Chapter One:

The sky was gray and cloudy. It is usually gray and cloudy. This doesn’t mean it will rain though. It hasn’t rained nice and good for at least 4 months. The ground is dry and hard. The clouds look full of water. But they aren’t. They are a curse. A curse put on us by a dark wizard by the name of Zimara. She had been a legendary wizard, both in a good way and bad. Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Azul, one of the best wizards in her century. Turn mad when her mother died and her father re-married. His new wife had insisted her own son become next king and the King had relented. She had spoken to him but he was under the “spell” of his new wife. He would do anything that she asked.

And one day, she killed him. Of course she didn’t say she killed him. She accused a servant, but the entire kingdom new of her evil, including her son. He was appalled by her. Banished her from the kingdom, but Zimara didn’t care. She blamed him and his mother her own mother’s death and cast a curse on them.

“For as long as your bloodline rule this kingdom, every summer, dark clouds will gather, but no rain shall fall. The streams shall dry up. The lakes shall shrink, until your rule ends.”

So that is how it was. The same bloodline ruled for long, for they were good rulers, and kind and no one wanted them to go. They devised different plans and strategies to cope with this problem.

And so the same bloodline ruled on with no end to the curse…until me.

2 Dresses

I crept through my house with 3 water balloons hidden behind my back. Matthew was whistling a tune in the kitchen while leaning over a comic book, his hands firmly placed in his lap. I grinned and held up the balloons in front of me, no longer needing to hid them.

“What are you doing?” Matthew said without even turning around. “You better not pelt me with those balloons. Or else you might just get…” He turned a reveled a squirt gun and shot me straight onto my pants. “Wet!” he finished.

“Matthew!” I shrieked before whacking him with a water balloon. “This was my best shirt!” I threw another one but it didn’t even explode instead falling helplessly to the floor. Matthew looked at it and laughed out loud.

“It didn’t even work!” his voice echoed. So to shut him up I threw my last one at him and this time it exploded in his face leaving him shocked and wet.

“Ha! You got to love revenge!” I grabbed a pot from nearby and cowered behind it as Matthew lifted his water gun and aimed at me.

“Kids! What on Earth are-” my mom walked in behind me just as Matthew shoot a shower of water. I ducked and it hit my mom right in the face. She gasped and her eyes widened. Uh oh. “Matthew! Hope! Living room now!”

“This might not be the best time to ask if I can go to the market huh?” I whispered over to Matthew as we sat on the couch. He just grinned at me.

“Uh uh. No. Stand up and face the walls. Chins down, hands behind you head.” my mom called and pointed at the white wall.

Matthew and I looked at each other with confusion but din’t question our mom. She could do unspeakable things. I held my hands behind my head and faced the wall so that my nose was almost touching it. Just as I did I spazzed when a hard, cold spew of water ran up my back. I jumped and Matthew tried to hid when he realized what our mom was doing but dived behind the couch to late. Mom already clipped his with a nice shoot in his unmentionables.

“Lesson of the day: don’t spray me with water or you will live to regret it. Now clean all this up.”

She looked around at her handy work and laughed along with us for a minuted before walking out the room with a smile on her face. Matthew and I collapsed on the sofa laughing at each others wet hair and our mom’s fun personality. I love my family. We grabbed some rags and got to cleaning off the water from the walls and floor. It took us only a few minutes when we decided that it was only water and would dry up eventually. Matthew left to hang out with his other 17 year old friends, including Jason who was major hot. And now that I’m 16 he just might notice me. I shook my head and went off to ask my mom if I could head over to the markets to buy a dress. Or two. She smiled and let me go though recommended I should put on different cloths first. I had completely forgotten that I was still wet. I changed into another pair of jeans and a shirt that wasn’t a cute as the first one but will work none the less. Mom gave me 200 dollars (something that never happened before) and let me run out warning me to use it wisely. I ran out before she could give me the whole, “your 16 now and I believe you are old enough to take on some responsibilities as a young adult and you can now be trusted with..” yadda yadda. Man it’s weird how your parents can change from a fun, water squirting mom to a serious, speech-giving parent. I headed down the trail to the main part of the city I lived in, Kingsville. It was a beautiful city I must admit. My cottage stood on the outskirts of the town at the top of one of it’s many rolling, green hills that filled the lands around Kingsville. From my house you could see the palace stand out from all the other boring, uncolored buildings that didn’t stand a chance against the glistening golden towers and sparkling walls that decorated the palace the king was living in this very second. Here everyone knew everyone and no one really had any secrets. As the trail slowly turned into the main road and booths filled to sidelines, selling items of all sorts, I began to recognize some people. There was Mr. Flat from the bakery, Mr. and Mrs. Twine from the tailor shop, Mrs. Mold from the pottery shop, and Jamie McClear from the glass shop. I headed over to the tailor shop where I spotted Cassie and Samantha who were franticly waving at me. Cassie tackled me as soon as I was in range. Then she hit me on the shoulder.

“What took you so long! We had to let 3 people go in front of us in line! 3 people!”

“I’m sure they appreciate it Cassie. And I’m sure you will live.”

“No I won’t, Hope! I nearly died of impatience!”

“Patience is a virtue.”

“Whatever. You’re here now. How much do you have?”

“200 dollars. Can you believe that! My mom is really starting to trust me now.”

“200 dollars! Are you kidding me! When I turned 16 all my mo gave me was a toothbrush.” she pouted and Sam rolled her eyes.

“Not the mention the horse. The 2,000 dollar horse.” Sam said, raising one brow. Cassie thought over it.

“Yeah your right. Never mind! But this is dire emergency. We have to get you at least 4 new dresses ASAP!”

“Dire? Someone’s been bumping up their vocabulary.”

“Oh shut up. Do you think Prince Ky will be at the ball?”

“He has to.” Sam said. “After all it his his brothers ball. And the King Marcus would flip is Ky wasn’t there.”

“Next!” A voice called from inside the tailor. I ran inside and said my hellos to Mrs. Twine. “Hope! I hear it’s your birthday! Turning 16 on the first day of the ball! This is certainly your lucky day!”

“Thank you Mrs. Twine. Is that one of your projects?” I said pointing at a beautiful dress that was placed on one of the many mannequins.

It was one of 4 others thats stood half hidden in the shop. One was a vivid green, a blood red, a midnight blue, and a soft pink. All of them were gorgeous and I felt a small stab of jealousy to whoever gets to wear those beautiful dresses.

“Why it is! All 3 of those are! Do you like them?”

“I love them!”

“Good! ‘Cause they were made for you.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean your mom came in a few weeks ago and asked me to make you more dresses. Even when you don’t think of something, your parents always do. These 4 dresses belong to you and along with the other 3 dresses you have at home. Now you should have the 7 dresses you’ll need! Whew! With the ball coming up business has been booming! I can hardly keep up!”

“Well thank you Mrs. Twine. How much will it be?”

“Well usually all 4 dresses would add up to 370 dollars.” Oh no. “But it’s your birthday so how about 75? Sounds good?”

“Sounds great!” I asked and breathed out a sigh of relief.

I have her the money and she packed away the dresses carefully and neatly.  I walked out the tailor and showed Cassie and Sam my new dresses and we all squealed in excitement. Even though I usually don’t freak out over things like this, it was still a pretty big deal. We combed through the markets and found accessories and shoes and hair pins that fit our outfits perfectly. I was finally ready for the ball and there is nothing that can stop me from having the time of my life.

Chapter One:

          The air rushed past me as I burst through my bedroom door. The large room was quite and still, just what I had needed after that large room full of people. The large room of people expecting ME to find solutions to their problems.      

         I didn’t mind the people much, but their problems were another thing. They usually involved marriages, crop, or thieves.

I didn’t know how to solve half their problems and felt very helpless, for the ministers offered no help. The last problem had been involving a young man and woman, wanting to marry, but unable to do so because the girl’s parents wished her to wed someone else. I had wrung my hand throughout her explanation, wondering what I should say. Even though my heart went out to the girl, I knew that from all the ministers had taught me that a daughter must obey her parents and marry whom they wanted her to. The disobedience would not have been tolerated by my father; who, thankfully, dealt with matters of war and borders.

So, as you must have guessed, I went against my ministers wishes and granted the girl permission to marry her beloved. The couple looked so happy as they left the hall, that I was glad I had chosen the decision. However, that put an end to my day of solving problems.

Now, as I sat at the edge of my bed, thinking over the incident, my thoughts were interrupted by a call from outside.

“Your Majesty!”

Someone was calling the King. I rushed to the window, wondering who had made such a racket, when a heard trumpets.

Oh no! It was another suitor. My father had been calling all the noble men from all the neighboring provinces and all the unmarried princes from neighboring kingdoms. So far, none had made a striking impression on me and, thank god, neither to my father.

Then, through the palace gates, four carriages rolled in. Most of traveling princes brought an whole underage full of gifts for my father. This one must be stingy or he might not want to or need to kiss my father’s feet.

I turned from the window. Right then, I wanted to be the happy young lady who I had allowed to marry her lover, or maybe the young maid who came to serve me my breakfast; she was always happy, or perhaps my far cousin; Princess Dina. She was married to a knight of her father’s because she loved him and her father was kind man.

I wanted to be anyone but myself. I sat down on my bed, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before I was called to meet the suitor.

To be Continued…

Chapter One:

A knock at the door. I looked up to see my maid and friend, Friar, open the door. Her black hair, shorter than mine, was curled into a bun. Her face was smiling.

“My lady,” she said, “The Prince Braxton from the kingdom of Astayron has arrived to ask your father for your hand.”          She looked around outside, then dropped her formal manner of speaking, “I must say, mistress, he is a very charming individual. I went out to greet him for you and he treated me most politely.”

“Well,” I nodded, “That’s an improvement from last time.”

The last prince that had come was handsome enough, but his attitude towards servants and slaves brought a big problem with me. I hated putting people under slavery and  freed any slaves I had. I treated every servant as equal to anyone else as I could.

“Come, Princess, he is waiting.”

I followed Friar out of my chamber and down the grand stair case and into the large Grand Hall, where visitor present themselves in front of the King.

“At least your dress prettier than the last time,” a voice said from the corner. Oh no. I looked up and sure enough, Mildred, my father’s sister’s daughter was standing there. Mildred hated me. For what, I didn’t know. I was no fan of her’s either.

“At least you sentence is politer than last time’s Mildred. Did your mother insist on those manner classes?” I asked.

“At least I have a mother,” Mildred sneered, “My mother didn’t run off because the kingdom’s shadow problem scared her.”

That stung. Everyone said, at least everyone who I knew, said that my mother had left me and the kingdom because she thought the shadows were a bad omen. She supposedly left in the middle of the night, leaving behind, only her memory and a amulet.

I wore that locket now. My father told me that when he found me alone in her chambers he also found the amulet tied firmly around my neck. It was a crystalline sphere and inside it was a small globe of swirling colors. It hung on golden chain around my neck. Once I had tried to pull it off, but the tie wouldn’t come loose.

I looked at Mildred again, “At least my father cares about me. He loves me and wouldn’t leave me as a sacrifice to a neighboring kingdom.”

Mildred’s father was said to have left Mildred on the border between our kingdom, Juniper Leaves, and our enemies, Fern Branches. Her mother got there in time to save her.

Mildred scowled at me, “Go on in. Prince Charming must be waiting.”

I smiled at her, “What? Aren’t you going to introduce me to him this time? Didn’t you have fun last time?”

She scowled and stalked away.

“Come on your highness,” Friar tugged my arms and pulled me through the great doors. My father sat on his throne. A look of impatience washed off his face when he saw me.

“Ah, here she is! My daughter, late as always.”

He patted the smaller throne that was next to him, “Come sit my daughter.”

I slowly crossed the hall, trying not to look interested in a young man that was kneeling in front of my father.

I climbed the dais steps and seated myself on the smaller throne.

“Now, stand my son.”

The young man stood.

He was only two of three years older than me. He had fiery red hair that was thick and a tiny-bit disheveled. He wore a strong leather tunic, and a long sword was strapped to his side.

On his right hand, I noted, he wore a jeweled ring and on the left hand his fingers were bare, but on his wrisr he wore a band of leather that had designs i could not see.

“Your name?” my father asked.

“Prince Braxton, sire.” the Prince introduced himself.

“Hmm,” the king looked to me, ” And you seek my daughter’s hand?”

“Yes.”

To be Continued…

Chapter Two:

My father nodded, “Very well. You shall stay here for a week and if we find you suitable you will have my daughter’s hand and when I leave this world to live among the stars, you will inherit the responsibilities of King.”

My father paused, “But tell me, son, how do you propose to be king of both Juniper Leaves and Astayron Buds?”

“Sire, I am capable of that. I plan to spend half a year in Juniper Leaves and the other half in Astayron Buds. While I am here, my younger brother, Prince Thalamus will supervise Astayron Buds.”

“And while you are in Astayron Buds, who will take care of Juniper Leaves?”

“We can arrange that.”

“Very well. My daughter, Princess Zara, shall escort you to your chambers.”

He gestured for me to go. Slowly, I rose and curtsied to my father. Then, I made my way to the large doors at the side of the hall where we would exit.

“Wait,” Prince Braxton called, “I have a request.”

Chapter Two:

My father looked up, “What is it?”

“I have 5 servants I would like to keep with me, here.”

“5 servants? I assure you that my kingdom is capible of providing you with servants.”

“I do not doubt it, Your Highness,” Prince Braxton said, “I just wish to keep 5 of my personal sevants with me.”

My father sighed, “Very well. Follow my daughter. I will send your servants to their own quarters.”

Prince Braxton bowed and nodded to me. I opened the doors and led him out.

“Hi.” he said as we made our way down the hallway, “As you know, I am Prince Braxton.”

“Yes,” I tried using my coldest voice, “You’re here to clamp your hand on my life.”

“Excuse me?” We had reached his room now. It was for our royal guests. I hoped his royal highness would find it pleasurable.

“You know. If and when my father chooses someone, my life will be nothing except pins, needles, idle chatter and taking care of, whoever that unfortunate man is, my husband.” It was true. I had seen what had become of my older friends when they were married off.

Braxton laughed, which was the last thing I had expected. I could feel my neck heating up and knew that my face was probably pink with anger.

“You think this funny???” I cried my anger bubbling to rage, “How would you like to have your life snuffed out by a man who marries you just to be served dinner every night?”

With that I stompped away. Behind me, the prince called out, “Princess! Princess Zara! Look I didn’t mean…”

But I turned the corner and ran…

To be Continued…