The Warlord's Prize

Prologue

Prologue

Gazing out of my bedroom window, I wished-not for the first time-that I could be out there, playing and running around with the others outside. My family's house sat upon a small hill, high up enough that we could see all of the village, including the field where children of all ages would run and play together and all the occupants of the village walking the streets. The whole village is surrounded by a vast forest, with trees not yet full grown. The trees were filled with all kinds of animals; from the smallest bird in its nest to the largest deer with large, strong antlers to crown their heads.

My father's great-grandfather had designed the small mansion with the height of the hill in mind, so he could properly look after the people of his territory. But for my father, he thought of it as a way for him to stand above the villages. Because my room sat on the second floor, with the window facing the front of the house with the clearest view of the village, I was forced to sit and watch all the villagers enjoy and thrive in their lives.

I wish that I could sit and chat about everyday things, with no serious concerns on my mind, just wondering what I would have for dinner that night and how I would organise the many things I had to get done that day. I wish that I could play chase with the younger kids, with my little sisters and brothers, to burn off my excess energy like they did every day. I wish that I could flirt with the heart-stopping boys and gossip about who liked who with the other girls my age. But I can never do any of that. My past won't allow me to, no matter how much I try to ignore it or to outrun it. It clings to me wherever I go, reminding me at the most inconvenient of times.

No one seems to have noticed anything wrong with me though. Their whispers say that they believe me to be strange; inflicting isolation upon myself, choosing to spend my time either in my room or in the household library, throwing myself into the fantasy life of their characters. The only time I interact with others is when my family reunites together at night for, forced by my parents to join them, otherwise, they leave me to my own devices. They had given up on trying to get me to open up and be more social with them and the rest of the village. But none of them realise that there is a real reason for the way I am.

They can never know though. None of them can ever know, for if they did, I fear what they would do to me in anger and disgust. I couldn't bare it for my family to turn their backs on me, so I will turn my back on them and free myself. By any means necessary.