the realm

Whispers on the Wind

By Hannah Brindle

Started: 3-15-13

Prologue
         The candle flickered in the corner of the room. 'There are so many things that I want to tell her but how? How do I explain the past that I am trying to keep from her? She will hate me forever. She will never know her true father. I don't think I have the strength to tell her.' There was a knock on the hard oak door with a hollow ring. My daughter walked through the door. One simple step after another, she reached my chair where I sat in front of the fire. There was a flame that blinked among the other flames that caught my eye. It was white among the red and orange. 'That reminds me of the daughter that I have. She is the one black sheep in all of the white sheep. I felt pity for a minute for the feelings that she must be experiencing.
         "Mother, how am I?" She asked timidly.
         "Well that can't be easily said in a sentence or two. I hope you have some time on your hands." I said as my eyes focused on the beautiful shining jewel kneeling in front of me. I took my hand and rubbed it across her soft cheek. "You know how you don't have a father right? Well it's because he is dead. There is so much to tell, where to start?" I began the story that would change my whole world.
Chapter One: Beginning of the End
         It all started back when I was a little girl. The kingdom was happy and prosperous. It felt like nothing could go wrong. But there will always be something that goes wrong or there would be no point in telling this story, now would there be?
         It was in the middle of summer. The sun was shinning, and there was a cool wind blowing down from the mountains, making the day bearable. There was a strange sensation in that wind. It was like the calm before the storm.
         My nurse maid was watching from a distance, letting me play till my heart burst with joy. The only thing was that I would never stop playing. For there was no one to play with. I was an only child. My parents were trying to have a son to carry on the throne. My mother was really close to birth. The day was coming to a close and there was still nothing. My mother still hadn't given birth; the cannons still have not gone off. The day was going to bring no child for me to play with. I was a little too quick to think
         A guard came running down the road towards my nurse maid. They exchanged a few quick words. The maid called and I ran to her, so carefree. There were tears forming in those gentle eyes that I loved to stare into. Those two blue eyes were filled with so much sadness. My day was ruined with news of no sibling to help fill the whole in my heart. I didn't just want a sibling but I needed one, to save from the loneliness.
         The maid grabbed my hand and we slowly walked back to the castle. Through the forest we walked as the sun rays slowly retired behind the mountains and the moon took her throne in the sky. The shadows that were casted from the lack of light were like from a nightmare. The twisted and gnarled shapes that were made from moon, still haunt my dreams are clear and crisp. By the time that we got back to the castle the last bits of rays had been swallowed up by the darkness. There was always a constant battle no matter how peaceful the world was. A battle between light and dark; predators and victims; good and evil; mostly humans.
         I was walking back to my room; I had to pass by my mothers' room. There was crying and things crashing behind the closed door. Something hit the door and I started walking again, a little faster. My mother was crushed. She so dearly loved my father and desired to give him the son he needs. This was the second time she lost the child. I only hoped that she would succeed, so I have someone to play with. I always felt unwanted. Having a sibling, I hoped, would help my loneliness. I would never get my wish.
         Shortly after my seventh birthday, my mother became with child once again. The castle was all in a bustle. No one was paying attention to me. I was watching servants after servant pass my door carrying sheets, towels, blankets, food, and other assorted things of which I couldn't make out. I hadn't seen my mother in over four months. She was on bed ridden for fear of losing the child again.
         There was always the fear of losing the child again. All I knew was that it was a boy, finally. I was going to be sent off to finishing school before the child was born. I wasn't going to see my brother until I was sixteen. I was seven and half when I was sent away.
         I was in a carriage for half a day just to get where I was going. As we pulled into the school, I felt at home. The school looked closely like my home. The roof that used to be a dark brown was now grey with age. I never thought I would have been at home here but I guess you never know until you get there.
         When the carriage came to a complete stop, there was a man that opened the door and held out his hand for me to grab onto. I gathered up my skirts and took his hand slowly raised my head to get a good look at the school from underneath my broad-brimmed hat. As I completely stepped onto the ground and dropped my skirts I was engulfed in a crowd of young ladies and gentlemen from my age to sixteen. I heard hands clap together and a woman with wrinkled hands and a permanent frown on her face stepped forward.
         "Hello, your highness. Welcome to Winifred's school of excellence. We have many of your kind here. So don't think you are special. Your classes will start at noon. That should let you be able to get settled and dressed. Yes, you have to wear the dresses that we give you so that all the children don't discriminate by clothing." She concluded with a glance over me.
         I curtsied and replied, "Yes, ma'am."
         She smirked and with no emotion said, "It looks like you have learned a little respect. I will see how far that goes." She quickly turned and walked swiftly into the building behind her. The children separated and went about their business.
         The butler bowed and said, "Follow me miss."
         I nodded and followed. I didn't bring anything but a few personal items. I brought my first stuffed animal, my favorite dress, and a small painting of the town. I walked up several flights of stairs, following the butler to my room. It turned out that I was on the fourth floor and all the way at the end of the hall way. It was a quaint little room. There was a chair and a desk and an ink and pen on it. The bed was made and had a couple dresses on it. It was the dresses that all the girls were wearing. It was plain and rough. I closed my door and started to undress. I was half way unbuttoning my dress when a girl about eight walked in. We just stared at each other for a moment. I noticed that she looked exactly like me. I blinked and built up enough courage to ask, "Hello."
         She abruptly closed the agar door. She walked over and asked, "Can I help you with those?"
         "Sure, if you want to." I answered.
         She timidly started to unbutton my dress. It fell to the floor and I slipped into my new dress. The dress seemed strangely comforting. I turned and looked in the mirror and I pulled out all the pins. And my long reddish brown hair fell in curls across my back. It reached three-fourths of the way down my back. I turned and the girl was standing there with her mouth open.
         "You better close your mouth, your drooling." I said calmly.
         Unanticipated she didn't shut her mouth. I walked over and reached up and shut it for her. My touch shocked out of the dream she was having and blinked several times. She whispered, "You're beautiful."
         "Why thank you. You look lovely as well." I replied as a bell rang out and there was a commotion out in the hall.
         "I will be showing you around to day. I'm the room to the right of your doorway, if you wanted to or have any questions." She said like she had practiced saying it. She then walked to the door and pulled it open and kept walking like I was supposed to follow. I rushed after her before she was lost in the crowd of students. We walked out to the stables. And she stopped abruptly. I almost ran into her.
"This will be your first class for today. Meet me by the oak tree after this class and I will take you to your next class." She said forcefully.
I was so astonished that I could only nod. I walked into the stables where boys and girls were standing at horses and in stalls grooming them. I walked up to the teacher and she looked at me with disdain. "I guess I better assign you a horse. Have you ever ridden before?"
"No ma'am."
"Have you ever been around horses before?"
"No ma'am."
"Alright, I have the perfect horse for you then. Follow me, please."
We walk a ways into the barn and at the back of the barn was a beautiful white horse.
"This Chaucer, he is our gentlest horse that we have. We use him for beginners." She said gesturing to the horse.
"Yes ma'am."
"Well let's see if you can sattle up your horse."
I walked calmly over to the gate of the horse. I stuck my hand out as if asking for permission to het me touch him. He stuck his nose in my hand. I then reached over and grabbed the sattle near the gate. I opened the gate and stepped inside. I held the sattle in one hand and stroked him with the other. I walked down his body, with my hand on him, all the way around to his other shoulder. I then gently placed the sattle on his back. He didn't move or squirm. Everyone was watching me. I buckled it tight to him. He started to squirm then. I loosened the buckles and he stopped. I then walked all the way back around him, my hand on him again, and exited the gate. I reached for the rains. I walked up to Chaucer and held up the rains. He put his head forward. I put he rains over his head and fastened them on. I then led him out of the stall. I slightly pulled the rains and he came. I put my foot in the stirrups and climbed on top of him. He moved forward a little bit and I pulled back a little bit.
I looked over at the teacher and she had the awed look that the girl had earlier. She cleared her throat, "Very good. Now take him to the round pen and go around in circles. I lightly tapped him and he went forward. He rode him to the pen and were going around in circles before people had regained their composure. After class was over I was called to the head mistresses room.
I was on my way up there when I passed by the girl from earlier this morning. I called her out but she walked right by me. 'I don't get her. Her personalities change with every moment.' I thought.
I reached the head mistresses room after many wrong turns down hall after hall, stair after stair. I knocked on the door. A muffled voice from within rang out, "Come in." I opened the door and walked in.
The head mistress was at a desk similar to the one in my room. She was writing some documents. After several minutes, she placed her pen back in the ink jar and blew on the papers. After a couple seconds, she finally looked up at me. Her stern look was gone and one with joy replaced it.
"Do you know what you did today?" She asked kindly.
"No ma'am."
"That horse hasn't been ridden in a very long time and always threw his riders. What you did was a miracle."
"I think I know why he threw his riders. The horse is a very easy going horse. He will do what ever you want without force. Also they may have had the buckles on the sattle too tight. I first put the sattle on too tight and he looked uncomfortable so I loosened them. He was all better after that. I never had any trouble with him at all. You have to stay calm and be yourself."
While said all this, the head mistress was nodding all the while. "Well I guess you have a horse then have you ever ridden or been near a horse before?" she asked.
"No ma'am."
"You are a surprise one after another. I think you will fit right in around her. I hope to see you tomorrow after you're riding class to see what you have learned about your horse."
"Yes ma'am."
I curtsied and walked out of the room and shut the door silently behind me. When the door closed completely and let out my breath that I had been holding the whole time. I looked up to go back to the front yard when the girl suddenly appeared down the hall way.