AURELIUS (Elvish Desire #1)

Chapter One

As dusk fades in the horizon, draining the last of sun's rays in Miavyre, the Heleniae Palace will be soon blanketed with dark velvet sky and stars shining like diamonds. Usually she would visit the garden to play with young elves, have fun with other elven folk, and appreciate the beauty of heleniae roses in bloom this season, but not this night.

From the balcony in her bedroom, she watched the palace staff bustling with their preparation for the marriage ceremony tomorrow. The excitement obvious in their faces as marriage between two elves is celebrated with every Elven folk in Miavyre regardless of status. Dances, beautiful music followed by a great feast is expected throughout that day.

As for her, she can't feel the same excitement and anticipation for the marriage, to be precise, her marriage. A marriage with a stranger the King of Miavyre deemed worthy to be her husband. With a sad sigh she turns her attention to the flock of colorful birds freely flying in the sky.

"Marriage is a joyous celebration, Princess Miranda you should smile"

Miranda quickly turned to where she heard the voice, and smiled as a chubby elf lady walks out of the door into her balcony

"Veena you scared me, how long have you been there?"

Veena her trusted lady-in-waiting and friend placed a tray with bottles and towels on a rounded table near the door to her bedroom.

"long enough to count five long sighs" she teased, "I called but your highness is not answering, I heard from other elves about these momentary nervousness the night before they are wed, so are you? Nervous that is?"

Miranda rolled her eyes listening to Veena continously chatter with enthusiasm, she would do the same if it wasn't her wedding they are talking about. She let Veena guide her to the clawfoot tub behind the golden screen divider inside her spacious bedroom.

"As I was saying, my friend in the kitchen has a friend that was too nervous the night before her wedding that she tried to run away..." Veena assist the Princess into the clawfoot tub with rose scented hot water.

"And did she do it, runaway that night?" Miranda's eyes didn't left the petals floating in the scented water.

"Well, she tried to but her Mother caught her before she managed to sneak out,"

"If she was not caught, where will she go?"

Veena with expert care washed her waist length, wavy golden hair, "She told my friend that she'd go into hiding in the Dark Forest"

"The Dark Forest?"

"I know right? What a crazy idea, she'd die there on the hands of those evil, cursed Dark Elves-"

Miranda couldn't stifle a laugh, "Evil? Cursed? Veena, sometimes your like a child, believing in horror tales about the evil, cursed dark elves eating children who sneaks out of their beds at night!" she laughed

"Uh-huh, just laugh, it's okay. I'm not offended, not at all" Veena full of sarcasm.

"I don't believe that they are evil, or cursed." Miranda turned to look at her friend, "I think that they're just like us"

"With that way of thinking you are lucky not to encounter one" Veena sighed, "So back to what I'm saying..."

Miranda became silent and let Veena talk, her mind was busy processing a plan, a possibility of an escape to prevent an unwanted marriage from happening.