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Princesses Of Ganlot
by
Jacob Rabbitt
Wizard's Tale
The four princesses of Pawentan sat in the still room waiting their fate. Nada, the eldest, held her back against the silk bed. Her azure eyes flashed with anger. Her sisters sat in front of a mirror. Their hair wrapped upon their heads in beautiful designs. The second eldest, Elle stared down at a small brass framed painting, a royal purple scarf with tiny gold knots was tied to her hair in a bun. The scarf draped her shoulders. She look up into the mirror, then at the painting. A tear escaped from her eyes. The youngest saw the tear and caught it with her sleeve. Elle smiled at Teal, thanking her with her eyes. The middle sister Odette affixed her eyes upon her image, excited with the beauty it held. By the edge of the bed Nada picked up a small stone. It was unlike any other she'd ever seen. Smooth and shiny. She threw it out the open window. With her eyes still on her image, Odette pulled a brush through her long, flowing hair. "Nada don't be so in raged." She said putting the brush down. Elle looked at Odette. Teal eyes followed. Nada held a wicked smile. " You're so blind, Odette." She laughed. "Ohhh look at me I’m Odette." Nada pulled a black hat with an orange feather unto her head and made an act out of balancing on a pile of books and waving her hands in the air. Elle looked down at her hands, planted neatly on her lap. Teal smiled and rolled her eyes.
"And you're very foolish," Odette didn't bat an eye. "a
silly, foolish little girl who fancies herself a lad." Nada stopped dancing and
hopped off the books. She opened her mouth to utter a mean response, but Elle
beat her to it. "What's the point of all this fighting?" She frowned. "We have
less than a few minutes before we depart, never to see each other again." No one
spoke. No one moved. Then like so many other times Teal made the first move ,
getting out of her seat and embracing Elle within her arms, Odette sat still in
her seat as Elle and Teal walked across the floor and hugged Nada. They hugged
waited for Odette. She made no attempt to move. The door swung open and their
maid Tiff walked in. "Your highnesses, its almost time." She bowed. Teal put her
hand out to Odette. "Please, we don't have much time." Odette looked at Teal's
hand and stood up. She walked towards them. Elle smiled. "At least we'll have
this moment, no one can take this from us." Odette walked closer and closer.
Then an inch away she went pass her sisters and placed her hand on the bird cage
behind them. she opened the cage and placed her finger under the parrots feet.
Odette kissed the bird, then set it free. She walked out of the room leaving her
sisters in shocked silence.
Nada lead her two sister down the long hallway, up ahead Odette sang a happy
tune. Two men in armor stood on the opposite of them the princesses guarding
them, she knew they were there to help she still didn’t like them. Odette
reached the doors first and swung them open. Her long brown hair bounced on her
shoulders. She was happy. Nada knew it would came to this, maybe that was the
reason she was so upset with Odette. Because she could be so happy. Even when
something awful was coming. Nada looked behind her shoulders at her sisters.
Elle looked sad, and Teal was at her always peaceful. They had to know the one
thing Odette didn’t. The same thing she knew. Something horrible was behind
those doors.
King Ezar looked down from his throne at his beautiful daughters. He saw the
greed in Odette's heart, he saw the sorrow in Elle’s eyes, the anger in Nada’s
bones and the prayer in Teal’s lips. He called each one to the throne
separately. The eldest, Nada bowed before her father and walked the steps
leading to his throne. “My daughter Nada, I bless you and your new life, honor
your god, honor your family and honor your soul.” He placed a gold crown of
rubies and sapparies on her head. He pulled her close, until her mouth was
against his ear. “Don’t be this way.” He whispered.
“Don’t do this to me.” She whispered back. He wiped a small
tear that hadn’t had the chance to fall from her eye. “Don’t do this to
yourself, oh dear daughter.” he said gently. Then he stood and escaped her to
the east balcony. A man stood waiting. Nada didn’t address him. King Ezar didn’t
introduce them. Nada watched as the man bowed before her father, and watched as
he placed a crown on the man's head. She could barely make out the words that
came from her fathers mouth. Something had caught her attention. Inside of the
man’s hand, the man she was to marry. The man she didn’t even know, the man she
was being forced to marry, was a small smooth stone. The same stone she had
throw out the window.
Meanwhile
King Arl of the Rumo empire lay on his death bed. His one and only daughter
Dinah, sat by him stroking what few hair his head held. “Oh, how I’ll miss you.”
She said kissing his forehead
"And what will you miss of me, my dear daughter?" He slowly moved his lips. Dinah held his hand to her cheek "Everything.” The king sighed and closed his eyes. "Let me see Zopher.” He ordered. “I’m here, father, you don’t need Zopher."
"Get me Zopher.” He ordered again. Dinah stood and smoothed
her dress down "As you wish, my Lord." She bowed and left his chamber. The
servant outside of the door looked up at her. "Send word to Zopher.” She walked
closer to the servant, making him uneasy. "The king wishes to see him.”
Zopher slid the wall shut. He walked to a table with wine glasses and drinks on
it. After pouring himself a glass, Zopher sat down in a nearby chair. A servant
raced to him and bowed. ‘Arise.” Zopher uttered. “Your majesty, king Arl wishes
to see you.” Zopher sat his glass down and stood. If the king needed him he’d be
there. He left the massager alone and walked through the hall till he came to a
flight of stairs. He walked up them and turned east toward the king’s private
chamber. The door was closed. Zopher opened it and looked around. Aside from the
guard beside the king’s bed and the king Arl himself who rested inside, the room
was empty. Zopher removed his sword and gave it to one of the guard. Then sat on
the side of the bed, next to king Arl. "My king, you wish to see me?"
“Yes," Zopher waited for the king to continue. When he didn’t Zopher asked what
he wished of him. “Your trust.”
“My trust you have.”
”The time has come for you to become king of Rumo.”
“Your majesty, what of princesses Dinah?
“A princesses she will remain.”
“She has royal blood, she has a right to the throne.”
“If the king sees that the daughter is incapable of doing her duties as queen,
another must be chosen.” He recited.
“As is the law of the land.” Zopher looked down. The king smiled. "Dinah hasn’t
been wed, she can not be queen unless she is wed.”
“But I also, king, am not wed.”
“So I urge you to be wed.”
"Yes your majesty.”
From inside the closet Dinah heard Zopher bide her father farewell and leave.
She waited until she heard the sound of the king's snoring, then she quietly
opened the doors and place two coins in the guard's hand before existing the
room. She made her way across the polished wood floors and into her own chamber.
she quickly undressed, then put on her silk red dress and tied the velvet ropes
that were attached to her dress, around her hips. She pulled her hair into her
hands and secured it with a string before blowing the candle out. Dinah unhooked
a gold chain with a small circle locket and pulled it around her neck, then
hooked it together again. She left the dark room and walked down the stairs,
entering the hallway. Dinah walked until she came to two large doors, then she
opened them and peeked in. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her.
Then lit a candle and walked to the smallest wall in the room. Dinah placed her
fingers on a small unnoticeable mold and slid the wall open.
An hour later Dinah closed the wall and left the room. She retraced her steps
back to her bedchamber, where she unbuttoned her gown, revealing a hideous mark
across her shoulder.
the wound was dripping with blood. Dinah held a damp cloth against the wound,
while pulling a night gown over her bruised body. She untied the string in her
hair and laid in her bed. By light of the moon she looked at the mark again. The
blood had stopped and was beginning to heal. Joining the many other scars upon
her body.
Elsewhere
Princess Bethel held the violet in her hand. A few butterflies flew around it.
The sun was just rising across the Tillison kingdom. It was an unlikely hour to
see a princess outdoors. And alone. But she wasn't really alone. Her half
brother Everest had saw her sneaking through the castle and followed her to the
West Garden. Everest hide behind a large statue of a woman holding a water pot.
"Here little flower." He heard Bethel whisper. Everest smiled. She believes
everything Graft tells her. He thought. Once when Bethel was seven, she burst
into Everest's bed chamber, bursting with news that the quilter had told her a
secret. When Everest asked what it was, she said the quilters name was Graft.
"Isn't that a lovely name? She smiled with excitement.
"What's the secret?” Everest rushed her, eager to finish his day's work.
"If you talk to plants they'll grow."
Everest laughed. "That's silly, plants don't grow because of
your tongue."
Bethel folded her arms. "Yes they do, you just have to say the right thing,
Graft said so."
Ten years later Bethel still believed it. Everest smiled, fading the memory. He
slowly walked up to Bethel, picking up a large stick along the way. He came
close then poked the stick on her shoulder. Bethel screamed then turned around.
'Christ, Everest.' she held her hand to her chest. Everest laughed.
"You know what your problem is, dear sister?" He walked back over to the statue,
balancing himself on the women's open hand, much to Bethel's despair.
"You never take a chance, go on an adventure."
"What's make you think I don't take risks?" she asked.
"You let a stick frighten you." he said picking it up. She grabbed the branch
and broke it.
"It didn't frighten me."
'Nevertheless, you aren't very courageous."
"I'm a princess.'' she reminded him. "We aren't suppose to be courageous."
"You aren't suppose to be fat either." He laughed.
Bethel throw the stick at him. "I'm leaving, care to be a gentleman and open the
door?"
" Not at all your highness." Bethel waited. "'Well?" she asked.
"Oh you meant this sunrise." He joked.
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