The Princess Thief {CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN}

chapter one | princess brenna {rewrite}

Here it is! It's been a long time coming, but here is the first rewritten chapter of The Princess Thief.

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Brenna looked out of the tower window and upon the bustling courtyard below the castle. Everywhere she looked, there were servants rushing to prepare for the king and queen's return from a neighboring kingdom. A group of hunters has brought in their fresh kill—a large buck with part of its left antler missing, broken off. Jugglers and dancers practiced their routines for the upcoming feast in honor of the royal couple's return.

She was thoroughly excited for her parents to return. She counted every day they were gone. The past two months had felt like forever, but she managed when her mother's letters arrived. The last one had said that her father, his council men, the neighboring king and his council men had finally come to an agreement on something they had spent many previous months discussing. Her mother didn't go into any further details.

"Princess! Princess Brenna!" a demanding, flustered voice called from the stairway. "Are you in there, child?"

"Yes, Hazel, I'm here!" she replied.

The large bedroom door opened as a short, round woman scurried into the room. She lifted her skirts in tiny fists so she wouldn't trip over the long gray fabric. "Oh, Princess," she said with a sigh. "Your father and mother shall be arriving at any time. You must ready yourself, child."

Brenna nodded at the woman. "Yes, Hazel," she said with a smile. She walked over to her vanity as Hazel ushered in the maid servants to begin styling Brenna's golden hair. They then helped her dress in the beautiful red gown she was to wear at the feast.

Hazel busied herself by picking up the small pile of books from the bed. "Doing some more reading, are we?"

"Of course." Ever since the queen had brought in a tutor for Brenna when she was little, the princess would always be found with her full attention on a book. Hazel somewhat knew how to read, but she didn't get past even the smallest book. Whenever the tutor left, Brenna would always ask her nurse to help her figure out new words so she could impress everyone on how quickly she was learning.

"Pray tell, what are you reading about now, eh?"

"It's absolutely wonderful, Hazel," Brenna started with a broad smile. "There's a young maiden captured by a horrid giant, and a handsome knight comes to rescue her."

Hazel chuckled. "Giants. What will they think of next?"

"I think you would enjoy it."

"Oh, Princess, I am far too old to be reading such fantasies these days," Hazel replied.

"You're not that old."

"When your bones begin to feel like mine, you shall understand what I mean by old."

"They're here! They're here!" a man shouted from the courtyard. "King Ollan and Queen Meraena have returned! Make ready for the feast!"

Brenna immediately jumped up and ran to the window just as the servants managed to place the last pin in her hair. She smiled. Her emerald eyes glittered with excitement as she watched the line of carriages roll in through the castle gates. "Hazel! They're back! They're finally back!"