Kingdom of Refuge

Chapter 3

Jasper was the king's oldest son and a most valuable asset in the kingdom, so much so, that he was often called the heart of Aldor. He was as kind as the king was mighty. Though he spent most of his time acquiring lands for the kingdom, securing alliances, upholding treaties and ensuring that the beneficiaries of Aldor were properly defended, his heart was always for the people. He had a great army with him which consisted of twelve of the most powerful men in the kingdom; soldiers known throughout the land as the Aldorian Knights. They were strong and feared; loyal to the kingdom and the king and set apart for their duties in ways that were hardly ever coveted by the other classes of the Royal Army. They had been out for months doing work beyond the borders that was beyond many in the Royal Army's clearance level.

Stone Vale was bustling with preparations to welcome the prince and his men, although he would often return quietly if he could, the king would never have it. And so, as the town was busy and taut with excitement, too eager to hear the stories of Jasper's adventures, to be concerned with the actions of the king's most worrisome daughter, Ruby remained within the walls of her self-proclaimed prison. She was still swooning from her first kiss and too perplexed by the possibility of falling in love to be concerned with other matters.

She was laying supine on her bed staring dreamily up at the ceiling, his name reverberated in her mind even as his kiss still lingered on her lips. She considered herself unworthy to experience the beauty of love so young, she had not been prepared, it was all so sudden, but she liked it and this was what she had asked for. Genuine love, not the stilted kind her father desired for her. She didn't know much about Serin, but she desired to, so much. It could very well be that he was the one she had waited for. Suddenly, her sister burst through her bedroom door, as though they were the portals to her thoughts, with Bianca not far behind her.

They both blew into Ruby's room like stray corn straw during the season of harvest.

Ruby shot upright, "has no one heard of knocking?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

She fell back onto her bed with an exasperated sigh, grumbling about never having any privacy in this castle. Topaz stood over her, her grey eyes hard.

"Why are you not dressed?" she asked, her brows drawn together in displeasure at the sight of her sister's uncovered hair.

"Do not frown so much sister," Ruby said, "you are way too young for wrinkles."

Topaz glared at her as Bianca drew the window curtains so that the dazzling light that bounced off the precious stones on the castle walls broke into the room. Ruby winced.

"What is wrong with you?" Bianca asked, making her way to her friend's side, and feeling her forehead with the back of her hand, "are you unwell?"

Ruby sighed dreamily, "oh my dear friend, I do believe I am in love."

Topaz rolled her eyes and pushed off the bed. She too was a royal brown-skinned beauty; she was Aldorian through and through. She had jet black hair like most Aldorians, thick and long like her mother's. She often wore it in loose braids which trailed down her back held together by a simple black string. The gold clasps she often wore at the tips of her braids clattered against each other as she tossed her head in displeasure. Because of a few months difference between them they had been passed off to the rest of the world as unidentical twins and for most of their early years had celebrated their birthdays together. Until Topaz demanded otherwise. Since then, their parents had given them separate days for celebrating.

Topaz and Ruby were so different, no one in the kingdom thought much of their public rivalry. At seventeen Topaz was growing into a fine young woman, Ruby wondered if she would find true love as soon as she had. But Topaz was so rough around the edges, she was a like tower fortified with thorns, she imagined that the man who won her heart would have to be the bravest of them.