Loving a Thief

Introduction & Chapter 1

Introduction

My name is Arianna. I’m 18 years old, and I’m the princess of an island in the middle of the ocean. It isn’t charted. It’s the only place that I can call home. Great Lektra. My great great great grandfather thought of that name. I am proud to be the princess of such a beautiful place. My father is King Phillip. He has blue eyes and blond hair. His eyes sadly don’t sparkle any more. They used to always sparkle when mother walked into a room. He taxes the people more than what is needed.

“You need a large dowry if you want to marry a good man,” he says.

“I don’t want a husband that only marries me for money and land. I want to marry for love! Ever since mother died you’ve been trying to marry me off to some man that I don’t even know,” I would argue with him.

“It is time for you to marry. If you don’t marry a man soon I will have to arrange a marriage for you,” said my father. This was a frequent argument between us. When we did talk. The king barely pays attention to me. There are several days when I look out the window and see a father and his daughter playing together or having a picnic. Most times I wish I was that little girl. My only wish in life is to be loved. I don’t care about being a princess or a peasant.

My best friend is my maid. She knows all my secrets and gives me the best advice. Her name is Emily. I think it is such a pretty name. She has brown eyes, tan skin and black hair. She is very kind and gentle. I can’t think of a better friend. She has helped me through everything. Times of war, when my little brother died, and when my mother died.

My baby brother, Matthew, he had blue eyes and blond hair just like my father. He died when he was 3 years old. I was 16 years old. He was too sick. The doctors could’t help him. He was my father’s pride and joy. He spoiled him. Yet Matthew was never bad or yelled. He obeyed well. He would have been a great king. My mother died shortly after Matthew. She cried herself to sleep at night until she became sick. The doctor said she had gotten the same thing as Matthew. She died the same night the doctor came. She had green eyes with a hint of blue. Her hair was red and silky. I can remember walking past her bedroom at night, hearing her count how many times she stroked her hair with her brush. “1.…2.…3.…4.…5.…6...,” all the way up to 100. Her skin was fair and covered with freckles like mine. She met my dad at a masquerade ball. She was Duke Lawrence’s daughter. Although they had met before they did not recognize each other that night. My mother would tell me stories about that night. It sounded so romantic. I would dream that I was the girl behind the mask and Sir Walter was the man I would fall in love with. He was the boy I liked at that time. A few years later Sir Walter turned out to be cruel, harsh, and he would be a tyrant if he ever becomes a king. Sir Walter has brown eyes and brown hair with light brown highlights. Those highlights made it look like a rolling sea of brown. My worst nightmare would be that my father arranges a marriage for me with him.

Chapter One

“I want the taxes raised on everything. I don’t care if you say not to. That is what I want and we are running low on money in the treasury. Is that not correct Sir Walter?”

“Your Majesty, you have more than enough money in the treasury. If I may be so bold. The people of Great Lektra are going to starve. Half of them already are,” said Duke Lawrence. He is a small man with green eyes and red hair. He is an older, male version of my mother.

“I believe I was talking to Sir Walter, not you Lawrence. Just because I married your daughter doesn’t mean that you can interrupt my conversations. Sir Walter?,” said King Phillip.

“I believe it is a wise decision to raise the taxes. I assume Saritopland will be attacking soon. We will need the money for more ships and weapons. Saritopland sees the potential our Great Lektra has. Your spies have told Sir Fredrick that the king and general of Saritopland have been meeting together discussing Great Lektra,” replied Sir Walter.