From darkest days to brightest nights

MAYBELLINE

On a clear day you can see the forest that resides on the opposite side of the large body of water, but today the fog set in and a milky white cloud interrupted my view of everything beyond the castle walls. I push open the window and lean out into the cool air of a late Sunday morning, breathing in the sweet aromas of the market stalls below. I close my eyes and take it all in, I'm so focused on the scents and sounds of the market that I don't hear my handmaiden enter my room.

"Lady Maybelline!" two hands lay themselves on my sides and lift me from the window to the bed.

"I was fine Aafje" I cross my arms and scrunch up my face showing my annoyance with her.

"You mustn't climb on the windows m'lady, if a young woman like yourself were to fall from here their body would surely shatter upon the ground like a glass goblet thrown from the table." I ignore her warning and return to the window.

"Do you know what's out there?" I look longingly out the window straining to see past the slowly clearing cloud and out into the world, following the old stone bridge across the water with my eyes and wishing for the day I could cross it.

"Out where m'lady?"

"Out there beyond the castle walls." I point to the distance, not anywhere in particular just out there.

"Terrible creatures live out there m'lady."

"like what?" She leans her broom against the wall, pulls a chair near the window and gestures for me to take a seat on her knee.

"Well in the water surrounding us there are beautiful mermaids with hair that shines in the moon light, but they use there beauty to lure sailors to an island were the sirens capture them so they cannot return home to their wives and children, there are also dragons with wings so big that if they flew in front of the sun there would be darkness as far as the eye could see, and their protectors the elves of the mountain range." Before she can continue there is a quick knock at the door and one of fathers servants enter with their head bowed low and his hands clasped together so tight that the knuckles on his hands were white.

"My Lady's father wishes to see her" Before I can blink he is gone, the open door being the only evidence that he was even there.

"You mustn't keep your father waiting" she lifts me off her knee and stands me up in front of her. "go on" she beckons for me to leave and returns to her morning chores. When I reach the door I turn back to see Aafje, head down and humming a small tune to herself as she sweeps, her long black hair swaying as she moves back and forth. I close the door behind me and bound down the stairs taking two at a time. When I reach the bottom steps I swing around the corner and crash into a tall figure.

"You must watch where you are running sister" he smiles and scruffs my hair.

"Sylvio!" I hug him tight as he picks me up.

"Where are you going in such a hurry anyway?" he puts me back on the ground and crouches down to save me from looking up at him, he was tall, almost taller then father, and he was strong, with short sandy blonde hair looking as if it has never been brushed.

"Father called for me"

"You must hurry then, father is one person you don't want to keep waiting" he steps aside and lets me past. I've always loved running through the castle corridors, on many occasions I have lost my way and ended up on the opposite side of the castle to where I was intending but I refuse to let that happen this time, I stay focused on the path ahead leading straight to the eating quarters of the castle. As I run through the doors I see him, Lord Ricardo of dragon stone. He sits there eating his food crumbs of bread falling from his mouth. He was an intimidating figure with a bulky build and loud booming voice that rose above everyone else but he was also kind and humorous with a huge heart.

"Maybelline my dear come give your father a hug" his mighty voice echoed in the overly large room, it bounced of every square inch of the walls until it died out, a smile spread across my face as I ran into the arms of my father.

"Did you sleep well May?" I sit upon his knee and nod as I reach for an apple and bite into it.

"Aafje was telling me about the dragons this morning." I cover my mouth to avoid spitting apple pieces across the table.

"Was she now? And what did she say?" he looks down at me and smiles, I was always a daddy's girl.

"She told me they have wings that could cover the realm in darkness if they were to fly in front of the sun" I jump off his knee and spread my arms as wide as I can to resemble the wings of a dragon.

I look up as I ask "Father do you think that one day I can go visit the dragons and their protectors?" He sighs

"Outside the castle is no place for a lady May, there are many creatures out there that would eat you for breakfast and still be hungry for more." I think about it and yes that is true I am a small human and very skinny, they would more likely make me their toothpick and not their meal.

"Sylvio could protect me, he is big and strong and he can defeat any creature, maybe even a dragon if he had to." My mind goes wild with images of my brother defeating a mighty beast, his sword laced with its blood as he stands on top of its head.

"Maybe so but I would not risk losing my wonderful children like I lost your mother."

"What happened to mother?" I ask with curiosity, he never spoke of her and I do not remember her for she left before I was even a whole year old.

"That is a story for another day, for now though you must hurry and change into something nice, the grand festival will be starting soon enough."