a tight up due, and has deep wrinkles. As all queens wear, Elizabeth sports a long velvet cloak that went from her neck to the ground, it was to signify that she was a Queen not a maiden. Her dress came high to cover her neck. Elizabeth abuses her power. She is one of the women that suggested we make a law that peasants cannot wear fancy clothes. She, being as charming as she is, got the law passed and enforced. As Elizabeth grows older she becomes more at risk of the plague, I do not want Elizabeth to die. Not only would that mean that I am no longer a lady in waiting but a lady, it would also mean I would lose one of the two members of my family.
The other member of my family is Bridget. She is 6 years old. In another year she will be sent away to another kingdom to learn how to be a lady. She is a royal child so she is learning writing and dance. Bridget often times skips down the halls singing “Ring around the rosie a pocket full of posie, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” The words have little meaning to her. If only she knew how easy it is for her to catch the plague that killed so many of my loved ones. She is a beautiful radiant young girl. If you want to know about me, it is simple. I am Annabelle, Lady in Waiting. My duty is to attend the princess, queen and the lady (the wife of the lord). I live in the castle because I am royalty. I wear fancy clothes because as royalty I have to. Not that I want to. Those are the simple things that make up my life. I am forgetting one more. I am thirsty for freedom. I run up to the entrance of the castle when I hear screams. Opening the door quietly as not to be noticed by Elizabeth or Bridget, I enter the castle. The sounds of hysterics echoes through the beautiful building. I run up the stairs to where the Queen sleeps. I hear a man’s voice. A voice I have never heard before.
“Hand over your kingdom!”
“Never,” the voice comes from Queen Elizabeth. A sudden scream and it goes silent. I peek around the corner. The back of my throat grows tight and dry. There on the ground lies Elizabeth, blood pouring from her shoulder. Standing above her is a man in knight’s armor. He is not wearing a helmet and it is clear that he is Asian. “The Huns” I whisper. Huns are well known in our kingdom from the skill they possess when in battle. The leader is known as ‘Attila’. Tears swell in my eyes the man hasn’t noticed me. I run down the hall to where the Princess sleeps. She is dead, blood stained on her royal blue dress. I gulp. How could they kill so many innocent people so easily? They must have killed the rest.
“Who is left?” The same man’s voice echoes down the hall. I step towards the middle of the hallway, where I can be perfectly seen.
“I am.”
“My name is Wong Ning. I am a member of the Huns. Your family is dead. Surrender your kingdom or prepare to die,” He says staring me in the eyes. He yells something else in a language I cannot understand. Fifty or more men come to the around him. All weapons raised, shields forward. I glance around the building. “They mustn’t have killed Bridget,” I silently think. That is when I hear the yelling.
“Annabelle! Annabelle!” she is kicking and screaming in a Huns arms. I look back at Wong Ning.
“Why have you come here? Why did you choose this kingdom? It is not the wealthiest nor the best!” I say calmly to Wong Ning staring him in the eyes.
“We travel west, once we have conquered the kingdom we stay for a while then we abandon them. It may seem cruel but it is the only way we can establish power in these parts, by invading every kingdom and over throwing it. Are you going to surrender or not?”
“I will surrender if you give me Elizabeth and Bridget,” I gesture to the man holding Bridget “and let us go free.”
It takes a while for Wong Ning to think, he nods.
“If you are to return here. I will kill you and all of the people you care about.” I nod when he says this, there are only a few people I care about left. The man holding Bridget lets her go and she runs to me hugging my leg. I hold her hand and walk to Elizabeth. I kneel to her.
“Listen I am going to help you,” She shakes her head and moans loudly.
“Go they are not to be trusted!” Is all I can make out from the words she mumbles, when I turn around the men have inched closer weapons still raised, ready to kill me and Bridget. I turn and pick up Bridget. I begin run not to be fooled by them. I quickly get out of the castle. A couple chase after me but they cannot catch up. The bottom of my skirt gets muddy, but no one will yell at me about it now.
