Chapter 1
Sometime ago, Princess Helena Cassandra te Oryten sat in the back of a rather large carriage with her closet friends. She, though the frown on her face did not become her, wore a simple but elegant velvet green dress with long sleeves that slacked off her shoulders, making the shiny silver locket that hung around her neck more visible. She wore diamond earrings that, because of how annoying she found most earrings, did not dangle much off her ears. She wore her princess crown, though, she loathed having the whole world know her. Her long, blackish brown hair that was close to a bit past her shoulders shone and her bright vibrant green eyes were focused but if you looked closely you could tell that she was deep in thought.
Her brother sat beside her wearing typical royal attire. His light brown hair and his dark brown eyes were the only things he shared with thier father. Justin was only Helens' step brother, they had different mothers. Justin glanced over at his sister, a grin flashing his healthy handsome smile as he said to her, "Scared?" She held her solemn face and shook her head. "Nerves?" Again, only a shake of the head. "Happy?"
This time, she said, though, very soft, "Nonchalant."
"You don't care that you're about to marry a Celdonian barbarian?" He said slightly confused.
She shook her head softly. "You forget brother," She started calmly. "I have Celdonian blood, from my mother." She glanced at him for the briefest moment as she spoke.
"What's your point, sister?"
"Celdon-"
'No, don't say it." She allowed a small smile as she let the matter drop. She always won. Even in small debates or conversation, the private competetion between the two of them had only one champion.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tristan woke up, having dozed off in the middle of a council meeting. He yawned. Two of the Warlords were arguingover the idea od letting Tristan marry that 'foriegn whore'. Tristan, personally, had no objections because if she had changed for the worse since he saw her when he was maybe sixteen, then he could simply have her assassinated but he doubted he would. They were friends, even if only on a small scale. He had gotten a mixed message of the Princess. Some said she had become a demon in a woman's body. Few said she was calm, kind, and thoughtful. He was trying hard not to be influenced by others' thoughts and think the worst of her.
"My Lord," came the voice of his child servant, Chris. Chris was a scrawny eleven year old blonde haired blue eyed boy. Tristan leaned over to his left so the boy could whisper, so as to not bother the, although oblivious, arguing Warlords.
"She's here, sir. She asked for secrecy of her arrival, she said, also to apologize in case you have rathered the large comotions. She'll await you in your study."
"Private or open study?"
"Private, sir. She insisted on being alone. May I make a comment, sir?"
"Go ahead, Chris."
"She was...near mute. She doesn't talk much, she's v-very beautiful and seems very wise. Her brother, Master Justin, gave me instructions rather than her. You may enjoy her company. she doesn't seem to reject much." He stood calmly, waiting for his' Prince's answer.
Tristan thought for a moment before saying, "Tell her, I won't be long." Chris nodded and ran off. Thankfully, Tristan's sister, Kally, was barking fiercely aat the once sqwablling Warlords. Kallaiah was the only female Warlord but she was not to be underestimated.
Sometime later, Tristan managed to slip away to his private study. He was actually excited to see the Princess again, after so long. He walked into the pricate study that was known to only him and his most trusted servant, family, comrades, and friends. Which wasn't a very large list. Chris liked to read Tristan's books, so, he was allowed in here on his days off.
A beautiful young woman sat at his desk with her boots propped up on his desk and a book in hand. Tristan glanced at himself in a mirror on the wall. His, although very nice, shirt was open so you could see the large scar across his masculine chest that he recieved at war two years ago. His black hair was messy and neat at the same time and his eyes were a deep striking blue.
He looked at the Princess and was surprised by what he saw. That beautiful maiden was Helen. He hadn't seen her since they were maybe sixteen, seventeen? He forgot whether or not he was a year or two years older than her but she had to be at least twenty by now.
Helen looked up from the book and took her feet off the desk. "It's been a long time, Tristan."
He nodded. "Your hair is longer, and more dark." He grinned as she stood and said, "Not much taller, though."
She shrugged. "How've you been? You stopped writing to me sometime, maybe, one or two summers ago. What happened?"
He scratched the back of his head, "I got busy..."
"Too busy to tell me if you were alright? The last I'd heard from you, you were about to go into your first battle with the Balyeians." She said with a harsh and hurt tone.
He sighed. "You don't understand. I couldn't send a messenger pidegon and I was forbidden to spare bodyguards."
"So, for two years, you've been in battle? Gee, you must be tired." She said coldly with an even colder look on her face and even though her eyes were filled with hurt and worried tears, they were narrowed in anger. "Until I heard of your victory a few months later..." She paused. "I thought you might be dead, Tristan."
Helen and Tristan had been friends since they were kids, but they always knew they would grow apart. Tristan was having trouble understanding why she didn't expect to lose contact with him sometime down the road. He took a step toward her but she backed up. She would never let him hug her when she was on the brink of tears because then she would melt and be unable to hold up in the arguement without crying. "Helen...I was at war!"
"What about after the war?"
"I had better things to do then keep up with my mail, Helena." He regretted saying that the second that it escaped his lips.
She shook her head and went out without another word. Waiting a moment, to see if she would come back, Tristan swore, but when she didn't come back he swore softly and went out in time to see her head for the gardens. He started to follow her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She couldn't believe what he had said. Better things to do? So it didn't matter that she worried for months? It didn't matter that he ignored her messages? It didn't even matter that she had cried for weeks? He didn't care that he had hurt her?
Forgetting that Tristan had showed her it's location, she ducked into a secret path on the garden's main path. She soon took a right and found herself in the Hidden Gardens. She sat on a bench and tried to compose herself. "Helena?" came Tristan's voice.
Not wanting to be found, Helen ran off out of the back gate, wishing she hadn't worn so much jewerly. She made it out of the palace, not caring when bracelets or rings fell off. In fact, since it wasn't her real one, she hurled her crown at a tree and grinned when it snapped in two. She ran faster, thankful for her sturdy boots and strong legs.
After about an hour, she was walking through the trees, trying to find something cheerful. She sat down in a meadown on a rather large boulder that would stuck in the ground. She leaned back and stretched her legs out and leaned on her hands. She closed her eyes and started to drift, letting out a soft sigh. She let her mind wander away with the wind, going to a happy place in her thoughts. She saw herself sitting by a river, letting the current sing her to sleep, relaxing as the clouds rolled by with a breeze that caressed her bare skin. The sun warmed her skin, loosening her every joint and muscle.
She let out a gasp as she opened her eyes and all went dark.
Sometime ago, Princess Helena Cassandra te Oryten sat in the back of a rather large carriage with her closet friends. She, though the frown on her face did not become her, wore a simple but elegant velvet green dress with long sleeves that slacked off her shoulders, making the shiny silver locket that hung around her neck more visible. She wore diamond earrings that, because of how annoying she found most earrings, did not dangle much off her ears. She wore her princess crown, though, she loathed having the whole world know her. Her long, blackish brown hair that was close to a bit past her shoulders shone and her bright vibrant green eyes were focused but if you looked closely you could tell that she was deep in thought.
Her brother sat beside her wearing typical royal attire. His light brown hair and his dark brown eyes were the only things he shared with thier father. Justin was only Helens' step brother, they had different mothers. Justin glanced over at his sister, a grin flashing his healthy handsome smile as he said to her, "Scared?" She held her solemn face and shook her head. "Nerves?" Again, only a shake of the head. "Happy?"
This time, she said, though, very soft, "Nonchalant."
"You don't care that you're about to marry a Celdonian barbarian?" He said slightly confused.
She shook her head softly. "You forget brother," She started calmly. "I have Celdonian blood, from my mother." She glanced at him for the briefest moment as she spoke.
"What's your point, sister?"
"Celdon-"
'No, don't say it." She allowed a small smile as she let the matter drop. She always won. Even in small debates or conversation, the private competetion between the two of them had only one champion.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tristan woke up, having dozed off in the middle of a council meeting. He yawned. Two of the Warlords were arguingover the idea od letting Tristan marry that 'foriegn whore'. Tristan, personally, had no objections because if she had changed for the worse since he saw her when he was maybe sixteen, then he could simply have her assassinated but he doubted he would. They were friends, even if only on a small scale. He had gotten a mixed message of the Princess. Some said she had become a demon in a woman's body. Few said she was calm, kind, and thoughtful. He was trying hard not to be influenced by others' thoughts and think the worst of her.
"My Lord," came the voice of his child servant, Chris. Chris was a scrawny eleven year old blonde haired blue eyed boy. Tristan leaned over to his left so the boy could whisper, so as to not bother the, although oblivious, arguing Warlords.
"She's here, sir. She asked for secrecy of her arrival, she said, also to apologize in case you have rathered the large comotions. She'll await you in your study."
"Private or open study?"
"Private, sir. She insisted on being alone. May I make a comment, sir?"
"Go ahead, Chris."
"She was...near mute. She doesn't talk much, she's v-very beautiful and seems very wise. Her brother, Master Justin, gave me instructions rather than her. You may enjoy her company. she doesn't seem to reject much." He stood calmly, waiting for his' Prince's answer.
Tristan thought for a moment before saying, "Tell her, I won't be long." Chris nodded and ran off. Thankfully, Tristan's sister, Kally, was barking fiercely aat the once sqwablling Warlords. Kallaiah was the only female Warlord but she was not to be underestimated.
Sometime later, Tristan managed to slip away to his private study. He was actually excited to see the Princess again, after so long. He walked into the pricate study that was known to only him and his most trusted servant, family, comrades, and friends. Which wasn't a very large list. Chris liked to read Tristan's books, so, he was allowed in here on his days off.
A beautiful young woman sat at his desk with her boots propped up on his desk and a book in hand. Tristan glanced at himself in a mirror on the wall. His, although very nice, shirt was open so you could see the large scar across his masculine chest that he recieved at war two years ago. His black hair was messy and neat at the same time and his eyes were a deep striking blue.
He looked at the Princess and was surprised by what he saw. That beautiful maiden was Helen. He hadn't seen her since they were maybe sixteen, seventeen? He forgot whether or not he was a year or two years older than her but she had to be at least twenty by now.
Helen looked up from the book and took her feet off the desk. "It's been a long time, Tristan."
He nodded. "Your hair is longer, and more dark." He grinned as she stood and said, "Not much taller, though."
She shrugged. "How've you been? You stopped writing to me sometime, maybe, one or two summers ago. What happened?"
He scratched the back of his head, "I got busy..."
"Too busy to tell me if you were alright? The last I'd heard from you, you were about to go into your first battle with the Balyeians." She said with a harsh and hurt tone.
He sighed. "You don't understand. I couldn't send a messenger pidegon and I was forbidden to spare bodyguards."
"So, for two years, you've been in battle? Gee, you must be tired." She said coldly with an even colder look on her face and even though her eyes were filled with hurt and worried tears, they were narrowed in anger. "Until I heard of your victory a few months later..." She paused. "I thought you might be dead, Tristan."
Helen and Tristan had been friends since they were kids, but they always knew they would grow apart. Tristan was having trouble understanding why she didn't expect to lose contact with him sometime down the road. He took a step toward her but she backed up. She would never let him hug her when she was on the brink of tears because then she would melt and be unable to hold up in the arguement without crying. "Helen...I was at war!"
"What about after the war?"
"I had better things to do then keep up with my mail, Helena." He regretted saying that the second that it escaped his lips.
She shook her head and went out without another word. Waiting a moment, to see if she would come back, Tristan swore, but when she didn't come back he swore softly and went out in time to see her head for the gardens. He started to follow her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She couldn't believe what he had said. Better things to do? So it didn't matter that she worried for months? It didn't matter that he ignored her messages? It didn't even matter that she had cried for weeks? He didn't care that he had hurt her?
Forgetting that Tristan had showed her it's location, she ducked into a secret path on the garden's main path. She soon took a right and found herself in the Hidden Gardens. She sat on a bench and tried to compose herself. "Helena?" came Tristan's voice.
Not wanting to be found, Helen ran off out of the back gate, wishing she hadn't worn so much jewerly. She made it out of the palace, not caring when bracelets or rings fell off. In fact, since it wasn't her real one, she hurled her crown at a tree and grinned when it snapped in two. She ran faster, thankful for her sturdy boots and strong legs.
After about an hour, she was walking through the trees, trying to find something cheerful. She sat down in a meadown on a rather large boulder that would stuck in the ground. She leaned back and stretched her legs out and leaned on her hands. She closed her eyes and started to drift, letting out a soft sigh. She let her mind wander away with the wind, going to a happy place in her thoughts. She saw herself sitting by a river, letting the current sing her to sleep, relaxing as the clouds rolled by with a breeze that caressed her bare skin. The sun warmed her skin, loosening her every joint and muscle.
She let out a gasp as she opened her eyes and all went dark.
