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Fairy Tales



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Mon Dec 26, 2016 7:00 am
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Charm says...



Spoiler! :
This is my first storybook ever (besides that one time I joined one but it didn't work out lol).


Once upon a time there were many kingdoms terrorized and infested with magic and all the magical creatures alike. Here are the tales of fairies, witches, goblins, dragons, elves, and curious creatures unspoken, lived and breathed by folks. Each has their own destiny that carries on the destiny of the land. Each story, each tale teaches a lesson for the generations to come. Chose your path wisely and follow your hearts, the story will unfold before you.

    1.) Create a character that fits the fairy tale theme (obviously). Also if you want and/or haven't read an original fairy tale, I recommend reading one. They are short and here are some links to them online. The Grimm is older and a bit more unusual. I think we'll be writing more similarly to Andrew Lang's fairy books.
    http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimmtales.html <-- Grimm
    http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/lfb/ <-- Andrew Lang
    Spoiler! :
    Code: Select all
    [b]Physical Description:[/b]
    [b]Backstory/Origins:[/b]
    [b]Personality:[/b]
    [b]Quirks/Facts:[/b]


    2.) Think of a general fairy tale for your character (you can meet another character later and your tales and become one but in the beginning, everyone is separate unless you want to Hansel and Gretel with someone).

    3.) I haven't figured out the rest but I think that's it.

Rules (most aren't rules tbh):
    1.) Witches are evil (try to keep the setting like original fairy tales, they used to burn witches, you know) and therefore your characters should (most likely) not be magical (unless someone is secretly and then all the other characters find out and burn her at the stake). Your character can be magical as long as they were originally human. They were cursed, gifted, or something.

    2.) Try to write in a more traditional(?) way. Some of the Brother's Grimm stories are short and available online, maybe read one to get a feel if you haven't read any classic fairy tales. Or if you read stories like Uprooted by Naomi Novik, you can write like that. Don't force to change your style so that it's uncomfortable for you to write, but try to be less modern and to remember that your characters are from a different time.

    3.) It's not Disney so like your characters can and should have dark sides. Your character can be a kind hearted woman and then order a bunch of birds to peck out the eyes of her evil step-mother. It's fine. It's Grimm. ;) But talking about Disney, this can actually be similar to Into the Woods as that is a bit grim, it's similar to the originals, and it has multiple character from different stories meeting.

    4.) I like references to original stories, so I'll probably hint at a Grimm story very casually and if you want to do that too, that would be cool.

    5.) You can have an animal main character and anthropomorphize it, but I'd prefer having all human main characters. I have read and seen stories that are just animal characters or things like that, so it's fine. I just think it'll be more difficult and can turn wrong quickly. I really want this to not turn into a Once Upon A Time (TV show) kind of thing. Cat and Mouse in Partnership is a good example of animal characters in an original story.


Characters:
    Signe (marmalade)
    Prince V (passenger)
    Princess Ryanette (steggy)
    Ignatz Kliment Zeenat (NicolMemo)
    Gobban (XxXTheSwordsmanXxX)
    Seth (Ninlil)
    Emilie (StellaThomas)
Last edited by Charm on Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.





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Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:23 pm
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Charm says...



Signe


There once was a woodcutter who lived in the middle of the wood with five young daughters and little to give them in ways of food or clothing. Among his daughters was the youngest, Signe, who was a quiet girl blessed with much beauty. Every day, Signe, and her sisters would enter the dense wood together in order to gather food to eat and wood to burn.

On this day, the wind was sharp and frigid. Signe held onto her eldest sister, Hulda’s arm as they made their way through the forest together toward a trap their father had set up in hopes of catching some creature that happened to stumble upon it. One of Signe’s sisters clapped their hands together with joy when they saw the trap had caught a rabbit.

Signe untied the rabbit as it hung down from a tree, while her sisters continued through the wood. She huffed at how her sisters continued on their way without waiting for their youngest, but soon had other things to worry about. As the wind had become stronger and Signe was finding it hard to remain balanced.

A sudden gust of wind swirled around her as Signe finally managed to untie the white rabbit. Suddenly, the creature sprung up with life and slipped out of Signe’s hands like a salmon squirming its way out of a brown bear’s claws.

Signe watched in horror as the creature hopped in the sky, circling her alongside the wind. It’s emerald green eyes glowing, as it stared at her. “Why, my girl. Now you have caught a wishing rabbit,” the white creature spoke with a gentleman’s voice.

“A wishing rabbit?” Signe repeated. Why, what sort of creature is that?

“Indeed,” the snow white rabbit confirmed, “For I can grant you three wishes in your lifetime.”

Signe stood there and thought long and hard about what wishes she would like to be granted. It was in that moment that she realized the possibilities she had and after a few minutes came to a conclusion.

“For my first wish, I would like my father to never have to return home with his bones aching from hard work,” Signe smiled, content with her first wish.

“Very well,” the rabbit spoke and began to hop around with the wind until vanishing in the air.

“But wait!” Signe called out, “How am I going to see you again?” but the rabbit had already returned to wherever wishing rabbits came from.





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Sun Jan 08, 2017 2:59 am
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XxXTheSwordsmanXxX says...



Gobban

Nothing was better than the smell of the forge and the ring of a hammer against the anvil. These were Gobban's instruments, and he played them masterfully. He had been up since before dawn getting his chores done. Tending the coals in the fire. Getting the steel heated to begin working the order of tools requested by the local farmers.

He paused in his strikes to return the faintly glowing steel into the forge. He looked at the hammer and anvil that were now his, a sign that his foster father and teacher thought he was ready to make his own way as a Smithy. A few years of saving up and he might be able to afford to build a smithy in the next village over.

Of course, it was the dream of every smithy to be named the a royal smith and craft items to the needs of the castle. Just to open up a shop in the capital would have been a dream come true for Gobban. But a lowly peasant like him couldn't ever achieve such a status.

Especially with his reputation.

"Hey," a grizzly voice called, still half asleep as he rubbed at his eyes. A heavy set man came out of the living quarters and paused by forge to give Gobban a glare. "I thought I said that you didn't have to do these apprentice chores any more."

"Old habits die hard, Haslfur," Gobban responded. The older man chuckled and patted Gobban on the shoulder. His bald head shining as it reflected the glow of the forge and his beard a bright red like he were growing forge fire.

"Gonna wake myself up," Haslfur grumbled as he headed to the water barrel. Splashing the chilled water on his face he gave his beard a shake.

Guess we should get our wares out for display," Haslfur said with a grunt as he rubbed his back. "And bring out that dagger you made...that one you named after a flower...Shade something."

"Nightshade, and be sensible Haslfur," Gobban said assembling some armor onto a stand before organizing some sickles on a table to display. "People will want to see the skill of the master smith. Not me."

"Gobban," Haslfur said sternly. "You are a master smith. You have got to start having some faith in yourself. I'll bet the moment one of the fine young ladies see your work that they will want to know the man who made it. Now hurry up. We don't have time for dawdling."

Gobban wasn't sure about it, but Haslfur was right. After all it had been his project to prove that he was ready to be more than an apprentice. It was what made Haslfur sure of his abilities.

Marching to a small chest, he gently opened the lid. On a bed of burlap rested a dagger roughly a foot in length. The blade was triangular in shape at an inch and half width at the hilt. Etched into the flat of the blade on both sides were curling ivy and five petaled flowers. Nightshade, as its name implied.

He grasped it by the black leather hilt, decorated with thin silver cord that coiled around to the leather hilt. He rushed back out with the dagger in hand to the only place left on the table. He shook his head as Haslfur had placed a small pedestal in the middle of the table to place Nightshade. Haslfur was going to make Gobban's dagger the center point of all his wares.

Setting the dagger at an angle. He smiled, hopeful that maybe....just maybe, someone would see value in his wares.

"What are you so amused about, whore's son?" an older man growled. Gobban turned to the man. One of the many farmers that had requested tools for his farm. "Has your master finished with my sickle? At least I hope your master was the one that worked on it. Don't know what kind of job would be done by a whore's son."

Gobban's face turned red with frustration. People call him whatever they wanted, but calling him whore's son suggested that his mother was a whore. Which she wasn't. But Gobban could never bring himself to speak up against it. He hadn't 'found his voice' as Haslfur would say.

Luckily he didn't have to.

A crack of a maul on the wood of the table near the farmer made both of them jump. There stood Haslfur with a pissed off expression on his grizzly features. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you from inside my forge, what was it you were calling my ward?" Haslfur's fingers tapped on the handle of the maul as he glared at the farmer.

"I...I didn't....I'm here about my sickle," the farmer quickly stammered.

"Isn't ready yet," Haslfur growled. "How about I send for you when it's done? Now get." The farmer quickly began moving when Haslfur picked the maul up once again.

The older smith's expression was much softer when he turned to Gobban, who was currently wiping away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. He hated that he could never find the courage to speak out against those that would shame his mother. His mother who raised him to the age of five before a fever took her from him.

Gobban's eyes were puffy as he forced himself to keep control of himself. Haslfur gave him a hug with his tree trunk-like arms before he gave Gobban a gentle nudge toward the forest. "We need fire wood. Go to the wood cutter's house and see about getting us some," Halsfur said, trying to get Gobban's mind off the interaction.

With a few coins in hand, Gobban began walking toward the wood cutter's home. His heart aching from the shame of not having the courage to stand up for what he believed.





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Tue Jan 17, 2017 1:26 am
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passenger says...



Prince V

Upon a late winter's morning, the gate was topped with snow. Prince V dusted the bars before hurriedly squeezing through. Like most princesses in the myths he'd heard recounted, the Prince immediately felt trapped within the palace walls.

The Prince saw the carriage being loaded in the yard, and brushed the mane of his favorite horse, Greta, as he passed. Curiously, Prince V asked the coachman where the carriage was headed, but the coachman appeared not to have heard him.

The Prince rushed into the main hall of the castle, cheeks blossoming with the wind's harsh blow. He was dirt-clad from a run-in with a local merchant. He awaited admonishment for the creases on his pants. He was not even supposed to be out today. Queen Phoebe would not approve.

The Prince noticed the Queen's grimace as she reprimanded one of her servants. It was Jos, Prince V's nanny. Jos bowed his head to his superior. The Prince could not fathom what his mother could be chastising Jos for; Jos was the most obedient servant she had ever hired.

"Mother," he called to the Queen, frowning with disdain. "Where are we going today?"

At the sound of her son's voice, Phoebe rushed to his side. Phoebe was a woman renowned for her vivid beauty; her sapphire dress trailed the earth in her wake, and her yellow hair was elegantly twisted at the nape of her neck. The Prince's face matched his mother's, but with a touch more masculinity in his defined jaw.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, fondling the Prince's hair. She kissed both of his cheeks. The Prince knew better than to wrench his face away. "Vincent, where have you been?" she asked sternly.

"Away," the Prince replied in his usual fashion.

The Queen gasped. "Look at your clothing! At the horrible stains! What pigsty have you fell into, Vincent? By jove!"

"It was a scuffle with the merchant, Mother. He tried to sell me some trinkets, saying they were gold. They were fake, mother. Fake!"

With haste, Phoebe brought her hand backwards and then struck her son across the face. The Prince felt the sting for minutes after he had been hit. He urged the feeling to return to his jaw, but to no avail.

"You will not start fights," the Queen murmured. She spoke softly, as if restraining the power of her voice. "If one of the merchants ails you, you report to me, and I will do away with them. Understand?"

"Sure, Mother," the Prince said, though he hated to feign agreement.

"Change out of these filthy robes," his mother ordered, her nose turning up. She swept her hand to the right. "We will be attending a dinner tonight, followed by a dance. It is a very important dinner. To ensure peace among the kingdoms. You must be on your best behavior, Vincent. If you are good, I promise to find you a beautiful princess." Phoebe pinched his cheek and then rubbed her hands of the dirt. She managed a thin smile.

The Prince ran off to his chamber. A beautiful princess? he thought. The Prince was disinterested; girls had proved nothing but a burden to him! He did not believe in the true love that his elders spoke of.

His mother would be expecting his best behavior at the ball. But as the Prince doffed his robes, he resolved to be rotten.
"We accept the love we think we deserve." -Stephen Chbosky's Perks of Being a Wallflower





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Thu Jan 19, 2017 5:41 pm
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Steggy says...



Princess Ryanette

As the spring morning began, the castle was busy with preparations of tonight's ball. Of course, Princess Ryanette knew she was expected to participate in such things and had decided to lounge in her room until the formal event was in full swing. Her mother, Queen Punitori, was pushing servants around with a simple wave of her handkerchief. Her high pitch voice rang through the corridors of the castle and into the morning sky. Ryanette's father, King Isaacson, was discussing principal manners with faraway kings about tonight. It was confusing the princess because she remembered as a small child, walking in on a meeting to ask for help on sewing and being looked at like a cowardly dog. Her father had then took her aside, asking what was wrong, before sending her on her way with a few tips.
Now older, she didn't have a stable relationship with both the king and queen. They were still in the old times where princesses were to stay home and talk to animals. In Ryanette's mind, she had longed to change that. Creating some form of pleasure of exploring ran through her veins but at the same time, she feared what could happen. So, instead of sitting around, Ryanette ran out to the castle's stables, where the horses were tended for.

When she arrived there, the stableboy Richard was there. Ryanette smiled shortly.

"Hello, Richard."

"Good morning, Lady Ryanette. How're you?"

"Pleasant. I want to ride one of the horses."

Richard stopped what he was doing, which was cleaning the grooming brushes, and stared at Ryanette with widen eyes.

"I don't think that's allowed, Lady Ryanette. They're for the knights."

Ryanette pouted. "But I want to! It's my choice."

"I know but-"

"Wait until my father hears about this!"

Richard was flustered. "La-ady Ry-yanette, ple-ease don't tell the ki-ing."

Ryanette narrowed her eyes. "Watch me," she said before running off.
-o-

Her footsteps echoed off the stone walls as her little lungs hurt from running. She gasped with each breath. Her dress was lightly dashed with mud and dew from the morning grass. Her father could be asleep or wandering around the kitchen, looking for food. Ryanette smiled to herself, skidding to the kitchen door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and saw the long table with a red cloth draped over it. Her father was on the other end of the table, huddled over a plate of food.

"Father! Father!"

Said person looked up, his face showing signs of tiredness.

"Yes, darling?"

Ryanette hobbled next to her father, pouty slightly.

"Richard won't let me ride a horse!"

Her father raised an hairy eyebrow before yawning. "Is that so? It is a bit early."

Ryanette sighed, fists forming at her side. She felt disappointed and needed something. Turning around, Ryanette walked back to her room. In the castle, she still felt like a servant because she wasn't allowed to do anything fun. Forced into her room and to act like a lady. There were times where she enjoyed it because of the dresses she got to wear at fancy outings.
Opening the door to her bedroom, Ryanette sat by her window, looking outside. The morning sun was in the sky, hovering in the middle of the blue. She could hear the horses, servants talking, and a faint sound of water. She sighed, resting her chin into her palm.

When will I finally be free?
You are like a blacksmith's hammer, you always forge people's happiness until the coal heating up the forge turns to ash. Then you just refuel it and start over. -Persistence (2015)

You have so much potential and love bursting in you. -Omnom





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Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:49 pm
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Ninlil says...



Seth Dallöv

Seth woke up covered in morning dew and his ears filled with the cheerful song of the spring birds.
He sat up with a broad smile on his lopsided face, his green eyes sparkling with joy.
What a beautiful morning, he thought and peered over the corner of the roadside ditch. The dirt road was quite empty, not a whiff of horse dung in the air. He stood up and neatly folded his blanket.

After packing his bag and strapping his drum tenderly around his waist he began his march down the road. He began drumming an enthusiastic beat as his feet made loud squishing sounds in the mud. He could feel his feet getting drenched his wetness and cold. He would have to fix his shoes again, he mused.

After a while, the forest around him started to thin and he could spot a town up ahead. A large town indeed, almost a city. There was surely a tavern somewhere that would let him play. He asked around. Most people only gave him disapproving glances, but one woman with a large brown goat was kind enough to tell him about a tavern called the fat candle

The tavern was tiny and stuffed, chicken bones and splattered beer covered the floor.
But it was cozy, Seth decided, who always wanted to see the positive.
He walked up to the tall tavern owner, whose white hair brushed the ceiling, and asked for permission to play.

He shrugged, “If you want you can play in our lute players breaks. If you're any good I’ll give you a copper or two. You can sleep in the stables.”
“That is very generous of you, thank you so much”, Seth said as the tavern turned around to limp back to the kitchen.

“You know”, Seth told his broad back, “I used to be in the military. In the royal army! It was quite an honor. I was never in a real battle of course, but still. It felt so glorious and…” his words trailed off as he realized he was talking to thin air.
With a nonchalant smile, he walked off to put his belonging into the stables.





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Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:40 pm
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XxXTheSwordsmanXxX says...



Gobban

Coins in hand, and still fighting the tears in his eyes, Gobban moved through the village to the wood cutter's cottage. He ignored the stares and the whispers around him as he just wanted to be left in peace. It was hard enough trying to establish his craft as a Smith without people constantly pointing out his origins.

The woodcutter's cottage was a quaint little place. A thatched roof and solid walls did well to shelter the family within. To the side of the house was a collection of logs that had been split for the family and another stack that was bundled to be sold.

The place was so peaceful...so why was Gobban just standing at the gate?

Truth be told. This was probably the worst place for him to be. The woodcutter's family had not been subtle about their distrust and animosity towards him. One of the daughters had spit on him at one point.

He sighed as he moved passed the fence and hesitantly knocked on the door. A woman answered, the smile on her face immediately vanishing when she saw Gobban standing there. "And what do you want Whore's Son?"

Gobban visibly winced as he held out the coins. "Haslfur is needing wood for the forge," he said quietly.

"What makes you think your coin is good here?" a younger feminine voice called from inside the cottage.

"You can tell Haslfur that we won't do business with a whore's son. If he wants wood, he can come get it himself!" the head of the house said as he stepped to the door and slammed it in Gobban's face, his fingers struck by the wood and the coins being flung into the grass.

Gobban was down on hands and knees trying to find them. Tears pouring down his cheeks as he had managed to find four of the five and was still looking around for the final one. The knees of his breeches caked in wet earth.





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Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:35 am
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fukase says...



Ignatz Kliment Zeenat


The Umbra's Past
(Natz: 6 years old. Happened before his father took him.)

Soundtrack:
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~~~~~~

One day, in a small cozy cottage on a mountain called as The Lodis Mountain, it was twilight time and Umbra, the mountain witch, was now telling a story of how she became a witch to her lovely cute adopted son, Natz.

"It was one of the dark time," Umbra began her epic. "It was when the kingdom screamed and everyone felt like being caged inside their own houses because it was really dangerous to even be outside."

"What kingdom did you mean?" Natz asked. "We are living between two kingdoms here, so which was the one?"

"It was long-forgotten history, dear. Long ago, when I was about your age, there was only one kingdom in this land. I was born in a time of catastrophe. This dark time was the cause of why the kingdom broke into two--or three at that time."

"Aha, please continue."

"It was all happened because of a man's death. That man was the emperor that time. He had two sons and a daughter. The eldest one declared himself the next man for the throne, but the other son, Maveria, refused to stay silent about this. He knew that his brother wasn't really suitable as a ruler because of his silly arrogance, so he gathered men under him and started a coup."

"Oh! I love a bowl of soup."

"It's a coup, an attempt to seize the throne."

"Okay," he sighed.

"The princess was on the eldest brother's side, but she didn't like Jevunan. The princess, Calimida, worked silently under him and planning a coup herself."

"You said there were three kingdoms."

"Indeed, after long wars between the two kingdoms, Jevunan and Maveria, people were suffering. Princess Calimida couldn't bear to watch any more blood spilled. Allied with Maveria, The Calimida Kingdom emerged and backstabbing Jevunan. She obtained a title of Queen Scarlet."

"Mother, you said this was your story. Where were you?" The curious boy asked.

"I was assisting Queen Calimida."

"Sweet!"

"My mother was the shadow of the emperor and she was the one that murdered him. She acted as the High Wizard of the Kingdom before the emperor died. No one knew her but the royal family. The moment the blood of the emperor spilled onto the ground, I was there as a innocence 6 years old girl.

The High Wizard was caught by Maveria and several other guards, and they burned her on a stake. My mother purposely did that because she was tired of living and becoming the emperor's puppet. She left me with the princess and the princess acknowledged The High Wizard's plan. You could say that the emperor's daughter killed his father.

At that moment also, I'd almost mastered the acts of witchcraft. I secretly hid my mother's stuff and learned them in my own."

"Do you find any super forbidden spell?"

"For the records, I found some forbidden spell, but no super forbidden one. The High Wizard hid them in the deepest level of vault in a deserted old castle located in north of Maveria. She was burned there and cursed the castle, and that was where the emperor breathed his last."

"Have mom gone there? And what was the cool curse?"

"Yes, I've been there--living there during my childhood. It wasn't cool curse, but it was a requiem that made the castle haunted and dangerous to live. And I visited the castle again later in my life, and did a little treasure-hunting, but the deepest level was sealed by a powerful magic I couldn't break."

"Mom, please continue on how you assisted Queen Scarlet."

"The princess took care of me till I aged 14 and she was 28. The princess didn't want to marry until Jevunan forced her to marry one of the lords. She did, but their marriage didn't last, becoming a divorcee at 36 and giving birth to two sons.

Twenty years passed by, I was having fun exploring the world and experimenting with my spells. Until a letter came down from Princess Calimida. That moment was the beginning of revolution. The content of the letter was very shocking, but I wasn't surprised." The Witch Undine stood up and went to her shelf. She picked up a book and took a letter inside and gave it to Natz. "Read it."

"Dear Undine,

The lands becoming darker lately, I have lost counts of how many years my brothers have fought each others, blinded themselves of the people cries. Our economy is unstable, poverty roamed the two kingdoms. I couldn't stand the sights of my people, pleading the wars to stop.

And now, I will make it stop.

However, I need your help. I've been meeting in secrets with my brother, Maveria, and planning to corner up Jevunan in order to blow up the candle of wars. We reached up a conclusion that Jevunan must be stopped to allow lights into our kingdoms. I've gathered up men from his own army that despise him to rally upon my flag.

Please come to my fortress near the beach with haste. We will start the coup there in another three months. Meet you there.

Signed,
Calmida"
Natz finished reading. "Wow, how did you fight? Did you use your lightening spells and zapped them all?"

"You know we witches wouldn't do that. We have laws to abide."

"You mean that witch-law book you've been teaching me. Boring."

"My role wasn't boring. It was really--well--challenging and fun. My duty was to be an ambassador. I went to each castle and fortress built to meet the lords to persuade them to betray The Jevunan Kingdom, so there would be less causalities. I was very confident in my beauty--till now."

"I can see that. You are charming, mom. How the wars ended?"

"Princess Calimida's coup shocked many especially his brother, Jevunan. She was able to rally up an army under her and pincer-attacked Jevunan between Calimida Kingdom and Maveria Kingdom. The allegiance between Calimida and Maveria also shocked many. Under the influence of Princess Calimida, the Jevunan side seemed to surrender but their king. Jevunan was silly arrogance, so as his castle was surrounded by both armies, he still refused to give up.

The princess marched into the castle and after Jevunan was the only person left, she tried to persuade him, but it was useless. The princess picked up a javelin and thrust him and the Jevunan Kingdom was no more, and she got the title the Queen Scarlet at that time."

"Why there are still these two kingdoms now?"

"Both sides fought each other for almost 50 years and most of them couldn't accept the two kingdoms to reunite back, but they lived a happily ever after... until now, the relationship between the two kingdoms seem to be a little cracked."

"Good night, mom. It was a good story."

"Good night, dear." Undine kissed Natz on the temple and left the bedroom.





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Tue Jan 31, 2017 3:11 am
Steggy says...



Princess Ryanette


Several Years Ago


The horse stomped on the ground, wearily. The rider calmed it by patting the sides before sitting up. It was dark in the woods but easy to see where you are. It was cloudy with a slight wind. A lantern was on the side of the saddle, bumping along the horse's side every time the horse would move. The rider grabbed the lantern, before getting off the horse, and walked towards a trail that lead into the woods. He waved it about, casting light on the branches.
The horse began to winy again, stomping at the dirt.

"Shush," the rider growled. He moved deeper into the woods, peeling apart branches with one hand. The air had slightly gotten colder than before as the rider continued his trek. Thick leaves covered out the moonlight, casting shadows over the everlasting darkness. His boots stomped over dead twigs and leaves. There was an opening at the end of the trail, moonlight dancing on green grass like a group of fairies. His body had urged him to move faster but there was a slight instinct that told him to be cautionary.
Moving quietly, the rider stepped over leaves. The lantern felt heavier, moving it between his two hands. As he was moving, the noises of the night; the wind moving the leaves; the crickets; the frogs. It became silent. The rider stopped for a minute, the only noise he heard was his breathing. Rather panting as his consciousness began to take over, every noise heightening his vision and hearing.
The best choice at the time was to just continue walking and ignore all the noises with a song. Instead, as a poor choice, the rider ran. He tripped over twigs. A noise came behind him. Big feet. Running fast. Growling. He was close. He had dropped the lanturn somewhere. It would cause a fire, postponing the longevity of the plants in the area.
The growling continued to grow, circling around the rider. The path of moonlight was close just a finger touch away. Two more footsteps.

----

Darkness.

Present


"Papa, why are you telling me this story?"

The morning sunlight was filtering through the bedroom window, casting a warm spot on the floor where Ryanette's dolls were laid out. Her father came into the room, planning on talking to her about the incident with the horses. It was a surprise to the princess, knowing that her father might punish the stable boy for not letting her ride the horses.

"Because adventure is unknowing. In the story, remembering the rider caused a fire and was being chased by the beast. If he had just listened to his horse and galloped out of the forest, the rider could have survived."

Ryanette thought for a minute before speaking. "What if the rider did survive? You said 'darkness'. It doesn't mean the story's over yet. Tell me the ending, Papa! I want to know what happens!"

The king chuckled. "Maybe some other time. I have to go to another meeting with Isle of Wingenton because of trading issues." The king then got up and walked to the door. Princess Ryanette sighed, returning to the window and stared outside. It gotten cloudier, the sun only shining in a few spots. The horses could be heard still, roaming around in their fenced in area. A sparrow landed in a tree, singing a song that reminded Ryanette of a. The door quietly closed, leaving her in slience.
Her mind began to wander, drifting between the dead trees of her brain and that florish into flowery thoughts. They were the type of ideas to be made into something creative but at that moment in time, Ryanette didn't want to do anything. She sighed quietly, looking away from the window around her room.

She was sitting in the parlor area, where all the talks would happen. Her mother had it made because of how lonely it seemed to be just talking in her bedroom. Frankly, Ryanette wasn't bothered by it but refused to speak her opinion. There was a fireplace near the door, always lit. Did the servants keep it burning, even when she was sleeping? The thought of that shivered her bones. What if they watched her while she slept? Looming over, like rocks in the fog.
Ryanette got up from her place near the window and walked into the bedroom. There was a bed, accompanied by sheets on the floor. A mirror was above a dresser, which was in the corner of the room, that held all her clothes and makeup. She frowned slightly, moving on instinct towards the dresser. Her father told a story about a skilled woodcarver who made it, the designs woven like the threads of a shirt.
She sat down in a stool, looking in the mirror. Her brown hair had grown over the summer and decided it was best to just leave it down in. There were times were Ryanette would have it in braids. Her mother, before she began being busy with everything about the castle, would braid her hair in the morning and sing a soft song. That was the one thing that reminded Ryanette of the once happy person she way. She sighed sadly, grabbing a small jewelry box and began her day; slaving over her beauty that would not impression anyone she met.
You are like a blacksmith's hammer, you always forge people's happiness until the coal heating up the forge turns to ash. Then you just refuel it and start over. -Persistence (2015)

You have so much potential and love bursting in you. -Omnom








You are in the wrong land even if the roosters recognize you.
— Nathalie Handal, "Noir, une lumière"