Once Upon a Chance

Prologue

She doesn't like it when I'm late.

The night is rather cold and damp. It had rained earlier and the people in front the market has been dismayed because their feast was interrupted. Mother asked me to get her some meat and fish on my way back because she hasn't eaten them for a while now. 

The people were yelling and clattering, and at a side were a bunch of bar-goers fighting over a coin at the table. A man with a buck tooth and an ugly bald. One man at the back shouted "Give it to him mate!". The ugly bald grabbed the tooth of the man and punched him in the face, and within a flash of an eye, it erupted into a riot that snapped me back to myself.

She's going to be mad.

I ran away from the commotion and into the town square. There's a lot of goods in here because tomorrow is the celebration of the patron of Orience and lots of people from the other kingdoms will be here, as well for the coronation of the Prince now that's he's come to age. I hustled into one of the shops that sell fish. I stood at the side and waited for the seller to look the other way. As he did, I grabbed three fishes then dashed away. I can hear his indistinct shout at the back. I ran through a lot of alleyways with four guards tailing me. Fortunately, this country has now lots of tall bulidings so I just had little trouble losing them. I made sure that the fishes are still intact and good grief, I dropped one.

--

The air is still cold and the streets were indifferent to my bare feet. I rubbed my hands because I can feel it's getting colder as I walk further away. One of the good things here in the kingdom is everyone knows everyone, so there is no real danger in getting in or out of the city. Because some impoverished people, like me, still lives in the forest because we can't afford a stone house, let alone a quarters inside the city.

In order to get home, I need to cross two rivers, a hill and a small barn that often gives us free milk. Mother and Logwood both loved the milk, but that isn't enough to satisfy our bellies.

As I am nearing my home, the air is definitely cooler here and I can feel the coldness bite in my skin. I approached the nearest post and grabbed its lamp. The area is nothing but the silhouette of trees against the glimmering stars and a full moon. I've always enjoyed the cold at home but not here out on the road.

--

The lamps were on when I got home. As I thought, she was angry, but not to me. It seems like Logwood had torn apart our blanket again. It was a while before she noticed that I'm at the doorstep.

"Oh
Laura! My daughter! I'm glad you're safe! How was it at the market?"

"It was warm there mother, lots of brawl and commotion and broken stuff that you'll surely love to fix."  I laughed at my own thought. My mother has always been fixing things ever since I was a child. Sometimes we trade for the things that she fixes. Sometimes we take it for ourselves.

She smiled "Lovely. Give me the fishes so that we can eat. And oh, I made you a pair of shoes so you won't get your feet dirty ever again."

She then chuckled and disappeared at the back of the room. She prepared our meal and fed Logwood. I knitted the blanket he has torn yet again, and slept in my bed as the cold air lulls me to sleep, accompanied by the hoot of the owl and the sounds of other nocturnal animals.

As I drift into my slumber I thought, my life will not get any better now, will it?

--

Sharp metal clanks echoes in the hallway as knights were walking towards a man with a crown, draped in beautiful clothes. The man was staring at a portrait of a family, so elegantly drawn that it captured every detail.

"Have you prepared what I asked of you?"

"Yes, my lord"

"Good. We shall see to it that this kingdom will fall into our hands."

"Yes, my lord. But one more thing, if I may speak"

"What is it?"

"We've seen the heir."