Misha the Beast Tamer

Chapter 1

My name is Princess Misha, daughter to King Luca and Lady Annika, and the twin sister of Prince David. I live in a kingdom near the rolling blue waves of a vast ocean and the darkened edges of blackened cliffs. Surrounded by a dangerous reef. Many ships have fallen victim to its hidden dangers. Nonetheless it is my home, it's the only home I've ever known.

My brother David and I were born on this day Thirteen years ago. My mother would tell me that having twins was an unexpected surprise. My mother doesn't live with us in the castle anymore as she is no longer married to my father. She remarried 2 years ago, to a nobleman named Elbi. She left the castle and lives on a grand mansion situated a large piece of land with lush green grass and endless paddocks of sheep and a stable full of beautiful horses.

I love visiting my mother, it is a break from the castle, the endless etiquette classes and all round training me up to be a wife to a Prince. The problem is I don't want to live my life as a wife, birthing children, looking pretty and not having a say in anything I am expected to do as a Princess or future Queen.

My brother has it so much easier, he's learning everything that a Prince needs to know. Most of all he is learning how to use a sword, fight, ride horses and joust. While I am learning how to correctly hold a cup of tea, sit with my back straight and make "polite" conversation. It's torture. At least when I visit my mother, I'm allowed to help on the farm, not have to wear uncomfortable dresses, and get to be myself.

I know my Father means well, but who he wants me to be is not who I truly am.

"Misha, Misha! Are you ready?" Uncle Stefan yelled through my door.

I sighed as I stared at the strange girl in the mirror. The strange girl in a purple dress and purple flowers intertwined in her pitch black hair. That girl did not look like me.

"I'm ready Uncle Stefan." I replied forcing a happy tone to my voice.

The door opened and as soon as Uncle Stefan saw me he let out a delighted gasp.

"Ah! My beautiful Princess, you look stunning." He wrapped his arms around me, encircling me with his perfume, a sweet mix of wood and oranges, my Father's favourite.

With a tear in his eye he whispered,

" You're growing up way too fast. Please stop!"

I don't know how Uncle Stefan came to be such an important part of our lives. As far as I can remember he has always been there, by my Father's side. He helped to look after us, he was my Father's rock when times got tough.

I always thought they were brother's until a year ago when I was told they were not related. I knew they shared a strong bond, but that was it.

It was three months ago that I learnt why they had such a bond. I was sneaking around the castle, I couldn't sleep and decided to sneak into the library and read. I read many books, some books I shouldn't have even looked at, but I was curious.

The books I read that night had pictures and stories in them. It was on this night that I discovered a book that had pictures of two naked men kissing each other, the next chapter showed two women kissing. I couldn't read them as they were in a foreign language. But each chapter had a picture of people doing things that men and women do together but with two men and two women.

I wondered if my Father and Uncle Stefan were like these men in the pictures. It was like I was destined to discover that my Father and Stefan were a couple that night.

As I was sneaking out of the library a pair of guards were just coming around the corner. I hid in a darkened crevice, hoping they wouldn't find me.

"I see that Stefan was visiting the King's bed chamber's again tonight. Do you ever you know... hear them, when you're guarding their door?" One guard asked the second, the second guard chuckled and replied,