Kingdom of Erstwhile Tales

First Narrative

"This should allow you at least 4 weeks of food and clothing." A young girl with long raven black hair and royal garments stated as she gave up a bag of gold coins to a small child in rags. "T-Thank you, princess!" The child smiled before running off to her mother in the crowd of subject surrounding the said princess. "That's enough for today! We have nothing left to offer! Go back home!" A guard standing by the princess's side raised his voice into a booming volume, intimidating the peasants of the town. "Let's be on our way, Princess Noire." The princess only sighed in silence and turned away, exhausted from the monthly donation.

"Wait! Please, princess!" Noire stopped in her tracks to see an older boy, with abnormal white hair and sky blue eyes, run up to her. "The princess has finished with her donations, please wait until next-" The guard was interrupted by the boy as he fell to his knees and holding onto the princess's hand tightly. "Please, hear me out, Your Majesty!" The young girl gazed away for a moment. "It's no use, boy. The princess needs to go-"

Noire rose her free hand, indicating the guard to silence himself. "I am listening. Make it fast." Her cold yet kind words almost stole all of the young boy's words. "Please, I need money for my family. And my family isn't just an ordinary family! We're a family of entertainers. We need the money to feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, and fund our work! This may be asking too much, but we Beatrices are a big family, so we need a lot of..."

The boy looked up to see the princess with her eyes closed, seemingly disinterested. For a moment, he felt an ache in his stomach, feeling as if he said too much. "I recognize you from a show long ago, sir. Take this and I wish for your family to entertain my family and the people of the kingdom in the near future." As the boy let go of the girl's hand, she reached for a sharp golden gem from her waist and detached it from a loose stitch keeping it on. "Sell this. It is pure gold. Be careful not to cut yourself while handling it."

Everyone around Noire and the boy looked astonished, with a hint of greed and jealousy within their eyes. "No, you can't give this to me, Your Majesty! It must be precious to you-" The princess shook her head. "I have no interest in those who wait until the last moment to take a chance." Her eyes cold as ice as she stared through the albino-haired boy. She made her way up to the royal carriage that was waiting behind her. "With that, I hope that you take risks more frequently. It might help you in the end." A small smirk appeared on her lips as she turned away to the carriage, leaving the boy the centre of envy.

The boy's blue eyes widened and sparkled with a new ambition.

Princess Noire Dove. And at her side, her newly appointed guard, Gaerwn Beatrice. Sounds a lot cheesier than I'd anticipated. The boy laughed to himself before racing off to his home to tell his family the news and his new dreams.