Dire Straits

Prologue

 

The Crosslands was built on the border of the North and South, where the snow from the South melted into the luminescent flowers and puerile grass of the North. To the castle's east- the southern end of the Realm- was a wall of giant snowy mountains named The Hights. To its west lay a forest with slim birch trees and a floor of snow and dirt known as the Wolf's Wood. Within the Crossland Castle, a young girl laid sleeping in her mother's bed; her raven hair strewn across her face, fluttering when she exhaled. A youthful woman sat on the edge of the mattress beside her, looking down upon her daughter.

She brushed the hair off her child's face gently. The girl opened her eyes at the touch. A tear ran down the woman's cheek as she leant and kissed her forehead.

"I am sorry this was to happen." She whispered to the child. Unshed tears filled her electric eyes, despite her efforts to keep them back. She stroked her daughter's head, fearing the fate which awaited her. This was the last time she would see her daughter, she knew that.

The little girl sat up.

"Ma?"

 "Shh" said the woman. "I need you to stay quiet. Stay quiet for me."

She walked over to the space at the end of the queen bed, bent, and took two loose stones from the cobble stone floor. Under the stones was a handle of a trap door. Once lifted, it revealed wooden steps leading down to a worm hole, no more than two meters across. She picked up her daughter and carried her down the steps, sitting her down on an old and narrow hay bed that attained a stench of mildew. The lady- Jacqueline- knelt beside the cot, leveling her deep blue eyes with the stormy grey ones of her daughter. She ran a hand through her own hair, which matched the exact sable colouring as the girl's. She was crying more violently now.

"I love you, Noxaer." She didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were stinging her eyes and drenching her cheeks.

"Have trust in me, sweet child, you will grow up to be the most alluring lady in Trædon. Men and women alike will fall to your feet, and one day you will become the princess you were ought to be; the one we all wanted you to be."

Noxaer was only a youth of five years, yet previous a year she had been taken before the King and betrothed to his son Raemon; heir to Leoncasa and future ruler of the Realm. The lad was only two years her senior, with dark copper hair and the light blue eyes of the Stormfields.

"Mama" Nox grabbed the Lady's wrist as she turned to leave.

"Ma, stay."

"I cannot, I have yet to find your brother."

The girl started sobbing, yet her sobs were kept quiet as she knew she must not be heard.

Her mother was walking up the wooden steps now, almost at the trap door. It was at that moment when thought overcame the child as to why her mother was leaving her here. Nox knew that once she left, she would not see her again. The girl jumped up and ran after her mother.

"Ma, do not leave me!" She screamed, having no care for the volume of her voice.

"Nox, stay here. I need you to stay here."

The girl would not listen. She ran up the stairs as her mother was passing through the hole of the trap door. Just as she reached the top, the lid was slammed shut, leaving Nox with only the light coming from a sconce on the wall.

The girl did not give up. She hammered against the trap door. She had even tried throwing all her weight onto it a few times, but only resulted in banging her head.

Nox was hysterical and a little claustrophobic. She lifted her hands and pressed both palms to the cool stone. She pushed with every bit of strength in her, causing blood to rush to her head and having it feel as though it will explode. Her house sigil was a golden lion upon a grey field, which is why the Jasper's were known as the lions of the Crosslands. A lion always prided itself in its strength, and now it was her time to do so.