The Prince's Meal

Chapter The First

Prince Atticus Howarikal was sitting in the garden, watching over his little sister, Princess Ella-Rose Howarikal. The garden was big and green with a beautiful white marble fountain at its center with three levels of statues of four fishes each "spiting" clear water succumbing to the earths force in perfect intertwined arches all the way to the large water body at the bottom that by less than a inch from its limit always looks like it was going to overflow. The sound was soothing to Atticus and under the noon's sun rays, waving blue reflections on the white made the fountain a little bit more magical.

Around the fountain a gravel path covered the ground with small bits of green popping here and there all around the marble piece combining the white with the light gray, a path that would spread in four directions, each one to an arch either made of marble or the green leaves the long time gardener took care of leathing to another part of the garden or back to the castle. In between each arch there was a simple dirty white bench and behind it there were short well-trimmed bushes serving as wall to the large variety of flowers that bloomed in that late spring.

Ella was jumping and dancing around the fountain, mumbling a weird song that only she knew. She once told his brother that mother taught her but that's impossible. Queen Neha died three months after little Ella-Rose was born. His father, King Eduard, told the people she died from an after labor illness.

But no one believed that, everyone knows it was magic related because soon he established a new law stating that all control, use and suspicion of any kind of magic is punished by torture and death by burning in the now blackened hardwood stake in the middle of main square.

By the end of the first month more than one hundred people died by the flames, to a point where the flames were just kept lit, ready for the next witch or warlock. Some cried, some prayed. Some were old, some were little children. But they never screamed nor tried to escape the flames, they all accepted their fate as if foretold in their future.

Prince Atticus shivered when he remembered the last breath from all them. 'For the Queen Neha'. Followed by the unforgettable tilting down of the head.

"Don't think about it brother! They are with mother now!" – Ella was under one of the marble arch looking at him holding tightly her doll. It was a simple cloth doll, slim arms and legs, short black hair, it was barefoot and wearing old poor clothes with some openings here and there, was also wearing a big and large black hooded cloak.

"I don't remember you having that one Ella." Atticus pointed to the little girls doll with a kind smile.

"It's new!! His name is LiDan!" – the little girl smiled widely swirling with the doll dancing once more. Her short striped white and blue dress had some cute ribbons made out of light satin that waved with the flow.

"Really? Well then, it's nice to meet you Sir LaDin." Atticus answered getting up and making a courtesy bow.

"No Atti! His name is LiDan! And he is younger than you!" – she laughed at her brother sillyness. – "Soon he will arrive..." – the little girl was now distant and her eyes fell upon the hills far behind the kingdom's walls.

"What do you mean Ella?" - Atticus asked looking in the same direction as her sister in the hopes of finding what she was looking for.

The wind blew lightly making some tree branches move in a melody that made it easier for the prince to get lost in his thoughts.

"Miss Ella! Come eat lunch!" – one of the princes maids came calling her from the tall door, her eyes were only focused on the little girl but soon she noticed the prince who was looking at her with bad eye. It wasn't nothing against the maid herself, but the connection she has with the castle. – "Oh! Prince Atticus, I didn't saw you there..." - the maid spoke tucking her hair behind her ear, her cheeks were turning red while bowing her head and lifting her dress lightly in courtesy. Atticus hated it.