I felt the soft petals of a rose in one of those rose bushes in front of the castle. The castle was yellow and as far as one could see, dark green vines, clung to the outside walls like snakes. Careful not to prick my finger on the sharp thorns, I picked the flower and breathed in the delightful smell.

"Hello my princess," a male voice broke the much wanted silence which I hoped would happen when I had escaped from my maids.

I whipped around to see a boy kneeling on one knee and smiling up at me. I dropped the flower, forgetting about it because of the surprise.

The boy had his blond hair brushed back his brass armor was discolored from the long time it had been worn and what it had been through. His name was Luke and he had been my best friend since I was three. If you would move back time, one would see us almost always side by side fighting imaginary foes, and causing trouble by creating small, adventures to amuse ourselves but now that we were older, we were rarely seen together because of my harsh, training and his missions that he was sent on regularly to make the land safer. He had gone on what was supposed to be a three week mission but painfully became three months. His goal was to find more information on our fiend, a sorceress who could wield black magic like no other and if he could, find ways to destroy her.

My face was wet as I let myself cry just this once when no one was around to scold me and tell me, "to be tougher." I ran to him, arms wide. He picked me up swinging me in the air. He gently set me down, and hugged me tightly once more. I closed my eyes enjoying the sweet feeling of happiness for just one moment before; "Ahem," someone spoke from in front of me. I opened my eyes to find the one person, who I would rather not see.

Luke looked at me; following my gaze he turned his head to see the intruder. He dipped his head, respectably in a bow.

I bowed as well.

The man was named Lord George, he had his red hair tied in a ponytail, freckles marked his face and he wore a green tunic, with a white shirt underneath. He was favored by most of the nobles in my land, Askia and so was frequently allowed in the castle. I always disliked him as he gave me a sense that he was an imposter. He didn't belong here and he knew it. He was only here for the money and nothing else, and the only way he could get more money than his position already offered was if he married into the family by my father's only remaining offspring; me. "I'm terribly sorry for my interruption my lady but-"he shot Luke a disgusted glance before continuing. "Your father has called for you."

"Thank you, Lord George. While I am away will you show Luke to his room?" I said bluntly, covering my dislike of him with a white smile.

The Lord moved his disgusted glare from Luke and looked back at me with a fake, smile. "My Lady, nothing is better than serving you and I will gratefully do as you ask of me." He said in a low bow.

I bowed once more before pulling my long, plain green dress from the ground and disappearing around the corner. As I entered the main door, two of the guards bowed then went back to their stances. "Excuse me," I yelled, making a slow progress towards the King, pushing through a large crowd of commoners who stood in a line, waiting for the king to solve whatever problems they were most puzzled over. The room that I had entered was the throne room and my so called "target" was sitting in front of me in a mahogany, red velvet throne with a gold frame showcasing beautiful carvings of past leaders. Four, marble pillars was built in all of the corners of the room with eloquent carvings of past battles that some of the parts were hidden by a green, snake-like vine that crawled up the piece until it was too high to be seen.

When I finally pushed through the crowd, panting, I bowed pettily and while waiting for my king to give me permission to speak, I stared at the marble floor.

"You may begin my daughter."

"Father," I said raising my gaze and then my body to a stand. "I ask your permission to visit my mentor." I looked straight into my father's blue eyes; his once black hair was turning grey with age and his skin once tan was paler from all of those hard, days inside. He was the symbol of power even at his state, his gold, jeweled crown proved that but every day a fit of coughing interrupted his work and proved that he was getting closer to the end of his days.

"Anna, you know that he lives closer to the sorceress' realm than anyone, as much as I would like to send you. It's too dangerous and I forbid it."

"But what if Luke or Rock and a group of guards come?"

The king shook his head, sadly. "Anna-"

"You still treat me like a child. I need to take a stand for myself...prove that I'm as strong as mother." I snapped.

The king began in another fit of coughing.

"Masha," I yelled for the royal medicine man.

Masha, a man with long white hair, beard, robe and bare feet ran in. He set a tray full of bottles filled with different colored liquids and set it next to the now fallen king. "Your majesty, please open up."

The king did as told and he poured a green liquid into his mouth.

I jumped, startled as a hand fell onto my shoulder. I turned my head to my left and sighed as Luke smiled a weak smile. I did the same and he quietly, led me outside.

Once outside and I was sure we were away from anyone I put my head on his shoulder and began to cry. Luke still with his hand on my shoulder pulled me closer to him; found a white, marble bench facing away from the castle's entrance with the view of green, grass that led up to a healthy, forest and sat both of us down on it. He put his chin on my head, gently and began to mumble words of optimism and encouragement, "It's going to be alright. He's going to get better I promise." He said removing his chin from on top of my head and put a finger under my chin and bringing it to meet his face. He smiled, encouragingly and I allowed myself a small grin.

"Remember the time we were playing around with wooden, swords then one of us...I think it was you fell, then the wooden sword accidently slid and unlocked a cage full of geese that were supposed to be for the chief."

I nodded, smiling an even bigger smile. "Well that was you."

"Well anyway, the chief got so mad; we thought we were going to have to duck for cover because his face was so red. Then after the king explained to the chief that we were to have no part of his wonderful geese as our punishment and we had to round up every one of those animals. Well I caught your father, when I was going to tell him that we had finished, laughing so hard, I thought he was having a heart attack..."

I started to wipe the tears from my eyes, and he began again once more whispering, "I promise he will get better and everything is going to be alright. Now before everyone starts wondering where we went off to, that's start heading back." He said standing up and putting his hand out for me to take it. Smiling, I warmly took it and we began our slow progress back to the castle.

As we walked by the guards at the main entrance, they nodded a small nod in respect and then went back to their regular stances. I whispered, "Thanks," for their show of respect but if they heard me they didn't show it. We pushed our way through the crowd and guessing that the king was in his chamber being treated by Masha, I decided to go to bed early. "Will you take me to my room, please Luke? I am exhausted and would like to rest before the meeting at midnight."

He frowned, "What meeting?"

Confused, I stopped walking, turned towards him and answered, "The one every full moon I thought Lord George told you or at least you somehow knew."

"No." He said and something flashed in his eyes.

"Well, we have a meeting every full moon to announce the contestants of the tournament. Then only exception is if a leader has something very important to announce or he won't be able to make it because he or she is ill." I froze. "Oh, wait I won't be able to go I forgot. Since father's sick no one can go."

Luke looked at my face then his face lit up, cheerfully. "How about you sleep this off, I bet something good would happen to you in the morning. Trust me it always does." He said gently, nudging me to my now opened door which he was holding open for me as I walked past him, turned and stopped in the entrance with a small, smile expressing my gratitude for everything that he did today.

"Good night." I whispered.

"Good night," he replied as he closed the door behind me.

I took a deep breath; the room was painted dark green and had pine wooden flooring. A green canopy bed with gold trimmed covers with its head was pushed up against a wall to my left, to its right, two swords one with a gold blade and green hilt, the other had a silver blade and hilt. Two wooden bed tables were on either side of the head of the bed and hanging above the tables were two torches, lit, illuminating the room. Then to my right was a wooden bookcase filled with books old and new. Next to it, on its right was a closet, then in front of it across a white rug, was a wooden dresser. I breathed out slowly, and walked over to the window. I pulled the velvet curtains shut and walked over to the wooden, door in between the bookcase and closet. I grabbed ahold of its cool, black knocker.

The room had green walls, marble floors and bathtub. I turned around and walked to my bed. I pulled a string that was used to call my maids.

I went into the bathroom and waited for the maids to appear. When they did the oldest of the three, Maria, a widow with pure white hair, brown eyes and a white dress spoke, "My princess what do you ask of us today?" She said bowing and the others followed suit.

Behind Maria, were two younger girls both twins except for one had blond hair and the other black. They both had pale skin, but the blond named Henrietta, wore a yellow dress, while the other; Jen wore a black dress. Both had brown eyes.

"I would like a bath, please?"

All maids nodded and began their work.

When they were done I wore a white night gown, and Maria was brushing my loose, long, brown hair. The twins were organizing anything that seemed out of place. "Maria, have you heard any word on the meeting tonight?"

Maria shook her head, "No so I will have to assume that there is no meeting for us-", she looked at my distraught countenance. "But don't get so distraught my dear I'm sure something good will happen."

I nodded.

"Well it's time to go to bed my dear, goodnight." She said getting up out of the bed she was sitting on, motioned for the twins to follow her then when the twins were on the other side of the door, she bowed and closed it.

Sighing, I let myself fall backwards on the bed. "I hope she was right." I whispered under my breath, than I lazily crawled to the head of the bed, pulled myself under the covers and fell asleep.I

I opened my eyes, someone was shaking me soon the dark shape shaking me grew into focus and I recognized it to be Maria.

"Your father calls for you in the throne room," was all she said before she handed me some clothes and quickly helped me into them before she disappeared out the door.

I speed walked over to the throne room, knowing that if I didn't hurry I would soon regret it as my father was a type of man who if he called someone he wanted them to come quick not slowly. I arrived in the throne room as fast as plain, long green dress would allow me. Only to spot my head guard, Rock and four of his men surrounding a boy in a white shirt and in strange pants and shoes. I glanced at the boy one more time before heading towards my spot on the throne to the right of my mother who sat pleasantly also to his right. 

"What do you mean you do not know where you are? This is preposterous." My father's booming voice signified his irritation.

And as usual my mother was left to calm him down, "Lionel please he is only a kid. This is probably his first time out of the village."

My father glared at the boy, still not believing his answer but deciding to stay silent for his wife's sake. "Tell me again where you found him, Rock?"

"I found near the border, sire. He looks earthly to me, if you were to ask me. I mean who else would wear such weird pants and shoes."

"Is what my head guard says, right?"

The boy nodded.

My father exchanged a glance with my mother before he begin again, this time calmly. "Then I am afraid to tell you that it will be some time before you can return home. The borders are close and quite frankly, I am surprised that you even made it through the borders but accidents can happen. You will be staying in a room where I will have some maids escort you too. You are dismissed along with everyone else."

As the boy turned, I found myself stopping. I was not yet neared the throne as I had somehow paused but as I looked closer to the boy. I found my heart racing at his the sight of his sharp features, dark blue eyes, tan skin and black short hair.

He seemed to stop to but the guards pushed him forward before leaving him entirely alone to the maids who had appeared from a different corridor.

I quickly motioned for one of the maids to come close, before I told her to tell the boy to meet me in the garden if he wanted to get to Earth after his clean up. She nodded, obediently before disappearing. I suddenly wanted to know more about him making me in the mood for some adventure.

I heard him telling them, "that I can wash myself' and a lot of other things that I could barely keep myself from laughing as he went down the corridor. Once I was sure that he had disappeared I turned to my parents they were most likely going to give me a lecture on why I could not go to the borderland and I sighed as I prepared myself for it.

After the long lecture, I opened the door, walked into my room and grabbed the two swords lying carelessly against the corner, blade up. I grabbed the brown leather scabbards and clicked them into place around me waist. I then grabbed the swords and put them in their scabbards. I pulled a bag from near the swords that I had the maids pack with food, blankets, and clothes and water and slung it over my shoulders. I than grabbed my cloak, clicked it into place than walked over to the door, opened it and turned around to close it. I then turned around and walked down the hallway. I stopped in front of the two marble doors and put my hands on my hips growling, "Let me through."

"I'm sorry princess but not unless you have a guard."

"I need to go outside queen's orders." They looked at each other wearily and I noticed that I had hit a nerve. "Do you want me to tell the queen that you are disobeying her orders?" The doors were opened with a loud, dragging sound. "That's what I thought." I said walking through the doors and onto the pebble path. The doors closed behind me with a loud slam. I sat on a bench and waited patiently for Clyde to appear. I breathed in the cool air perfumed with flowery smells. The warmth of the sun seeped into my back and I felt myself dripping off to sleep when my reverie was interrupted by a voice and I instinctively drew my gold hilted sword to point at the throat of the speaker. The speaker put his hands up but his eyes danced with mischief and still did as he smiled when he put his hands down. "Oh, it's just you." I said putting my sword back in my scabbard than looking up at a boy with wet, black hair, a black shirt that fit his muscular frame perfectly, black tights and black knee high boots.

He had a black cloak on with armor at the shoulders and I pulled myself into a stand a little bit blushed.

I quickly hid my blush with a scowl. "You're late." I said putting the bag on the ground to begin foraging through it and hoping that Maria had packed what I had hoped she did. I smiled as I felt it, pulled out a silver rapier and a sword that Maria had cut through the inside of the bag to make it fit. "Here," I told Clyde handing the sword to him. "I'll let you have the sword as it's easier." I put the rapier back in the bag when he had taken the sword from my hand and slung the bag over my shoulder. "Come on, we have a long hike to make before nightfall. We will have one more guest joining us halfway." I said pulling my cloak over my head and passing through the gate under the watchful eye of Luke as he jumped down to meet us.

"I brought you Snow, and two other horses." He said handing me the reins of my white Arabian mare and I scratched her forehead, lovingly. I nodded in gratitude and Luke got on his taller, black saddled horse. While Clyde mimicked Luke and wobbly pulled himself on the bay horses' saddled back after the third time. I was the last to get on and pulled myself on Snow's unsaddled back. I unhooked her reins and patted her neck as I did so. I put the reins in the bag and she shook her head before walking forward with Clyde behind me than Luke taking the rear.

Author's Notes

For those of you who have known me from my previous account castleauthor7 you know that this is my first book so please be courteous when commenting or criticizing also this has been a book that I started writing in fifth grade and that I have finally been close to finishing hopefully my other books will take me shorter to finish. So have fun reading and please feel free to tell me if I did something wrong, constructively of course.  The above pic is of Anna's horse Snow. These horses are small but very high spirited.