Defending Ithriea

Chapter 1: The Game

  20 years later
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"Stop, please!" Jesper pants, he needs to work on his cardio. I thought to myself.
"Never! Not even for the king!" I'm jumping over hurdles and diving under ropes. Trying to get to the end of the big, complex obstical course.
  That will be my flag. I smile evilly.
I look back to see that he is getting closer by the stride. It's only because he has long legs. I think to myself. I cannot let him win, Father is watching me. I glance up to see the king, leaned back into his golden chair on the balcony. Vines snake up the wall to the backside of the palace.     I look to see him smile, which could only mean one thing.
  He's got the flag.
I ditch the obstacle course and run to the palace wall, climbing the vine quickly, quietly.
  "What in hells name are you doing?! Arieleia!" Jesper yells from afar.
  He doesn't know father has the flag, this is my chance.
  Smiling, I throw my legs over the wall and look at dad.
"May I have the flag, Father?" I ask him.
  "Yes, you can dear. I was wondering if you were going to figure it out." the king smiles, handing over the flag, looking proud.
  "Well, we get to mess with, Jesper now don't we?" I say using a suggestive tone.
"Of course, daughter.  What ideas do you have in store?" he replies, smiling curiously.
  "I just know, I'm not mopping for a week. Maybe even he will have to cook this time. What do you think, dad?" I lean against the throne, grinning ear to ear.
"Oh, isn't that an idea." he grins to me, standing up walking to the edge of the balcony, looking over to see Jesper is hanging from the vines.
"Could someone please help me?" the voice whines. When I glance at the black haired lad, I loose all self control.
"Haha, Jesper how did this happen?!" I jest, taking note his foot is stuck underneath the thick vines. I move to the edge and climb down, giggling the entire time. 
  "Jesper what did you do?" I ask as I see the boy poke his lip out, pouting.
"I was following you milady." his big blue eyes look like ocean water untainted by oil.
  "You lie." I jest taking a knife from my boot cutting him free.
THUMP
He hits the ground hard, rolling to his side gasping for breath.
"Oi! He knocked himself silly!" the king says, as I snicker and drop, landing softly in the grass.
  "Jesps you gonna be okay?" I ask, rubbing his back in circular motions, with a faint smile on my face.
"Y-yes, m-milady." hes knocked the breath out of himself. I try picking him up, but hes too heavy.
"Dad! Call a medic! We gotta get Jesp some help!" I alert, laughing.
"Jesp in distress!" the king adds, smirking.
White cloaked doctors, and nurses ran to the young brunette boy. One nurse extended Jesper's foot, cracking and popping could be heard from the balcony.
"Gah! Is that necessary?!" Jesper grimaces, his eyes watering.
  "Aww, poor boy. Do we need to go put you on ice?" one of the females nurses asks sarcastically.
"Yeah." Jesper replies, pouting again.
The nurse shakes her head, rolling him to the side to put a long wooden board under him.
"Gods, how much do you weigh boy?" the nurse grunts, trying to get Jesper onto the spinal board. Jesper doesn't answer her, since he was gritting his teeth. I glanced down at them, shaking my head at how pitiful Jesper is.
"Alright dad, I'm going to take a bath. It's been very humid today." I spoke, he nods at me.
"I shall see you at dinner?" the king replies. I respond with a nod as well, walking up the steps from the balcony into the mountian.
The palace, was built into, and under the mountian. The walls carved with precise,  beautiful images. They depicted the upbringing of the great dwarven kingdom. Landemburg was huge, being built into Mt.Grendelden. This ancient kingdom is said to have been a gift from the god Cortith, the god of war, to the first dwarven king, King Elderwald.
It is said that the first king helped get the god's power back from a demon who had stolen it. They traveled by foot and by steed for months, looking under every rock, and turning over every leaf. Looking for a crystal the demon had stored the power in.
One day, they came across a cave, it led under the great mountian. Where a dragon had slept for thousands of years, until the young dwarf went to build a fire into the mouth of the cave.
The smoke awoke the great, horrible beast, and he was not happy about it. The dragon bore a golden collar, and in the middle a huge glowing crystal that was incased into the collar. The dwarven king defeated the dragon, then gave it to the god of war. Cortith took the beautiful collar and absorbed all of the power from the stone, then transformed the golden collar  into a very detailed, and ornate crown. Cortith then constructed the kingdom out of the granite mountian, and crowned Elderwald king.
  There was long corridors, one wall after the other was carved stone, beautiful pictures of the dwarven tales. The work of a dwarf is very meticulous, but they worked  very quickly. No curtains covered these beautiful carvings. Limited windows helped keep the mountian cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. The downside of it though,  was the fact they had very little sunlight. Candles and oil lamps lined the long corridors lighting the way. Golden chandeliers at every intersection of the hallways. Ornate swirls and small gems decorated the beautiful things. The candles reflected light off the gems, making them sparkle.
The palace was beautiful, inside grand rooms, hallways, and outside, beautiful trees and lush, green grass. 
I was proud to call it home. Ascending into the top of the mountian, was the princess' room. Kept away from the depths of the dark, it had a grand window.
I had specifically asked for the room as it had the most sunlight coming in, and it had an amazing view. A stone wall seperated the bedroom from the bathroom. My four poster canopy bed on one side,  the grand marble bathing pool on the other. Over on the windowed wall a grand fireplace.  Ornate carvings made the mantle, above it another carving, one of me.
  Ahhh, home sweet home. I think to myself. Now I can soak.