The Vault of Nydiaa

Chapter One

"You look beautiful." The queen looked at her sixteen-year-old daughter through the elegant mirror hanging on the wall. Nora gave her a big smile, but she felt a pang of fear pulling at the edges of it. The icy blue dress hanging down from her shoulders, showing her collarbone and smooth skin was meant to impress the heir of the king from Aerdel. Both kingdoms hoped to join in unison by marrying their children together. Nora's mother tied the long braid together and stepped back. "Beautiful." She repeated.

"Thank you, mother." Was all Nora could manage. Her mother helped her up and pulled Nora's long hair over her shoulders, looking her in the eyes with a happy smile. She led her daughter out of the room and down the staircases to the throne room where a small crowd of guards stood waiting. In front of them clad in armor was Prince James. Nora bowed to him and he kissed her hand in greeting.

"How are you, my dear?" He asked.

"I'm well." She replied. She glanced at her father who stood silently by the open doors. He nodded stepped forward.

"Prince James the Second of Aerdel and his father, King James." He announced. Nora noticed her fingers at her sides were tapping against her leg. She was getting impatient and glanced at the clock. She had an hour to get to the forest and meet Maeve. Throughout the greetings and the feast, she closed her eyes at least a dozen times, saying sorry to her friend for being so late. Perhaps she'll wait for me, Nora found herself thinking.

"I'm thinking of sending more soldiers to Finesia." The prince was saying to Nora's father. She watched as the king forked a huge piece of meat into his mouth above his long beard. "The more resistance we show, the better the fight."

"And the more the casualties." Nora piped up, slightly out of focus. But she had heard enough. "You are only seeing these soldiers as objects to lose, not lives to be taken away from families and fun to be had."

"It's war, love," James said with an embarrassed laugh. There was an uncomfortable pause in the conversation before the prince continued, "So what about the vault then, eh?"

The king laughed. "What about it?"

"The royal top secret vault is hidden who knows where; information only allowed to seventeen-year-olds of the royal family. Not even the key, just the location." He teased. The king sat back and waited for James to say more, but when he didn't, the king replied sharply.

"Like you said, the vault is for the royal family's eyes only." The prince opened his mouth to counter, but the king cut him short. "You are not of immediate royal blood, my friend." Nora looked at her plate of food, listening to growing tension of her father's voice. She herself had never seen the vault or what was in it as she was not seventeen, but for some reason, the contents were causing her father to become impatient with the prince and his questions.

"Since when was Princess Nora of immediate royal blood?" The Prince accused. Nora's head snapped up at her father, who caught her eye.

"I will not have you questioning the ways of my family." The king snarled. "Now shut that pretty little face of yours or I will shut it for you."

"Father," Nora said quickly, trying to get his attention. "May I be excused?"

"Yes." He nodded her off and Nora stood from the bench, lifting her dress to take the steps by twos. When she got to her bedroom she quickly stripped of her loose gown and into her hunting gear. Within minutes she was clad in black pants, shirt, deer cloak and hunting boots. She held a wooden bow in her left hand, hidden within her cloak. She got back to the stairs and peered down into the dining area. She saw her father and James laughing up a storm, talking through battle strategies with the rivaling kingdom Finesia. She felt a pit in her stomach drop, and yet she pulled the hood of her cloak low over her head and darted along the wall of the large and loud room. She snuck out through the kitchen, grabbing a pastry on her way. When Nora reached the woods, it was pitch black outside. There was only one thing she knew she could do to see, and with no torch or witnesses around, Nora lifted her hand out before her face and snapped her fingers. A ball of flames lit itself in her palm and she continued down a steep slope before disappearing into the trees. She heard the ruffle of fur almost instantly and a smile spread across her face. Something hit her leg and she extinguished her hand as light from a large fire illuminated her figure. Wolves surrounded her in a number of about twelve, and sitting close by the fire was a figure with short brown hair, a thin overused fur cloak around their shoulders. Nora lowered her hood.