Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Honour ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

“Close the door, Princess Mercy.”

The small, thirteen year-old princess entered the tiny room, where a huge rectangular table took up most of the room. Two chairs filled each of the four sides. In those chairs were the bodies of the each of the eight council members. Loyalty, Charity, Generosity, Truth, Justice, Honesty, Fidelity, and Courage. They were all young men, dressed in copper-coloured robes, with the hoods pulled back. Their only distinguishing mark as council members was a ring on their middle finger with the royal crest emblazoned on. It symbolized that they were her council, not anyone else's.

The dark eyes of the princess followed the members until she saw the man she loved, the Wise One of the Phaeries, at the head of the table. He was also wearing a gray robe with a hood, which was pulled back to show that this was a special occasion. A pale, hard face with a square jawline only made his well-defined nose more prominent. Under that nose, rested lips thin as two slips of papyrus. With long, silver hair, he seemed like a wolf. His tall height and large, muscular figure only added to his wolfish looks. But it was his inside that stole her heart. He was the kindest and most understanding man in the kingdom. It was for that reason that she loved him and that reason alone.

Upon seeing two handsome men sitting at his side, her heart skipped a beat. She blinked wondering if she was seeing things. But, the Wise One stood up and called her over to take the empty seat beside him. She walked over to him, scanning the two new men. Immediately, she could tell that one of the two men was human. Between the three, the oldest looked to be about twenty-three. Then the Wise One, who looked sixteen, and the last one looked about her age. Blushing, she took her seat beside the Wise One. In the presence of so many men, she felt conscious of her sex for the first time.

The other council members began chatting away noisily about the new future of Phaerieland. For the past ten years, the council members had run the kingdom, until the coming of age of the princess. Now that she was ready for her scholars, she would be ready to ascend the throne in a short time. The Wise One called for order as the council members began chatting about whom would make a better king. After all, the sole purpose of the Wise One's Council was to collect the most leaned and respectable men in the kingdom and provide a harem of suitors for the future queen. Her favourite suitor made her smile. The blushing princess only made the council members more determined to throw out their most qualified skills as a king out on the table. When they started asking for the dark princess's hand, Princess Mercy burst out in laughter, stopping the seemingly endless chatter.

The Wise One tried to quiet her, “Princess, please restrain yourself. We have guests.”

It was rare for her to hear him speak. In all her years, she had only heard him speak three times, once when her parents died, twice when the war ended, and the third time was today. This was a significant life-changing matter, she knew. With the grace of the late queen, she quickly gulped back her laughter. Changing her attitude to befit her position, the room sat in awe at such a metamorphosis. Everyone was always amazed at how easily she was able to change her façade. But then, her mother was able to do the same thing. No one ever knew what she was really thinking. Heredity was a powerful thing, they guessed. The Wise One beamed.

One of the council members, Loyalty, began, “To call this meeting into order, the Wise One's Council has called you, Princess Mercy of Phairieland to this meeting to prepare you to become queen. On this last day of the phaerie year, we wish to conclude the month with your acceptance to the throne. Methinks the kingdom has reached the point where it needs its rightful ruler to prepare to stabilize the kingdom of Toussaint. Their prince has just returned after coming out of hiding and is working hard to rebuild his fallen kingdom. Tragically, your parents were killed after defeating the Knome tribe during the Imperial takeover. Now you, with the royal blood that flows in your veins, must step up and take your position. Do you accept?”

Proudly, she stood up, “I do.”

“Next, the head of the Council shall speak.”

The Wise One stood up, and with an expressionless face.

“I, the Wise One of the Council, shall introduce the two scholars we have found for the rite of succession for the Princess of Phaerieland.”

The small girl was overwhelmed. She knew that the Council was trying to remind her of her position on purpose. Her heart wavered, nervously. Her dreams of ascending the throne were fast approaching. What was to come after this moment? The applause died when the Wise One raised his hand to hush the room. The same hand was used to start the introduction of the first scholar, a hueman. He was the oldest looking one with long, dark hair. His presence was the dominant one in the room, due to this tall and large size. But his skin was a natural shade of bronze. A black robe donned his form. She saw that his eyes never left her. It seemed as if he was examining her, to see if she was fit to become his pupil. She shuddered at her new anger towards him.

“On my left is Sir Faith of Toussaint, your scholar of magic. On my right, I present Sir Hope of Pharieland, your scholar of academics.”

He was fair in his features, just like the Wise One, and of medium height. Like Sir Faith, he also wore a black robe. But he was not as big, since he was a phaerie. She prepared a much warmer welcome for him.

“Sir Hope, I am honoured to come under your tutelage! Methinks you seem to be a very capable master. When is our first lesson?”

Winking, he replied, “At your leisure, my lady.”

She humbled her voice, “Then I look forward to it after speaking to this man.”

“`This man' being the hueman that the council looked over not once, but twice. Quiet murmuring broke out, while she interviewed him.

“What does a hueman know about magic?”

His voice was a cold declaration, “Please call me Sir Faith, Princess, as you did with Sir Hope. I am your teacher from now on, after all.”

Changing tactics, she smiled sweetly, “Sir Faith, are you aware that the kingdoms of Toussaint and Pharieland are neither allies nor neutral with each other.”

Sir Faith replied, “I am no longer a resident of Toussaint as I left my kingdom when it fell to your army.”

He took a pause and then spoke again, “Now, even though you are royalty, is this how you should speak to your elder, Princess?”

“Of course not. I apologize if I offend, but I was merely stating a fact. Nothing more.”

No one in the room could figure out whether she was insulting him or trying to break the wall of ice he had put up.

The Wise One broke the tension, “Princess, please show Sir Faith and Sir Hope the same respect you show the rest of the Council, as they are the guests of our kingdom.”

It seemed he had figured out her comment was to insult.

Her voice squeaked, “Yes, Wise One.”

She loved how he said `our' kingdom. It made her think of the two of them as a more perfect couple. Together as king and queen. She sighed a dreamy sigh.

“Now, do you have any other questions for your teachers?”

Seeing her chance, she raised an eyebrow, “Yes, I do, Wise One.”

Turning to the hueman, she spoke sweetly, “Sir Faith, I do not mean to offend again, of course. But, might I inquire as to what it feels like to be a coward, since you ran from your liege's side when he fell in battle?”

This time, the Wise One berated, “Princess, you will see me in the library after this meeting has terminated, will you not?”

Princess Mercy realized that a scolding was coming. She hated being punished by the Wise One. She loved him more than any of the other council members because he always let her do as she wanted. The other council members would lecture her on the qualities that a princess should have if she wanted to be queen. Of course, Princess Mercy took all that into consideration and tried her best to attain those qualities, but she still loved the freedom the Wise One gave her more. Standing up with all the courage she had, she looked the Wise One in the eyes.

“I shall head over there and wait for you, Wise One.”

It took all her strength to walk out with her back straight and tall. She didn't want him to know how hurt she was. Even though she felt the council's eyes follow her, she was too young to tell if they were looking at her with lust or sympathy.

With her father's gypsy-coloured complexion, she thought she was too dark for a phaerie. But everyone else decided that her golden skin made her the most beautiful princess in all the lands. Inheriting her mother's eyes and hair, she thought they were boring and plain. She would rather have yellow eyes and hair, like the rest of the phaerie maidens. But the Wise One told her that she was different because of her royal blood. Her body started maturing at a much younger age. Now, at thirteen, her flesh was ripe and her figure was that of an hourglass.

The halls were dark, as she made her way to the library. Her long, flowing robes protected her somewhat from the chill of the nipping breeze. The windows offered little light since the day was ending. She caught a quick glimpse of the sun shooting out its last ray of light. A hand fell on her shoulder. Jumping, she found herself face to face with one of her teachers.

“Sir Hope! Is there something you want?”

“Well, my lady, you seem to be ready for our first lesson. Let me lead the way.”

She shook her head, “I must speak to the Wise One first, because I wish to make you my tutor, exclusively.”

His eyes lit up, “You have a special preference for me, my lady?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, hoping to pull off a shrewd look.

“I certainly like you better than Sir Faith.”

Then she added in a soft whisper, “Please wait for me.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat and merely nodded. His eyes followed her to the library. Yet she knew not what was in his heart. Her small delicate fingers wrapped around the door handle and turned it. Inside, she found the Wise One and Sir Faith.

Pointing at him, she lost her characteristic control and shrieked, “What is he doing here?!”

There was no way she was going to accept her punishment in front of the hueman! The Wise One stood up and the look of anger on his face terrified the young princess into submission. She loved him, and she did not want to upset him in any way.

For the first time, the Wise One raised his voice, “Mercy, this man is my brother! Do not disrespect him so openly!”

She was so startled, that she did not know what to say. Sir Faith sat quietly, listening to her scolding, showing no emotion at all. This frustrated her and she finally found her voice.

“Wise One, may I ask one question?”

He balled his hand into a fist and opened it, repeating the process.

“What is it?”

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, afraid of the answer, “Does this mean, you are of hueman blood, too, Wise One?”

Silently praying that he would deny it vehemently, she let out a breath. She needed to hear that they were related by name only or were adopted. Any kind of an excuse would appease her.

He narrowed his eyes at her, “No, I am a full blooded phaerie. Sir Faith's father was hueman.”

Her eyes opened to look into his. The love of her life was still a pure phaerie, just like her! Her heart thudded as she looked at him. The Wise One promptly began unleashing his temper on the young girl.

“`Tis no matter what my blood contains. My family will always come before my duties to you! Do you understand? I might be your council advisor, but I will leave your service in a moment where my family is concerned!”

The tiny princess tried to hold her footing and not appear shaken. She did her best not to fall to her knees. What she really wanted to do was fall at the Wise One's feet and grovel for forgiveness, anything to make him not hate her. But the hueman presence in the room forbade her to disgrace herself. The Wise One must have sensed her feelings.

He softened his tone, “Did your parents not teach you the importance of family when they died protecting you, instead of handing the kingdom over to the enemy?”

His silver hair fell over his shoulders, as he turned to face Sir Faith and then back at her, awaiting her apology.

With practiced grace, she forced herself to lower her head, “I see. I apologize profusely to you, Sir Faith. Forgive me, Wise One.”

She curtsied her deepest and turned around, avoiding eye contact with either. The tiny footfalls echoed softly in the room, as she left. Closing the door behind her softly, she let out the long held breath. Then, she fell to her knees and cried. She always felt guilty for letting her father and mother die for her. If she hadn't been in the way, her parents would still be alive now. Now that the fact had been slapped across her face, she felt even more guilty about it. To be told especially by the Wise One, whom her parents had entrusted her to was what shook her the hardest.

After some time, a hand tapped her shoulder. Wiping away her tears, she looked up and found Sir Hope bending down over her.

“What happened, my lady?”

Straightening herself, she stood up and coughed, “Allergies. I believe we have a lesson starting, do we not, Sir Hope?”

He blinked, “I believe we do. Let us depart.”

She followed him, not caring for her first lesson. Her mind was elsewhere. It was the first time the Wise One had yelled at her. Worse, he yelled at her, while defending a human! Even worse, he said he would leave her when he so desired! What pushed the knife into her heart was that he called his time with her a duty. It was true, but their moments together only added to her love for him. To hear that he was on duty while she falling for him all by herself was the twist of the knife. Sir Hope let her into his room, where the loud bang of the door closing shook Princess Mercy out of her thoughts.

She looked around, “Why are we here? Is something the matter with the library?”

“There are two men there that you do not wish to see, right?”

Realizing that he had seen her tears, she looked away, “Well, `tis occupied, but I am positive they have left by now. Methinks we should go there.”

Something just didn't seem right. He was acting strange, but she wanted to trust him. Honestly, she did. It was not as if he could do anything to her. She was the princess after all. She had everything. No one would dare to hurt her.

Sir Hope gave a toothy smile, “You see, I have my textbooks here. Also, I am tired from my journey. Please seat yourself at the table over there. I will bring the first lesson.”

While she waited, she looked around the room. A single tapestry hung in his candle lit chamber. What she found as a bother was the uncovered window that brought in more cold from outside. Her own window had a light cloth to bring in sunshine, but not the cold. Behind her was a small bookcase adjacent to his bed. It seemed he preferred to read before he slept. That was not what surprised her. It was the titles of the reading materials.

Aloud she quickly glanced over the titles, “The Love Letter, Glory of Love, Romance of the Roses…”

These were all love stories! Of course she would know, since she was an avid reader of hopelessly romantic stories herself. She liked Sir Hope more after finding these books. A smile formed on her face as she thought of herself as a damsel waiting for her prince charming to come and sweep her off her feet. She giggled as she wondered if Sir Hope might play her prince charming just for today. Though she would never think of betraying her love for the Wise One, but he yelled at her. So, she felt a taste of sweet revenge would quench her.

A voice called her name. She turned around expecting to see Sir Hope with a book for their lessons. Instead, he came back with a plate of pastries that he held out to her.

“Would you like to eat something? `Tis bloody difficult to find a book in all this packed luggage.”

She clapped her hands like a child, “I love these! Where did you get them? Only the kingdom of Toussaint has these, but they stopped making them after the prince fled.”

Blushing, he smiled, “They are my favourite, too. I picked them up on my way here. But, I thought you had no preference for hueman goods. Or did I come to the wrong conclusion?”

“No, you are correct. But I only confide this to you in secret. Please consider that the other half of your duo is hueman.”

“Believe me, I think the same of their historical betrayal, so I understand perfectly well. Still their pastries please the taste buds, am I correct?”

“Yes, they do.”

She grabbed a pastry and ate it while he returned to his larger bookshelf on the other side of the room. Then, seating herself down at the small table, she waited for him. He came back and laid the huge, heavy book in front of her. The book was brand new. The cover shone and smelled fresh. Sitting across from her, he told her to open the book to the first page. She complied. The book binds were loosened as it was opened for the first time. The title of the book stunned her.

“The Art of War. Sir Hope, I really do not wish to learn of war on my first lesson. Peace should always be the first option, not war.”

“But my lady, Phaerieland is by far, one of the strongest nations in all the lands. Do you want to end up as the young prince of Toussaint, who had to go into hiding after losing his kingdom? The magic in your blood makes your army even more powerful than the others. You must learn the strange and new tactics of this endless game.”

“A game? War is a game? I think not! Lives are lost. Economies are ruined. The worst of life is revealed in war. I refuse to partake in this lesson!”

Getting out of his chair, he walked over to her and pulled her up to him.

“Very well. If you do not want to learn military tactics, I shall spend the lesson time teaching you something far more interesting!”

Her eyes lit up, in anticipation of a better lesson. But her excitement turned to fear, as she found herself held tightly in his grasp.

“Sir Hope, what are you doing? Let me go!”

He breathed, “My lady, I love you.”

She tried to wriggle her way out, “I do not think so! Release me at once!”

The air was stifling. She could not breathe. The room seemed so much smaller than when she first came in. Her senses dulled. She did not like the feeling he was emitting at all. A laugh rang throughout the room.

“You do not need to hide your feelings any longer. I know you fell in love with me at first sight, too. That is why you wanted me to be your teacher, exclusively, is it not?”

Ignoring him, she tried to push at him as hard as she could, but he pushed her to the ground. She could not understand what was happening to her. She just knew she did not like it. He held her hands to the ground. His mouth smashed against hers. Was this love? Instinctively, she closed her eyes, hoping that if she did not see it, it would not happen. But her gown was soon torn. Her exposed skin felt the cold air send goose bumps through her flesh. His lips had not left hers. She felt his hands rake her chest. She fought the urge to sleep, and ended up digging her nails into her palms until the blood flowed out in order to stay awake.

He muttered into her mouth, “You are so beautiful.”

The darkness of the day's end hid their bodies well. Neither of them could see each other. He touched her to feel her. She shut her eyes tighter to escape. Suddenly, a pain she had never felt before shook her tiny figure. The searing tear forced a scream from her throat. Sir Hope finally released her lips in shock. Weak, she began calling for help. His movements started to become more violent. She only screamed louder.

Suddenly and without warning, she felt his heavy body lift off of her. Crashing sounds filled the air. By the light of the stars that shone around the new moon, she saw the silhouette of another man. Finally her tears shed again, but this time for joy. The Wise One had come to her rescue! Everything he said to her just moments ago went void in her heart. He came to her rescue like a knight in shining armour was all that mattered to her. She loved him. She loved him more than ever now. The knight she saw pounded Sir Hope until he fell to the ground pleading for his life. Princess Mercy was so touched that she threw herself on the Wise One and confessed her feelings to him.

“I love you! I love you so much!”

A ruined princess clutched herself to the man she loved, awaiting his answer.