Post by Legolas Greenleaf on Feb 11, 2006 13:11:49 GMT -4
Prologue
Once upon a time there was a princess. It seems like a lot of fairy tales start with that saying. But this fairy tale is different from most fairy tales. You know how most fairy tale families have three children, all the same gender. Three boys or three girls. And usually all three of them set out on the same quest, one at a time. The oldest usually goes first, and sometimes he or she succeeds. Most of the time the first two fail and it is the youngest child who wins the quest. So there you have it. Sometimes the oldest child wins, and sometimes the youngest. Who is missing? The middle child. Middle children never have a place in stories. They are always overshadowed by their older or younger siblings. Middle children as just as capable of going on quests, slaying dragons, and all that stuff as their siblings.
This story is about a middle child. The middle child out of three princesses.
Princess Tiaral, (Tia for short) was the oldest. Eighteen years of age, she was blonde, blue eyed, and beautiful. Suitors came from all over the land to ask her hand in marriage. She refused them all. She was waiting for her prince, the perfect man to come and sweep her off her feet. Her favorite thing to do was sit at her window embroidering and wait for her prince. When she was younger she used to play with her sisters, but the delusions of romance had entered her life and she was fun no more.
Princess Aimee was the youngest. Eleven years old, she had mousy brown hair and brown eyes. She was the smart, mature one in the family. She knew everything about everything. If you asked her what the dragon population of the country was ten years ago she would answer without hesitation. If you asked her exactly how many suitors had come to court her oldest sister she would know that too. She had more fun learning things than playing. She would play if asked to, but much preferred her books.
Princess Sarina (Sari for short) was the middle child. Fifteen years old. she was dark haired and green eyed. Always overshadowed by her sisters, she tried hard to be someone special. But you can't be someone you are not. She was quite ordinary. She was not especially smart, or pretty. She was not a perfect lady like her sisters. She was actually somewhat of a tomboy. She preferred playing to embroidering, and exploring to sitting in the dusty library buried in some old book. She did not hate reading; she just didn’t love it as much as Aimee. Altogether she was not special. And this story is about her.
Chapter One
Aimee was sitting on a bench in the garden, a book in her lap. It was a beautiful day. It had been raining for the past week or so, but suddenly the weather cleared up. Aimee had decided to take her reading outside so she could enjoy the fresh air. Tiaral was still in her room, looking out the window as usual. She didn't know where Sari was. Suddenly, a pinecone fell her in lap. Looking up into the trees she spotted Sari perched precariously on a limb, aiming another pinecone at her.
"You stop that right now Sari or I'll tell mother you're climbing trees again! You know you always mess up your dresses when you do that! Come down this instant!"
The figure in the tree hesitated, then threw the pinecone and scrambled down the tree. Jumping the last few feet she landed right in front of Aimee.
"Why do you always have to tell on me when I am having fun Aimee? It seems like you are against fun!"
"I'm not against fun; I'm just against fun that is against the rules!"
"Who says climbing trees is against the rules?"
"Mother and Father do!"
"Well only because you tell on me when I climb!"
"You get your dresses all dirty!"
"Well that's because-"
"Children! Fighting again? It seems like the castle is never free of it!" This came from their mother. She was walking gracefully down the steps to the garden. Clothed in a long red dress, she looked elegant and lovely as usual.
"Now, what is the problem?"
Sari looked down at her shoes and scuffed her feet as Aimee accused her.
"She was climbing the tree again mother, and she threw a pinecone at me!"
Their mother looked at Sari.
" Is this true?"
"Yes mother." She mumbled.
"Sari, you know the rule. Whenever you climb a tree you always end up ripping either your dress or you stockings. And look at your hair! It is in a dreadful state. Go into the castle at once and clean yourself up."
Sari nodded miserably and disappeared into the castle. Aimee went back to her book and their mother sighed as she looked up into the tree Sari had been climbing. Why were her children so difficult to manage?
*******************
As Sari went up to her room she passed Tia's room. As usual, Tia was sitting at her window. The only difference from the day before is that she was knitting instead of embroidering. Sari went in to say hello.
"Hey Tia. Still waiting?"
Tia's eyes looked dreamy and far off.
"He should be coming any day now. Any day. Don't disturb me Sari. I must keep watch."
Sari rolled her eyes as she went out of the room and closed the door. She almost felt she didn't know her sister anymore. Even though they were only three years apart in age, in the past few months they had drifted far apart. She and Tiaral used to be best buddies, doing everything together. Romance spoils everything, she thought.
Going into her room she flopped down on the bed. She loved her room. It was one of her favorite places in the whole world. She had decorated it all herself. She put tapestries on every wall and rugs on every floor surface. Castles could be so cold and unfriendly; she wanted her room to be warm and inviting. With a sigh she got up and went to her wardrobe. Dresses. Her wardrobe was full of them. She wished she could wear trousers, but no, royalty had to wear dresses. She picked out a bright red one and slipped it on. Then she went to her dresser and washed her face and hands. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Staring back at her was a slender girl with green eyes and long dark brown hair that was in a braid down her back. She scrubbed her face again and was pleased to find it made her cheeks red. She was very pale. No matter how much time she spent playing in the sun, her skin stayed pale. It bothered her to no end. Her braid was messy so she undid it and braided it again. There. Now she looked nice. Like Mother and Father wanted her to look.
She went down into the kitchens to try to find something to eat. She knew she should wait for dinner but she was always hungry. The kitchen was another one of her favorite places. It was smelled good, and was always busy. She slipped in and sat down in the corner, taking in the scene. The cook, Mary was chopping carrots to go into a stew. Most cooks are old, wrinkled, and fat, but Mary was young and slim. She always had a smile on her face, and wanted to feed any hungry person who came her way. All around were the kitchen assistants. They were there to do Mary's every whim. Mary had a lot of whims. Sari smiled to herself as she recalled the time Mary had gone into a fit of rage because her assistant got a cabbage instead of a head of lettuce at the market.
As she sat there Mary noticed her.
"Princess Sari! What can I do for you today Miss? I bet you're hungry. That's usually why you come down here!"
Sari smiled.
"Why yes, I am hungry. What have you got for me today?"
"Why I do believe I have this lovely soup cooking. Would you like a bowl?"
Sari nodded, and Mary filled a bowl for her. Taking it she wandered back up into the castle to eat it. As she walked through the halls she suddenly spotted her father walking towards her. Hiding the empty bowl behind her back she tried to look innocent.
"Why hello father! What a lovely day it is today hm?"
Her father was not fooled for a moment.
"Well Sari, what have you got behind your back there? Another orphaned animal? Or more food?"
Sari blushed.
"I was hungry and dinner isn't for a few more hours."
"Think nothing of it. We all get hungry sometimes. I'm just relieved it's not another baby animal to care for!"
Sari was famous in the castle for coming home with all sorts of creatures. She had always loved animals, and whenever she saw one in need she just had to take it in. Over the years she had brought in cats, dogs, birds, squirrels, even a small monkey she had found on the side of the road one day.
Her father smiled at her.
"Well I'd best be on my way. Your mother wants me. I think I'm in trouble."
They both laughed. Sari adored her father. He was like a big kid, yet he was also grown up and noble. She could never figure him out. She and her mother, on the other hand, didn’t get along so well. Her mother wanted her to be a real lady, something she was sure she could never do. She never understood how such a stern, regal lady as her mother could get along with her fun loving father.
She handed the empty bowl to a passing servant and went out into the garden again. Her mother and father were gone but Aimee was still there. She looked up from her book.
"Cleaned up? Good. We are having visitors later this afternoon, important ones from another castle."
"Really? What castle?"
"I don’t know, but Mother said they were very important so we must look our best!"
With a sigh Sari sat down on another bench, smoothed out her dress, and prepared herself for a boring afternoon with visitors. Visitors were always boring. They talked of crops and peasant revolts, and there was usually a prince who came along to eyeball Tirana. Maybe she would be able to go for a walk before they came.
Chapter Two
She almost got out without being caught. Her mother stopped her right when she was sneaking out the front gate. Now she was sitting on a bench in the garden waiting for the visitors to arrive. They did so with great ceremony. First came the trumpet men, then came at least fifteen guards. After the guards came the carriage. She glimpsed inside and saw a man and a lady, about her parent's age and a young man about Tia's age. She sighed. There went her afternoon. The lovesick prince would follow her around all day asking her about her sister. Hopping off the bench she followed the visitors into the castle to see what was up.
She found them seated in the meeting room. The older people were discussing matters of state while the young man looked bored. She hid behind the door and studied him carefully. He was not bad looking. Maybe Tia wouldn't turn this one away. He had curly brown hair and blue eyes. Tia always said her "prince" would have curly hair and blue eyes. As Sari peered around the door she suddenly realized the prince was looking at her. She ducked back around the corner and waited. She didn't hear anything. As she started to lean around the door again she was suddenly confronted with a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She stepped backwards and almost tripped over a stray cat. The prince (for that's who it was) grinned at her.
"Hello. I suppose you are Princess Sarina?"
"Um. Yeah. I am. Nice to meet you, um…"
"Jonathon. But you can call me John. Hey, is your sister around? Tiaral, right?"
Sari groaned inwardly.
"Yeah, um, she is but she doesn't want to talk to anyone now. How old are you anyways? She says that her suitors have to be older than her."
"Eighteen and a half"
"You just make it. She just turned eighteen a few months ago."
"I suppose I'm lucky then."
There was silence for a few moments, and then Sari coughed. "Well, I suppose I'll be going now. You should too; your parents must be missing you."
He made a face. "Yeah they probably are. See you later, Princess." He disappeared back into the room.
She blew a stray wisp of hair out of her face and wandered off, whistling to herself.
***********************
The visitors left about an hour later. Sari was pleased. It wasn't too late in the afternoon, and she had an idea. Going to her father she proposed that she and her sisters went out for a picnic. Beyond the village was a pleasant spot, with a pond and some big trees. Her father agreed to let them go, but he insisted that he send two guards along for their protection. Sari bargained with him and finally they reached an agreement. The three girls would dress as peasants, and so would the guards. The guards would follow them at a distance just to keep an eye on them.
They left a few minutes later, Sari and Aimee carried baskets with their picnic inside. Tiaral insisted that she was too old to carry one. As the traveled down to the village Sari reveled in her freedom. The peasant dress she wore was nowhere near as restricting as her royal dresses, and her hair, put up in a handkerchief blew free in the wind. As they passed through the busy marketplace Sari took in all the sights and sounds. She wished life at the castle was so busy and full of life. So much was going on! She couldn’t decide where to look.
Finally they reached the picnic spot. The guards sat a few feet away and pretended they were just two men out for a smoke and a talk, while the girls set out the picnic. The day was still very nice. Because the afternoon was getting on, the sun was not as hot as it had been earlier. All three girls were enjoying their afternoon.
After about ten minutes. Sari noticed a very nice climbing tree a couple feet away. Waiting until her sisters were talking, she slipped away towards it. Kicking off her shoes she leapt up and grabbed onto one of the branches. It was a perfect climbing tree, with branches every few feet. She climbed higher and higher until she felt a little dizzy, and then looked down below her. The guards were napping, and her sisters were still talking. Sari turned and looked out over the pond for a few moments.
When she turned back, she noticed half a dozen black-clad figures advancing towards the spot where her sisters were. As she watched, the lead figure stopped to converse with the two guards. In one swift movement, the black figure pulled out a shining blade and beheaded both guards with one swipe. Aimee and Tiaral were watching, and they were too frozen in fear and shock to say anything. Swiftly the figures were on them. Trampling the remaining food, they picked up the two girls and covered their mouths so they couldn't scream. They stuffed them into the back of a cart that had been drawn up next to them in the confusion. Sari looked up at the village, hoping that someone would notice the commotion but they were to far away for anyone to notice. The first figure, obviously the leader, spoke.
"There are supposed to be three of them. Search the area."
Sari was frozen in the tree. She silently willed her green dress to blend in with her leafy surroundings. The men searched all around but never looked up into the tree. After all, proper princesses would never climb trees. After a few moments the men decided they couldn't risk any more time, and so they got into the cart and drove off. Sari was still frozen in the tree. She couldn't move for what seemed like ages. Finally she managed to move her stiff limbs and clamber down from the tree. Dropping the last few feet she landed on all fours. Slowly she raised her head. Directly in front of her was the severed head of one of the guards. She was finally able to let out the scream that had been bottled up in her for so long.
Chapter Three
The villagers had heard Sari's scream, and came running to help. They were very kind and helped her get back to the castle. She fell into her father's arms as he came rushing out, and sobbed the whole story to him. Her father, a normally kind, gentle man, was furious. He sent out search parties at once, but the whole castle knew there was little hope of finding the kidnapped girls. There was no information whatsoever on where they were. Sari had been unable to identify any of the men, except for the leader. She remembered he had been tall, with very short dark hair. She couldn't think of any distinguishing features though. There was little hope for rescuing the girls. All they could do was sit and wait for the kidnappers to contact them.
Later that night, Sari was sitting on her bed. She knew it was very late, past midnight. She couldn't fall asleep. She got up and paced about the room. Sitting down again, she realized she felt guilty. Here she was, sitting on her bed in her bedroom while her sisters were in danger. Flopping on her stomach she thought about it some more. She knew she wasn't especially brave, or adventurous, or clever, but she did know what she had to do. She had to go find her sisters and bring them back.
Getting up, she dived into her closet. In the very back was an old knapsack. Right next to it were the hiking boots her father had given her for her birthday last year. Her mother had been furious, hiking boots were not the proper present for a princess. They had been thrown in the closet and forgotten. Now they could be used. They still fit, though she was a little clumsy in them. She slipped into the peasant dress she had been wearing earlier, and tied back her hair with the handkerchief. She messed up her hair and resolved to put some dirt on her face as soon as she got out of the castle. Blending in was very important. Next she started putting essential items in her knapsack. An extra pair of clothes, some money, and a sheet to wrap herself in while she slept.
Slipping out of her room and down the stairs, she snuck into the kitchen. Just as she was going in the pantry she heard a snore behind her. She whirled around to find Mary snoring by the stove, wooden spoon in hand. Sari smiled in relief, turned back to the pantry, and promptly tripped over her big boots and fell to the floor. Mary woke with a snort, and eyed Sari's boots sticking out of the pantry.
"What would someone be doing sneaking around my kitchen in the middle of the night? Who's there?"
Sari untangled herself from her knapsack and sat up. Mary gasped.
"Princess Sari! What are you doing down here in the middle of the night?"
Sari put her hand up to her mouth to shush her and said
"Mary, please! I just need some provisions. I'm going to find Tia and Aimee."
Mary opened her mouth once more and then thought better of it.
"Is that it then? You're going to find your sisters? Brave lass. I'll help you with that."
Sari left the kitchens lugging a full knapsack. Mary had filled it up with sensible foods, bread, cheese, and dried meat. She had also given her a flagon of water. Settling back down at her seat next to the stove, she had winked at Sari and then closed her eyes again. Next was a trip to the armory. Sari had never been much good with a sword, but she had some skill with a bow. She chose a sturdy one and a quiver full of arrows and slung them over her back. She also tucked a dagger into her belt, just in case. Then she was ready.
As she pattered down towards the gate, she noticed a figure sitting in the garden, watching her. It was her father. He beckoned her over and had her sit beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments and then he spoke.
"I'm not going to try to stop you. That would be impossible. But if you will accept this gift, it should help you on your journey."
He handed her a soft dark cloak. She stared at it. He smiled at her.
"This is no ordinary cloak, Sari. It is an invisibility cloak. Try it on."
(For those Harry Potter fans out there, just to let you know I am not stealing from Harry Potter. Invisibility cloaks were around long before J.K. Rowling)
Sari put it on around her shoulders and was amazed to find that her body had disappeared. She covered her head with it and laughed with delight. Now she would be able to sneak in almost anywhere! Her father laughed with her. Then his face grew serious.
"Sari, I want you to be careful. Promise me that."
She took off the cloak, folded it carefully and put it in her knapsack.
"I promise father."
He gave her a hug, and then opened the gate for her. She was off.
Chapter Four
It was almost dawn, and Sari was tired, but exhilarated at the same time. She had never been out on her own before, and it felt very strange. There was no one looking after her, no one to tell her to keep her dress clean, no one to follow her every move. She enjoyed it, but at the same it was rather lonely. At least, lonely as in having no friends around you. There were certainly plenty of people! Even in the pre-dawn hours, the main road (which was just a path, really,) was bustling with activity. Sari had hitched a ride on a wagon for a bit, but now she was walking again. She really had no idea where she was going, or what she was doing, but some instinct inside her told her she was going towards her sisters. Wherever they were.
A plan had half-formed in her mind. She would ask around about black-clad men in a cart. That sight wasn't too common in the region, and she had already gotten a couple tips. The man who was driving the wagon she had hitched a ride on told her that he had seen a wagon driven by a black-clad man going a furious pace down the road earlier that day.
For once, Sari was glad she was ordinary. She did not stick out in the milling crowds. Her sisters would have. She was just one of the group, being swept away towards an unknown destination.
Around mid-day she was very tired. She hadn't planned on stopping until nightfall, but she just couldn't go any further. Pushing her way out of the crowd, she sat down by the road and rested. She ate a small meal and rested for a while. Before she knew it, she had dropped off to sleep.
When she woke up it was nearly dark.
"Drat" she muttered. That was not in the plan. The roads had emptied, more or less, and a traveler only came along once in a while. She noticed that up the road a bit and across was a cheery looking inn, with a lamp burning in the window. She got up and walked closer. As she peered in the window, she noticed that most of the people in there were burly men, drinking beer. She decided to try out her invisibility cloak. Pulling it out of her pack, she slipped it on. The hood was quite big, and covered her whole head. Even her face. As she put it on, it disappeared and so did she. Where she had been able to see her reflection a moment before in the window, there was now nothing. She grinned.
Opening the door very slowly, she slipped inside and shut it. The occupants of the inn were all too drunk to notice. She knew it was dangerous there, but she figured if she eavesdropped she might get a bit of valuable information. As she wandered from table to table, all she heard were drunken men telling rude jokes. Until she noticed a table in the corner, with two men sitting at it. They did not have beers in front of them, and they looked sober. Creeping over she stood behind one of them and listened.
"It's a dangerous venture mate, but it was genius it was!" said the first man, a thin, oily altogether unpleasant character.
"Genius, maybe, but now we have to figure out how to get the ransom without getting caught" said the second man. Sari noticed that he was rather handsome. She didn't trust him for a second.
"You could bribe some village boy to deliver it, threaten to kill the girls if they don't comply, and then just make a trade. The king and queen would never put their daughters in danger" the oily man said.
Sari knew she had come to the right table. She was amazed at her luck.
"Just make sure they are locked up tight for the time being. You wouldn't want them escaping would you?" said the oily man.
"Don't worry, they are safe and sound" said the handsome man. He was facing Sari, but she was confident that he couldn’t see her. Her nose itched, so she scratched it. The handsome man was looking at her, and she froze.
"Ern, I swear the patch of air above your head just moved" said the handsome man.
"Don’t be a fool, Brian. You've had too much to drink, that's all"
"I haven't had anything to drink Ern. Stay very still."
Sari knew trouble when she heard it. Turning around she started to creep away.
"I knew it! That patch of air moved! There's someone there! Someone block the door!"
Sari broke into a run. But she was too late. Some of the men had gotten up to block the door.
"I'd stake a pile of gold we've got ourselves a sneak in an invisibility cloak. Come on out, sneak. You can't hide forever."
She looked about desperately for another escape route. There! A stairway led up to what was presumably some rooms for rent. She sneaked by another two men and dashed up the stairs. Behind her, they were combing the room.
The stairway led up to a hallway with doors dotting it. She started to try the doors. If she was lucky, there would be one unlocked and she could go through the window. The second to last door was unlocked. She could hear that the men downstairs and figured out where she went. Opening the door, she threw herself inside and slammed it behind her.
Once upon a time there was a princess. It seems like a lot of fairy tales start with that saying. But this fairy tale is different from most fairy tales. You know how most fairy tale families have three children, all the same gender. Three boys or three girls. And usually all three of them set out on the same quest, one at a time. The oldest usually goes first, and sometimes he or she succeeds. Most of the time the first two fail and it is the youngest child who wins the quest. So there you have it. Sometimes the oldest child wins, and sometimes the youngest. Who is missing? The middle child. Middle children never have a place in stories. They are always overshadowed by their older or younger siblings. Middle children as just as capable of going on quests, slaying dragons, and all that stuff as their siblings.
This story is about a middle child. The middle child out of three princesses.
Princess Tiaral, (Tia for short) was the oldest. Eighteen years of age, she was blonde, blue eyed, and beautiful. Suitors came from all over the land to ask her hand in marriage. She refused them all. She was waiting for her prince, the perfect man to come and sweep her off her feet. Her favorite thing to do was sit at her window embroidering and wait for her prince. When she was younger she used to play with her sisters, but the delusions of romance had entered her life and she was fun no more.
Princess Aimee was the youngest. Eleven years old, she had mousy brown hair and brown eyes. She was the smart, mature one in the family. She knew everything about everything. If you asked her what the dragon population of the country was ten years ago she would answer without hesitation. If you asked her exactly how many suitors had come to court her oldest sister she would know that too. She had more fun learning things than playing. She would play if asked to, but much preferred her books.
Princess Sarina (Sari for short) was the middle child. Fifteen years old. she was dark haired and green eyed. Always overshadowed by her sisters, she tried hard to be someone special. But you can't be someone you are not. She was quite ordinary. She was not especially smart, or pretty. She was not a perfect lady like her sisters. She was actually somewhat of a tomboy. She preferred playing to embroidering, and exploring to sitting in the dusty library buried in some old book. She did not hate reading; she just didn’t love it as much as Aimee. Altogether she was not special. And this story is about her.
Chapter One
Aimee was sitting on a bench in the garden, a book in her lap. It was a beautiful day. It had been raining for the past week or so, but suddenly the weather cleared up. Aimee had decided to take her reading outside so she could enjoy the fresh air. Tiaral was still in her room, looking out the window as usual. She didn't know where Sari was. Suddenly, a pinecone fell her in lap. Looking up into the trees she spotted Sari perched precariously on a limb, aiming another pinecone at her.
"You stop that right now Sari or I'll tell mother you're climbing trees again! You know you always mess up your dresses when you do that! Come down this instant!"
The figure in the tree hesitated, then threw the pinecone and scrambled down the tree. Jumping the last few feet she landed right in front of Aimee.
"Why do you always have to tell on me when I am having fun Aimee? It seems like you are against fun!"
"I'm not against fun; I'm just against fun that is against the rules!"
"Who says climbing trees is against the rules?"
"Mother and Father do!"
"Well only because you tell on me when I climb!"
"You get your dresses all dirty!"
"Well that's because-"
"Children! Fighting again? It seems like the castle is never free of it!" This came from their mother. She was walking gracefully down the steps to the garden. Clothed in a long red dress, she looked elegant and lovely as usual.
"Now, what is the problem?"
Sari looked down at her shoes and scuffed her feet as Aimee accused her.
"She was climbing the tree again mother, and she threw a pinecone at me!"
Their mother looked at Sari.
" Is this true?"
"Yes mother." She mumbled.
"Sari, you know the rule. Whenever you climb a tree you always end up ripping either your dress or you stockings. And look at your hair! It is in a dreadful state. Go into the castle at once and clean yourself up."
Sari nodded miserably and disappeared into the castle. Aimee went back to her book and their mother sighed as she looked up into the tree Sari had been climbing. Why were her children so difficult to manage?
*******************
As Sari went up to her room she passed Tia's room. As usual, Tia was sitting at her window. The only difference from the day before is that she was knitting instead of embroidering. Sari went in to say hello.
"Hey Tia. Still waiting?"
Tia's eyes looked dreamy and far off.
"He should be coming any day now. Any day. Don't disturb me Sari. I must keep watch."
Sari rolled her eyes as she went out of the room and closed the door. She almost felt she didn't know her sister anymore. Even though they were only three years apart in age, in the past few months they had drifted far apart. She and Tiaral used to be best buddies, doing everything together. Romance spoils everything, she thought.
Going into her room she flopped down on the bed. She loved her room. It was one of her favorite places in the whole world. She had decorated it all herself. She put tapestries on every wall and rugs on every floor surface. Castles could be so cold and unfriendly; she wanted her room to be warm and inviting. With a sigh she got up and went to her wardrobe. Dresses. Her wardrobe was full of them. She wished she could wear trousers, but no, royalty had to wear dresses. She picked out a bright red one and slipped it on. Then she went to her dresser and washed her face and hands. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Staring back at her was a slender girl with green eyes and long dark brown hair that was in a braid down her back. She scrubbed her face again and was pleased to find it made her cheeks red. She was very pale. No matter how much time she spent playing in the sun, her skin stayed pale. It bothered her to no end. Her braid was messy so she undid it and braided it again. There. Now she looked nice. Like Mother and Father wanted her to look.
She went down into the kitchens to try to find something to eat. She knew she should wait for dinner but she was always hungry. The kitchen was another one of her favorite places. It was smelled good, and was always busy. She slipped in and sat down in the corner, taking in the scene. The cook, Mary was chopping carrots to go into a stew. Most cooks are old, wrinkled, and fat, but Mary was young and slim. She always had a smile on her face, and wanted to feed any hungry person who came her way. All around were the kitchen assistants. They were there to do Mary's every whim. Mary had a lot of whims. Sari smiled to herself as she recalled the time Mary had gone into a fit of rage because her assistant got a cabbage instead of a head of lettuce at the market.
As she sat there Mary noticed her.
"Princess Sari! What can I do for you today Miss? I bet you're hungry. That's usually why you come down here!"
Sari smiled.
"Why yes, I am hungry. What have you got for me today?"
"Why I do believe I have this lovely soup cooking. Would you like a bowl?"
Sari nodded, and Mary filled a bowl for her. Taking it she wandered back up into the castle to eat it. As she walked through the halls she suddenly spotted her father walking towards her. Hiding the empty bowl behind her back she tried to look innocent.
"Why hello father! What a lovely day it is today hm?"
Her father was not fooled for a moment.
"Well Sari, what have you got behind your back there? Another orphaned animal? Or more food?"
Sari blushed.
"I was hungry and dinner isn't for a few more hours."
"Think nothing of it. We all get hungry sometimes. I'm just relieved it's not another baby animal to care for!"
Sari was famous in the castle for coming home with all sorts of creatures. She had always loved animals, and whenever she saw one in need she just had to take it in. Over the years she had brought in cats, dogs, birds, squirrels, even a small monkey she had found on the side of the road one day.
Her father smiled at her.
"Well I'd best be on my way. Your mother wants me. I think I'm in trouble."
They both laughed. Sari adored her father. He was like a big kid, yet he was also grown up and noble. She could never figure him out. She and her mother, on the other hand, didn’t get along so well. Her mother wanted her to be a real lady, something she was sure she could never do. She never understood how such a stern, regal lady as her mother could get along with her fun loving father.
She handed the empty bowl to a passing servant and went out into the garden again. Her mother and father were gone but Aimee was still there. She looked up from her book.
"Cleaned up? Good. We are having visitors later this afternoon, important ones from another castle."
"Really? What castle?"
"I don’t know, but Mother said they were very important so we must look our best!"
With a sigh Sari sat down on another bench, smoothed out her dress, and prepared herself for a boring afternoon with visitors. Visitors were always boring. They talked of crops and peasant revolts, and there was usually a prince who came along to eyeball Tirana. Maybe she would be able to go for a walk before they came.
Chapter Two
She almost got out without being caught. Her mother stopped her right when she was sneaking out the front gate. Now she was sitting on a bench in the garden waiting for the visitors to arrive. They did so with great ceremony. First came the trumpet men, then came at least fifteen guards. After the guards came the carriage. She glimpsed inside and saw a man and a lady, about her parent's age and a young man about Tia's age. She sighed. There went her afternoon. The lovesick prince would follow her around all day asking her about her sister. Hopping off the bench she followed the visitors into the castle to see what was up.
She found them seated in the meeting room. The older people were discussing matters of state while the young man looked bored. She hid behind the door and studied him carefully. He was not bad looking. Maybe Tia wouldn't turn this one away. He had curly brown hair and blue eyes. Tia always said her "prince" would have curly hair and blue eyes. As Sari peered around the door she suddenly realized the prince was looking at her. She ducked back around the corner and waited. She didn't hear anything. As she started to lean around the door again she was suddenly confronted with a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She stepped backwards and almost tripped over a stray cat. The prince (for that's who it was) grinned at her.
"Hello. I suppose you are Princess Sarina?"
"Um. Yeah. I am. Nice to meet you, um…"
"Jonathon. But you can call me John. Hey, is your sister around? Tiaral, right?"
Sari groaned inwardly.
"Yeah, um, she is but she doesn't want to talk to anyone now. How old are you anyways? She says that her suitors have to be older than her."
"Eighteen and a half"
"You just make it. She just turned eighteen a few months ago."
"I suppose I'm lucky then."
There was silence for a few moments, and then Sari coughed. "Well, I suppose I'll be going now. You should too; your parents must be missing you."
He made a face. "Yeah they probably are. See you later, Princess." He disappeared back into the room.
She blew a stray wisp of hair out of her face and wandered off, whistling to herself.
***********************
The visitors left about an hour later. Sari was pleased. It wasn't too late in the afternoon, and she had an idea. Going to her father she proposed that she and her sisters went out for a picnic. Beyond the village was a pleasant spot, with a pond and some big trees. Her father agreed to let them go, but he insisted that he send two guards along for their protection. Sari bargained with him and finally they reached an agreement. The three girls would dress as peasants, and so would the guards. The guards would follow them at a distance just to keep an eye on them.
They left a few minutes later, Sari and Aimee carried baskets with their picnic inside. Tiaral insisted that she was too old to carry one. As the traveled down to the village Sari reveled in her freedom. The peasant dress she wore was nowhere near as restricting as her royal dresses, and her hair, put up in a handkerchief blew free in the wind. As they passed through the busy marketplace Sari took in all the sights and sounds. She wished life at the castle was so busy and full of life. So much was going on! She couldn’t decide where to look.
Finally they reached the picnic spot. The guards sat a few feet away and pretended they were just two men out for a smoke and a talk, while the girls set out the picnic. The day was still very nice. Because the afternoon was getting on, the sun was not as hot as it had been earlier. All three girls were enjoying their afternoon.
After about ten minutes. Sari noticed a very nice climbing tree a couple feet away. Waiting until her sisters were talking, she slipped away towards it. Kicking off her shoes she leapt up and grabbed onto one of the branches. It was a perfect climbing tree, with branches every few feet. She climbed higher and higher until she felt a little dizzy, and then looked down below her. The guards were napping, and her sisters were still talking. Sari turned and looked out over the pond for a few moments.
When she turned back, she noticed half a dozen black-clad figures advancing towards the spot where her sisters were. As she watched, the lead figure stopped to converse with the two guards. In one swift movement, the black figure pulled out a shining blade and beheaded both guards with one swipe. Aimee and Tiaral were watching, and they were too frozen in fear and shock to say anything. Swiftly the figures were on them. Trampling the remaining food, they picked up the two girls and covered their mouths so they couldn't scream. They stuffed them into the back of a cart that had been drawn up next to them in the confusion. Sari looked up at the village, hoping that someone would notice the commotion but they were to far away for anyone to notice. The first figure, obviously the leader, spoke.
"There are supposed to be three of them. Search the area."
Sari was frozen in the tree. She silently willed her green dress to blend in with her leafy surroundings. The men searched all around but never looked up into the tree. After all, proper princesses would never climb trees. After a few moments the men decided they couldn't risk any more time, and so they got into the cart and drove off. Sari was still frozen in the tree. She couldn't move for what seemed like ages. Finally she managed to move her stiff limbs and clamber down from the tree. Dropping the last few feet she landed on all fours. Slowly she raised her head. Directly in front of her was the severed head of one of the guards. She was finally able to let out the scream that had been bottled up in her for so long.
Chapter Three
The villagers had heard Sari's scream, and came running to help. They were very kind and helped her get back to the castle. She fell into her father's arms as he came rushing out, and sobbed the whole story to him. Her father, a normally kind, gentle man, was furious. He sent out search parties at once, but the whole castle knew there was little hope of finding the kidnapped girls. There was no information whatsoever on where they were. Sari had been unable to identify any of the men, except for the leader. She remembered he had been tall, with very short dark hair. She couldn't think of any distinguishing features though. There was little hope for rescuing the girls. All they could do was sit and wait for the kidnappers to contact them.
Later that night, Sari was sitting on her bed. She knew it was very late, past midnight. She couldn't fall asleep. She got up and paced about the room. Sitting down again, she realized she felt guilty. Here she was, sitting on her bed in her bedroom while her sisters were in danger. Flopping on her stomach she thought about it some more. She knew she wasn't especially brave, or adventurous, or clever, but she did know what she had to do. She had to go find her sisters and bring them back.
Getting up, she dived into her closet. In the very back was an old knapsack. Right next to it were the hiking boots her father had given her for her birthday last year. Her mother had been furious, hiking boots were not the proper present for a princess. They had been thrown in the closet and forgotten. Now they could be used. They still fit, though she was a little clumsy in them. She slipped into the peasant dress she had been wearing earlier, and tied back her hair with the handkerchief. She messed up her hair and resolved to put some dirt on her face as soon as she got out of the castle. Blending in was very important. Next she started putting essential items in her knapsack. An extra pair of clothes, some money, and a sheet to wrap herself in while she slept.
Slipping out of her room and down the stairs, she snuck into the kitchen. Just as she was going in the pantry she heard a snore behind her. She whirled around to find Mary snoring by the stove, wooden spoon in hand. Sari smiled in relief, turned back to the pantry, and promptly tripped over her big boots and fell to the floor. Mary woke with a snort, and eyed Sari's boots sticking out of the pantry.
"What would someone be doing sneaking around my kitchen in the middle of the night? Who's there?"
Sari untangled herself from her knapsack and sat up. Mary gasped.
"Princess Sari! What are you doing down here in the middle of the night?"
Sari put her hand up to her mouth to shush her and said
"Mary, please! I just need some provisions. I'm going to find Tia and Aimee."
Mary opened her mouth once more and then thought better of it.
"Is that it then? You're going to find your sisters? Brave lass. I'll help you with that."
Sari left the kitchens lugging a full knapsack. Mary had filled it up with sensible foods, bread, cheese, and dried meat. She had also given her a flagon of water. Settling back down at her seat next to the stove, she had winked at Sari and then closed her eyes again. Next was a trip to the armory. Sari had never been much good with a sword, but she had some skill with a bow. She chose a sturdy one and a quiver full of arrows and slung them over her back. She also tucked a dagger into her belt, just in case. Then she was ready.
As she pattered down towards the gate, she noticed a figure sitting in the garden, watching her. It was her father. He beckoned her over and had her sit beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments and then he spoke.
"I'm not going to try to stop you. That would be impossible. But if you will accept this gift, it should help you on your journey."
He handed her a soft dark cloak. She stared at it. He smiled at her.
"This is no ordinary cloak, Sari. It is an invisibility cloak. Try it on."
(For those Harry Potter fans out there, just to let you know I am not stealing from Harry Potter. Invisibility cloaks were around long before J.K. Rowling)
Sari put it on around her shoulders and was amazed to find that her body had disappeared. She covered her head with it and laughed with delight. Now she would be able to sneak in almost anywhere! Her father laughed with her. Then his face grew serious.
"Sari, I want you to be careful. Promise me that."
She took off the cloak, folded it carefully and put it in her knapsack.
"I promise father."
He gave her a hug, and then opened the gate for her. She was off.
Chapter Four
It was almost dawn, and Sari was tired, but exhilarated at the same time. She had never been out on her own before, and it felt very strange. There was no one looking after her, no one to tell her to keep her dress clean, no one to follow her every move. She enjoyed it, but at the same it was rather lonely. At least, lonely as in having no friends around you. There were certainly plenty of people! Even in the pre-dawn hours, the main road (which was just a path, really,) was bustling with activity. Sari had hitched a ride on a wagon for a bit, but now she was walking again. She really had no idea where she was going, or what she was doing, but some instinct inside her told her she was going towards her sisters. Wherever they were.
A plan had half-formed in her mind. She would ask around about black-clad men in a cart. That sight wasn't too common in the region, and she had already gotten a couple tips. The man who was driving the wagon she had hitched a ride on told her that he had seen a wagon driven by a black-clad man going a furious pace down the road earlier that day.
For once, Sari was glad she was ordinary. She did not stick out in the milling crowds. Her sisters would have. She was just one of the group, being swept away towards an unknown destination.
Around mid-day she was very tired. She hadn't planned on stopping until nightfall, but she just couldn't go any further. Pushing her way out of the crowd, she sat down by the road and rested. She ate a small meal and rested for a while. Before she knew it, she had dropped off to sleep.
When she woke up it was nearly dark.
"Drat" she muttered. That was not in the plan. The roads had emptied, more or less, and a traveler only came along once in a while. She noticed that up the road a bit and across was a cheery looking inn, with a lamp burning in the window. She got up and walked closer. As she peered in the window, she noticed that most of the people in there were burly men, drinking beer. She decided to try out her invisibility cloak. Pulling it out of her pack, she slipped it on. The hood was quite big, and covered her whole head. Even her face. As she put it on, it disappeared and so did she. Where she had been able to see her reflection a moment before in the window, there was now nothing. She grinned.
Opening the door very slowly, she slipped inside and shut it. The occupants of the inn were all too drunk to notice. She knew it was dangerous there, but she figured if she eavesdropped she might get a bit of valuable information. As she wandered from table to table, all she heard were drunken men telling rude jokes. Until she noticed a table in the corner, with two men sitting at it. They did not have beers in front of them, and they looked sober. Creeping over she stood behind one of them and listened.
"It's a dangerous venture mate, but it was genius it was!" said the first man, a thin, oily altogether unpleasant character.
"Genius, maybe, but now we have to figure out how to get the ransom without getting caught" said the second man. Sari noticed that he was rather handsome. She didn't trust him for a second.
"You could bribe some village boy to deliver it, threaten to kill the girls if they don't comply, and then just make a trade. The king and queen would never put their daughters in danger" the oily man said.
Sari knew she had come to the right table. She was amazed at her luck.
"Just make sure they are locked up tight for the time being. You wouldn't want them escaping would you?" said the oily man.
"Don't worry, they are safe and sound" said the handsome man. He was facing Sari, but she was confident that he couldn’t see her. Her nose itched, so she scratched it. The handsome man was looking at her, and she froze.
"Ern, I swear the patch of air above your head just moved" said the handsome man.
"Don’t be a fool, Brian. You've had too much to drink, that's all"
"I haven't had anything to drink Ern. Stay very still."
Sari knew trouble when she heard it. Turning around she started to creep away.
"I knew it! That patch of air moved! There's someone there! Someone block the door!"
Sari broke into a run. But she was too late. Some of the men had gotten up to block the door.
"I'd stake a pile of gold we've got ourselves a sneak in an invisibility cloak. Come on out, sneak. You can't hide forever."
She looked about desperately for another escape route. There! A stairway led up to what was presumably some rooms for rent. She sneaked by another two men and dashed up the stairs. Behind her, they were combing the room.
The stairway led up to a hallway with doors dotting it. She started to try the doors. If she was lucky, there would be one unlocked and she could go through the window. The second to last door was unlocked. She could hear that the men downstairs and figured out where she went. Opening the door, she threw herself inside and slammed it behind her.