Matahari Child

2

I woke with a start, not forgetting everything about what happened. I knew it all, I knew I was somewhere in Aerop and I knew I was in deep, deep trouble.

I was in a smallish room, with a double bed and a metre each side from it to the walls. I was enveloped in thick duvets covered by red silk sheets, and a fluffy brown and grey throw at my feet. Feather, plush pillows supported my head, but luckily my clothing hadn't been changed.

A large window was on my left, without the panels and obscured glass, just plain glass. Plus the dark bars across it, of course. Coming away from the window was off-white walls, which joined to the wooden floor. A door, locked with many locks, was on my right, and a small chest was at the foot of my bed. It was one of the fanciest prison cells I'd ever seen or heard of. I hadn't seen many prison cells, funnily enough, but I knew they mainly consisted of a manky chamber pot, a hard bed, and a whole lot of cement. It was dark there, it was dingy, it stank and there was always something scurrying about on the floor- I had met some former prisoners that had escaped when I was in the wilderness. Even someone accused of theft or abusive behaviour was not as low in Society as Wanderers, and so talking to them would hardly tarnish my reputation with the animals and trees.

I was already out of bed and looking out the window when I head the click, click, click, of the locks on my reinforced mahogany door.

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. All Domestic royals have gold toed boots to say how important they were; that metal was tapping on the veneer floor then.

"Good morning, Domestic Prince." I sneered the 'Domestic' part.

"How do you know it is morning and not dusk?" He asked. How dumb this man was.

"You are asking this of a Wanderer." My monotone voice always off-put people, but he seemed unaffected.

"Ahh, yes. And why, may I ask, did we find such a young girl like you in a tree, of which you obviously live in, alone?" So much for subtlety, I thought.

"Ahh, yes." I mimicked. "I have been alone for some 4 years now, mmm." I carefully avoided.

"You didn't answer my question." Dammit!

"I don't intend to. Now, why did you bring me here?"

I didn't expect the answer I got.

"I know every person in this Kingdom, and none seem as special as you. They have darker skin, whereas yours is naturally light even with such sun exposure. Eyes are always brown or blue, as is hair is always blonde or brown. And then you come along, with green eyes and hair the colour of ginger. As well as this, you can hide for so long from so many guards, and you can survive, what, four years? Since your about my age, you must have been ten? When you left?"

"9." I had to correct him, I didn't know why.

"- and then you act nothing of any other lady. You are interesting, where other young ladies begging for my hand are so dull and repetitive."

I laughed a hearty laugh at this. "That is what I am? A toy that you can play with until I get boring? And who are you to bring me here, against my wishes. That is kidnapping." Breathing a sigh of relief, I turned around to face him fully for the first time. Sure, he was handsome, with his rugged dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, a define jaw and olive skin. But I was past that 'crush stage' when I was 9; I just glared daggers at him.

"No children under the age of 16 are allowed to be without a guardian nor a home." He retorted.

"Laws are different in Wanderer society." I countered.