Saturday, October 29, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Warrior Princess - Chapter One
This is the synopsis and first chapter of the novel I'm writing. Hopefully I'll be able to post a chapter every few days.
Synopsis:
17 year old Princess Rachel, had lived most of her life with out her mother, who died when she was two. She always knew she was different, she could talk to animals, but she never thought that maybe her mother had something to do with this. Then the Prince of the neighbouring kingdom declared war on them, with the sole purpose of killing her. Why did the prince want her dead? Why does her father not want to talk about her mothers death? Why can she talk to animals? Will she ever be able to find the answers to these questions? And will she be able to stop the Prince?
Chapter One
Parry! Block! Thrust! Parry! I spun my sword around combating my fathers blows. "Father?" I asked, while blocking another thrust. "Do I have to go to the ball tonight?" I parried and gave a thrust of my own. " I mean, you know almost everyone thinks I'm weird because I can talk to animals, so it's not like I'm going to have a lot of friends there. And it will mean getting dressed up all fancy. None of my other birthdays have been like this. So why this one?" I parried one thrust and spun around just in time to block another.
"Rachel, just because others think you are weird, does not mean that you are." My father said, lowering his sword. "You are a very talented young lady. And you know why this birthday is different. You are seventeen. You're old enough to take over the throne." He smiled. "And besides, I think you are old enough to be thinking about who you will marry."
I looked at him, my eyes wide. "Marry, father? Need I be thinking of that now?"
He laughed at my indignant surprise. "I am not saying you need to make a decision now, but it is something to start thinking about. I want to know that you will always be looked after. Surely there is someone who you might care for?"
I shook my head. "No. Well, maybe. I don't know." I looked down. "And even if I did, who would want to marry me?" Father came over to me and tilted my chin up.
"Look at me. You are a beautiful, talented, kind, and wonderful young lady. Don't ever think you are weird or worthless." He hugged me. "I love you Rachel."
I smiled up at him. "I love you too father." We put our swords away and sat down on a bench near by. "Father, since I'm now seventeen, won't you tell me about mother please. How did she die?" My father stood up, his posture stiff and his eyes cold.
"I will not talk of this now. I must go see that every thing is ready for tonight." He turned away.
"Father! Why won't you talk to me? She was my mother! Don't I have a right to know? I've waited all these years, please, tell me!"
"I said no!" He shouted back, without turning around. I turned away with a frustrated sigh.
"Do you want to come for a ride with me?" I called to my best friend Caitlin, who was standing a little way away. When she was little her family died when their farm burned down. Ever since, she has lived at the castle.
"When have I ever said no to a ride." She said, laughing. We turned and made our way to the stables. I saddled up my black mustang stallion, Destrier, while she saddled up her strawberry bay Thoroughbred mare, Sparkles. Once ready, we cantered out of the castle and up into the hills. We had been riding for a while when Caitlin spoke up. "What happened at the end of your training? Your father didn't seem very happy."
I sighed. "I asked him about mother. He never talks to me about her, Caitlin. Every time I ask about her, he completely shuts down. She died when I was two. I've spent fifteen years of my life without her. Not knowing anything about her. I don't know what she looked like. I don't know what her family was like. He won't tell me anything. He won't even tell me how she died." I fell silent for a while. "I know I sound like I hate him for it, but I don't. He is the only family I have. And he cares for me, I know he doesn't want to hurt me. I just wish he would talk to me."
"Maybe it still hurts him to talk about it."
I looked at him, my eyes wide. "Marry, father? Need I be thinking of that now?"
He laughed at my indignant surprise. "I am not saying you need to make a decision now, but it is something to start thinking about. I want to know that you will always be looked after. Surely there is someone who you might care for?"
I shook my head. "No. Well, maybe. I don't know." I looked down. "And even if I did, who would want to marry me?" Father came over to me and tilted my chin up.
"Look at me. You are a beautiful, talented, kind, and wonderful young lady. Don't ever think you are weird or worthless." He hugged me. "I love you Rachel."
I smiled up at him. "I love you too father." We put our swords away and sat down on a bench near by. "Father, since I'm now seventeen, won't you tell me about mother please. How did she die?" My father stood up, his posture stiff and his eyes cold.
"I will not talk of this now. I must go see that every thing is ready for tonight." He turned away.
"Father! Why won't you talk to me? She was my mother! Don't I have a right to know? I've waited all these years, please, tell me!"
"I said no!" He shouted back, without turning around. I turned away with a frustrated sigh.
"Do you want to come for a ride with me?" I called to my best friend Caitlin, who was standing a little way away. When she was little her family died when their farm burned down. Ever since, she has lived at the castle.
"When have I ever said no to a ride." She said, laughing. We turned and made our way to the stables. I saddled up my black mustang stallion, Destrier, while she saddled up her strawberry bay Thoroughbred mare, Sparkles. Once ready, we cantered out of the castle and up into the hills. We had been riding for a while when Caitlin spoke up. "What happened at the end of your training? Your father didn't seem very happy."
I sighed. "I asked him about mother. He never talks to me about her, Caitlin. Every time I ask about her, he completely shuts down. She died when I was two. I've spent fifteen years of my life without her. Not knowing anything about her. I don't know what she looked like. I don't know what her family was like. He won't tell me anything. He won't even tell me how she died." I fell silent for a while. "I know I sound like I hate him for it, but I don't. He is the only family I have. And he cares for me, I know he doesn't want to hurt me. I just wish he would talk to me."
"Maybe it still hurts him to talk about it."
"I suppose that is probably why." Cantering over the hills with the wind in my face, helped me calm down, and soon a was smiling again, enjoying the ride. Not long after a forest rose up in front of us.
"Where are we going?" Caitlin asked.
"How about to the tower? I always have liked sitting there."
"Perfect!" She grinned at me. "Race you there?"
"Try to keep up!" I laughed, racing forward. We galloped for a while, through thick forests, until finally, we broke out into a clearing. There stood an old tower, beside a laughing brook. We dismounted and sat down beside the brook, watching the sunlight dancing on the water. "What do you think my mother was like?" I asked, breaking the still silence.
"She was probably like you." Caitlin said, looking at me. "Although you are like your father in some ways, in many ways you are not. I can only assume that you are like your mother in those ways." I smiled, dreaming about what my mother was like.
"How about to the tower? I always have liked sitting there."
"Perfect!" She grinned at me. "Race you there?"
"Try to keep up!" I laughed, racing forward. We galloped for a while, through thick forests, until finally, we broke out into a clearing. There stood an old tower, beside a laughing brook. We dismounted and sat down beside the brook, watching the sunlight dancing on the water. "What do you think my mother was like?" I asked, breaking the still silence.
"She was probably like you." Caitlin said, looking at me. "Although you are like your father in some ways, in many ways you are not. I can only assume that you are like your mother in those ways." I smiled, dreaming about what my mother was like.
Destrier came over to me and nudged me. "We must be going or you will not have time to get ready for the ball." I shook myself out of my daydream and nodded.
"Destrier says we need to be going" I said to Caitlin, getting up. We both mounted, and cantered off toward the castle. Once back, we hurriedly got out horses settled in and then went to our rooms to get ready. It was horrible! My ladies-in-waiting covered me in perfumes, plastered my face in makeup, and dressed me in a ridiculously decorated pale pink dress. And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, they piled my long brown hair up on top of my head in such a way, I though I must surely look ridiculous! But finally, I was ready.
~
I stood at the top of the stairs, out of sight of the crowd, listening to the music and people mingling, waiting for me to come down. I looked over at Caitlin, standing beside me. She too was dressed in a pale pink dress, but hers was far more simple, some might say plain, and her hair was hanging loose over her shoulders. I admired for a moment, how beautiful she looked, until I heard the herald announcing me. I took a deep breath and started down the stairs. Once at the bottom, everyone bowed and I curtsied in return. I then turned and made my way to my father, I curtsied to him and then took my place at his side.
He stood and addressed the crowd. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate Rachel's seventeenth birthday. She is now officially old enough to take over the throne." Everyone clapped. "I can not tell you how proud I am that she is my daughter." He turned and looked at me. "Happy Birthday!" He sat down, and one by one different people came up and made a speech, saying how glad they were that I was their princess, and how I would make a wonderful queen, and whole lot of other such rubbish. I knew they didn't mean any of it, they just wanted my father to be pleased with them.
Finally the speeches were over, but now the dancing would start. In my opinion this was even worse than the speeches! I sighed as I saw a young lord making his way toward me. But before he could reach me someone touched my arm. It was Cedric, the youngest of the knights, and a good friend of mine. "May I have this dance?" He asked with a bow.
"Your timing couldn't have been better!" I said, taking his arm. He led me to the centre of the dance floor and we began to dance. He swirled me round and round. Finally the music came to a stop and I curtsied to him, breathless and laughing. Suddenly the door swung open and a guard ran in, hurriedly making his way between the dancers to my father.
"My Lord!" He cried, kneeling. "I bring urgent news. The Prince Tirindalle has come. He and his army are camped between the mountains." I saw my father's face go pale. I looked at Cedric and then ran over to my father.
"Father? What is wrong? Who is this Prince Tirindalle? Why has he come?" I could feel myself growing anxious. He said nothing, just looked at me.
"Destrier says we need to be going" I said to Caitlin, getting up. We both mounted, and cantered off toward the castle. Once back, we hurriedly got out horses settled in and then went to our rooms to get ready. It was horrible! My ladies-in-waiting covered me in perfumes, plastered my face in makeup, and dressed me in a ridiculously decorated pale pink dress. And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, they piled my long brown hair up on top of my head in such a way, I though I must surely look ridiculous! But finally, I was ready.
~
I stood at the top of the stairs, out of sight of the crowd, listening to the music and people mingling, waiting for me to come down. I looked over at Caitlin, standing beside me. She too was dressed in a pale pink dress, but hers was far more simple, some might say plain, and her hair was hanging loose over her shoulders. I admired for a moment, how beautiful she looked, until I heard the herald announcing me. I took a deep breath and started down the stairs. Once at the bottom, everyone bowed and I curtsied in return. I then turned and made my way to my father, I curtsied to him and then took my place at his side.
He stood and addressed the crowd. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate Rachel's seventeenth birthday. She is now officially old enough to take over the throne." Everyone clapped. "I can not tell you how proud I am that she is my daughter." He turned and looked at me. "Happy Birthday!" He sat down, and one by one different people came up and made a speech, saying how glad they were that I was their princess, and how I would make a wonderful queen, and whole lot of other such rubbish. I knew they didn't mean any of it, they just wanted my father to be pleased with them.
Finally the speeches were over, but now the dancing would start. In my opinion this was even worse than the speeches! I sighed as I saw a young lord making his way toward me. But before he could reach me someone touched my arm. It was Cedric, the youngest of the knights, and a good friend of mine. "May I have this dance?" He asked with a bow.
"Your timing couldn't have been better!" I said, taking his arm. He led me to the centre of the dance floor and we began to dance. He swirled me round and round. Finally the music came to a stop and I curtsied to him, breathless and laughing. Suddenly the door swung open and a guard ran in, hurriedly making his way between the dancers to my father.
"My Lord!" He cried, kneeling. "I bring urgent news. The Prince Tirindalle has come. He and his army are camped between the mountains." I saw my father's face go pale. I looked at Cedric and then ran over to my father.
"Father? What is wrong? Who is this Prince Tirindalle? Why has he come?" I could feel myself growing anxious. He said nothing, just looked at me.
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