This is the first chapter and it is way different than the first ever draft of the story but I think I like this version better. I hope you like it to!
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Aurelia quickly shoved the last of her supplies into her pack. She slung it over her shoulders and took one last look at her room. She would miss her life here, but she was not ready to get married. Besides no man in his right mind would want to marry a girl who could shoot, fence, and joust as well as he could. As she glanced around her room her eyes locked on the large emerald pendant her father had given her for her birthday. It matched the color of her eyes perfectly and went with every thing she wore. In a last minute decision she snatched the necklace off her vanity and put it around her neck and under her loose shirt. It glowed faintly as it touched her pale skin. She made her way to the window and swung her legs out into the cool night air. She took hold of the taught rope and began a slow descent to the earth.
Aurelia landed silently on the soft turf of the palace gardens. She stood and pulled the hood of her cloak over her golden curls. Her green eyes flashed back up the wall to check for guards before she padded off towards the stable. The stable door creaked slightly as she pushed it open. Her silvery grey stallion, Storm, nickered quietly to her as she walked towards his stall. She patted his nose and smiled. She got his tack and skillfully groomed him before putting the saddle on and tightening the girth. Storm pinned his ears and snorted in protest, he did not want to go for a midnight ride. She gathered her saddle bags, waterskin, bedroll, and extra blankets and attached them to the saddle. She retrieved her weapons from where she had hid them earlier. She pulled on a light chain mail shirt and strapped a short sword to her side. She slung her quiver on her back and placed her bow carefully in it. The last thing she stowed in her saddlebag was her arrow fletching supplies.
She bridled Storm and led him from the stable. They walked to the kennels and Aurelia called her two wolfhounds out. They eagerly came to her with happy wagging tails. Raven was the elder of the two. He had a stunning black coat. Sacha was the most aggressive and she had a deep chocolate coat. Aurelia mounted Storm, who stood quietly until she urged him into a trot. The two hounds followed closely. Aurelia guided them to an unguarded trail. As they entered into the royal forest they heard the sound of alarm bells pealing urgently from the palace. The hounds growled and Storm leapt into a gallop. Soon his strong legs and swift gait carried them far from the palace, but Aurelia grew frantic when she heard the sound of their pursuers quite near them. She veered of the path, but Storm stopped. He couldn't go through such thick foliage at a fast pace! Aurelia urged him onward, it was a risk they had to take. She knew of a stream where her father's soldiers would lose her scent once she passed over it.
They came to the stream and they walked through its shallow waters until they reached another path that was rarely in use. Storm trotted down the path anxiously, his ears forward as if he heard something. The dogs were growling quietly, but Aurelia could not here anything except for the silent eeriness of the forest. Storm suddenly spooked into a mad gallop, his eyes white with fear as he ignored Aurelia's desperate attempts to stop him. She heard a sharp cry and the sound of beating wings from above the forest canopy. Whatever was flying above them was massive, that much was obvious from the force of the tree shaking down strokes. Ahead of them the roof of the forest came crashing down as a large black dragon landed in the middle of the path. Aurelia gasped and Storm let out a terrible scream as he came to a sudden halt in front of the beast.
The creature seemed to smirk and its golden eyes lit up with interest as Aurelia's shaking hand drew her short sword. She then noticed a hooded figure sitting in front of the dragon's wings drawing a cruel looking black long sword. Aurelia dropped her pathetic sword onto the forest floor in surrender. She was the first to break the scilence, "Who are you? Why are you here?" she demanded.
"I am Fire Lily, we come to travel with you my lady," the dragon said. Aurelia clutched her head. What was wrong with her? Had that beast really just invade her mind to speak to her, projecting its thoughts into her head?
"Yes,"the dragon said to her, answering her question.
"Why do you wish to travel with me?" Aurelia asked, her voice shaking slightly.
The hooded figure chose to interupt letting his hood slip off of his dark hair and revealing his annoyed expression. "I do not want to travel with you, but she insists it is my duty," he said.
"Behave Artur," Fire Lily warned as she scowled at him, "It is one of our duties to protect Cornelia until she completes her mortal task."
"Wait, who is Cornelia," Aurelia asked.
"You mean you do not know? Are you not the daughter of the king?" Fire Lily asked in confusion.
"I am the princess, but my name is Aurelia. Should I know who this Cornelia person is?" Aurelia said. The dragon beckoned her closer and Aurelia dismounted and walked slowly towards the dragon.
"Stand here so that I can look into your eyes," Fire Lily said, "They are the windows to your soul and I will be able to determine if you are Cornelia." Aurelia stood still and looked deeply into the large golden eye of the dragon. Artur had climbed off of Fire Lily and was pacing impatiently. As Fire Lily searched the princess's eyes she found something quite curious. Aurelia was not a normal mortal, she carried two spirits with in her and they were fighting for control.
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I hope you liked it so far!
