The Princess and The Knight

1 - The Princess

Anastasia woke with a start, sitting up in a sea of soft, velveteen bedsheets. She weakly rubbed her eyes and turned to stare out her window. Down below her was a kingdom. Her kingdom. Avalon. She loved where she ruled (rather, where she would rule) with a passion. Yes, the princess loved waking up like this. It made mornings very enjoyable and easy. She stretched her arms and ruffled her voluminous butterfly wings before standing up and throwing open her window. The high altitude of the palace she called home made the usually boiling summer air cool and refreshing. It felt wonderful.

Soon after, the princess perused her walk-in closet for something to wear for the day. She didn't want something too extravagant, but still with class. It was only Saturday, after all. Eventually, she decided on a pastel peach dress, of which's skirt was reminiscent of the petals of a tulip. She stepped into a pair of white slippers to match. Lastly, Anastasia accessorized. She carefully inserted a pair of golden earrings to her elven ears, that of which dangled just above her neck. She faceted a necklace around her neck of the same color, bearing an amber jewel in the center. The princess gently lowered her golden tiara onto her head, ensuring it was centered, and framed her face correctly. When all was well, she smiled at herself one last time in the mirror and set off down the hall.

"Father?" she called periodically as she walked, but received no response. This did not frustrate her. Her father, King Oberon Alfor, Was usually busy at this time. It was not unlike him. Her thoughts were disturbed by the voice of a passing servant.

"Your Majesty?" He said. "I believe your father is awaiting your arrival in the grand dining hall." The servant was carrying a basket of laundry in his arms. The linens were brightly colored, with many silver accents. She assumed they belonged to her mother, Queen Titania Alfor.

"Right..." she responded, keeping her distance from the man. Anastasia got a good look at him. He wore the usual servant's uniform, but he was covered in dust and grime and smelled of oil. When he spoke, his teeth were yellow, and his fingernails were caked with dirt and soot. It was awful disgusting. Princess Anastasia would not let this servant take any more of her precious time. She turned on her heels and set off. She supposed he wasn't completely useless. He did tell her where her father was. Sure enough, upon entry, Anastasia saw her father sat at the head of the table in the Grand dining hall.

"Good morning, Father." She smiled at him and sat down.

"Good morning, dear." He responded. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very much."

The king rearranged some papers on the table in front of him. He seemed distracted when he spoke, like heavy rocks were tumbling in his mind. Anastasia had not noticed the papers when she first arrived.

"I'm glad to hear that," he paused. "Now, I know you are a curious and mindful girl, I'm sure you've taken note of my discomfort this morning..."

The king struck a bullseye with this observation. He had a way with reading people, that no matter how many times he did so, it always caught her off guard. Her facial expression gave enough of a confirmation.

"Well, I have fairly important news. It's nothing you should be worried about, but... things will be changing in the near future."

Her father's pause made her nervous, despite his reassurance that she would be fine. The princess pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, curious of what was going on.

"As I'm sure you are aware, there have been... incidents, in recent months, that leads me to believe that we are not as safe as we used to be."

Anastasia knew what he meant. Palace staff had been disappearing, Council members and figures of importance were being found dead, murdered in cold blood. Her expression urged her father to go on.