Page 1 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
Part I
The Prey in The Forest
Prologue Rhianelle
“Hold still, please,” the knight begs, fear haunting his features.
I step closer to the edge of the parapet.
He halts, his dark brown hair swaying in the wind. “Don’t do this, Princess.”
“Give it up,” I taunt him. “You can’t catch me, Oscar.”
The knight corners me slowly, spreading his arms wide to snatch me. I know he’ll fail because I’m barely taller than his knee.
A frown etches between his eyebrows. “Come on down, Princess. Stop playing around.” He holds out his hand, his eyes pleading for me to take it. “It’s dangerous.”
I tilt my head to look below at his warning. The rampart is five stories aboveground, and the height is almost dizzying. Oscar uses my distraction to his advantage, reaching out to grab me. I do a millipede roll to evade his capture.
“Princess Rhianelle! No!” he screams.
I shoot up to my feet and level myself on the parapet.
”Don’t worry. I’m good at this.” I curtsy in front of Oscar. He should have trusted my ability. I’ve been training behind Rainer’s back.
The knight exhales heavily with relief while I catch my own breath. I don’t let him see the exertion is getting to me.
“One of these days, you’re going to give me a heart attack,” he grumbles, touching his chest.
Guilt settles in my chest for making him anxious.
“Let her be,” old guy Loren mutters to the young recruit, puffing his pipe. “It’s better if the princess plays here under our watch than to let her wander close to woods.”
Oscar’s eyes flick to the far distant and I follow his gaze. The gallant knight lets out a heavy breath at the glimpse of the greenery shrouded in the mist. Far beyond the heavy fog surrounding the indigent village of Feywildra, lies the thick wilderness of the forbidden forest.
Astefar.
There had been many tales surrounding the mysterious woods. Ancient beasts and monsters lived there, the ones not even Casimir the Brave himself could defeat. It is said that they hold a grudge against the elves to this very day for sealing them. No one in their right mind would venture close to the trees. Sometimes you can hear voices coming from the sea of green, coaxing you toward them. The villagers named them the Children of Night. Those that answer their siren call are never to be seen again.
Unlike Loren and Oscar, I’m not afraid of the whispering woods. I told them that the monsters don’t scare me, but still they will not let me go anywhere near the tree lines.
How boring. There’s nothing much for me to do here in this village… But that’s all right. Rainer said we wouldn’t stay here long. Mother plans to continue her campaign north, deep into the dwarven territories.
“You’re right, I give up.” Oscar shakes his head, his shoulders slumping with defeat. “You win, Princess.”
A spark of triumph spread across my chest. I keep my feet steady on the balustrade while balancing the heavy grimoire on my head. Then I remember father telling me this tome is precious. I quit playing with the book and stash it into my satchel.
“If it isn’t little Rhianelle,” Captain Loren greets with a grin. “You’ve been running like the devil is chasing you.”
“Maybe he is.” I shrug. Or I’m chasing him. I’ve been running after the castle’s stray tabby, Lucifer.
The knight smiles at my answer, placing more tobacco into his long pipe. He appears to have more gray hair this year than he did last year.
I pity Oscar and Loren for having to keep an eye on me on Rainer’s order. I know they’d rather be on the training grounds than babysit me.
Loren lights up his pipe with a match, one eye squinting from the smoke clouding his face. “Headed for class again?”
“Yes.” I beam proudly.
