Once in a Life-Year
Chapter 1
Chaaaang! Srrrrttt!
She smiled watching on top of the brick gate. The sun barely breaking the horizon, it was still blue outside. The men were practicing their swordsmanship, they each wanted to become a knight! Holy. Prideful. They got their own crests. They wrote their names to death. She wanted battle. She wanted adventure. She did not want to be stuck in armor, head to toe, weighing her down. She could not stand guard while there were places to see, people to meet… A person to be. How could she? She was not born to sit on a throne, as was her destiny. She was born to live. To be free. He was the key to that… They… They were the key to that. She grabbed her hair, pulling on it as she was approached. The man approached her, admiring her long red hair, swirling in the breeze. Her light green eyes nearly glowed as she met eye contact with him.
“Your highness-“
“No.”
“Um.. Uh—Your--..Um.. Anabella… Miss.. You really should not sit up there! It can be dangerous, your.. Um.. Her Grace has sent me for you.”
“Very well, Gene.” She pushed herself off the wall, nearly clearing 15 feet.
“Your Highness!” Gene squeaked, scurrying after her as she walked towards the castle.
“I know mother.” She grumbled flippantly… Her mother continued to lecture her about her ‘excursions’ outside of the castle.
“You do not know!” She exclaimed loudly, “There are people Annie! People who will KILL you! You must not leave the castle walls! Guards! Guards!”
Clank. Clank. Clump.
“Guard her. Make sure she is-“ Anabella rushed out of the room before the guards could stop her, she ran down the halls, hearing her mother’s voice echo, ‘Stop her!’. She weaved through the hallways until she hit stairs, she held her skirt in her hands as she stepped down them, she jumped away from the bottom two and slipped around some guards. Flinging herself into the door, she opened it. Sunlight hit her face, the day had just begun. The dew still produced itself on the grass as she slipped through the gates before she had been caught. The guards quickly caught up and she slipped through the people until she could not see them anymore. She looked around. Fruit stands were selling fruit and bread stands looked fairly stale of people. She saw buildings, the blacksmith; they would think she went for a weapon. The bakery, with puddings and pastries she loved so much; self explanatory. Her eyes settled on a place where women whored themselves out for money, her mother officially could not run it out of business, since her father frequented the place. She had been forbidden to enter and told her mother it was a place she hated and she would never look at, let alone go in. Bingo. She bolted for the door, she heaved herself to the door as she heard the clanging of armor rounding the corner. It was warm, the door, warm and soft? She shoved harder and attempted to slam the door behind her, something grabbed her wrist, and then she was against the door, shut, and pinned. A pair of stormy grey eyes filled with puzzlement met hers. She tried to move, but he held her there with ease, a strong hand on her wrist and his forearm on the door.
“Who are you?” A foreigner. Great. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy or angry or scared.
“Let me go!” She said, quietly,
“You-“
“Your Highness! What are-?” The young knight-in-training, James, had just began down the stairs, and was reattaching his sword. His brown hair was messy and his face flushed. His blue eyes dark, she could hardly see them. “Your Highness?” He unsheathed his sword, the man backed up, letting go.
“No need for weapons.” He said, not out of fear.
“No weapons allowed.” A female lounging in a chair said, “Take it outside.”
“No- No need for that.” She smiled at the female, glancing at the man once more, she guessed he had brown hair, it was dark enough now that he had moved she could only see his outline. She began to move; The man grabbed her wrist.
“You are the queen?” She ripped her arm away from him,
“I am the Princess. Unhand me.”
“Your Highness, what are you doing here?” She marched to James as the man shrugged and walked out of the building.
“James… Do not speak a word of this. I was not here. Ever. Period. Do you understand? This is a command not to be overridden. Do you hear me?” James nodded, he grabbed her hand lightly, he led her upstairs, she followed without questions. She had gathered the attention of the women waiting for men; rumors were going to start. He closed the door,
“Bells… What is going on?” He asked her quietly, the sun peeked through the window bright and shiny; she could see his worn leather trousers had patches where holes had been. His yellow tunic had green stains from the grass, and red stains next to patches, where she assumed he had been cut. The patches were poorly fixed, some were sagging; he must have done them himself.
“You really should let me mend your clothes, or at least let me teach you how to fix them. We have been friends for forever, have we not?” She asked him, stepping close enough to touch the patches lightly.
“You are running away, aren’t you?” She met his eyes then; He turned away, pulling his hand through his hair. “Bells.. I- Your Highness..”
“Don’t call me that!” He looked at her, worry clear in his eyes,
“I can’t let you leave… I am suppose to protect you as a knight.” She smiled at him,
“You passed?” He nodded, solemnly. She hugged him whispering a praise in his ear, “I knew you could do it!” He pushed her away lightly,
“Anabella.. You cannot leave.”
“Come with me! It will be an adventure! We will see dragons and mountains and trees and elves and sorcerers, and healers. We will see it all!”
“You can not go! Your place is here! My place is here, protecting you!”
“Hush! They will hear you! Please, James! You can protect me out there. I am going. With or without you.” They were quiet a moment. “Stay. You are finally a knight. You musn’t jeopardize that for me.” She turned to leave, he grabbed her in a hug.
“Come back safe. Or I will hunt you down.” She giggled. “You stole my sword.” He stated it flatly. She pulled away from him and stared at him. He unbuckled his sword, it was small and light… Something she had never seen him carry before.
“You knew. That is why you were here when you were, wasn’t it? I thought it strange you up so early.” He smiled at her, kissed her head. A brother who was not a brother, but nor a protector. He wanted her to learn what she needed to learn on her own. He let her go. And go she did. Under the walls, secret passes, until she hit the forest.
She smiled watching on top of the brick gate. The sun barely breaking the horizon, it was still blue outside. The men were practicing their swordsmanship, they each wanted to become a knight! Holy. Prideful. They got their own crests. They wrote their names to death. She wanted battle. She wanted adventure. She did not want to be stuck in armor, head to toe, weighing her down. She could not stand guard while there were places to see, people to meet… A person to be. How could she? She was not born to sit on a throne, as was her destiny. She was born to live. To be free. He was the key to that… They… They were the key to that. She grabbed her hair, pulling on it as she was approached. The man approached her, admiring her long red hair, swirling in the breeze. Her light green eyes nearly glowed as she met eye contact with him.
“Your highness-“
“No.”
“Um.. Uh—Your--..Um.. Anabella… Miss.. You really should not sit up there! It can be dangerous, your.. Um.. Her Grace has sent me for you.”
“Very well, Gene.” She pushed herself off the wall, nearly clearing 15 feet.
“Your Highness!” Gene squeaked, scurrying after her as she walked towards the castle.
“I know mother.” She grumbled flippantly… Her mother continued to lecture her about her ‘excursions’ outside of the castle.
“You do not know!” She exclaimed loudly, “There are people Annie! People who will KILL you! You must not leave the castle walls! Guards! Guards!”
Clank. Clank. Clump.
“Guard her. Make sure she is-“ Anabella rushed out of the room before the guards could stop her, she ran down the halls, hearing her mother’s voice echo, ‘Stop her!’. She weaved through the hallways until she hit stairs, she held her skirt in her hands as she stepped down them, she jumped away from the bottom two and slipped around some guards. Flinging herself into the door, she opened it. Sunlight hit her face, the day had just begun. The dew still produced itself on the grass as she slipped through the gates before she had been caught. The guards quickly caught up and she slipped through the people until she could not see them anymore. She looked around. Fruit stands were selling fruit and bread stands looked fairly stale of people. She saw buildings, the blacksmith; they would think she went for a weapon. The bakery, with puddings and pastries she loved so much; self explanatory. Her eyes settled on a place where women whored themselves out for money, her mother officially could not run it out of business, since her father frequented the place. She had been forbidden to enter and told her mother it was a place she hated and she would never look at, let alone go in. Bingo. She bolted for the door, she heaved herself to the door as she heard the clanging of armor rounding the corner. It was warm, the door, warm and soft? She shoved harder and attempted to slam the door behind her, something grabbed her wrist, and then she was against the door, shut, and pinned. A pair of stormy grey eyes filled with puzzlement met hers. She tried to move, but he held her there with ease, a strong hand on her wrist and his forearm on the door.
“Who are you?” A foreigner. Great. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy or angry or scared.
“Let me go!” She said, quietly,
“You-“
“Your Highness! What are-?” The young knight-in-training, James, had just began down the stairs, and was reattaching his sword. His brown hair was messy and his face flushed. His blue eyes dark, she could hardly see them. “Your Highness?” He unsheathed his sword, the man backed up, letting go.
“No need for weapons.” He said, not out of fear.
“No weapons allowed.” A female lounging in a chair said, “Take it outside.”
“No- No need for that.” She smiled at the female, glancing at the man once more, she guessed he had brown hair, it was dark enough now that he had moved she could only see his outline. She began to move; The man grabbed her wrist.
“You are the queen?” She ripped her arm away from him,
“I am the Princess. Unhand me.”
“Your Highness, what are you doing here?” She marched to James as the man shrugged and walked out of the building.
“James… Do not speak a word of this. I was not here. Ever. Period. Do you understand? This is a command not to be overridden. Do you hear me?” James nodded, he grabbed her hand lightly, he led her upstairs, she followed without questions. She had gathered the attention of the women waiting for men; rumors were going to start. He closed the door,
“Bells… What is going on?” He asked her quietly, the sun peeked through the window bright and shiny; she could see his worn leather trousers had patches where holes had been. His yellow tunic had green stains from the grass, and red stains next to patches, where she assumed he had been cut. The patches were poorly fixed, some were sagging; he must have done them himself.
“You really should let me mend your clothes, or at least let me teach you how to fix them. We have been friends for forever, have we not?” She asked him, stepping close enough to touch the patches lightly.
“You are running away, aren’t you?” She met his eyes then; He turned away, pulling his hand through his hair. “Bells.. I- Your Highness..”
“Don’t call me that!” He looked at her, worry clear in his eyes,
“I can’t let you leave… I am suppose to protect you as a knight.” She smiled at him,
“You passed?” He nodded, solemnly. She hugged him whispering a praise in his ear, “I knew you could do it!” He pushed her away lightly,
“Anabella.. You cannot leave.”
“Come with me! It will be an adventure! We will see dragons and mountains and trees and elves and sorcerers, and healers. We will see it all!”
“You can not go! Your place is here! My place is here, protecting you!”
“Hush! They will hear you! Please, James! You can protect me out there. I am going. With or without you.” They were quiet a moment. “Stay. You are finally a knight. You musn’t jeopardize that for me.” She turned to leave, he grabbed her in a hug.
“Come back safe. Or I will hunt you down.” She giggled. “You stole my sword.” He stated it flatly. She pulled away from him and stared at him. He unbuckled his sword, it was small and light… Something she had never seen him carry before.
“You knew. That is why you were here when you were, wasn’t it? I thought it strange you up so early.” He smiled at her, kissed her head. A brother who was not a brother, but nor a protector. He wanted her to learn what she needed to learn on her own. He let her go. And go she did. Under the walls, secret passes, until she hit the forest.