The missing jewel to the queens crown

Chapter one

The baby all grown up --------------------------------------------------------------------------->

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15 years ago a man named Damon brought a child home to his wife Katrina, He decided he would wait to name the child. Damon had waited five years until he named the young girl, He had named her Charlotte Amore Gray. Damon and Katrina kept her hidden in their little cottage in the woods for her own safety, But Charlotte was a smart girl and she always found a way to escape the cottage and slip out into the forest outside her home and go into the village.

She loved the color and smells of the market and the stall owners loved her in return. She would always try and help the best she could and she was such a sweet girl to the people of the village. Charlotte's favorite stall was the black smiths, He was an older man who spoke of lands far away and the great battles with evil people. Sir Thomas White used to be a knight for the king but he retired after his daughter went missing, He missed his daughter very much but he replaced his daughter with Charlotte since she looked so much like her.

One day Charlotte made her way to Sir Thomas's stall, the people around her were whispering about something and their faces looked pale and etched with fear. Charlotte thought to ask somebody but she thought it would be better if she asked Sir Thomas.

She weaved her way to the stall and when it came into view she ran and shouted "SIR THOMAS!" The man looked up and smiled as he waved towards the girl and pulled up a stool for her to sit on, She sat down, barely able to contain her thoughts. Charlotte lost control of herself and blurted out "Oh Sir Thomas why does everybody look so scared? why do they whisper? why is the market looking so dead?" The man dropped what he was doing and gave her a serious look, it was a while before Sir Thomas spoke " Why have your parents not told you my child? surely they must want to warn you of the crime last night?" Charlotte looked at the ground and back up atthe blacksmith who looked at her with concern, "My parents think its wise that i do not venture off into the world outside of our little cottage"

Sir Thomas sat down beside her and put his weathered hand on top of hers and looked into her eyes, "Your parents were right to keep you in your cottage for so long my dearest, There are many dangers in this world and one of those dangers took my daughter away from me, Last night a young girl was taken from her home and her family was brutally murdered, they were ripped to shreds, you could barely tell that the remains were human"

Charlotte looked at Sir Thomas and didn't not reply, she instead covered her mouth with her hands and stared out into the crowd in shock. She had not thought it would be this bad a murder in such a quiet village and a girl being kiddnapped all in one night seemed a little far fetched for such a small and quiet town.

10 minutes past before Charlotte spoke again, "teach me how to fight", Sir thomas looked taken aback at what she said, "My dearest, Ladies do not fight", she looked at Sir Thomas with a determend expression and looked him hard in the eyes. "I want to protect myself and this village if i do get the chance", Sir thomas looked at her and stood up as he began to pace the stone floors of his stall.

"you will have to learn how to make your own sword before i teach you how to fight, you need to make your sword so it is a part of you so you and the sword are one" Charlotte stood up and hugged the elder man, "when do we start?" Sir thomas laughed at her eagerness and put his hand on her shoulder. "in one week, my dearest"

She nodded and thanked the man and kissed his cheek, She walked off into the crowd and tightened her cloak around her as she walked the stony path threw the woods and back to her cottage. "there you are Charlotte, We've been worried sick about you" Charlotte smiled up at her father and bowed her her as her father led her inside.

In one week she would be able to defend her family and the people of her village, She smiled to herself and thought of what would come her way until the week was up.