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Escape
Outer parts of the Elven forest
Kingdom of Mythaline
Spring, 21st year of Kemish II
Above was a thick forest canopy, so thick that no sunlight reached the forest floor. The trees were all very old, and tall enough to prove it. In the middle of all the green and brown was a splash of red and purple. The red was berries that hung ripe in the bush, and the purple was a girl who appeared to be in her teens.
The girl had long dark brown hair. Her face could have been called beautiful, had it not been caked with dirt, though she didn’t believe it so. She had dark purple eyes, and she wore a purple ball gown that matched her eyes. The gown had been torn to pieces, there was little left to be able to tell it was a ball gown; the sword, knife and purse that hang from a black leather belt around her waist looked out of place in all the ruined glamour. She wore a circlet that barely clung to her hair; instead it was hanging on to the side of her head, hooked slightly over her left ear.
She was bent over the berry bushes wondering if they were edible. “Well, this sucks!” she ignored the fact that she was talking to herself, mostly because she was always doing it, “Either I eat these berries and I live, I eat these berries and die, or I don’t eat these berries and I die of starvation. Man I really wish I had gone to the class where they had talked about this stuff.”
She reluctantly picked one of the smaller red berries off the bush and slowly put it in her mouth. She sucked on the berry slowly, at first the berry was sweet but as she got to the center it got a bit sour. Once she had finished eating the berry she waited a few minutes to see if anything happened. When nothing occurred she pulled a larger berry off the bush. Once she had eaten a few handfuls of these, she had enough energy to think clearly, she decided to see if she could find water.
She started to make her way through the forest to the west. She attempted to leave no trail of her passage but in her weakened state she staggered a little occasionally and would cut herself on a branch. Five short breaks and about ten small cuts later she found herself on the banks of a small river. She took a small drink of the water, it occurred to try following the river and see if it lead anywhere, since a villages were built near water ways she might get lucky. She didn’t get very far before she had to take off her shoes, she walked the rest barefooted.
Eventually, she decided to stop for the night when it got dark. She went over to one of the large trees and sat down at its base shifting the sword to fit her new position. Slowly she drifted to sleep.
She awoke the next morning, to the sun raising. She had renewed strength; she decided that she should take up her search from yesterday. After two hours of following the river to get within site of a small farming village. She stopped to rinse off her feet before she put her shoes back on.
She slowly made her way into the village. The first few people that saw her were confused as to what to do. Her clothes, and the way she carried herself gave her away as part of the Nobility and they didn’t talk to just anyone, but she appeared to be in such a state of disarray that she might accept help if they offered it.
She made it about halfway through the village before someone came up to her. “Milady, my name is Alisa, is there something I may help you with?” she looked to be about 28 and had a small child hidden in the folds of her skirt. She had her head bowed and wouldn’t look her in the eyes.
“Yes, if you could point me in the direction of a place where I can get a bath and some food. I’m willing to pay any price. Oh, and if you know some where I can get fresh clothes it would be greatly appreciated.”
The women thought about it a bit. “We don’t have a place like that here, but if you would like we have a tub at our house and I am sure I can cook you something.” Alisa waited for the ladies agreement to this plan, than bowed and walked down the street. The girl smiled and followed her rejoicing at the thought of a bath and some food.
The girl seemed to savor the bath and made sure to clean every part over body thoroughly, after which she put on one of Alisa older garments that was clean and fit her well enough not to impede her movement. Alisa proceeded to give the girl a warm meal which the girl with a gusto that told Alisa that the girl didn’t mind the fact that it was nowhere near as fancy as what she was used to eating. As she finished pinning her circlet back on again, she didn’t bother trying to put her hair up but simply let her hair hang around her face, a man walked into the house. Alisa walked over to him and hugged him; she turned back to look at the teen, still holding the man’s hand in her own.
“This is my husband Alex. And this is…” Alisa gave a confused face, “you never gave me your name.”
“My forgiveness, my name is Sera. Crown princess Seralinne.” Sera gave a small curtsy. Both Alex and Alisa looked at her in shock. No one higher in status then the headman of the village had even set foot in their house and here was the crown princess eating their food and taking a bath in their house. Alex looked her over she had on old peasant clothes and her hair hung lose around her face. He had to look hard to find the gold circlet that had gotten lost in her hair.
“That explains a little. What are you doing here in this town? What had brought you to that state?” Alisa asked. She had recovered from the shock; Alex had yet to do so.
“Well to be a little too frank, I was being hunted. So here take this,” Sera had reached into her belt purse and had pulled out two gold coins. She held them out to the couple. “And I will say goodbye. Oh, and I would appreciate it if I was never here.”
Alisa curtsied and took the money that Sera offered them, enough money to sustain the couple for the rest of the year if they were careful. She simply said, “We never saw you.” Sera smiled at Alisa, she was a good sort and Sera had the feeling that had they meet differently they would have been friends. Sera gave a small curtsy and left the house. She walked through the town heading the same direction that she had been going originally. The direction in which she assumed was the way to the royal road that leads from the place all over the country.
Now that she had on some old peasant clothes, most people didn’t even notice she wasn’t one of them. The few people that did stop to stare at her were staring at the sword and knife at her hip more than at her. You just don’t see that many women carrying weapons. It wasn’t and had never been illegal, but it had been socially unacceptable. That is until 3 years ago when the king, her father, had decreed it acceptable by the King’s standards, mostly so that Sera could go to court functions armed. For the king feared for his only daughter’s safety and knew that she could protect herself better than any guard could and she was always with herself. It seemed that it was hard to change people’s views after centuries of seeing things one way. Sera didn’t care she was armed and that always made her feel better.
When Sera had made it to the out skirts of town without being stopped, she realized that she had to ask for directions. She stopped and looked around she noticed a man approaching her and thought she might be able to ask him for directions.
“Ma’am, who do you think you are wearing a sword around in broad daylight?” the guy was yelling at her before he had even reached her.
The yelling and the accusations startled her. Before he had started opening his mouth she had thought him nice looking. She thought he had appeared to be a gentle spirit but he had shown her that his mind was older then his body. He kept to the old ways or in plain word, he believed women to be inferior to men.
“I will ask again what are YOU doing carrying a sword in this here town?” apparently she hadn’t answered quickly enough for him.
“Isn’t this town in Mythaline?” Sera asked in her diplomatic tone of voice.
The answer seemed to throw him. “Yes, it is, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Well if this town is in Mythaline then it is perfectly acceptable both politically and socially for me to carry weapons.” Sera was surprised that he didn’t seem to know, or didn’t seem to want to know that. “Or did you miss the King’s decree that stated otherwise?”
“I didn’t miss it! I think it insanity to allow women access to weapons. Thus in MY town here women are not allowed weapons in broad daylight.”
“Your King is insane? Do you know what could happen if he found out that you said that?”
“He is insane; women have no right to have weapons. I know better then you do, wench.”
“I am no wench you… you… ugh…” Sera became very aggravated at the fact that she couldn’t shake her court manners long enough to call him names. “And why do you believe that you know him better? Have you ever seen him?” the man shook his head and Sera cut him off before he could respond. “Have you ever sat in one of his meetings? Heard him decree anything? Have you ever even been to see the palace? Do you even know what he looks like?” The man just kept shaking his head. Sera finally decided to let the man try to counter but she had a feeling she knew what he was going to say.
“Have you ever done any of that, wench?” It never fails, thought Sera, the rebuttal of those with no imagination.
“Yes, I have to all, many times over. I also know that even now, when he is dying, he could kick your a** in a game of chess.” Sera had to smile at her last comment. Her dad had taught her to play chess, and she had since perfected her skill. She could beat everyone but her father; she had never seen him lose. “I also know that he would have you severally punished for calling him insane, and for calling his daughter,” Sera gave a slight nod. “A wench. He could even have you punished for treason.”
“What are you talking about? I have never met the princess. I think I would know if I had met the princess.”
“Oh, you have met her. I am crown princess Seralinne! I have been since I was born.” Sera was getting aggravated. “I will have to tell the king about this. Now, may I be on my way?”
“If I let you go will you promise not to tell the king about this?” He started to move out of her way because there wasn’t much he could do to keep her there if he wanted to stay out of trouble. Plus she had a sword he didn’t.
“No, I won’t promise such a thing. But I might “forget” about this by the time I get home.” Sera finished walking out of the town with a much more commanding force in her stride. Sera started walking in the direction she assumed the castle was in, and forgot to ask for directions.
 kimo hamoshi · Wed Oct 12, 2011 @ 03:01pm · 0 Comments |
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