Little Miss (temp)

Chapter One

 

          The lake sparkled with the diamonds defying gravity in the velvet sky. Legend tells of a King who lost his queen and with a tortured and broken soul, took all of his kingdoms’ jewels and threw them into the sky; creating what we’ve come to know as stars. The king left his people and retreated into the forest and never returned. The people of the kingdom held two funerals days later with bejeweled coffins that did not contain the remains of their former monarchs. Though the kingdom knew their shattered king ran, no one ever knew what became of their queen.

 

Eventually, the kingdom fell to its knees and separated; leaving the citizens and lands in the merciless wills of The Elisias; Three beautiful, twisting creatures that were all of law, peace and punishment in the land of Awe. After three hundred and sixty five days, four hours and six minutes of war, famine, pestilence and death, the Elisias were engulfed with wrath and named new monarchs hoping to bring peace back to Awe. Yet, in the very castle, in the very bedchamber, horror wrapped her wings around the royal lovers. For only days after their wedding, the king…..

 

“Have you any idea how many people are searching for you, little miss?” Little miss was absolutely positive of the number of servants and soldiers canvassing the three hundred and twenty five acres for her.

 

“A hundred and thirty seven.” Jaenah crossed her arms across her tiny chest and grimaced at her daughter sitting at the side of their lake.

 

“One of these days, darling, I fear I will not find you.” Jaenah’s hand stretched down to her daughter and as their fingers touched, their faces filled with smiles and walked back to the mansion in the center of their land. Once reaching the mansion, Jaenah blew a horn made of ivory and crystal. The melody of it encompassed the whole of the lands and was a sign for little miss’ hunters to retreat and come home.

 

“Run along and change out of the gown before you set foot in Adelaide’s kitchen.” The mother and daughter laughed as the servants and soldiers began to march into different wings of the mansion, some muttering very annoyed expressions. This was not, and will not be, the first time the daughter of the house has ventured off on her own.

 

The newly fifteen-year-old lady ran up the massive wood and iron staircase and up another spiraled one and came to the round white corridor that housed her quarters. The double doors that held the entrance to her room were carved and etched in a plethora of fleur de lies and vine patterns that always reminded her of the Eternal Knights, or immortals, as she likes to refer to them. With a smile upon her pink face and a sparkle in her hazel eyes, the mahogany gates opened and the shadows of the chamber faded from the firelight of the corridor.

 

With a few steps forward and several more to the right, a wardrobe stood against the brick wall. The door was opened and her little hand sifted through gown after colorful gown but only one garment was in the heart of our little miss. Once caught in between her fingers, she bit her lip in excitement and pulled out the sapphire dress and gazed adoringly at it for a few moments. She knew the moments would tumble down from her and crawl their way to her mother but she didn’t care enough to care.

 

The ivory and emerald dress that held her form as its home slid off, taking the grass, mud and leaves along with it to the lady’s feet. With another examination of the sapphire gem, the little miss smiled wide and put on the silk and chiffon birthday gift from her father and ran across her room to the full-length mirror to see the blend of her and the dress. She was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to show her father how pretty the dress looked on her.

 

She adjusted the capped sleeves that had extra layers of chiffon spilling onto her shoulders and fastened, all by herself, the tiny corset that was around the bust.

 

“If Jane Austen was a princess, this is what she would wear.” She whispered the rushed words to herself.  Our little miss quickly brushed her wavy black hair and fastened it so quickly into a French braid, she knew her mother would be thrilled. As she turned on her heel to go eat Adelaide’s dessert, a flash of light came into her room from outside. Startled but curious, she turned back and went to her balcony. At first sight, little miss saw nothing out of the ordinary. The willow trees were where they always are and there were no carriages that strolled by to light the night.

 

“Hmmm. Perhaps a diamond fell from the sky.” The young maiden said to herself, remembering the legend that dwelled within her mind earlier. With a shrug of her shoulders, she turned again but was not two steps from the balcony when the flash of light resurrected itself once more. Her brows furrowed and her heart skipped a beat. Little Miss was beginning to feel a sting of fear. But who would ever hurt little miss or frighten her. Anyone who would be so foolish surely knows of the punishment for such a cruel act.

 

Nevertheless, the birthday girl turned once more, opened the balcony doors and was now more confused than afraid. There was a strong aroma of tea. Earl Grey tea to be precise. Then she saw the flash again and then again but now it was on the ground. It almost seemed to be resting under the willow tree. A flash of white light simply sitting beneath a tree. But this was no ordinary willow tree. This mischievous illuminating sphere just happened to be resting beneath little miss’ favorite willow tree.

 

“What on earth?” For the slightest, most fleeting instant, the girl saw a figure and that figure seemed to be holding something. The man, it looked like, was held in his hand the source of the light. “It cannot be.” Could it be that a diamond truly had fallen from the sky? And if it had, who is this man and what does he want with our little miss?

 

Footsteps and annoyed chatter could be heard now as everyone was awaiting the arrival of the only child of the house. Her head turned toward her doors and decided that she was not to be foolish and play this game to which she knew not the rules. Besides, her mothers’ words did hurt. She did not want to her mother to never find her. So, little miss turned back and as her hands were on the brass knobs, one thing and one thing only made her turn around yet again; fear and anger flowing in her blood.

 

Someone had been on her balcony. Someone had been right behind her and someone had spoken little miss’ name. She walked hurriedly to the balcony ledge and leaned dangerously over to search the area beneath her. The balcony was nearly fifty feet high and covered in vines and roses. No one could ever climb it. Then again, the kings’ diamonds are not to fall from the sky either.

 

“Who’s there? How do you know my name? Show yourself, you coward!” No sound. No rustling. Only another flash of white light. She knew if she could only get a closer look, if she could only lean forward just a bit more, she would be able to see the intruder. Just then, the flashing light was right in her eyes and startled little miss so much so that she lost her grip and fell off the balcony.

 

She waited longer than she thought necessary to feel herself marry with the ground. Rather than crash headfirst into the green earth, our little miss was cradled in the arms of the white flash. The light too bright for her to make out the face of the man that she knew for certain was hidden behind it.

 

Her feet were gently lowered to the stones and leaves of grass. The young lady held herself and breathed in deep, as her eyes remained wide and focused on nothing but the white light before her. Why did he make her fall only to catch her? She had to know. A step forward was taken and the white light knight, as she thought of him now, took a hastened and clumsy step back.

 

“Please.” Little Miss said softly. “Who are you and what do you want from me?” The White Light Knight stood frozen, clutching the fallen diamond so immensely, the young mistress finally saw something other than the immaculate and constant white light; blood. Tiny droplets had begun to kiss the leaves of grass and you could almost here them sigh in ecstasy. Almost.

 

“I…I�"“ The man’s voice was rushed and carried with it a taste of terror the young lady was only familiar with through legends.

 

“My lady! Everyone is waiting for you. My lady!” The servant Shaelii’s voice was echoing through the walls and down to the ears of the lady. Instinctively, she turned her head away from the White Light Knight and looked up toward her balcony.

 

“I-“ She was going to answer but the mysterious stranger held more intrigue to her than some cream and coconut filled dessert. She turned her eyes back to the knight in time to see his light a few yards away. He was running and that meant there was no time to think about a decision. One must be made. And with her first step away from her mansion, little miss made a decision that would break her mother’s heart. She just didn’t know it.