The darkness was a shadow that consumed the whole body, from head to toe. Like a siren it called her deeper and deeper into the ocean of her dreams. Suddenly from the darkness a light shown down, she floated up and up away from the lulling blackness. It tried to capture her again, consume her, and keep her there. The light beckoned her to come growing brighter and brighter to closer she got. She broke threw the shadows and opened her eyes. The sun blazed on her face from the open windows. Her maid, Alphina, stood still holding the tassels that were attached to the curtain. A smug grin still on her mouth she let them go and walked out of the room. With a groan she closed her eyes, pulled the blanket over her head to hide from the intruding light, rolled over, and fell out of bed. The heavy thud the floor welcomed her, which was not her intended spot. She looked at the bed longingly, decided against it. It would only give her maid another reason to get her out of it again. Last week it was a cold bucket of water to the face. She shivered.
She got up off the floor and went to find her other maid, the one that didn’t play pranks on her. She meandered down the corridors, looking as she always did at the art work on the wall. Of her ancestors, young old, fat, skinny, cranky, happy, all were on the wall and all were held dear to her. She came back from the abyss or memory, and realized that she was in the west wing, he fathers wing. She suddenly remembered that her father said he had a surprise for her. She took off down the hallway and around the corner sliding around in her stockings and slammed full speed into her father. They toppled over in a sea of limbs. Finally her father collapsed laughing and tousled her hair.
“Why are you in such a hurry this fine morning my dear?” He stood up and handed her his arm so he could help her up.
“You said you had a surprise for me today,” she laughed and stood up, “I came right over when I remembered.” She laughed again at the look her father gave her. “Yes father I almost forgot that you had something for me.” She put on a mock serious face,” Now cough it up, I want my surprise.” He pinched her cheek, just like when she was a little girl.
“Alright, but… you have to promise to go to your studies today, and not skip them to go riding. Do you understand young lady?” She thought about her horses that she loved so dearly, then just as he new she would, she agreed.
“OK, but I get to choose if I want the surprise enough to go to classes today.” She new he couldn’t refuse it, he never has, and she hoped he never would. He smiled at her.
“Done, I agree to you terms.” A cough came from behind them; she spun around to face the stranger that she hadn't noticed before. The very handsome stranger with his amazing ice blue eyes trained on her, twinkling with amusement. The corner of his lips twitched, betraying the laugh that was surly wanting to escape, his face was serious, but at the same time contained the mirth that had come as she barreled into her father only moments before. His black hair was disheveled, as if he had only just come from riding. Just as she has done many time before. She unwillingly tore her eyes from the stranger and looked at her father, then back at the stranger. She opened her mouth to voice her opinion of the him and her father saw what she was going to do and beat her to it.
"Darling, this is Corin of Parriah." He emphasized the last word, hoping she would catch on; she did. Her head snapped back to her father, her fire-red hair flying.
“No way. No possible way. They disappeared after the Great War. Their supposed to be gone though!” Her disbelief turned to one of astonishment. “Aren’t they father? I know mama…stories…no way.” the sentence that had formed in her head came out in a jumbbled, incoherent sentence. Once again she slowly turned to the stranger who stood straight and tall, taller than her and her father. She took a step toward him. Taking a deep breath she stared into his eyes. No longer were they the ice caped eyes of a man, but a deep scarcely light cavern of the soul. She followed the lead. No one could lie with their soul. Not even the great liers of the court could hide there lies when I looked into their eyes. That is one of the reasons why my father let me come to court with him. There was something else though, something he and her father were keeping from her. She grabbed hold of the small silver thread that led deeper. Suddenly a prohibiting wall came up and barred her from what lay beyond. She blinked and stepped away from the man. A quizzical look came into her eyes.
“He’s telling the truth.” She exclaimed softly. He father exhaled, and she new that he had hoped that he was not being lied to. She realized that she had been staring at the man openly, and looked away abashed.
“I have been rude, I apologize. Let me introduces myself. I am…” Finally speaking up the man interrupted her.
“I know who you are, Princess Catherine Luzerne Isabella Tarsenson. You are daughter of Her Highness Elizabeth Fenouil l Geneveve Tarsenson and His Highness Jakop Thomas Tarsenson, and if I may say so myself, the rumors of your beauty did them little credit.” Cat blushed at the compliment.
