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Fraylinia

The Land of Good Magic...Gone Bad

Chapter One: The Dreams Queen Sophia ran and listened to the beating of her shoes on the floor, and the beating of her heart in her chest. She reached a wide chamber and stopped before a young man of about eighteen and sighed. “You always did want to do things on your own.” She said in a soft voice, mixed with exasperation. “I wanted to do things with you. But you insisted that you didn’t need my help. But all I did was care for my queen. I didn’t want you gone, like your other subjects. I didn’t want you or your sisters to be hurt. And now, Emmeline has been kidnapped by-” The boy was cut off by the queen. “I know who kidnapped Emmeline. As queen, I should. I’m not a child. You treat me like a little naïve girl, like your sister, Valerie. I’m not her. I’m old enough to take care of my family. I’ve been doing that for the past four years!” All the traces of softness were gone from her face and voice. Sophia was annoyed, angry, and her voice could freeze a polar bear. “I know you’re not Valerie. I’m sorry, Sophia, truly, I am. But, can you not fight today? Please?” “She’s my sister, and you can’t do it without me! I’m helping you, no matter what you say to me. Face it, you need my help. I’m more powerful than you concerning the Magic Light. I’m giving the help you need, whether you want it or not!” Sophia stood there, hands at her hips and a frown on her face. She stared at the boy, contemplating his grey-blond hair and steely blue eyes. His round face had an apologetic look. He silently pleaded with her to forgive him. Sophia smiled and rushed into his arms, muttering, “I forgive you. It would be foolish not to.” “Thank you. But, still Sophia, I think I might need your help, at least a little.” “Well, you’re going to get a lot!” Suddenly, the sweet picture burst as the real Queen Sophia woke up. She shook her head drowsily, sat up, and said quietly, “I had that dream again! But who is he? And who kidnapped Emmeline? I better keep an eye on my sisters.” With that, she lay down and waited for her maid to come and dust the Royal Suite. *           *           * Meanwhile, miles away, the Duke of the Perrel Forest stood in a corner and fought for his life. He was standing in an enormous chamber inside a stone castle where (even though he didn’t know it) half an hour before, the queen and he had warmly quarrelled. He still didn’t know that the girl that seemed to pop in and out of hid dreams was the same girl that ruled the country he lived in. Suddenly, he heard his name being called. “James! Help me! Please!” The Duke of Perrel whipped around and saw the young girl standing there. Her once beautiful leather hunting outfit was half in rags and her dirty blonde hair hung messily. Her big, deep forest green eyes stared into his and pleaded for his help. Even though the Duke didn’t know who she was, he felt his heart melt and rushed to her. “Oh, James, help me. I need to save my sister. I need to help her. Help me!” The Duke watched as the girl tore at the hands of her captors, big burly soldiers, one of whom had roughly flung her over their shoulder. She clawed at their chain mail with fingernails that seemed abnormally like claws. Suddenly, she leaped free, and changed into a powerful tiger in mid-leap. “You thought I was helpless! You thought that I couldn’t save myself from the likes of you without help! Ha!” She announced as she turned back into a beautiful fifteen-year-old girl. Just then, one of the younger soldiers snatched her and said, “Come away with me, my pretty. Isn’t that what you want?” With that, he made for the exit. James (the Duke) ran as fast as the wind and soon caught up with the beautiful girl and her captor. He was just beginning to wrestle the girl out of the soldier’s grasp when- “Ah, what a strange dream that was.” The Duke of Perrel remarked as he awoke. “Once again, I see that girl in it. I have to save her. And whatever happened to her sister? Why were we fighting? Who is that girl? Father would have known, as the Duke, he knew almost everyone. But I’m a new Duke, I know almost no one, not even the queen. Though I hope I’ll meet her today at the fair.” James sat up in bed and put his head in his hands. “This has raised more questions than answers! Oh, I do hope Alexander will be here soon. Even though my manservant doesn’t know about the dreams, maybe he’ll know if the queen will attend the fair today. I do so hope to meet her.” He lay down and waited for his manservant Alexander to come, meanwhile organizing his thoughts.

Chapter Two: Queen Sophia “Why are you such a shy little mouse, Annie?” Sophia asked her maid Annabelle, who stood by frozen with shock. “I’m sorry, miss. But, that’s just the way I am.” It’s kind of like the way you’re stuck up and a bit haughty. The Royal maid thought. But I note that you, like everyone in this palace, always keep your crisp British accent. Indeed, everyone in the palace always spoke with a delicate accent. “Annabelle, I still can’t believe that Mother and Father gave up their posts as king and queen!” The queen mumbled into her pillow. “When they ‘quit’, I naturally became queen, as the eldest. Amelia turned four, and Mother decided that it was time that she became only a mother, and that she wanted to spend time with her children instead of dealing with affairs of state. Father obviously agreed with her. They still live here, but they’ll move to Solaris soon!” (Solaris was a part of Fraylinia in the south named for the incredible sun there.) “I can’t wait to rule parent-free!” The queen turned over so you could see her face. She had a small nose above red lips. Her rosy cheeks had dimples that her bright smile showed. Her complexion was freckle-less. Her dirty-blonde hair was a bit longer than shoulder length and had soft curls in it. However, the most startling thing was her eyes: they were a bright, vivid forest green and they were incredibly deep, almost as if you could dive into them. They were curious, and wise. All-in-all, she was shockingly beautiful for a girl of fifteen. Annabelle sat. Although she served Sophia (whom no one called Sophie), they were great friends, and Annabelle had a habit of sharing the queen’s moods. Annabelle had the same adorable nose and red lips, although hers were thinner. Her cheeks were a pale pink and had no dimples. Her waist length hair was a chocolate brown and was pin-straight, though soft. Her eyes were the same brown. She was also pretty, just in a different way. “I am glad that you are happy, but it is quite rude to speak like this about your parents.”  The queen sighed and declared, “Sheesh, Annie. It was just me thinking out loud. Don’t get huffy. Besides, you’re not one to boss me around, Ann.” She laughed and smirked, as if displaying her enormous power. In fact, it was this power that made her conceited. “Annie, I want to go to the Perrel Forest today. You know the peaceful forest. Or did you forget what it means. They’re having a fair today and I want to go. Besides their Duke just passed away and his son is the new Duke. I want to welcome and meet him, besides.” “Very well. Would you like me to wake up their Royal Highnesses?” This being confirmed, Annabelle left.

Annabelle walked through a few hallways and a couple of rooms and went into a hall with three doors in it. The left led to the quarters of Roxanna, the middle triplet in the Sophia-Roxanna-Emmeline trio. The middle held the quarters of Emmeline (Emmeline). The right led to the quarters of Alexei, the “little” eight-year-old princess. She opened the left and middle doors and stood directly between them. “Emmeline! Roxanna! Time to wake up! Sophia is going to the Perrel Forest today to go to their fair and meet their new Duke and I don’t think you’d like to stay here.” She called. A very mild, high voice from the middle door trilled, “Oh! That sounds heavenly! I’ll be ready shortly, Annabelle.” Annabelle smiled and called into the door on the right, “Thank you, Emmeline. You’re simply darling! A regular angel!” A giggle was the reply. From the left door came a sassy voice. “I don’t care if we’re going to Fantasia! Not even the city of dreams can make me get up earlier than ten!” You might think that since Annabelle lived in the castle, she would be used to fancy clothes everywhere. Sometimes she was. Other times, she wasn’t. Like a minute or two later, when Emmeline emerged, Annabelle gasped and exclaimed, “You look lovely!” Emmeline smiled and replied, “Thank you. I’d say the same for you, but I can’t see in this light. Roxanna won’t let me turn on the second lamp. Sorry!” Annabelle swiftly turned it on. Emmeline was dressed in a light, silk, baby blue dress that went down to her ankles. She had small, baby blue satin slippers on her dainty little feet. Her earrings, bracelet, and necklace were all white gold and had sapphires in them. She was a pale little girl. Her hair was blonde, but not her sister Sophia’s sandy curls, but pale, yellowish-white waves which were in two neat, waist-length braids on her back (when loose, her hair reached her knees). She had blue eyes under nearly invisible eyebrows which were set in an almost white face with no freckles. She was quite pretty. “Wow.” Annabelle remarked. “What kind of mood is Sophia in?” Emmeline asked. “She’s arrogant as ever. Steer clear of the mighty queen.” They both laughed for they knew she was only joking. Even though the queen got proud sometimes, everyone who knew her really loved her. Three minutes later, Roxanna tramped out. She had on a pale red dress of the same light silk and wore satin slippers of that red.  Her jewellery consisted of earrings, a thin band around her neck, and a set of five bangles, all of which were yellow gold and were inset with rubies. Her colouring was tan. She had pin-straight, waist-length (when loose) raven black hair and deep, bright blue eyes. Her hair was in two buns at the top of her head, each of which had a ribbon of a matching pale red fixed seamlessly around it. Her face was also pale but she had a healthy handful of freckles on her nose. She was also pretty. Even though it wasn’t wr

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Page Updated Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:16pm EDT