Dragon of Storms

Chapter 1

Princess Sybil Venla Reynalda Dux was late. For what? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that her lady in waiting had stuffed her in a dress and heels, applied thick coats of make-up, and put her hair up with what she thought was every pin in the castle. The Princess's golden hair was thick and unruly and needed many pins to keep it in place, so the hair abuse was necessary. But the tight dress that kept her from breathing was not. Granted, it was beautiful with its off-the-shoulder cyan tulle sleeves that matched its floor-length layered skirts. It had a basque styled waist where the skirts began to flare out. The bodice of the dress was embroidered with a floral design that was incredibly intricate.

So, with her hair up in a styled messy bun, her lips painted red, and a beautiful tight dress on, the Princess made her way to the ballroom where a large mass of nobles had gathered for something unknown to her. Marie practically skipped alongside her, causing her thick brown curls to bounce. She was definitely happy about something as it shone in her emerald eyes that were normally filled with only mischief. Marie and the Princess had been best friends since they were little and had caused more trouble together than anybody expected from two ladies of the court.

It was always enjoyable to see fine ladies and lords with their powdered faces and wigs screech in horror when a pie flew out of nowhere into their faces. Or when a bucket of water doused them causing their makeup to run or when they found little fake spiders on their food platters. Just thinking about all the trouble that the two of them got away with made the princess smile, but it quickly turned into a breathy laugh, and then into a giggle. Marie gave her a worried look.

"What are you laughing at?" She asked, her accent combining the first three words. It only made the princess giggle more before breaking into a roar. Eventually, Marie joined in even though she had no idea what they were laughing about. It was the kind of laugh that was contagious and uncontrollable.

Soon enough, the two ladies were gasping for breath. The princess wiped her eyes and stood trying to regain whatever composure she could muster. "I was just thinking about all the trouble we've caused." Marie's eyes twinkled in remembrance. "All the nobles we've harassed over the years." Her lady in waiting chuckled just at the mention.

"Yes, we certainly were the cause of many nightmares." While the princess kept smiling, Marie let a solemn look fall over her features. The two walked in silence until they could hear the sounds of festivities. "It's too bad that I'll have to stop after tonight." Her voice was barely audible, and it made a frown cross the princess's face.

"What do you mean by that?" Marie didn't answer. She looked a bit pale, like a secret was just revealed that was not supposed to be. "Marie? What is it?" Still, she didn't answer. "Marie?" At this point, both ladies had stopped and the princess grabbed her lady in waiting's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Reyna," Marie whispered, using the princess's preferred nickname, even though everybody called her Sybil. She wiped tears away and walked into the ballroom without another word.

At first Reyna didn't move, the halls around her filled with the echoes of nobles and the flicker of candlelight. It seemed that everybody but her knew what was going on. That wasn't usually the case as Marie was an infamous gossiper who supplied her with things that others might not know until months later.

Reyna realized that Marie hadn't given her anything new since the light festival two weeks ago. The light festival was a celebration on the longest day of the year. It symbolized the people's gratitude for the long days behind them and the shorter ones in front. Every year, on the summer solstice the citizens of Craylith gathered together as cities, towns, and villages to let lanterns drift off into the sky. If you believed superstition, then those lanterns were supposed to ward off magical beings from the north.