A/N: NaNoWriMo 2009 has arrived, and everyone taking part is freaking out and wishing they'd decided to do something else with their time.

And that's where you FictionPress readers come in. This is the first chapter of my own NaNoWriMo 2009 novel. (I'm 'Ravina' there, if you want to buddy me.) If you're reading this, please leave a review because motivation is the key to this month.

So...help me out by writing what you like/don't like? Oh, and I'm aware this chapter may be filled with mistakes, but that's because I've been scrambling to write write write before I jump into the real world and begin my job. Feel free to also take hints at where this is going - I'm interested in hearing any thoughts.

Celestia of the Thorns

- Chapter 1 -

It was evening, but the sky was still sunny - there wasn't even a hint of the pink and purple rays that streaked across the horizon at the end of most days.

I hurried through the market, cursing my last-minute decision to wear black in the hopes of blending in with the shadows when the sun set. But, although Lor - the Northern sun - had shifted to visit the other end of the world, Muriel - the Eastern sun - was still stubbornly sitting in the exact same spot. According to the kingdom's top astrologers, Muriel was actually supposed to leave the sky earlier during this time of the year, so it took a lot of effort on my part to avoid cursing the wayward sun.

Luckily, I managed to hold my anger in. It wouldn't do to anger the sensitive gods.

Due to the brightness of the evening, the market was bustling with people. The brightly-striped colours of merchant tents was a sore to my eyes, and the outfits made of patterned material - the latest in fashion - did nothing to help.

I didn't pause in my haste, trying to avoid bringing too much attention to myself, but whispered conversations were still picked up on as I passed clusters of people.

"The king has-"

"-sons are-"

"-the eldest is-"

I was walking too fast to hear any full sentences, but the next one that reached my ears definitely made me pause for a fraction of a second.

"They're all so handsome!"

Resisting the urge to smirk, I shot a look to my left and saw two women wearing the inappropriate clothing of street-whores. They looked to be about 25 years into their lives, and were too absorbed in their conversation to notice my slight pause in gait. They were also too into their conversation to notice the dirty little boy stealing coins from one of their pockets.

With a brisk shake of my head, I picked up my speed and ducked into a side-street. It was a relief to finally enter the darkness that I had come prepared for. I had nothing to light my way - the street was as black as a pit - but months of traveling down the same path allowed my instincts to take over. Ignoring the stench that pulsed from everywhere - the tiled path, the walls, the garbage - I moved forward until I found the one spot that the smell didn't reach.

After taking a moment to make sure nobody was nearby, I pulled the black glove off my left hand and held the hand up in front of my left ear so that my ring was visible.

"Celestia Isodora Thorey," I stated clearly, projecting my voice towards the filthy wall. "Goddaughter of Princess Cay."

A scraping was heard on the other side of the wall, and then a pale arm reached through the wall and grabbed my fingers. The blood-ruby on my ring glowed red at the contact, confirming my identity. And then, without a sound, the hand yanked me forward, and I calmly stepped through the brick wall.

"Welcome back to Eddings Castle, Lady Celestia Isodora Thorey."

I smiled at the tiny old woman standing to my right. "Thank you Eden," I responded, knowing from prior experience that it was useless to insist that she refer to me as Celeste. "How is your arm faring?"

Eden glanced at her pale arm and frowned. "It still pains me from time to time. I should never have tried to get that maggot of a soldier through the wall - he was too much of an idiot and coward to be introduced to magic."

"You need to remember that his mother was killed by magic," I gently chastised. "It's no wonder he panicked and ended up trapped in between the wall."

"Damn fool he was," Eden spat out, her frowning deepening. "Twas a two-week job to get him out and fix the portal!"

It was clear nothing would change her mind, so I gently touched Eden's arm and smiled. "I have to get back to my tower. Be good to yourself Eden."

After receiving a curtsy from the old woman, I slipped into the servant's passage of the castle. As goddaughter of the king's sister, I had free reign of the castle, but it would not do to come across a member of the royal family when dressed in a form-fitting black outfit. Nikos would never let me hear the end of it.

The servants I came across in the passageway sent polite nods my way before hurrying to complete whatever task they had been assigned. After all, it wasn't unusual for me to make use of these passages, and only the new servants ever spoke about the odd behaviour.

I veered into a short hall that led to a narrow staircase that I knew would take me up to the tower where my room was. The stairs were steep, but the sconces lighting the area were well-maintained and bright enough for me to make my way up without tripping. The form-fitting clothes I wore were another blessing, as skirts would have found their way between my legs and made walking a more exciting ordeal.

At the top, I pulled the level to slide open the wall's paneling, and then stepped out without making a noise.

"And so the lady returns."

Again cursing my luck, I turned to smile tightly at Dmitriy. "Good evening, Prince Dmitriy."

"And yet you have no qualms about calling me by my name when you're angry."

I laughed. "I'm never angry," I insisted, knowing my temper was famous across our kingdom of Cytoria.

"And the lady lies. I'm disappointed, Lady Celestia."

"And you truly must stop beginning your sentences with 'and'. Come, Dmitriy, and help me choose an appropriate outfit for dinner." I looped my arm through his and began to pull him towards my room.

Dmitriy fell in step with me. "I will help you choose," he agreed, "but I shall insist on watching as you change."

I looked up at him, used to his ways. As a prince, he had to tighten the leash on his tongue; it was only with me and a few choice others that he could speak without worrying about tact. "Oh, but I've already told you a multitude of times, Dmitriy, that I have my eyes set on the throne. I am therefore destined to be the bride of your brother Levi, for he is the first prince, while you are but the fourth."

He snorted at my words. "You have never seen Levi," he reminded me. "For all you know, he could have the face of a bullfrog."

"Oh, but the frog became the handsome prince," I stated happily as I slid my ring into the door of my room. It glowed red again before the doors swung open to reveal a vast hallway. "I can never get used to this grandeur. And you and Nikos are so handsome that it would be a surprise if your other brothers look like...well, frogs."

"Well we shall see," Dmitriy said, following me down the hallway and into the bedroom. "I don't know whether to anticipate or be apprehensive about the return of my brothers. They've been gone since I was but 5 years into my life."

I squeezed his hand and then walked into the little room that housed my clothing. "Blood ties are strong," I promised Dmitriy, thinking of my day. "They may feel like strangers for some time, but you will be close before too long." I grinned to myself. "I mean, take Nikos for example. He pushes us all to the brink of insanity, but none of us has had him assassinated to date."

"And not for lack of trying, I bet," Nikos' voice stated dryly.

With a playful groan, I walked out of the clothing room with a gown in hand. "Has somebody announced a festival in my room? I don't recall inviting you in."

Nikos pulled my pillow over and lay down. "Nice outfit," he smirked.

I looked down and belatedly remembered I was still wearing the black outfit. "Dmitriy, skewer him with your sword and protect my honour."

Dmitriy stared at his younger brother and smiled. "Sorry Celeste, but blood ties are too strong." He dropped down beside his brother and the two sprawled on my bed, making it look a lot smaller than it truly was.

"Serves me right to give you advice," I muttered, unclasping my black leather belt. I threw the item in their direction before walking over to the screen that sat in the corner of my bedroom. "If either of you peeks, I will report your behaviour to your father."

There was a series of grumbling that followed my announcement, but I knew they would not have peeked even if I had not said the words. Dmitriy and Nikos had been perfect gentlemen towards me since my arrival at the castle, although their words might have indicated otherwise.

After stepping behind the screen and pulling it wider, I quickly pulled off the black shirt and leggings that made up the rest of my outfit; the gloves and leather boots had already been discarded in my clothing room. I donned the gown, enjoying the feel of silk as the green skirt slid over my shoulders until it covered my toes. The neck of the outfit was wide, almost at the edge of my shoulders, and the rest was cut to fit my upper body like a glove. However, the skirt was still a major hindrance and drastic change after spending hours in leggings.

"Which necklace matches this?" I asked as I stepped out from behind the screen, carrying my previous outfit in my arms. I dumped these in the basket the maids collected every night, and turned to see Dmitriy and Nikos watching me. "What?"

They shared a look. "Our surprise never wanes," Dmitriy explained.

"You went from the clothes of a street performer to that of a lady without so much as flinching," Nikos said in further explanation.

"Oh, I flinched all right," I responded with a grin. "One of these days, I'll convince Madame Norina to lessen my skirts and stitch in some hidden leggings."

Nikos laughed outright at that. "As I recall, that didn't go over too well last time. The blue set," he said, interrupting himself as I pulled out my jewelry case. "Didn't Madame Norina purposefully add extra frills to your gowns when you asked for less?"

"I have hope that it was accidental," I snapped, although the chances were slim. "And why the blue one? The dress is green!"

"Your eyes are green," Dmitriy pointed out. "You'd look like a walking bush if you matched everything."

Not able to argue the point, I pulled out the blue set and pushed away the green one. "You are a bunch of women," I told them. "Real men don't understand colour coordination."

"Real men don't grow up with Dayna," Dmitriy muttered as Nikos sputtered.

"Speaking of Dayna...where is she?" I asked, clasping the necklace. "There. All done. Shall we leave, or do you women have any more advice?"

They rolled off the bed and preceded me into the hallway.

"Dayna's primping," Nikos said in disgust. "Look at you, it took you exactly eight minutes to change entire outfits-"

"-and it takes Dayna eight hours," Dmitriy finished, pulling open my main door and sweeping me out with a grand arm gesture.

"She is a princess," I said, defending my friend. "She needs to look her best at all times."

The brothers snorted together. “And yet your results are usually so much more effective than hers.”

I smacked Nikos on the arm for his comment. Princess Dayna was a beauty, with her almost-white curls and big blue eyes. Suitors from all the neighbouring lands arrived in flocks on the day of her sixteenth birthday. However, her father had sent them all scurrying with the promise that any man found sniffing around his only daughter would be put through a painful death.

That took care of the suitors, but Dayna had not spoken to her father since that event.

“What thoughts bother the lady?” Dmitriy said, nudging me gently with an elbow.

I smiled and nudged him back. An entrance to the servant’s passageway was nearing, and I debated losing the princes and ducking into it. It was their father’s castle, but I knew they had never used the passages and would get lost without guidance.

“Do not even consider it,” Nikos said, clamping a hand on my arm.

I scowled. “I wasn’t considering anything.”

“And I am a pauper’s son,” Dmitriy said, grabbing my other arm. “We know the way your notions run, Celeste.”

It wasn’t fair that the two men were so much bigger and stronger than me when I was a full year older than Dmitriy, who was nineteen, and three full years older than Nikos, who was seventeen. They pretty much carried me down the stairs of my tower and over to the grand dining hall.

Our entrance gathered a large number of curious glances, and one of these was that of the king. He sat, along with his wife, sister, and daughter, at the wide table at the far end of the room.

Sconces lit the entire room, reflecting off the gold thread from the elaborate tapestries that told the story of the kingdom’s history. Many smaller tables were spread around the room for the lesser nobles and councillors to occupy. Some had their daughters with them, and I did not miss the envious expressions on their faces as the two handsome princes forcefully escorted me to the royal table.

“It is so very good of you to join us,” King Eduart stated when the three of us took our seats.

Queen Sophie sat on his left, with Dayna on her left, followed by Dmitriy. Nikos was sitting on my right, with my godmother on my left, at the king’s right. King Eduart was leaning around my godmother as he said those words, and I blushed when I realized that most plates around the room were almost empty.

“Forgive me, your majesty,” I mumbled quickly. “I was...distracted and confused by the actions of Muriel.”

The king snorted, and I remarked to myself at how similar he sounded to his sons. “That was a very good evasion of the truth, Celeste.” He pinned me with his powerful coal eyes. “Now the question is...where were you and what were you doing when Muriel was confusing you?”

Trapped, I looked at the plate a servant had placed before me. It contained a small portion of fish fillet, along with a whole array of vegetables. I wasn’t hungry any more, but I found myself wishing I had begun to eat before the king began his questioning. At least then I would have an excuse for avoiding answering at the moment.

“Celeste?” Princess Cay, my godmother and the king’s sister, probed gently.

I looked around the room and noticed that nobody beyond our table was paying any attention to our discussion; the king was thankfully speaking quietly.

“I was visiting my family,” I said quietly, having no choice but to tell the truth.

Nikos tensed beside me, but I forced myself not to react or look his way. From the corner of my eyes I could see my godmother had turned to watch her brother.

“In the city?” the king finally asked.

“In the city,” I confirmed.

There was another tense pause, and then King Eduart picked up his glass and drank from it. “Next time take some guards. I know this wasn’t your first trip.”

“My fourth,” I admitted, the words passing through my mouth as my heart rejoiced at the permission the king had given.

My birth family was not of noble heritage, but was wealthy and ran a successful trade business throughout the kingdom. By some miraculous act of fate, Princess Cay had chosen me to be her godchild after an encounter at my father’s office when I was but an infant.

For years I had grown up as a normal girl with my family, but fate had intervened again when my godmother decided to sponsor my debut into the world of nobles. As her goddaughter, I was entitled to make such an entrance, and my parents could not deny that it was probably for my best. Therefore, three and a half years earlier – when I had been seventeen – I was moved into the castle.

At first this hadn’t seemed like a problem, but things became more complicated when disputes in the kingdom began to slowly escalate, and assassination plans were discovered by the king’s spies. For safety, the king had implemented many new routines around the castle.

Everything else – such as the production of ring keys as identification – was standard and had no true effect on my life, but the ban on excessive travelling put a stall to my time with my family.

Since the new rules came into play a year ago, I had been taken once by Princess Cay and a large group of guards to visit my family. Our next trip, however, was not to be for another year, so I had attempted to sneak out on my own.

After one successful attempt, I had not been able to resist the temptation to try again.

“You are so very thick,” Nikos hissed from my side. I knew he was talking about my skull, and not my weight.

“Your act was a direct disobedience of my rules,” King Eduart said, having not heard his son. “However, I understand the pain of being separated from loved ones.”

He stood up then and the attention of the entire room shifted to him. Not only did the king make an imposing figure, but he was a handsome one at that. However, unlike his two sons I knew, he had a harder edge to his features that age had chiselled deeper. He shared the same golden eyes as his two sons – a genetic feature of the direct descendents of a former king.

“As a father, I know the longing a parent’s heart has for its children. My three oldest children, as we all know, have not set foot in this kingdom for fourteen years. My youngest children do not even remember what their brothers looked like.” He paused and looked regretful. “But it was in the best interests of the kingdom to send my children away to be trained by the best. They are not only the future rulers of this land, but also our greatest assets. They will be the ones to defend our land and bring us to victory should the unthinkable happen and peace be destroyed. My children,” he said slowly, his voice deepening, “are returning!”

A deafening round of cheers and applause resounded through the room as the courtiers stood up and made their pleasure known. When the sound began to die down, King Eduart motioned for everyone to sit.

“That was well-received,” he said in amusement. “Although I’m sure many of you had already heard the news from other sources.” Some people looked noticeably sheepish. “Regardless, I’m making this announcement officially after verifying the truth of my messengers. Until a few hours ago, I was not sure if the information was accurate. Now I know. My sons and their entourages have been spotted in the stars by our top astrologers. They are less than three days away from the castle, and I expect their homecoming to be held with a large feast. The person who arranges the best performance – voted upon by my three eldest children – will be given control of the Isle of Thorns.”

A murmur went through the crowd at the last announcement. The Isle of Thorns was really a cluster of small tropical islands that yielded a great amount of income from exotic exports such as fruits and birds. Six districts of the kingdom – each governed by a different family – bordered the body of water the islands were in, and all six governors had submitted requests to the kingdom to make the Isle of Thorns their own.

However, the king had not made a decision as to date, and the islands had been incurring great costs in the treasury by having to be governed by the central city itself. This new turn of events meant the property would finally find an owner, but it also increased the competition. Instead of six feuding governors, nobles from all over the kingdom had the possibility of gaining control of the land.

King Eduart looked pleased with the speculative expressions on his courtiers’ faces. “You are all now dismissed.”

Chairs scraped against the stone floors as the nobles rushed from the room to make hurried arrangements for the feast. Servants poured in to clear up the unoccupied tables, but the royal table continued to be occupied.

“That should keep them all on their toes,” the king mused, grinning up and down the table. “It should also make for a very entertaining feast.” His eyes landed on me, and then traveled down to the table. “You know, Celeste, you must truly give your vegetables a try.”

Confused, I looked down to see that a small portion of my plate was cleared off. Sure enough, all my vegetables were intact, but the fish was gone.

I frowned. I hadn’t eaten, so... “Nikos!”

He smiled innocently at me. “Yes Lady Celestia?”

“You ate my fish!”

“Did I?”

King Eduart laughed. “You did,” he clarified. “I saw you with my own two eyes.”

Nikos couldn’t well lie to his father, so he looked away and muttered under his breath.

I grinned. King Eduart was now an official favourite of mine.

A/N: By the way, this chapter is dedicated to walkonair for always stalking my LJ account and giving me input when I ask for it. (Such as, for example, whether I should post this chapter here in the first place.)