Knights of Dundervalia

I: Tasha

The dark, barren castle seemed to loom over the wide, deep chasm. The chasm seemed to contain a form of liquid, one which seemed to be a dark red in color, giving it the guise of a thin blood-like fluid.

The castle was built on a slight slope, but it was built as if it was shooting straight from the ground, giving is a slight tilt.

It's walls were a deep grey, almost blotted out by the familiar green ivy that had begun to germinate up from the bottom of the walls. The windows reminded anyone who saw it of miniature prison cells, for iron bars were shown to go up and down the window. 

But one girl saw this as her home. She seemed to constantly gaze out towards the vast horizon, the sun rose as the sky changed from a deep purple to a light yellow-orange.

Her long, flowing silver hair seemed to glitter as the sun shone upon her hair. The young girl sighed. "And today marks another unremembered birthday..." Her words seemed to echo off into the distance of the large bedroom.

She decided that this was not a time to waste, even if she seemed to be uninterested in this date, to be particular. There was a knock, followed by a high-pitched voice, "Lady Tasha, are you awake yet?"

"Yes." came her gloomy reply.

"There is somebody who'd like to meet you. They told me to tell you to meet them in the dining hall in thirty mults. They sounded urgent."

"Fine... I'll be there..." Tasha immediately left the balcony, and got dressed in the appropriate attire. She gracefully walked over to the door and pulled it open.

She walked down the flights of stairs that seemed to spiral into nothing, her thoughts empty, leaving her with nothing except for boredom, which did not seem to want to leave. 

Everybody in the castle knew why she was always so down when it came to her birthday, it wasn't pleasant. It was the very day that marked her Mother's Death, and it wasn't pretty.

But today was even worse, for it was her eighteenth birthday, meaning that she would soon have to settle down, and begin to study to become the next monarch in her family, something that she dreaded for as long as she could remember. 

This was something that she would rather not partake in at the moment. Her hands glided down the spiral railing as she descended down the steps towards the dining hall. When she had reached the bottom of the steps, she briskly walked down the long, bright hallway, which was lined with green carpet. and various paintings adorned the walls.

She recognized the large golden doors of the dining hall, and she placed her palms against them, utilizing her strength, she pushed the doors open, and walked inside.

There, she was met with a hard speedy tackle to her abdomen, she gazed down and saw that it was in fact, her very own younger brother Shawn.

"I knew it was you." she greeted him by returning his embrace.

"Did you like my surprise?" He beamed at her, his bright gold eyes piercing her silver eyes.

"You did... It's now not that bad for knowing that I will be met with a ton of suitors." 

"You haven't seen the best of it yet." He seemed particularly proud of what he had gotten her that's for sure. She ruffled his mercury gold hair. 

"Really? Well then, lets go see it then." Shawn nodded, and he grabbed her by the hand, tugging gently as he began to walk towards the back room, and Tasha followed suit. 

They had reached the back room, where there was a box. Shawn motioned his arm towards the box, and she followed his beckon. 

"Open the box." She obliged. She lifted the lid, revealing a rather small leather-bound book.