Three Days to Doom

Chapter 1

Meeting the Royal Family

Young Princess Aziza stepped gracefully out of her carriage. "Welcome, Darling!" Queen Desdemona trilled as Aziza curtsied.

"We are so glad to see that you arrived safely. Aren't we Adler?"

"Yes, Father, whatever." Prince Adler clearly had more important places to be. Aziza could understand.

"And I am so pleased to be here! I have heard so many great things about you."

"Wait!" Prince Adler suddenly seemed interested. The Queen shot him one glare and he paused. Then started again, this time slower. "Like what?"

"Like that you are a fantastic horseman, who really cares about the horses." Aziza just wanted out!

"Oh. Well I guess that's accurate." He was satisfied.

"Well sure it is!" Queen Desdemona wasn't complaining but she did look like there were many stories to tell. "Now dear do come in and have some tea." Aziza abided her. They entered the palace and went into a huge room. There was a table far too large to be practical, and over it an even larger chandelier. "So what are some of your interests? I'm sure they are all rather charming."

"Well, actually I too care quite a bit for my horses."

"Really?" Prince Adler said with a laugh. "That is not exactly possible. No princess can really work with her horses."

"Oh really! Well can you see through that window a black horse beside the palomino?"

"Yeah."

"I trained her since she was a weanling. No one but me has ever ridden her."

"Except in breaking, of course." King Oberon said finishing her sentence.

"Well-" Aziza tried to correct him.

"Well that is just common sense, Oberon." The Queen said.

"Well, actually-"

"After all, why should the princess of the land risk her own neck, when she can pay for someone else's?" Even the queen did not get her. Aziza did not get this royal family.

"Unless said royalty was confident that they could break said equine to areas that no one else could."

"Like what, sidesaddle." Had anyone who really knew Aziza been there, they probably would have said something just to her from saying anything. But their was no one.

"Do not be fooled. I only ride sidesaddle when in front of my people."

"What kind of woman rides like a man? Surely not a princess!" Now even the kind king was joining in.

"How is one to contol one's horse if they have not one leg on each side of one's horse?"

"Well for as a princess you are to control with your beauty and loyalties. Not with one leg on each of your horse's sides!" The prince was laughing at her again.

"But you speak of safety? How safe am I if my own horse is left to its mischief?"

"This is true!" The Queen's voice startled Princess Aziza. "You are surely a fine woman! And will make a valiant queen."

"Queen!" Aziza was not in line for any throne.

"I second that! No queen should be reduced to her simile and grace. Adler will need a wife with power and opinions she does not fear sharing." Aziza was distraught, as the king looked at her and patted her hands folded in front of her. "You will make an excellent ruler for my kingdom!"

"But I thought that this was just a visiting dignitary thing? Not an attempt at your son's hand!"

"Oh my dear child, you are so young and naïve. When your father sent that letter about you, we just knew that you would be perfect! And here you are, perfect!" The had Queen obviously had bought her act.

"But no one told me that you were that concerned about finding a bride for your son when he himself is so young."

"My dear," The king started. "He is two years older than you!"

"What is that?" The Prince's voice was odd as he looked out the window. To be quite honest everyone forgot about the prince even though the conversation centered on him.

What he pointed out was rather peculiar. In a land near the sea were seagulls were practically the only flying fowl, a hawk circled over head. "'Tis nothing but a pet. And a good friend. " As Aziza said this, the hawk's circles lowered until it glided into the great room. It then landed on the chandelier, causing it to tilt.

"Trouble! Trouble!" It sounded like she said.

"Did that hawk just talk?" The king would have signaled to his men to shoot an arrow at the beautiful bird had Aziza not said something.

"No! It just squawked, that is all."

"I don't think hawk's squawk." The prince said as if the fact confused him more than anyone else.

"But it sounded just like it spoke! I'm sure it did!" The Queen said running as far away from the bird as she could.

"Yes, they do squawk. And that is just what id did. Now if you don't mind, I do believe I have a lot of unpacking to do." At that, Aziza went back out to her carriage and got all her luggage. Imagine the royal family's faces when they saw that she could and would carry all of her own luggage.

"Unpacking?" Young Prince Adler suddenly became even more confused than he had been the entire conversation. "Why?"

"Because," the king began, "She is the top candidate to be your bride."

Aziza dropped all her bags and turned around to face them. "I am." To Aziza that was the worst kind of news.

"She is!" Now Prince Adler looked as if he were sick, but Aziza didn't really care.

"But you don't understand. I don't want to marry him."

"Oh, and you think I want to marry you?" The prince perhaps was sick.

"Now, now, you two will marry because your parents and your countries decide so. This is your duty."

"No, you still don't understand. I can't marry him." Aziza was desperate.

"Why? Do you already have a betrothed?"

" Well, no, but that is not why."

"Than why can you not marry my son?"

The hawk swooped down from the chandelier and landed on the princess' shoulder, warning her to stay quiet. "Because I can't." Aziza said pitifully. And she carried her bags off to her guest quarters.