For The Crown

Prolouge

The night was still. The sun had just finished setting on the horizons and the winds brushed over the hills of long grass with just a whisper. Birds had flown back to their nests. Everyone had gone to their houses and settled into their bed for a night of peaceful sleep. Everyone but a few people.

At a castle on an island nestled on top of the tallest hill, a pair of horses and hooded riders set off on an incredibly important mission. They raced down the dark hills until they came to a dark forest, the horses were only allowed to to hesitate for a moment before their riders urged them on deep into the forest.

Deep growls and scratches echoed through the forest, and made it quite obvious why the horses did not want to be anywhere near the woods, but still the riders rushed on. They had to get their task done before the sun rose otherwise they were not going to have the proper magic or time to finish successfully.

The riders ignored the noises, no matter how terrifyingly close they seemed to be at some times, and pressed on until they broke out into a clearing of patterned stone. The horses stamped a little bit, but made no motion to run off of the stone, knowing fully well that the second that they left that clearing everything that was snarling in the woods would be able to take them down with little problem.

The two riders stepped towards the center of the clearing, and one of the riders reached into their cloak and pulled out a small bundle, and let down their hood to reveal a young woman. She held it close to her for a moment, knowing that there wasn't a very good chance that they were going to be able to meet again in this life time.

"It's amazing that she could sleep through all of that," The second hooded man remarked.

"Well it is my husband's child after all," The woman chuckled sadly, "We'd better get you two through before the gateway closes." 

Sighing slightly she handed over her precious bundle to the hooded man, but not before checking to make sure that a pendant was still fastened around the infant's neck. Seeing the clear blue stone glitter in the moonlight seemed to put the woman more at ease.

"I still think that it should be you going with the child," The hooded figure coughed nervously as they took the child into their arms.

"Francis, you know why we cannot do that," the woman scolded slightly with a gently smile on her face.

"Yes, I know your Majesty," Francis bowed slightly.

"Francis, we've been together for too long for you to still be calling me that. I told you just to call me Julie," She laughed slightly as she reached into her cloak once again pulling out a jar of dark liquid. She quickly untwisted the top and dipped her fingers in the gooey liquid.

She held up her left hand to the moon, her fingers slowly becoming covered in the substance, and began chanting in a low tone. Slowly, as the chant became more complete, the substance on her fingers began to turn to a silver color, and she took a step towards Francis, and drew a symbol on his forehead that represented a world that they only recently were able to prove to be real. Then, without breaking her chant, she reached over and gently drew the same symbol on the baby's forehead.

Julie then took a step back and dipped her hands both fully into the now silvery liquid, and raised them into the air, the chanting slowly growing louder as the air in the clearing began to spin around them. The liquid began to glow like a pure white light and the symbols slowly began to grow brighter and brighter until Julie could no longer keep her eyes open and chant. 

The light had over taken the clearing, and even the horses began to panic from being blinded and as the wind was dangerously close to becomeing a tornado.

And suddenly everything became quiet.

Julie slowly blinked open her eyes, and she smiled with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Francis and her newborn child were no where to be seen.

"I do hope you'll be able to forgive me one day, my child. You will be so much more safe growing up in a world that has no magic, and no one has any idea of who you are," Julie wiped away some of her tears and slowly walked back over to the horses, who had managed to calm down. She lifted herself over the side of the larger horse, and looked back at the clearing one more time, "Just be patient. You'll be back with us one day, my dear Olivette, and you will be responsible for so many wonderful things," she whispered before she turned around and headed back to the castle with two horses.