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I don't know how good this is or how often I'll update.... just to warn you. I will try to update frequently, but I have the attention span of a gnat and suffer from bouts of writer's block often.
So enjoy, and let me know what you think so I can get more ideas of what you all want.
ShadowDemoness413
Serf Princess
Chapter One
The thick clouds covered the full moon and allowed no light to penetrate the gloom. In only a few places were the stars allowed to shine through, although they cast almost no light on the beautiful countryside and the gardens of a large palace. The ponds gleamed lightly from the slight star light and the white roses glowed pale in the dark. The sounds of laughing came from the ballroom where a grand celebration was taking place, despite the brightness of the room hardly any light spilled outside. The people were celebrating the princess's eighteenth birthday, this was the night when the princess would make her choice of the many suitors that had come to the palace.
Despite the revelry Jadza Vasska was uneasy, it was dark enough for any enemies to slip through. And with all the alcohol flowing downstairs chances are that no one would defend themselves. Jadza shook her head, she had a very bad feeling about this and her feelings were never wrong. A knock on her door called her from her musings. "Come." She said, still staring out the window.
A male servant stuck his head into the room. "Your presence is requested by the order of your father, your highness." He waited for her response, which came reluctantly.
"Please tell my esteemed father that I will be down shortly." Jadza said in the stuffy, regal tone that she hated but was forced to use by her father. The servant bowed and exited, shutting the door behind him quietly. Jadza turned and examined herself in the full length mirror that stood close by. She wore a deep blue, almost black, gown with diamonds, onyx, and sapphires encrusted on the gauzy outer layer of the skirt. The bodice was the same, except it was body forming silk. The sleeves were tight to the elbow before they flowed out to just past her fingertips in the same material as the outer layer on her skirt. Her long hair was down and it fell in waves to her mid back and was held back by a thin silver circlet that was encrusted with diamonds, a large teardrop shaped diamond laid heavily on her dark tan forehead. Jadza was not a ideal beauty, but was pretty nonetheless with her tan skin, dark eyes, and gently curving mouth. She had a thin scar through her left eyebrow that was covered by makeup. Jadza carefully smoothed her skirt before exiting the room and descending towards the torture room known as The Ballroom.
She could hear loud music coming from the room before she was anywhere near it. Telling the guards not to open the door yet she peered through the crack in the door for a moment to see all the people swirling and dancing on the huge marble floor. After a moment Jadza stepped back and nodded for the doors to be opened. Calming her nerves she stepped through the huge, gold encrusted double doors.
"Her Highness, Princess Jadza Calixte Rasia Vasska!" The Royal Herald cried. Jadza entered the room with her head held high to polite applause. She gracefully stepped down the stairs and down the aisle cleared for her by the courtiers. She hated all this attention, she did not want to be princess, as the eldest she would have to become Queen on either her twentieth birthday or on the event of her father's death.
"My beautiful daughter, I am greatly pleased to see you." Her father greeted her traditionally. He was a handsome, middle-aged man, with dark hair just starting to grey and clean shaven. King Artaxiad Vasska had bright, piercing blue eyes that made someone feel like he could see right through them.
"Honored Father, I thank you for your concern and I am glad for your health." Jadza replied in the way that tradition dictated, curtsying low and looking to the ground.
"Honored Daughter, do not look away from me. Tonight we are equal, I name you my heir." King Artaxiad said in the time honored coronation rites.
"Honored Father, I thank you for your generosity." Jadza told her father.
"Honored Daughter," the King said, removing her circlet. "I give you the Princess Royal crown to signify this honor." Jadza stared into her father's eyes as he replaced her circlet with an elaborate silver tiara encrusted with diamonds. When the heavy piece of jewelry was settled onto her head the crowd burst into cheers.
"LONG LIVE KING ARTAXIAD! LONG LIVE PRINCESS JADZA!" They repeated until the king silenced them.
"The night is yours!" He said and the people began singing and dancing. He turned to his daughter and requested a dance. Jadza had no choice but to accept and her father whisked her off onto the dance floor.
A couple dances later a young man approached the king and requested a dance with Jadza. The king agreed happily and the hopeful suitor dragged an unwilling Jadza along with him. "I am Lord Cilril b'Novia, I am delighted that you agreed to this dance."
"Of course, My Lord, how could I refuse?" Jadza asked, thinking 'I did not agree, my father did. I wanted to refuse but could not.' Cilril was blatantly oblivious to her thoughts and chattered about some jousting tournament he had won.
She sent out a plea to who ever was listening 'Save me' she begged no one in particular as Cilril continuously stepped on her feet. "Excuse me, milord, I am in need of a drink." Jadza said quietly as she stepped away from the overeager young lord and made her way to the refreshment table. She ignored his look of frustration and quickly downed a goblet of fine wine to calm her nerves before looking for the king.
"Ah! Jazda!" The king exclaimed as she drew closer. "Are you enjoying your banquet?" He asked in the fatherly tone that Jazda only heard when they were alone. Thankful that no one else was around and that she could speak her mind without the need of word games and fancy speech Jazda sat on the bench next to him.
"Not really. I am tired of being fawned over by that idiot Cilril b'Whatever, I don't want to pick a husband tonight, and I don't want to be queen!" Jazda exclaimed. She slumped forward on the bench, tired of carrying herself in the stiff posture of a princess.
"I know sweetheart." King Artaxiad said to his only daughter. "But it is tradition, and it is for our people. If you refuse the throne, you will not dishonor the family, but you could destroy our country."
"I know, papa. That is the only reason I am still here." Jazda said as the fight went out of her. Her father pulled her into a tight, warm hug.
"I know." He said. "Now go, your suitors await." Jazda stood and was about to walk back towards the dance floor when an explosion was heard and silent figures ran through the entrances. Jazda stood in shock when her father suddenly staggered and fell with an arrow through his heart. Like lightening one of her father's bodyguards grabbed her and dragged her away as she fought to get to the king's side.
"Your highness, you must get away to safety!" The man demanded, shoving her through the door to the servant's entrance. "Get away from here and bide your time before returning! Try to get to Nivea, they will help you when it is time to return!" And the door shut in her face, scraping Jadza's nose as she leapt forward.
"DAMN HIM!" She screamed. "Damn him and his stupid protocol! His king his dead and all he does is talked in the damned fancy talk!" Jadza paced the small hallway furiously.
"Your highness?" A small voice asked. Jadza turned to see a tiny servant girl watching her with wide eyes. "um... Please follow me. I was told by my mother to dress you like us." Wordlessly Jadza followed, in complete shock over the events that had just unfolded. The girl brought her to a small room and helped Jadza remove her intricate ball gown and change into servants clothes, she washed the make up off her face. Jazda looked up blankly and jumped when she saw a mirror in front of her. Reflected in that mirror was a young girl, pale and visibly shaken. Her hair was still held back by the heir's crown and she thought that she looked like a little servant girl playing princess. She reached up and removed the crown, if she was going to run and hide she would need insurance for when she came back.
"Do you have something I can put this in to take with me?" Jadza asked quietly.
"Yes, highness. I'll be just a moment." The little girl left and was back within only a few moments. "Will this work?" She asked, holding a box just big enough for the crown to fit into.
"Yes." Jadza placed the crown inside and fastened the box. The servant girl handed her a key on a necklace chain and a small bag.
"This has a change of clothes and enough food for a few days. There's also a small coin purse inside incase you need to buy food. The key is for the box" Jadza barely had time to put the box in the bag before the little girl pushed her down another hallway and down into a tunnel. "Follow that until you come to the fork, go left. The path will take to the edge of the city. Be careful highness, don't take too long." Jadza looked at her with a dazed look on her face and put the key around her neck for safe keeping.
"Thank you. What is your name?"
"I'm Mina, but you don't have enough time to exchange pleasantries! Go! Left at the fork and follow the path when you get out. Got it?"
"Yes, left, follow the path. Thank you, Mina."
"Go!" Mina watched as Jadza ran down the tunnel, slowly becoming invisible in the dark.
Jarvis scowled as he looked around the room of cowering nobles. His military commander, Gellert, had just informed him that the princess, and the heir crown was no where to be found. Instead of becoming king legally he would have to keep control by force. Jarvis turned to Gellert and gave him precise instructions. "Make sure your men search for the princess and bring me the heir's crown."
Gellert bowed. "At once. Your majesty." He said. Jarvis smiled, savoring the moment that he had waited so long for.
Jadza had finally reached the exit to the tunnel. She cautiously made her way out into the open area beside the road. It would be dawn in a few hours and she needed to get somewhere safe. She heard the sounds of armor and men talking and ran across the road and into the small stand of young ash trees. She crouched down behind some bushes and watched as a small company of men, probably mercenaries, marched down the road and towards the palace gates. As soon as the men were out of sight Jadza turned and ran deeper into the trees until she came out the other side. She stopped and looked around and saw that not far away was a small farm, maybe a mile or so away, up on the top of a small hill. Jadza ran towards it until she could run no more, she sat against a large boulder until she could walk again. Finally she reached a barn and decided to use it for shelter.
Pushing the door open Jadza saw that the only inhabitants of the one room barn was a black mare and her darker baby. Jadza closed the door before the curious foal could get out and placed her bag beside the door. The mare ambled over to sniff the intruder and finally decided that the girl was harmless and ushered the foal back onto a pile of hay to sleep. Jadza reached into the bag and pulled out the box, opening it she saw that the crown was unharmed. She sat back and looked at it for a moment, the jewels sparkled in the starlight that came through a small hole in the roof. Jadza felt that she was saying goodbye to her life as a princess for a while. Finally she closed the box and locked it. The key was returned to it's place of safety around her neck, and the box tucked away in the bag again.
Jadza walked over to where the mare and baby were laying down and curled up against the mare's side for warmth. Jadza stared at the tiny foal laying beside her and brushed a finger over the single star on it's- Jadza checked- his forehead. Barely a moment later Jadza was asleep, and the only beings who knew her secret could not tell.
