The east tower at dawn

I

   Katherine was the name she had been given. The name that had been written on a note, pinned to her bundle when she had been found outside the castle gates. They never knew if Katherine was who she was to be given to, or her mother's name or her own, so they gave her the only name she had. She'd never liked the name though. If her family didn't want her, she wanted nothing to do with them. So she went by Kate.

  Kate was the favorite maid and best friend of the princess of Tarnan, Annabelle. That meant her duty was supposed to be cleaning the princess's rooms and dressing her up. But Annabelle mostly set other servants to do that. Which meant Kate's only duty was being a friend, which is not very hard when the friend is as wonderful as Annabelle.

Kate fluffed Annabelle's pillow and put it nicely into place. She then started pacing the room, waiting for her friend to arrive. They always had evening talks. Mostly about Annabelle's day, but sometimes a few words about Kate could be pushed out as well.

  She was rarely so late. Maybe she had actually found a suitable man today? Or, more likely another relentless blonde guy.

  Kate was glad she didn't have to deal with finding a husband before coronation. She often found herself envious of the dresses and the bed, but all in all she was happy not being a princess.

   Annabelle arrived soon enough with a blond man trailing after her. He leaned in to kiss her but she gently pushed him away. She was always gentle. So sweet. Even though they were all pushed onto her by the king, in hope that she might find someone to marry.

  She was beautiful, Kate thought. Her dark brown hair fell in loose waves under her red-gemmed tiara. Her skin was pale, smooth and slightly freckled. And her eyes were deep brown. Light, but so deep that Kate was sure you could drown in them.

   She didn't bother to change before collapsing onto her bed. Kate almost laughed. "Bad day my lady?" Annabelle groaned.

  "That obvious?"She teased back. "Three bidders in a day! All sweet but awfully stupid. And you know I don't like blonds."

  Sighing, Kate sat down on the edge of the bed. "Ok, tell me everything."

   So she did. Listening to Annabelle was always the same. There was complaining. Annabelle, who was seventeen at the time, was to marry at eighteen, and had been looking for the right guy for over a year now.

   Kate watched Annabelle's mouth move, and tried -or at least pretended- to listen. But lords and bidders kept blurring as her mind trailed off to another place. Another world. Beyond the Fohrest.

   It had been her dream for as long as she could remember. Growing up amongst servants, she heard many tales and stories. No human had crossed the Fohrest for three thousand years, and come back. Either it was too beautiful a place to leave, or they were taken prisoners and slaves, or killed.

  The last of those was most likely. The elves were many, and some of them had sharp teeth and claws. Some fed on others, while others fed on dreams. And yet Kate had always been fascinated by the tales of Kathrowien. In love with a place she had never been to.

   She knew that if the opportunity ever reached her to leave this place- This world- she would take it. There was nothing for her here. Annabelle was the only friend she had, and nobody knew who her family had been.

   Annabelle sighed. "If only..." Kate looked at her, waiting. "No..."

Not acceptable. "No blonds, huh?" Her friend's head snapped up. "What about  Axell?" The guard who usually stood outside this very room, guarding the princesse's life. They often talked, and Axell was handsome.