Young Writers Society

Hi this is a rewrite of my previously posted fantasy chapter 1 thing. It has more details and I hope you enjoy!

~peanut~

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Joanna looked around the vast chamber that she had been imprisoned in. Dark green moss spread from the cracks in the gray stone walls. A small stone staircase was nestled into the left corner of the room, leading up to the castle's kitchen.

Prison cells lined the far wall and circled around the back wall. Survivors huddled in the dark empty cells. Wounded men and women lay on blankets, the Healers surrounding them. Quietly they contemplated which herbs would save the fallen soldiers. Joanna could see Sage as she leaned over one of the patients, carefully examining his wounds.

Cries of the wounded mingled with the screams of the dying, making everyone in the room cringe. Two guards stood on either side of the Barrier, laughing, obviously glad that their queen chose them, and didn’t force them to fight.

The almost invisible shield let of a faint glow of rainbow colored light. The power of the Barrier was not trusted by some of the people in the room, who sat their eyes glued to the light, widening with terror every time screams were heard from the other side of it. They sat frozen, as if they were waiting for something to crash through the magical shield.

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Alla was sitting on the bottom step, Ayden beside her his hand gently stroking her hair. Slowly his hand traveled down her back. The soldier jumped as Alla removed his hand from her back to hold it tightly in her own. Ayden glanced around the room hoping his jump didn’t bring any attention to them.

The secret of their relationship was already slipping out. His commander was already suspicious about why he had refused to go into battle. The suspicion had worsened when he told him why. Lie, Ayden, you must keep this a secret. Ayden remembered what Alla had said. Lies had been told, but still the commander questioned his answer. Queen Alla has instructed me to stay behind, sir. Was all he could come up with, his face reddening with guilt as he remembered, as it had the day he had to his commander.

Alla leaned her head on his shoulder her fiery red hair draping over it like a curtain, bringing him out of his thoughts. She glanced at Joanna as she whispered into his ear, Ayden looked hesitantly at the queen's sister and nodded.

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Joanna could see Alla and Ayden. They were whispering and looking at her. That couldn’t be a good sign. Joanna turned away not wanting to be apart of Alla's whispering games. They were only meant to make her mad and Joanna knew that.

As she turned away she could see Jackson sitting in the corner of one of the cells with his sister Genna in his lap. His father stood guarding the cell's entrance.

Jackson and Joanna had been together for a little over a year, and yet his father still frightened her. Chad Lewis stood arms crossed over his chest, his golden hair tangled around his face, His cold blue eyes watching everyone who passed him.

Quickly Joanna slipped past Jackson's father, Mr. Lewis glaring at her as she passed him. Jackson motioned for Genna to move over as Joanna neared them. There he sat his blue eyes sparkling. Just like his father he had curly golden blond hair. His sister stared up at Joanna as she crouched down beside Jackson. Unlike Jackson and his father, Genna had dark violet eyes and long wavy brown hair.

From her position to the left of Jackson Joanna could see her sister as she stood and stepped away from the stairs. Ayden's eyes widened as the queen walked away. His chocolate brown eyes filled to the brim with terror, but he stood as she moved away. This obviously unwanted notion made Ayden walk far behind her, not wanting her to know he had followed her against her wishes.

Inch by inch he followed her being careful not to get too close. He paused before passing Jackson's father, and stopped beside the opening of the cell.