The Norwea Chronicles

Prologue

As the battering at the front gate continued, it was as though the very foundations of the castle were trembling. While a young nurse maid packed a few essentials and gathered up her three charges. With a toddler in her arms and a pack across her back, she gestured for the other two, Rena and Harmandar, to follow her. They hurriedly made their way to the great hall where her charges mother, the queen, waited to say her goodbye. The young queen Ameera stood by the great ornate window that looked out across the castle towards the gate where even now the enemy relentlessly tried to break in, it wouldn't be too long now before they did just that. Ameera knelt down and beckoned to her children to come to her. They ran into their mother's reassuring arms.

"My dear children I always want you to remember how much I love you," she said as she held her children to herself. Rena began to cry quietly as she clung to her mother's shoulders.

"Hush, hush now my precious daughter it will be alright, Reesa is going to take good care of you."

Rena looked up at her mother with her soulful four-year-old eyes, still brimming with tears she nodded, and went to stand next to Reesa. Ameera looked into Harmandar's face.

"Harmandar, I need you to look after your brother and sister for me and your father. Do you think you can do that?"

Harmandar bit his lip and nodded, holding back the tears that were threatening to erupt.

"I will take care of them for you mother," the eight-year-old solemnly replied. Ameera took a deep breath and hugged Harmandar tightly, she then released him and stood to take her youngest child into her arms.

"I love you little Alastair you may never remember me but I shall always be with you in your heart."

At that moment a guard burst through the double oak doors.

"Your majesty the duke and his army have broken through the castle gate!"

Ameera kissed her baby and quickly placed him back in Reesa's arms, then turned to address the guard.

"Rodrick takes Reesa and the children to the outer lands where they will be safe for the time being."

Rodrick bowed.

"As you command your majesty," he rose and to the nursemaid said, "come with me."

Reesa and the children followed Rodrick to the castle kitchen where Rodrick pressed a stone that was next to the fireplace. Reesa gasped.

"All this time I never knew that was there."

"That would be because you were never meant to know it was here."

Rodrick replied solemnly as he grabbed a torch from the wall and entered the tunnel.

"Follow me," he said to Reesa as he scooped Rena into his arms. Reesa and the boys followed him into the tunnel and Rodrick shut the door behind them. They made their way through the winding tunnels that lay underneath the castle and out onto a nearby hilltop. As they looked back they saw that the castle and the surrounding village was being encompassed by flames.

"Well I suppose this is the end," Rodrick said. Reesa looked up at him.

"The end of what?"

"The end of the golden age of Norwea."

The royal children took one last look at the castle and surrounding village as they were ushered into the unknown by their two guardians.