Prologue

Fantasy

I open the door to gaze at my daughter. She is sound asleep, but she is still so beautiful. Her light brown hair is all over her porcelain skin. Her face is so peaceful from a dream that fills her head, but will never remember. So young, so full of innocence, but I must close the door silently now. I whisper, “I love you more than the sun and the moon, Aniella.” Tomorrow is her birthday and I must prepare for her party. These two years have gone by so fast. All the neighboring prince and princesses, kings and queens, and more of our friends from before we were crowned will be celebrating along with my husband, newest king of Catríona, and me, the newest queen of Catríona.

I walk down the hallway with my attendants, Rasha and Calida, closely by my side, but stop at my husband’s study. “Rian,” I start, walking over to him, and then gently putting my hands atop of his.

“Yes, my sweet Darya?”

“Come to bed soon, darling. Tomorrow is a big day for Aniella and I get so lonely in this castle, especially at night. I hate sleeping alone in that huge room.”

“Of course, Darya. I will be there as soon as I am done passing some more laws.” Then he smiled the same smile that made me fall in love with him with his golden locks bouncing around his face. Who knew that someday we would be rulers of Catríona? We were just peasants leading ordinary lives when we met. But then we discovered that the dying king of Catríona was Rian’s uncle, and that Rian was the only heir to the throne. That was five years ago, when we were both eighteen. I smile back, nod, and have my attendants escort me to my room. As we pass door after door, the lights go out one by one.

We enter the room Rian and I shared. It contains an enormous bed with forest green privacy curtains drawn back, a closet (as big as most of house when were peasants), multiple windows with thick navy blue curtains, a bathroom to take baths and to freshen up in the morning, a fireplace with a breakfast table and chairs, and a mirror on the mantle of the fireplace. My attendants start undressing me from my dress. It is quite a relief from the weight of my dress when they put on my nightgown. I step towards my bed, but before I reach it, I release my attendants, saying I will not need them until morning. They bow and leave while leaving the door opened only slightly. I climb into bed and grab my mother’s wooden brush. It might not be as fancy as others, but I loved my mother very much and it is the only thing I have left of her. I start stroking my long, thick, dark brown hair, only seen in the moonlight, waiting for Rian.

A while later, Rian enters. He undresses in the moonlight from his robes. First, he takes of his black and silver embroidered vest. Next, his forest green shirt I just had the royal tailor make, and his velvet pants depart from his body after that. He puts on his white night shirt and climbs into the other side of the bed. I can tell he is exhausted from his duties as king. I put my brush back and sink into the sheets to try to get some sleep.

Sunlight is streaming in from the curtains I notice as my tired eyes open. It is finally morning. Calida is opening the rest of the curtains while Rasha is feeding Aniella in the center of the room. I sit up and call Calida over to brush my hair. I look over to see Rian waking up and he looks up at me, smiling. “Good morning, Darya,” he whispers as he leans over to give me a soft kiss on my cheek.

“Rasha, I’ll hold Aniella now,” I say while outstretching my arms for her. “Happy birthday, Princess Aniella. Are you ready for your party today? You will look absolutely adorable in your new dress.” Aniella is giggling now. “Here Rasha. Take her to bathe and clothe her. I want her to look perfect today. Calida,” I start as Rasha bows and takes Aniella out of the room, “Bring King Rian and I our new clothes from the tailor’s office. Do not forget to bring the crowns with you. Thank you.”

After passing the time by talking and laughing with Rian, Calida returns with my gown and Rian’s robes. Calida leaves the room while Rian dresses, then I call her back to dress me. Rian leaves me to check on the progress for Aniella’s party. Calida slips the corset over my slender body. She has to stand on her toes to accomplish the task. I feel so small everywhere, except when Calida and I are the only ones around. She is much smaller than me, but she is still a child, barely even sixteen. Her mother, who was an attendant for Rian’s uncle, died in childbirth. The king let her stay because he was too kind to turn an innocent child away. When Rian and I took the crown, we decided to let her stay with us, as well as her best friend, Rasha. If she washed herself more, brushed her thick red hair, and dressed in some finer clothes, she would be one of the fairest maidens in all of Catríona.

Calida yanks the strings on the corset until I can barely breathe. Then she puts the gown together piece by piece on me. The weight throws me off balance so much that I have to sit down for a few minutes. After I catch my breath, Rasha returns with Aniella. “Oh, you look so beautiful, darling!” I squeal in excitement, extending my arms to hold her. Her tiny pink dress looks perfect with all her giggling smiles. “Shall we go meet with your father? Your guests will be arriving shortly.” Rasha and Calida escort Aniella and I out of the room down to the grand entrance.

One by one, the guests arrive in bright and cheery-colored gowns and robes, bringing multiple presents for Aniella. Some young princes and princesses show up, begging me to let them play with Aniella. “Please, Queen Darya. She will be fine with all of us watching her. We just want to play!” beg the children.

“Alright, but bring her back before the sun sets. You can take her to the big oak tree near the river, but do not go so far that I cannot see you,” I warn.

Their faces light up as they take Aniella by her hands and continues to babble nonsense to her new playmates. She takes random children’s hands in hers and walks steadily with the children to the river. It is a warm spring day with a clear sky and bright sun; they deserve to play by the cool river. I follow Rian around, mingling with guests, with my attendants following me.

We spend most of our time with King Aubry and Queen Licia of Meridia, a small island kingdom south of Catríona. Catríona and Meridia have been peaceful partners for centuries. They brought their seven-year-old daughter, Danica, to play with the others. We discuss trade, agriculture, and our children.

I try to keep an eye on the group of children, but most of my attention focuses on the guests. The sun starts to set, painting the sky with pinks, oranges, yellows, purples, and dark blues.

Suddenly, I hear a scream. My head immediately snaps around to the part of the river where the children are, as do the other guests with children. More screaming. My heart skips beats. I begin to walk towards the children, the others following me. We reach the children; all of their bright faces have turned into sorrow. I franticly search the crowd of faces for my Aniella. I cannot find her. Tears start to well up inside of me. “What happened?” I can no longer keep the tears in; they come pouring out like rain. The mothers and fathers try to get their children to talk, but they are crying too hard. “Where is my daughter?” I scream as Rian tries to hold me.

Then, Princess Danica says in small voice between sobs and sniffs, “We were just…playing, and then…and then…when we were not looking…she…she…”

“She what? What happened?” I demand.

“She slipped and…fell into there…”she says as she points to the river and then continues to sob in her mother’s arms.

I look over to the river and start to cry even harder. My legs give out and I fall to the ground. “No, no, no! Go find her, go find her!” I yell at Rian. He signals the guards to go search the river. Rian holds me, with tears falling into my hair, telling me everything is going to be alright.

The guards come back a few minutes later with nothing in their hands. The kings and queens with children take them away. The rest of the guests leave us to be alone. I turn my head away. I cannot believe they did not find her, they did not rescue her. The guards usher everybody back to their carriages while Rasha and Calida help me up and assist me to my room. I collapse on my bed, sobbing for my lost Aniella to return. Rian comes into bed with me and we hold each other, crying, all night long.

Today is Aniella’s funeral, just two days after her birthday and death. The sky is cloudy and depressing. Everything since then has been a blur to me. They could not even find her body in the river for us to bury; we are just burying the memory of her. Every guest that was at her birthday party came, not in brightly colored gowns and robes, but in black. Chants and prayers float in the air. They put her memory in a casket and lower it into the ground, while everybody threw a flower in. When it came to my turn, I threw in her favorite flower, a yellow rose, but this was stained with my tears and held a kiss for her. I did not want to let it go, but I reluctantly took each finger from the thorny stem. It fell on top of her casket and was followed by dirt. She was so young. She did not have the chance to live her life. Rasha and Calida guide me back to my room where I have been staying, crying, and not eating. Rasha’s belly has become bigger lately. I continue to cry until I fall asleep.

It has been four months since we buried the memory of Aniella in the cold earth. I have laid here, doing nothing but crying and sleeping ever since. Rasha and Calida try and get me to eat, and sometimes they are successful. Rasha is due very soon with her child, but her husband died two months ago from a mysterious illness. She has moved on much more quickly than I have. Rian, Rasha, and Calida tell me that I should occupy my mind with something else, but I just cannot. Rian hardly ever comes to bed any more, but sends multiple physicians to check up on me. Every diagnosis is the same: I am depressed and still grieving.

One day, I decide to get up from my bed to go look at Aniella’s room. I slowly open the door, hoping she is still there sleeping like always. I look in and she is not there. Her room is barren, toys are waiting to be played with, and dreams are waiting to be dreamt. I pick up her favorite toy, a stuffed bear, and sit in the rocking chair, stroking the soft, brown fur on the bear, but tears are making it damp. I whisper over and over, “I love you more than the sun and moon.” The light fades and I fall asleep once more.

I wake up to Rasha calling my name, “Queen Darya, Queen Darya. Where are you?”

“I am in Aniella’s room,” I answer. She rushes in. Her brown eyes are big with fear and relief.

“I have been looking for you for two hours! I thought you might have…never mind. You need to eat or drink something. You have not had anything in two days. The doctors say if you start eating and drinking, you will get better sooner.” Rasha has always been so motherly and kind to everyone. “Try and take a bath, maybe even go for a swim, just for some fresh air and exercise?”

“No! I will not go swimming in the river that took my Aniella! I will not even go near it!” I scream in fear. I have developed a severe fear of water ever since Aniella’s death.

Quickly trying a different approach, Rasha says, “I will bring you up some broth, then. Can you try and eat that today, please?”

“Fine,” I say in acquiesce.

Another two months of lessening grieving goes by. I still sit in my bed all day and night. Rian still leaves early and comes back late. I have slowly been getting my appetite back. Rasha enters, clears my dinner tray, then returns.

“I need to tell you something, Queen Darya,” she says in a grave voice.

“Well, what is it?” I respond.

“Queen Darya, I am sorry that I am the one to tell you this, but somebody had to,” Rasha begins, trying to work up the courage to look me in the eye.

“What is it? What is going on?” I order.

“King Rian is…is…” I can now see her great brown eyes watering.

“Is what?”

“Is having an affair with Calida!” she blurts out, tears streaming down her face.

“No…that cannot be. No. No,” I repeat in disbelief, shaking my head and falling to the ground. Tears are stinging my eyes as I try to make what Rasha said false.

“I am so sorry, your Majesty,” Rasha whispers. She attempts to give a comforting arm around my shoulders, but a sudden burst of rage escapes from me. I stand up with angry tears and swatting her arm away. “No!” I scream. Rasha’s brown eyes are confused as she looks at me. She stands up, walks out, and silently closes the door. I can hear her running to her daughter, Penelope.

My mind turns from concern for Rasha to anger for Rian. How could he do this to me? We took the same vows, and I had held my end up. Suddenly the door opens. My head snaps in the door’s direction. It is Rian entering. My rage boils over as I begin screaming at him for hours.

“How could you?”

“I was lonely!” he screams back, defending himself.

“I am still lonely for Aniella, but I would never have an affair!”

“Every single person in this kingdom wants to tell you what went wrong, Darya, but nobody knows what happened that day! I tried to be there for you, but every time I look at you I see her!”

“So you decided to have an affair with my attendant?”

“I was lonely! All you have been doing for the past six months is mourn over Aniella. I needed attention!”

“But I loved you…” I said, no longer with anger, but with the deepest sorrow that I have ever felt.

“I loved you too, but then that girl I used to know is gone. Now you are cold and distant. I do not know who you are any more. Your heart is no longer inside of you,” he said calmly. I fix my gaze to the floor, clenching my teeth.

“My heart went missing along with Aniella and it is not coming back unless she is. Sleep in the bedroom tonight. I will sleep in Aniella’s old room. I do not think I will ever be able to love you again, not after this. I never want to see you again,” I said coldly, walking to the door, not giving Rian a second glance. Part of me wants him to stop me, but I the other half is still broken from our fight. I close the door, walk to Aniella’s old room, lie down and weep. I have not cried this much since the night that Aniella died. Sleep takes over me once more…

Days have pass and I still have not talked to Rian. I asked Calida to help out in the kitchen because I cannot even bear to look at her any more. Rasha attends me in between feedings of Penelope. I was helping Rasha with Penelope one day, and then the news slipped out of her mouth.

“Penelope is so beautiful, Rasha. I am so sorry your husband died,” I say to break the ice, looking at Penelope’s big brown eyes, just like her mother’s.

“I know he is in a better place now, no more suffering or pain. But it will be so much fun when Calida has her baby. Then Penelope will have a little playmate,” Rasha says with a smile at first, but then she realizes what damage had just caused.

“Calida is pregnant with Rian’s child?” I ask in anger.

“Well…uh…I did not…er…mean to let that information out…um…well, yes. But please do not hurt Calida. She is young. Let her have a child of her own.”

“Why does she get a child of her own and not me? Why did mine get taken away?” I say angrily and with tears staining the corners of my eyes. I run to Aniella’s room, shut and lock the door behind me. Seconds later, Rasha is pounding on the door.

“I just need to be alone for a while!” I scream through the door. The pounding ceases at once.

Hours pass by, and a plan to poison Rian forms in my head. Everybody else must be asleep, I think, I will just sneak down to the basement, grab a vile of poison, sneak into his room, and drop some into his mouth. I stand up, He will be gone, unlock and open the door, No more heartbreak from him or anyone else, and begin my descent to the basement.

My heart beats faster and faster with anticipation, sneaking down each step. When I reach the door to the basement, I look over each shoulder to make sure that I am alone. I take a deep breath in and open the door. The dim light from my lamp illuminates the entrance to the basement. A cabinet under the only window in the room catches my eye. The moonlight bounces off the little glass viles. I immediately begin looking through them for any type of poison I can find. I find a vile containing a clear liquid with a picture of a skull and crossbones on it. There is not much in it, but I don’t need much for what I am about to do. I slip the vile into a hidden pocket in my dress. I exit through the door and slowly climb back up the stairs to where Rian slumbers.

I dim my lamp even more, to the point where I cannot see

Comments

lovetowrite said on Tuesday 5th of May...

I wrote this when I was fourteen. I got the idea from a dream I had one night and it grew when I was listening to some music. Let me know what you think.

Ilia said on Tuesday 5th of May...

fantastic.. where did you learn how to write like that?

lovetowrite said on Wednesday 6th of May...

Thanks! I don't know. I guess I've always been writing like this.

Story's story

lovetowrite likes this story.
Ilia likes this story.
xXxBebba0BxXx likes this story.

Would you like to comment?

If you want to comment on this story please Login or Sign up and activate your registration.

SiteMap

Where to go to find out more...

The Devs

This is us...

Ilia_small Ilia Mogilevsky is a happy go lucky web developer based in Melbourne, Australia with his beautiful wife and a nameless budgie. Contact him on facebook, twitter, or digg.

Peter_small Peter Sbarski is soon to be PhD certified and is based in Melbourne Australia. He loves to dance and is a gym fanatic.

a short story competition!

Author

About Me

My Top Stories

My Favourite Stories