Faeted Lovers [Sample Only]

Chapter 1

We were orphans after the war. The songs and stories about the heroes and the knights who defeated the 'bad guys' on the wrong side, the heroes who brought peace to the world – were all done and finished a year back.

What was left was too hard to understand as a child.

All that made sense were my friends.

Vlaric, the tall blonde boy who took us for walks in the town to the library. Ten years old.

Vladimir, the dark haired boy who only spoke when Vlaric was around. Seven years old.

Missy, the springy raven haired girl who screamed everyone awake at night, playing pranks all day. Seven years old.

And me, the youngest orphan rascal; Mona. I talked too much, cried too much, ate too much... everything was too much. Seven years old.

We all had a role to play. The eldest boy protected, the younger boy was his back up. Missy and I – we just sweet talked people on the street into giving us treats to share with our friends.

My greatest memory? Having secret picnics with them in the local park by the stream. An old rotunda used for celebrating ceremonies, knighting events, weddings, funerals and anything important – was abandoned and overgrown with moss after the war.

You could run around the structure, take a dip in the creek behind it, fish, climb trees and play all around it. We picked herbs to make fake salads and made crowns of daises. Occasionally we played with the beetles. You know, harmless kid adventures. For that year, it was the best year of my life.

Our last day together as children was the day I remember the most vividly, however, because it was the worst.

It was such an odd, all consuming memory. I could remember every detail like it happened yesterday.

We were packing up a picnic basket, after ants infested our meal, we decided to return earlier before the rain started.

Missy had scraped her knee after tripping on a slippery log and Vladimir was feeling under the weather. It was a really bad day over all. The first part I remember vividly was grabbing Vlaric's hand and whispering, "Can you take me, I'm tired?"

He was getting over a cold himself, but he let me jump onto the railing so I could sit on his shoulders on the walk back. It was so kind of him, he didn't have to do it, that's why it really stuck.

Missy limped back, sniffling the whole way with her make shift walking stick. Vladimir was pale and also coughing most of the way.

It was a slow, agonizing walk while trying to beat the storm brewing overhead. The grey clouds tumbling in over the mountains were stained with yellow light, which gave a pretty glow over the city down the steep hill from our orphanage which sat on top and got battered by a lot of the wind. Everything in that moment before we walked out of the forest, was pretty, all the stone pillars holding up fancy architecture, the hustle of the afternoon trade, the green green surroundings because the city sat at the base of a well nourished mountain.

It honestly looked like a perfect fairy tale, even though it was far from it.

When we arrived back it was later than our curfew. We knew we'd get into trouble, but we didn't expect this amount of trouble to be waiting for us.

There was an entire ruckus back at the orphanage. Our care taker was screaming our names through the wooden double story house, "Where are those four? Where are they –?"

We could hear her screaming before we walked in.

"Dorkas?" Vlaric takes responsibility, as always, "We're right here!"