The King's Ransom

Bright Eyes

POV: Rialta, Princess of Cascadia, Kingdom of Water

My eyes snap open just as the sun begins to rise. Panting, I peel the sheets off of me and try to keep the tears at bay. I sit in my bed, head in my hands, trying to slow my breathing and calm myself down. It's just another nightmare. You can't even remember what happened in it, so why are you so distraught. Calm down, I tell myself. I strengthen my resolve, move my wavy black hair out of my face, and get out of bed, ready to face another day.

Or am I?

I splash water over my face, rubbing my eyes, even though I am already pretty much awake. My lady's maids have already set up my bath, even though I've told them I can do it myself. I don't know why everyone insists that just because I'm the princess, I cannot do anything for myself. I'm thankful for their help, but I don't want to be totally helpless. The situation is quite aggravating.

After a nice, warm bath, I begin to get dressed for the day. Father and I must meet an emissary from Lumoria, the Kingdom of Light, which means that I have to dress elegantly and impressively. It means I have to put effort into my appearance when all I want to do is sit down with a good book. Ah, the many demands of court politics. Oh well.

I slip into a blue gown that cascades down to the ground, multiple flowing layers of fabric in different colors of blue, some of it shimmering, immitate the appearance of water. I wrap a small braided, black belt around my waist. Next, I braid two sections of my hair and tie them back so that only half of my hair is down. I slip a saphire pendant, my Heir Pendant, around my neck, take a deep breath, and gaze back at myself in the mirror, wishing there was something else I could do. You look like you. That's good enough. I turn towards the door, but then I realize I forgot something: my crown. I place the delicate, silver circlet that looks like a circle of waves on my head. There. All done. Time to go.

I pull the door open, and as always, I'm so impressed by the view. Our castle has balconies at regular intervals that provide glimpes of the rivers, tributaries, and waterfalls that surround us. The sunrise reflecting off of the water always takes my breath away.

I walk down the corridor towards my father's office. When I reach the door, I raise my fist to knock, but my father, king of Cascadia, Kingdom of Water, calls out to me before I can, "Come in, Rialta!" he intones.

Author's Note:

So what do you think of this chapter? Do we like our other protagonist? She's a fighter, trust me. :)

Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Dedicated to RobThier, my favorite author on Wattpad because of his amazing writing style and his skilled character development, especially in the cases of his strong-willed heroines!

WV