The Tales of Elia

Chapter 1 : Fallon

I sat at my window, watching the sunrise, just waiting, always waiting. What can a princess do anyway? I think about yesterday, Monday, it was one of my days off, it was wonderful. I went down to the stables and rode through the forest on Jax, I wore pants and not poofy skirts, a flowy shirt instead of a tight corset, how I longed for it again.

Sadly, I had to wait a full week again before it would be, for now my days would be filled with lessons, fittings. Sometimes I had strong feelings about each lesson. Table manners, boring. Ballroom dancing, easy. Painting, angering. Music, how I loved music...playing the piano, or the flute, or the guitar, all of it. Dress fittings I hated the most, why must I have to be stuck on a podium while five people measure me at all angles.

Sometimes it seemed sunrise was my only escape, the only time I could see freedom away from my days off. How the golden rays slowly lit up my midnight black hair, usually knotted from sleeping. How it would make my skin glow, it was beautiful.

Alas the moment was short, and Haniger promptly opened my chamber door, I groaned at the sound and stood up, straightening out my pajama pants. How he used to hate that I wore comfy pants to bed, but I made him get over it.

"What is on the agenda today Haniger," I hardly glanced at him as I walked over to my vanity and sat down in front of the mirror. His footsteps approached as his lean figure appeared behind me and he picked up the brush on the desk, getting to brushing my long hair out.

"You must take better care of your hair at night m'lady...your mother would throw a fit if she saw it so tangled," he scolded lightly, he was a man incapable of scolding though, his voice was mainly a sarcastic annoyance. In all my 17 years as princess I have never allowed anyone to touch my hair, but Haniger knew it, and he knew it well. The old man had become like a father to me in place where my own is too busy with his kingly duties, hell...he's more of a mother as well.

As I watched him he did his usual loose updo, forming a braid to wrap around it, as well as allowing some strands to fall at the sides of my face, his own little side of rebellion, "What is on the agenda today Haniger?" my eyes flicked to meet his emerald eyes and they gazed back before shifting back to my hair. "Well Lady Fallon...we are going to check on how the knight training is going...there have been some new recruits that have come in and as a princess it is your duty to check in on the progress every now and then," oh thank the skies he said that, that would take all day, and means I wouldn't have table manners or any fittings.

Once he was done with my hair, we made our way to the closet where I could choose for myself today, I chose a simple tighter dark red long sleeve, some dark blue pants, and then pulled up some long black boots over them. As I exited Haniger was there waiting for me with my coat, it was winter after all, and in the kingdom of Daia it gets quite cold, the only real chance the light of the sun can be seen in the winter is the sunrise. 

Soon enough Haniger and I were out the gates, into a carriage, and heading across the way. The castle area was absolutely massive, but the guard training academy was inside the walls, for "ultimate protection" as my mother calls it. I felt my eyes shift and stare out the window, watching the stables go by, watching knights in training learn how to ride with their swords.

It's...kinda nice sometimes to see all of this, I giggled to myself as I thought about the knights, they're all strong, muscular, most of them handsome, feels nice to be a princess sometimes, no one can tell me not to stare.

It didn't take long for us to reach the knights academy, training arena, and barracks, as always Haniger got out first and held the door for me. The cold air hit me hard as soon as I stepped out I scrambled for my furred hood and pulled it over my head. Haniger and I walked for a little escorted by one of the senior knights, Karam, he was always kind and a valiant soldier.

I found myself looking around, zoning out as we walked through the main courtyard, apparently also drifting with my steps because the next thing I knew I slammed into something cold and metal, hard. Pain stung at my nose as I grabbed it quickly and looked up at who dare run into me. And I saw them for the first time...those eyes...

End of Chapter 1

Yes the cover was made by me in Photoshop