Chapter 1

The Royal Ball

When I look out the window I get lost in the beautiful scenery of my kingdom. Well Abuealiy isn’t my kingdom, yet.

Since today is my sixteenth birthday there is a big party going on downstairs for me with many suitors (knowing my parents). You see on a prince or princess’ sixteenth birthday the soon to be young adult has two years in which to get married and become king or queen of the kingdom. Otherwise the kingdom goes to a different heir and since I am an only child I have to rule the kingdom when I come of age. And that’s just wonderful because that means I am stuck in the castle for the rest of my life. The only time I can leave the castle is when my parents and I are talking to peasants. Speaking of peasants I might as well go down stairs and see what respectable and eligible peasants look like. I might find my future husband downstairs (unfortunately).

Hopefully the peasants brought many presents for me (that’s the best part) and me wearing a beautiful blue gown, am not at all excited about meeting the young men of the kingdom. Just to make it harder for my parents to find me a suitor, I made a rule that the men cannot be over the age of eighteen and cannot be younger than the age of sixteen. If I’m lucky there won’t be anyone who fits that age group.

I don’t believe in luck anymore. The whole ballroom was filled with suitors between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. I have to meet, dance, and chitchat with all of them (this is going to be a long night). I scanned the room and saw a few handsome guys, a lot of obese men, and some disturbing ones. One man stood in the corner alone and watched me most of the night. At one point when I was almost done mingling, I headed over to talk with him, I was a few feet away when an annoying, repulsive eighteen-year-old man grabbed me by the arm and demanded that I dance with him. I tried to get away but his grip was strong. The man in the corner saw this, he came over made the man let go of me and leave. He obliged.

This new man looked about the age of seventeen. He politely asked me to dance with him and I agreed (of course). While we were dancing I noticed his face was almost blank as if he was immersed in thought. I looked into his brown eyes; he was frantically searching the room as if he was being chased.

The music stopped as well as the dancing. He went outside and left before I could get his name. I wonder if I’ll ever see him again.

Soon the ball was done and I headed to bed. My parents kept asking if any one stood out. I told them a few did. This pleased them and they left me alone. Once I was in my room I called for my servant, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is my best friend, I tell her everything that happens in my day because she loves to hear stories about what royalty does. She also looks exactly like me. We have the same auburn hair. The same brown eyes. Also we are exactly the same height. I wish we knew when her birthday was though. I told her about everything at the ball. When I got to the part about the peculiar, young man that left right after he danced with me she started to get a scared look in her eye. “ Princess Marie you should be careful around magicians.”

“How do you know he’s a magician?” I asked. I have a very limited knowledge of magicians but I didn’t think that they were unfeeling.

“Most magicians don’t show emotion because they are always using spells. He could have been using a spell on you and you wouldn’t have known about it.”

“Oh, Elizabeth I think you should stay here in my room tonight just in case.” I was a little frightened about what she just said because it is possible for him to have been using a spell on me and who knows what kind of spell.

“I could never princess.”

“Yes you could. In fact I insist. You can sleep on the extra mattress. I declare that an order from your princess and favor for a friend.”

I wanted Elizabeth to stay with me just in case someone comes or I start to walk around in the middle of the night. I would let her sleep on my bed but where would I sleep? Yes, I know what you are thinking; you think I am a selfish, royal, brat who cares for no one but herself, right? Well it is true because it is in my blood. Anyways one of my mattresses has to be better than the cots that the servants have to sleep on.

Tomorrow I think I want to do something different since I don’t have peasant plans. I know Elizabeth and I can go into the forest and go for a hike (against my parents’ wishes). They told me never to go in the forest. What’s in the forest that’s so special? Trees?