Categories > Original > Fantasy > The Silver Feather
Grounds for War?
0 reviewsThe Lady Fiona has been made Queen and she doesn't waste any time in using her new authority to the fullest!
0Unrated
Authors Note: Okay, so I guess no ones bothering to review. Oh well. So that tactic didn’t work for me. I guess all I can do is beg you to review and update.
Chapter 1: Grounds for War?
The moment the news of her father’s betrothal reached her ears (via the maids who came to clean the room in the morning) Sophie yanked on a dressing gown and stormed down into the throne room. She was not the only one, nor was she the scruffiest. Alrick and Christophe were already there.
“Father!” she called from the doorway as she strode into the throne room. “Is it true?” she asked him “You are getting married?”
“Father!” two voices echoed as Ryan and Hans entered “What’s this the servants are saying about you getting married?!”
‘Calm down!” The King ordered his children. “These rumours are not entirely true…” The Princes and princess sighed in relief before he continued “…I AM married.” This statement brought exclamations from his children. Just then the Lady Fiona appeared behind the throne.
“My Lord,” she cooed “Is something wrong? Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“You’re-you’re ALREADY married?!” Alrick stuttered.
“Oh my dears, you don’t look so well. I told you not to eat that pudding last night.” Their new “stepmother” chided at him. This seemed to satisfy the king and he sent them off to their rooms once more to “rest” However, Ryan, Luke and Sophie used the secret passages located in their chambers to convene on the top of the oldest watch tower. It was one of the highest point in the castle, though no one was ever up there anymore as some of the guards claimed it was haunted by the former kings of the kingdom. However, the brothers and sister didn’t believe that and figured that even if it were true they were their descendants and were okay anyway!
“So, what do we do now?” The Princess asked her brothers.
“I don’t know.” Ryan said dully
“Hey! Guys come on! She might not be so bad!” Luke said cheerfully.
“You really believe that?” his brother asked him. The youth’s face fell as he shook his head glumly.
“Still,” Sophie mused aloud “She might be the queen after the coronation, but remember we are still the heirs. She can’t just assassinate us. The magic of the nymphs protects us from something so direct…” It was true. Long ago the most ancient, wise and above all powerful race of the nymphs had placed a powerful enchantment on the blood of the royal family as a reward for a service done to them by the Queen at the time. The blessing dictated that no member of the royal family could kill another directly, nor could they simply “let” them die. The charm was passed on through the bloodline and when someone, male or female, married into it, there was a ritual preformed in which they could not break the enchantment, not even a user of magic. Unfortunately though, there were…loopholes. Sophie, being the scholar in the family, knew the facts of the protection best so far.
“So anyway, we be cautious and tread carefully.” She finished
“But for how long?” Matt asked.
“I don’t know.”
****
Unknown to the quartet, they had been watched.
“Well little girl.” The Lady Fiona muttered to herself from her perch at the only tower higher than the one her stepchildren had been on, “You may be the scholar, but I am the Queen now! I have come too far to be threatened by the likes of you! You think you’re so safe? Well we’ll see about that.” She growled, her beautiful face becoming an angry mask of anger and loathing as she watched the siblings leave. Just then a black dove with a strange little collar around its neck landed on the sill by her hand and did a sort of awkward bow before her.
“Ah.” She purred at the sight of it. “Hello my pet. Have you a message for me from my brother?” the bird puffed out its feathers and Fiona scowled. So this one had not been fully “tamed” yet and still held onto the foolish defiance some considered heroic. Well no matter. What the other members of her coven did with their slaves was not her problem so long as they didn’t try to involve her. She took the small roll of parchment from the dove’s leg and unrolled it, sending the bird away with a slap of magic. She raised her eyebrows at the message and re-read it as she entered the tower she had made her own. The Glamour spell on it would make the tower room look like a small beauty parlour, however she could see the true shape- a witch’s laboratory. Walking over to her enchanted Mirror she rubbed one of the rings on her right hand and called out the name of her warlock to contact him.
******
Things were rather quiet over the week after the coronation. However, it was only a matter of time before the first arrow would fly…
******
The first kick Queen Fiona made was aimed at Christophe as she obviously saw him as the weakest link. First she began assigning him things to paint, forbidding the young artist to sketch, draw or paint anything that he wasn’t instructed to under the threat of having his art supplies taken away. However, Sophie and Ryan had ears in all the nooks and crannies of the castle and soon found out about it. The third son ended up hiding his most precious supplies and paintings with them.
This vile attack on the very sensitive young prince sent Sophie’s back up and claws out, but wisely restrained herself. Although one good thing that came of it: Chris was now on their side and often joined his sister in the library to secretly sketch.
Once she realized her attempt to crush the artist’s spirit had failed, Fiona turned her attention to the Prankster, Hans. Hans had gained himself a fair few enemies with his constant practical jokes which made it easy to locate and demolish his stash of trick coins, joke books and other materials. It was a sad sight when Her Majesty invaded his room to confiscate all the rest.
“B-b-but you CAN’T!” Hans cried as flung his arms around the guard’s leg who was carting away his stock of tongue-colouring juices. He clung there like a burr and did not let go, getting dragged along in a way that would have been comical if not for the circumstances. Looking around wildly for a way to save his props he spotted his father.
“Father! You-You can’t let her do this! She’s taking away my stuff, my colours…my-
my everything! No-ho-hooooo!” he wailed as he watched all his precious pranks begin burn in a bonfire in the courtyard.
“Father!” Sophie pleaded. She couldn’t stand to see Hans of all people crying! He hadn’t cried since their mother had died! He was always smiling “Father, please stop her! Can’t you see what she’s doing?!”
“What is she doing Silvie?” The King said absently as he watched his wife with love-struck eyes that looked very…empty.
“Her name is Sophie father.” Christophe stated icily when he noticed his sister was to shocked and hurt to say anything.
“I said that.” The King snapped at Chris before turning back to his wife “My dear, perhaps this is a little drastic…”
“Oh but darling, people have expressed, well…discontent because of him. And it really is a very childish thing to be doing, and not healthy for a boy of his age to still be doing.” She told him with honey dripping from her words and eyelashes looking like spindly black butterflies!
“Listen to your mother.” Was all the king said before he left casually.
“Father!” Sophie called after him, causing him to stop a moment before continuing down the hall. Queen Fiona noticed this and narrowed her eyes. She continued o watch as the Princess made her way over to her brother.
“Don’t worry Hans. We’ll get you new supplies. You can sill tell jokes.” Sophie murmured to her brother as the other two approached and began to lead the young man away from the wreck of his precious joke books and pranks. However, before they left Queen Fiona spoke again.
“Oh Sophie my Dear, why don’t you come with me? I want to talk to you.” The brothers and sister eyed each other nervously. While the statement had been worded as a question it was clear that it was a command. Therefore they all moved toward their stepmother however she held up a hand.
“It’s girl talk boys.” She stated and then beckoned to her stepdaughter who eyed her warily but followed her cautiously nonetheless.
“Wait, Sophie!” Ryan hissed as he grabbed her arm. “Be careful.” His sister nodded
“I intend to be.” She whispered before taking a deep breath and grudgingly obeying the Queen
****
Ok, so comments?
Chapter 1: Grounds for War?
The moment the news of her father’s betrothal reached her ears (via the maids who came to clean the room in the morning) Sophie yanked on a dressing gown and stormed down into the throne room. She was not the only one, nor was she the scruffiest. Alrick and Christophe were already there.
“Father!” she called from the doorway as she strode into the throne room. “Is it true?” she asked him “You are getting married?”
“Father!” two voices echoed as Ryan and Hans entered “What’s this the servants are saying about you getting married?!”
‘Calm down!” The King ordered his children. “These rumours are not entirely true…” The Princes and princess sighed in relief before he continued “…I AM married.” This statement brought exclamations from his children. Just then the Lady Fiona appeared behind the throne.
“My Lord,” she cooed “Is something wrong? Why don’t you come back to bed?”
“You’re-you’re ALREADY married?!” Alrick stuttered.
“Oh my dears, you don’t look so well. I told you not to eat that pudding last night.” Their new “stepmother” chided at him. This seemed to satisfy the king and he sent them off to their rooms once more to “rest” However, Ryan, Luke and Sophie used the secret passages located in their chambers to convene on the top of the oldest watch tower. It was one of the highest point in the castle, though no one was ever up there anymore as some of the guards claimed it was haunted by the former kings of the kingdom. However, the brothers and sister didn’t believe that and figured that even if it were true they were their descendants and were okay anyway!
“So, what do we do now?” The Princess asked her brothers.
“I don’t know.” Ryan said dully
“Hey! Guys come on! She might not be so bad!” Luke said cheerfully.
“You really believe that?” his brother asked him. The youth’s face fell as he shook his head glumly.
“Still,” Sophie mused aloud “She might be the queen after the coronation, but remember we are still the heirs. She can’t just assassinate us. The magic of the nymphs protects us from something so direct…” It was true. Long ago the most ancient, wise and above all powerful race of the nymphs had placed a powerful enchantment on the blood of the royal family as a reward for a service done to them by the Queen at the time. The blessing dictated that no member of the royal family could kill another directly, nor could they simply “let” them die. The charm was passed on through the bloodline and when someone, male or female, married into it, there was a ritual preformed in which they could not break the enchantment, not even a user of magic. Unfortunately though, there were…loopholes. Sophie, being the scholar in the family, knew the facts of the protection best so far.
“So anyway, we be cautious and tread carefully.” She finished
“But for how long?” Matt asked.
“I don’t know.”
****
Unknown to the quartet, they had been watched.
“Well little girl.” The Lady Fiona muttered to herself from her perch at the only tower higher than the one her stepchildren had been on, “You may be the scholar, but I am the Queen now! I have come too far to be threatened by the likes of you! You think you’re so safe? Well we’ll see about that.” She growled, her beautiful face becoming an angry mask of anger and loathing as she watched the siblings leave. Just then a black dove with a strange little collar around its neck landed on the sill by her hand and did a sort of awkward bow before her.
“Ah.” She purred at the sight of it. “Hello my pet. Have you a message for me from my brother?” the bird puffed out its feathers and Fiona scowled. So this one had not been fully “tamed” yet and still held onto the foolish defiance some considered heroic. Well no matter. What the other members of her coven did with their slaves was not her problem so long as they didn’t try to involve her. She took the small roll of parchment from the dove’s leg and unrolled it, sending the bird away with a slap of magic. She raised her eyebrows at the message and re-read it as she entered the tower she had made her own. The Glamour spell on it would make the tower room look like a small beauty parlour, however she could see the true shape- a witch’s laboratory. Walking over to her enchanted Mirror she rubbed one of the rings on her right hand and called out the name of her warlock to contact him.
******
Things were rather quiet over the week after the coronation. However, it was only a matter of time before the first arrow would fly…
******
The first kick Queen Fiona made was aimed at Christophe as she obviously saw him as the weakest link. First she began assigning him things to paint, forbidding the young artist to sketch, draw or paint anything that he wasn’t instructed to under the threat of having his art supplies taken away. However, Sophie and Ryan had ears in all the nooks and crannies of the castle and soon found out about it. The third son ended up hiding his most precious supplies and paintings with them.
This vile attack on the very sensitive young prince sent Sophie’s back up and claws out, but wisely restrained herself. Although one good thing that came of it: Chris was now on their side and often joined his sister in the library to secretly sketch.
Once she realized her attempt to crush the artist’s spirit had failed, Fiona turned her attention to the Prankster, Hans. Hans had gained himself a fair few enemies with his constant practical jokes which made it easy to locate and demolish his stash of trick coins, joke books and other materials. It was a sad sight when Her Majesty invaded his room to confiscate all the rest.
“B-b-but you CAN’T!” Hans cried as flung his arms around the guard’s leg who was carting away his stock of tongue-colouring juices. He clung there like a burr and did not let go, getting dragged along in a way that would have been comical if not for the circumstances. Looking around wildly for a way to save his props he spotted his father.
“Father! You-You can’t let her do this! She’s taking away my stuff, my colours…my-
my everything! No-ho-hooooo!” he wailed as he watched all his precious pranks begin burn in a bonfire in the courtyard.
“Father!” Sophie pleaded. She couldn’t stand to see Hans of all people crying! He hadn’t cried since their mother had died! He was always smiling “Father, please stop her! Can’t you see what she’s doing?!”
“What is she doing Silvie?” The King said absently as he watched his wife with love-struck eyes that looked very…empty.
“Her name is Sophie father.” Christophe stated icily when he noticed his sister was to shocked and hurt to say anything.
“I said that.” The King snapped at Chris before turning back to his wife “My dear, perhaps this is a little drastic…”
“Oh but darling, people have expressed, well…discontent because of him. And it really is a very childish thing to be doing, and not healthy for a boy of his age to still be doing.” She told him with honey dripping from her words and eyelashes looking like spindly black butterflies!
“Listen to your mother.” Was all the king said before he left casually.
“Father!” Sophie called after him, causing him to stop a moment before continuing down the hall. Queen Fiona noticed this and narrowed her eyes. She continued o watch as the Princess made her way over to her brother.
“Don’t worry Hans. We’ll get you new supplies. You can sill tell jokes.” Sophie murmured to her brother as the other two approached and began to lead the young man away from the wreck of his precious joke books and pranks. However, before they left Queen Fiona spoke again.
“Oh Sophie my Dear, why don’t you come with me? I want to talk to you.” The brothers and sister eyed each other nervously. While the statement had been worded as a question it was clear that it was a command. Therefore they all moved toward their stepmother however she held up a hand.
“It’s girl talk boys.” She stated and then beckoned to her stepdaughter who eyed her warily but followed her cautiously nonetheless.
“Wait, Sophie!” Ryan hissed as he grabbed her arm. “Be careful.” His sister nodded
“I intend to be.” She whispered before taking a deep breath and grudgingly obeying the Queen
****
Ok, so comments?
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