Four years ago
Arabella's POV
After my Zarish lesson, I decided to run down to my brother's room. My white dress flowed as I ran down the hallways. I had a blue top over my dress that was embroidered with golden leaves, and laced in the back. While running, I took the hairpins out of my hair and tossed them to the ground. After rounding the corner, I slowed down. The great wooden doors of the King's Chamber stand before me. I push the door open and see my brother standing over a table. I run over to the table and see a map of Luania with little markers. Most of them are in Brulon, but some are scattered throughout Ocea. One is in Caslia, in a village near the castle.
"What's this?" I ask.
"It's nothing. Are you done with your lessons?" My brother responds.
"Yep! Can we go play on the lawn?" I haven't been outside in weeks, and I am itching to run on the grass again.
James looks out the window and hesitates. "No, Ari. We can't go outside right now," he whispers. His eyes are filled with fear and worry, the kind that I have never seen before.
"What's wrong?" I ask him. He just looks at me.
His arms wrap around me and pull me into an embrace. "You know I love you, right?" I nod. "And you know Mother and Father loved you?" I nod again. He smiles at me. "I will always be with you. And you are stronger than you will ever know."
A horn sounds in the distance. He looks up, and back down at me. Suddenly everything is in overdrive. "Hide in the closet," he says, pushing me towards a dark room. "Don't come out until morning, or when Isla or Horatio find you. Understand?" He instructs. I nod. He closes the door and locks it, but not before pressing a leather object into my hands. I walk backwards in the closet, until I hit a stone cold wall. The lights underneath the crack in the door go out, and I hear the draw of a sword.
I feel around the leather object, and I think it's a knife. I pull the scabbard off and touch the cold metal. Fear grips my heart.
Explosions go off all around. I cover my ears, but it doesn't help. There is shouting, and the sounds of metal clanging on metal. Something hits what I assume is the chamber door. What is going on? Something hits the door again. After a fifth time in breaks though. Light floods the crack under the door. Men shout and I assume fight my brother. Metal hits metal. He is definitely outnumbered. The castle was attacked. After what feels like forever but I'd probably 15 minutes, I hear a grunt. Something falls to the floor, and metal clangs against stone. Men shout in a language I don't recognize. Calian, maybe. I haven't had many lessons in Calian Language, but I picked out one word. Princess. They're looking for me. My hands are shaking, and my heartbeat thunders in my ears.
They run off, but the light under the door is still there. I wait in the dark closet, unable to sleep.
5 hours later
The castle is silent. No explosions, no shouting, no clanging. I wait, my hand still on my knife. My eyes are sore, but I keep the trained on the crack under the door. Footsteps drift towards the closet, and I tighten my grip on the knife. The footsteps reach the door, where someone jiggles the lock. I crawl to the corner, and get ready to fight. The door creaks open, and light floods the closet. My eyes sting even more, and despite my efforts, they squint. Someone steps into the room, and I hold my knife out.
"Arabella?" They ask. I recognize that voice. My eyes adjust to see Hanna, my handmaiden, standing in the doorway. "Oh thank goodness you're safe."
"Where is James?" I ask, still holding out my knife.
"Arabella listen to me..."
"Where is he!" I insist, taking a step forward. Hanna takes a step back and raises her hands.
YOU ARE READING
The Queen of Luania
Fantasía"A weak Queen is a dead Queen" When Arabella became Queen of Luania, she thought it was all ballgowns and dancing. 4 years later, she has learned that it is quite the opposite. As she and her allies play a complicated game of love, hate, peace, chao...
