The Elvish Princess

Chapter One

Her reflection stared back at her sadly, her once dancing gray eyes now dim and lifeless. The green dress that she worse hugged her figure till it relaxed around her waist, cascading down to the stone floor in her chambers. The princess tilted her head to the left and sighed, tucking a strand around her curly blonde hair behind her ear, casting one last longing look around her chambers before turning to the maid that stood behind her.

"Svana," she almost whispered, her voice hoarse from crying and yelling over the past week, "My crown and jewels if you please."

The young servant girl nodded, her down cast eyes red from the tears of saying goodbye from her dear friend whom she had served since both the girls were very young. Svana walked to the dark brown wardrobe that held the princesses crown and the jewels her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday last year.

The golden crown, inlaid with emeralds and rubies glittered in the early morning light. The jewels, seemed to mock the young servant girl and princess of the life she was leaving behind. Svana brought them over carefully when the princess held her hand up, taking the crown from the purple pillow it rest on and placed it on her head, then she reached for the necklace and bracelet, clasping them on her figure turning to look in the mirror once again.

"I will miss you Svana," she spoke, turning back to the girl and quickly embracing her.

Svana hugged the golden haired princess back, tears escaping from her eyes, "I will miss you too Clair."

"Princess Clairborne," a knock sounded at the door before a guard strode in followed by her mother and father, "It is time."

Clairborne looked at her mother, the red headed queen watched her daughter with red rimmed green eyes, yet was able to force a small smile towards her daughter. Her father's face was stone cold, as it had been since he returned home for the treaty where her agreed to hand her over to the Elfish king and marry her over to his son. She searched his face before meeting his eyes, looking for any sign that this whole thing was a joke that she was really being married off to the Prince of Tralum, yet there was nothing. This was the truth, not a dream or a joke, her father was really sending her off to be married to the Elf prince, never to see her again.

"Come Clairborne," he said, looking away from her and walking out of the room. Her mother held out her arms for her daughter and Clairborne rushed into them, hugging her mother back as they walked down the hall way to the carriage house to begin their two month journey to the Elven kingdom of Arobyn.

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The Royal caravan had been traveling for a month and a half now and were just about to enter Elven territory. King Ruben had barely said a word to his daughter, or to his wife the entire journey and mostly rode his horse outside of the carriage so as to not deal with the pain that radiated from his daughter. Today was no different.

"Clair," Queen Edolie spoke, reaching across the carriage to touch her daughters knee, "Come talk to me. Tell me your fears and maybe I may ease them."

Clair looked up to her mother before looking away again, shaking her head, "Do I really have to marry him mother? Why can't father and the Elf king figure another way to end this war?"

Queen Edolie sighed and leaned back against the carriage seat, "Now Clair, you know this war has lasted 300 years and this is the only thing that two kings could agree on. Your father hates to do this, but-"

"What? Losing one child, his only child, to heathen Elves is better than another man!" the princess yelled, her eyes aflame as she spoke to her mother. With her jaw clenched Clairborne crossed her arms across her chest and sat back against the seat, looking out the dark blue curtained window away from her mother. She still couldn't believe that her parents were making her do this. If only they would've had another child before her, another daughter or a son for the Elf princess to marry, but no she was the only daughter, the only child that ever made it to term.