~Chapter One~


I sat staring into the black mist that engulfed my kingdom. It wasn't always like this. The land of Eviera used to be a place of peace. Until a man by the name of Rufastor invaded the kingdom. I remember it oh so well.

“PRINCESS! PRINCESS EVANGALINE! TROUBLE!” a distant voice yelled. At the time I was helping the townsfolk with their day-to-day problems when a young man burst through the castle doors. “Princess! There's….. There's a man outside..... He, he wishes to speak with you.” the man panted.
“Well he can wait just like the rest of the towns' people.” I said signing off a permit.
“But Princess! What he wants to say.... he says it could destroy all of Eviera!” the man shouted, waving his arms about. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. This caught my attention.
“I will speak with him at once. Sir, bring him in.”
“Of course your highness.”

Little did I know that when I spoke with that man, he meant what he said.

“Princess Evangaline, so nice to finally meet you.” a man said. He walked in all on his lonesome. He wasn't bad looking either. He was tall, dark hair, pointed ears like an elf would have. And his bright red eyes pierced through your heart like a dagger.
“Your name sir?” I asked keeping an emotionless face.
“It's Rufastor, princess.”
“What business do you have in my kingdom, Rufastor?”
“I have a few questions for you princess.”
“And they would be?” He paused before continuing.
“Evangaline, what would it mean to you if I said you had only a few minutes left of your reign?”
“I would have to argue with that, Rufastor. I promise you that I have many years left to rebuild what kingdom I have left after my father's horrible reign.”
“Ah, foolish princess... By blood, you are the true ruler of Eviera. But I feel, that you are not fit to be called queen. From what I understand, your coronation is in a few days. Am I not correct?”
“You are.”
“Well then where's the new king? A prince, or in this case, princess, cannot become a queen without a king. And I am certainly prepared to take the empty space as king.”
“Rufastor, that has never been a law in my kingdom. My great-great grandmother ruled for forty years without a man at her side. Nor do I need one. I am perfectly capable of making decisions for Eviera on my lonesome. And if you turn and look at every single person behind you, they will all agree with me. This kingdom has come so far in the two and a half years its been under my control. And it will continue, to go nowhere but up.” I said standing. If this man was going to threaten me in front of my people, I wasn't going to take it sitting down.
“Evangaline! You're not fit to rule this land! Eviera is mine to control! Evangaline, say goodbye to your future!” Rufastor shouted lifting his left hand in the air. A sphere of black mist started to form in his hand. As it did, I heard the shatter of the stained glass windows through the great hall. The sound of screams filled my ears as my head filled with ways to defend my kingdom. I decided to rely on the guardians. I swung my right hand across my body and behind my head as a cold silver blade materialized in my hand.
The wind took my hair and started to unravel my braid. My dress wrapped around my legs, flying behind my heels. I squinted my eyes and tried to keep the flying glass shards out.
“SO PRINCESS! SURRENDER, OR DIE?! WHICH IS IT?! LIFE?! OR DEATH?!” Rufastor screamed.
Time seemed to stop. For the townspeople had stopped running and screaming to focus their attention on me. I felt tears start to streak past my eyelids and into my hair. My fingers seemed nailed to the handle of my sword. It was painful listening to the sound of my blade hit the stone floor.
The wind stopped almost instantly.
And the sound of Rufastor's evil laugh filled the hall. I covered my mouth with my hand and struggled to stay standing.

I then realized that tears were seeping through my eyelids in spite of the painful memory. I wiped them with my fingers even though no one else was in my presence. I looked at my fingers and noticed that my tears were white as fresh snow. White tears, the one and only sign that I finally did something right.

The next morning while I was sitting next to my window, a guard came into my bedroom. “Evangaline, Sir Rufastor wishes to speak with you.”
“Of course. I will be down in a few moments.” I said watching the guard leave. He also left the door open. Idiot. I stared at the door for a few moments then opened my eyes wider and thought of the door closing. Soon enough the door slammed shut and the guard rail flew across the door, latching it to the other side of the stone wall.
I wasn't about to talk to that cruel kingdom-thief. Because the last time I talked to him he took away my life, my freedom, and my people. I wanted to keep my dignity.

I placed my hands over my eyes and started to try to think of ways I could win my kingdom back. Whilst I was deep in thought, I heard a scratching sound coming from my doorway. My hands fell from my face and into my lap as I looked towards the door. Not to my surprise there was a rat climbing down the wall to start to munch on a bat that fell from the ceiling.
“Ugh... That is disgusting.” I turned and felt the chill of the outside air rush down my spine. Then I saw him. He stood outside my window looking at me straight in the eye. I turned trying to make out his facial features. He had stunning blonde-brown hair that came down just slightly past his ears in the back. His eyes were a bright blue and seemed to glow in the dark light.
I backed away from the window and turned toward the fireplace. I took the fire singe and threw it towards the window. Once again I heard the shattering of stained glass against the cold, stone floor.
The man looked at the broken window in surprise. He came through the shattered glass and stepped into the room.
“Princess Evangaline? My name is Avian Harvella. I've come to rescue you.” Avian said drawing his sword from it's sheath.
“Sir Avian Harvella the Third, I presume.” I said moving some shattered glass away from my feet.
“You-you know me?”
“Sir Avian, it is my job to know everyone in the kingdom. Although it is no longer under my control.”
“Well, if I have anything to say about it, the kingdom will be under your reign very soon.” He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me out the window. I pulled my cloak over my head and ran across the water covered roof. The rain seemed to fall harder the farther away we got from the tower that I had been contained in. I was escaping. I was getting out of this country that used to be mine. I wanted control again. And if that meant running away for a while so be it. The wind started to blow harder and then I heard it. The sound of the war trumpet letting all of Eviera know that I had escaped.
“Oh great, that's just what we need is the guards after us.” Avian said pushing me in front of him.
“There is a crevice around the tower up here to the left. If we can get in it then we should be protected from sight and from this damned rain.” It wasn't very lady like of me to swear. But if I was going to be on the road for a while, I would have to be in disguise and not expect everyone to wait on me. The sound of angry voices and the clanging of swords warned me that the guards were hot on our trail.
“Avian!” Avian grabbed me by my waist and pulled me behind him. He drew his sword and shield and charged at the four guards he was facing. I started to back away from the battle scene when another guard grabbed me from behind. Out of instinct I threw my elbow back, launching it into his gut. As he stumbled back I swung my right hand across my body and behind my head as a cold silver blade materialized in my hand. I started swinging it which seemed aimless. But soon I hit my mark and disarmed the two men in front of me. I lunged forward and forced my blade into the chest of the one man I hadn't disarmed.
I flipped around only to find that Avian was having problems with the four on his side. I started to run at full speed at one of the men. With one swift movement of the gleaming silver blade, the man was beheaded. I faced the other that was lunging for me. I stepped ever so slightly off to the side and launched my sword into the man's back. I placed my foot next to my blade and pushed. The guards body fell to the side of the roof and hung for a few moments. I watched in satisfaction as the body ran off the side of the roof just like the rain, leaving a trail of blood on the black ceramic tiles. Just as I turned to face Avian, he had two of the men cornered and shoved them off the edge of the roof. Gasping, Avian turned to me.
“How in hell did you learn to fight like that.”
“Well when you grow up with a father like I had, you learn things very quickly.” Just then lightning struck the roof behind Avian, setting the ceramic tiles aflame.
“Princess! Run!” Avian screamed. We both broke out if a flat out run for the edge of the roof. Eventually we found the edge with our feet instead of our eyes. As we fell, Avian grabbed me by my wrist as my head bounced off the stone wall of the palace.