Apex Heights University "Darcy Raven's Beginnings"

   Being moved by overwhelming compassion the Prince wore the face of grief, anger, and disgust. He never imagined a human being being treated with suck disregard.  

That night I was brought under the care of the Royal family. As for my Gypsy family, I never saw them again.

   Just a few days shy of my twelfth Birthday, there I stood a sad bleak, pail figure wasted away to practically nothing. My only hope was that of becoming a sinister dark shadow over the Earth.

  Three older washer women, two thin, and one large boisterous took me to the servants quarters. They drew me a bath and began bathing me.

  "What's your name and age;" the large one began. "I am Darcy Raven Madame, and I will be twelve years this all Hallow's Eve."

  "Is that so, and what kind of duties can you do Miss young Raven?"

  "I can do Magic."

"Ha ha ha;"  the three women laughed vigorously as they continued scrubbing. "Well Miss young Raven so can we, were getting you clean ain't we; you poor twiggy lil thing."

  "Now don't yeah worry if you do your chores right around here you'll get an extra serving of dessert."

  "We'll have you fattened up in no time deary."

  " I have never done chores before;" I thought peering up silently from the warm porcelain tub. A small silhouette of a boy appeared in the slightly open bathroom doorway.

   It was the young Prince but two years older that I. Stark naked I stood not aware I should be afraid as fear was something I hadn't been taught. His eye's wide with curiosity as he watched them pouring the buckets of water over me. Washing away my past.

  Closing my eye's as the waters enveloped me in warmth, my jet black knee length ringlet's draped my body heavily. Still feeling his eye's on me as the washer women stepped away to prepare my clothing; I pulled my raven locks behind my back exposing myself completely to cure his curiosity once and for all.

  "That should do the trick."

  Just then before I could look I heard a loud fall, then foot steps running away from the door.

  "Good he has gotten his eye full I suppose, now he'll leave me be."

  Or so I thought, but as the years past the young Prince began to show me great favor, which didn't sit well with the other staff. So they did what they could to make my life miserable. Starving, beating, and locking me in a broom closet.

   Whenever the Prince was away I knew not if I would live nor die. My mind would wonder to him, I'd imagine he before me, and me weeping at his feet. "Crying out."

  He must have known, how else would it be his swift return to follow my cries. As magic he did come to my rescue, some how he always came just as I swore I could bare no more.

   They would free me upon his return, and once more I'd be silenced. Off to polish, mend, dust, and clean the soot from the fire places. Never correctly but I did try not to loose my self within these tedious meaningless tasks.

  One thing I looked forward to was my lessons, I wasn't sure why I'd been given them but they kept the wheels in my mind fresh. Spinning as I learned from my tutor's. Arranged by Devalin, the young Prince for no one but I.

  Privileged I, that is until this early morn and the day and minute of my 18th Birthday. Twelve minutes after midnight he came to me.At first I believed in a dream; he came to my bed and lay with me. When i felt his honey kiss it made me shutter. My nightdress was pulled from me and his clothing. A dream yes, so it seemed I was sure of it only that.