Aspasia

Chapter 1

    >Quinn<   

                      Queen of Heaven

                     Queen of Hell

                     Stand by me

                    And all will be well      

                     - Remember trust the princess. 

                     I lurched awake. The words echoed throughout my head. Where did those words come from? It must have come from a dream last night. I reached into my memory trying to remember. It was as if that part of my mind was inaccessible. I didn't worry, that seemed to happen a lot recently. The memory loss I mean. My dreams I had no idea why they were blocked off to me. I had lost my memory though. Apparently in an accident three years ago. The words echoed in my head still. The princess? Why her? I sighed and rolled out of my bed. I straightened the home made quilt over the mattress. I looked at double swords resting in the corner of the small room. I lived with an older lady named, Marie. Marie had gray and white hair, she had brown inviting eyes. Marie was lovely in a motherly way, and was the biggest coquette in the kingdom. She raised me as her own child when I was orphaned.  Marie found me in the woods. She named me Quinn. Marie was a baker. She let me have the attic room. In return I would pay her. I didn’t really have a job, more of a hobby. I robbed the rich people of Algernon. Then gave it to the peasants. Then kept a small profit for myself.

       Whenever I robbed someone I wore a dark mask that covered my blue eyes. It had a satin tie that I tied over the ponytail I always wore. My blonde hair was swung up in its tie, my bangs fell over my left eye. With the black mask I wore a dark cloak. The hood pulled low over my face. It had to slits on the shoulders. From each side the handles of my sword stuck out. The rest of the blade was in a scabbard under the cloak. They crossed over my back as well as my chest. A dark buckle was in the center of the front, making it easier to take on and off. Under the cloak I wore a black shirt with a deep V-neck. I wore light blue jeans. I had brown leather lace up boots that went to my knees. The cloak went down to my ankles. The disguise was enough to keep the nobles from realizing who I was. Not much of them visited the poorer parts of Algernon. When any of them saw me I usually had my tell-tale blonde hair covered by the hood of my cloak. That gave me the slight appearance of a fifteen year old boy.

     In charge of this kingdom is King Leon ruling with Queen Juliet and their children Princess Annette, Prince George, and the youngest Prince Thomas. Every year they come visit us of the lower class to see if a rebellion was starting. Today was their annual visit. When they came to town it was a very large party. It was a great time to disperse what I had gained. I had just finished lacing my boots when Marie burst into my room. “Mornin' Darlin'”Marie burst out. “Today them royals are coming. You better wear somethin purty”

 “It’s currently the best time to rob,” laughed.”Quite a few nobles come with the royal family. I can get them best in the forest. I’ll be back by the afternoon”  

 “If you wear somethin purty maybe some boy will come a-courting.”

  “I bet,” I replied sarcastically.

  “That baker's boy is sweet on ye. I was talking to his mama and she said all he ever talks about is ye Miss. Quinn. What's his name again?”  

      “Merlock. I think I'll be better alone.” I told her.

  “You are ridiculous. Ye are gonna need someone to take care of ye. Sooner or later you get caught,”Marie said seriously.

  “Now you are being ridiculous. When things start going bad I’ll change towns. Or just stay in the forest,” I laughed.

   “And leave me alone?”

   “No ma'am I'll risk my life for you,” I said even more sarcastically.

   “Well at least let me brush you're purty golden hair.”Marie begged. I consented with a nod. She grabbed a brush off a little table. I winced as she ran the brush through my wavy, blonde hair. “You have hair just like that Princess Aspasia before her uhhh-” Marie left off.

  “Will you tell me what happened?” I asked. There was a time for a good heart wrenching story.

 “Well it was about the same time you were born. She would be your age,sixteen now. She lived in the far castle of Krow. The princess and his son Prince Jeffery were the two children of his sire the majesty. They lived with their many subjects of Krow. 

“His majesty had made many mistakes as a prince. He had made an enemy of the wizard of Fawn. The wizard had decided to take revenge on Krow. He vowed he would conquer the kingdom. The wizard Balios had gathered an army of minions; he brain washed them to fight for him.

   “Balios sent his army to Krow. They lay a siege on Krow. Balios was able to enter the castle through one of the kings’ newly brainwashed servants. To show he won the kingdom, Balios was determined to raise the child by himself. She would have been six. The wizard headed to the nursery to kidnap her. His majesty tried to protect the nursery. Balios slew him with a wicked spell. When Balios entered the nursery he found it empty. A trusted maid had taken the young child and escaped into the woods. The teenage prince was courting a girl in Nush. 

     “Balios soon found the location of the young princess. When he headed out to find her, it is said he killed her. The maid had tried to protect the princess, but the wizard cast a spell on her. It backfired and killed the maid and child. The angry Balios headed back to his conquered castle. It took years, but Prince Jeffery gathered an army. He surprised  Balios and took back his castle. King Jeffery reigned in his kingdom for a year or two. Then a horrible plague struck the castle. The king and queen died. All of their citizens fled into Algernon. They became the poor people. With Krow evacuated Balios took the kingdom. He filled it with his brainwashed citizens. 

  “I was part of the evacuated. That’s when I found ye, darling. I had strayed from the path and into the forest. I found ye, an orphan, huddled in a bush. I named ye Quinn. I took ye to Algernon with me. Ye have lived here ever since. I dunno where ye learned yer fighting. But, darling, ye are a fighter.” Marie finished her story with a smile, and a final tug of my hair. She then pulled my hair into a pony tail. “Ye better get yer robbing done. See ye after the festival. Don't get in no more fights,” with that she left the room. I heard her running down the stairs. The downstairs door slammed as she ran into the street. I grabbed the harness and buckled it across me chest. I adjusted the harness. I grabbed the sword and slid them into their scabbards. I tied the mask over my eyes. Then pulled the cloak over me, I adjusted the cloak over the sword handles.  I tied the cloak across my chest. I slid a hunting knife into my right boot. In the slums you never knew when there would be trouble. I faced a dirty mirror. Behind me, reflected in the mirror, was a small candle. I turned to the candle. I raised my hand. Palm facing the candle, I twisted my wrist so my palm was facing the ceiling. The candle rose into the air, wavering slightly. I flipped my wrist so my palm faced the ground. The candle fell back onto the table. With a content nod, I ran down the stairs and into the streets. I followed the roads till I hit the outer wall. I ran through the gates, and into the forest.