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I have massive writer's block rn, sry) Caelan walked the vast grounds of his father's kingdom with pride. It was more secluded, yes, but it was also the heart of the kingdom's coming and going for anything. He took a deep breath of royal air and strode to his study. He loved the stars and using his telescope. He walked to it now and gazed at the far-off planets. It was rare that the kingdom didn't have an overcast day, and Caelan was lucky enough to have one now. |
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(No problem! It happens to the best of us ;)) - After an hour or so pulling up weeds in the garden, Adele glanced up at the sun. It was past 9:00. She sighed. It was time to go back home for breakfast. Adele stood, stretched, and dusted the dirt off her tan skirt. Adele said her goodbyes to her favorite animals, Jasper the deer, Lilac the squirrel, and Maya the iguana, before making her way back out of the forest and emerging near the back side of the castle. She jogged towards a ladder hanging from a window and shimmied up it easily, from years of practice. Adele reeled the ladder inside, folded it up, and hid it under a floorboard. Adele turned to her closet and hurriedly threw on a white dress with orange accents and orange cloak before braiding her hair and slipping into white high heeled shoes. Before she left for the dining hall, Adele glanced at herself in the mirror. She gasped slightly. How could she look so pretty after taking five minutes to prepare? Her gold eyes shimmered, and her arms fell to her sides. What was she doing with her life? Why should she have to hide who she was? This was not the way to live. Islolating herself in the forest was the best way she could think of to escape her home, but it wasn't permanent. More and more, Adele was longing to leave the prescence of her parents and explore the world. Adele decided, then and there, that she would leave the castle. After breakfast. She would leave after breakfast. |
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Caelan documented quite a few new discoveries he hadn't seen until now. For being the Night Kingdom, there was hardly any view of the sky. Caelan sighed as a knock on his study's door pulled him from his thoughts. "What do you want?" He lightly snapped, yanking open the door. "The king wants to see you, sir." The maid said, her confidece getting under Caelan's skin. "Thank you." Caelan gritted out, storming to his father's throne room |
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(I am trying to make my posts shorter but I can't! Sorry :P) Adele reminded herself to walk purposefully and with good posture as she descended the castle's main staircase. She turned right and stood in front of a large wooden double door. Seeing her, a servant poked his head inside and came back out, ushering Adele inside. "Your family is waiting, your highness." Adele nodded in thanks and stepped into the huge dining hall. At the end of a very long table sat her father in his majestic chair. The queen was on his left, and next to her sat Alban, clearly resisting biting into the buttery croissant that sat right in front of him on a platter. The king motioned for Adele to sit in the seat on his right. Adele did so, painfully aware of the silence. Her father said grace and they all began eating. Alban scarfed down two croissants before the queen scolded him for eating "like a pig". Adele picked at her food, taking a few bites of fruit before setting down her fork. She wasn't hungry anymore. The king clasped his hands together and looked directly at Adele. "Your mother and I have some news." He said, glancing at the queen when he mentioned her. Adele looked back at him, afraid the worst had happened. They had found out! How had they found out?! Adele's mother took up the conversation with her usual grace. "You are a young lady, nearly a woman. Your father and I think you need to spend more time... getting to know your people. We have decided to let you attend the Auldsworth Academy Of Knowledge. You start next week." This was not what Adele had been expecting. the Aulsworth Academy Of Knowledge was one of the most prestigous schools for the brightest young women in the kingdom. She could not BELIEVE that her parents were sending her to a school where they forced you to write 10,000 word essays every day, go into the town to talk to locals, and ultimately be miserable! Adele would not do it. Everyone would know who she was; the heir of the entire Day Kingdom. And with that many people around her, she wouldn't be able to transform, and eventually someone would find out her secret. No. Adele couldn't go there. She abruptly stood up and put her hands on the table, staring down at her white knuckles. "I... How could you... I can't go there!" Adele pushed back her chair and stormed upstairs to her room. Never mind leaving after breakfast was over. She was leaving NOW. |
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Caelan stormed into his father's throne room, furious at being interupted. "Yes, father?" He asked, his voice practiced to cover any fury. "You need to make a speech. And find a wife." His father said simply, slightly snapping. "Now" Caelan sighed and turned on his heel before walking out. "Find a wife my ass" He muttered, walking back to his study to write a speech about his intentions of being the next Night Kingdom ruler |
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Adele was furiously packing clothes, shoes, and toiletries into a leather bag that was meant to hold jewelry when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Adele quickly shoved the bag and its contents under her bed and opened the door. Her mother stood there, a look of concern plain on her face. "What?" Adele asked, trying not to look suspicious. "Addi..." the queen said, trailing off. Then she saw the mess of clothes on Adele's bed and her face twisted in confusion. "What are you doing, dear?" Adele's mind raced to come up with an adequate lie. "I'm sorting through my clothes. Deciding which ones I should bring to Auldsworth." That was a good one. Now her mother thought she did want to go to that stupid school, because not only was she packing, she was supposedly choosing clothes to bring. Usually, when they were going somewhere, Adele left the packing to her maid. She only picked her clothes if she really cared about what she was wearing. Her mother's face softened, clearly relieved. "Oh, good. I'm glad you're excited to go, dear. Your father and I are trying to do the best we can for you, and for your brother too." The queen kissed the top of Adele's head and turned to leave. Adele breathed a sigh of relief and was closing the door when her mother abruptly turned around and marched back up to her. Adele froze. Oh, no. She was suspicious of her! She was going to tell her that she didn't believe her! The queen, with a stern look on her face, said, "Addi...." Adele braced for the worst. "That blue dress with the snowflakes on it would be my first choice for you at Auldsworth. Sophisticated, yet lavished." Adele practically fell over from relief. "Thank you, mother. I'll definitelly pack it." She shut the door purposefully, and flopped onto her bed, gazing out the window. 'Watch out, world. Here I come.' |
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Caelan hurried to write his speech before giving it to his people. By the end, he was swarmed with the press and rumor seekers andhe just waved them off. "No questions, please. If you have any, mail them to the prince's quartes." His father snapped, escorting the prince to his room. "There are quite a few young ladies that are quite interested in you, Caelan." His mother prompted, smiling at him proudly as Caelan looked through his telescope. "Mother, I need to secure the kingdom from the Day people before I even think about a wife." He sighed, turning to his mother. "I understand this, Caelan, but heirs are also important if you happen to...die..before the kingdom is secure." |
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It was about noon when Adele had finished packing her bag. She had also brainstormed a plan on how she would avoid suspicion and not get caught running away. She had it memorized. Adele changed into the outfit she had picked for the trip, an olive green loose-fitting jumpsuit and beige cloak with a hood. She laced up her boots and swung the bag over her shoulder. Adele unrolled the ladder and slowly lowered it down the castle wall, trying not to let it bang against the stone. When it was all the way down, she cast a rope down next to it and clambered down the ladder, careful not to get her clothes caught. She reached the ground and tugged on the rope, which activated the mechanism she had put together, reeling the ladder back up into her room, along with the rope which she had pulled. Without missing a beat, Adele dashed for the stables, going as fast as she could while still staying quiet. Adele checked to make sure no stable hands were around, then found Calvin's stall and threw some old tack on the seal brown gelding. She made sure the tack had no symbols or things that said it belonged to the castle so nobody could find out who she was. Adele led Calvin from his stall and mounted gracefully, and urged Calvin into a gallop. She took the back roads through the woods until she was at a distance from the castle where she felt comfortable stopping. Adele turned and gazed at the castle, the only home she'd ever known, and wondered if she'd made the right decision. She was about to turn back when Calvin, the unltimately non-spookable horse, spooked at something, reeled around, and went galloping off, away from the castle and towards the imposing Night Kingdom. |
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"Mother, truly there are eager citizens who would like your answers to some absurd questions?" He offered, rolling his eyes as he walked out to the gardens and into the forest beyond. He climbed tree, sitting on the branches low enough to see the whole forest floor but also stay out of the way |
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Adele hung on for dear life as Calvin sped through the woods, narrowly missing a few trees and even jumping over a stream in his haste to get away from whatever it was that had spooked him. After a few miles, Adele managed to calm the horse down, and they continued on at a leisurely trot. Adele had no idea where she was going and that was not good. Not only was she lost, she had no end destination in mind, so she could end up anywhere. Adele sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. She'd just have to go until she found civilization. There were no clearings in this part of the forest, and the scenery had changed dramatically since the princess and her horse had left the land of the Day Kingdom. Where it had been relatively flat, green, and overflowing with wildlife, it was now covered in steep inclines and hills, rocky, and eerily quiet. Adele glanced around her warily. She felt strangely alone without all the forest animals around her. After a few hours, Calvin suddenly stepped into sunshine. A clearing! Now maybe she could see where she was! Adele tried to see over the trees, but they were too tall. She adjusted her postition so she was standing on the saddle, and therefore much higher up. There was nothing to the west... Or the north... Or the east... Or the-- WAIT! Adele looked closer to the south. Yes, there was definitely something there, but the sun was blinding her. (I don't know how the sun works in this world so maybe it rises or sets in the south?! :P Lol.) The something looked like a mountain, but with strange spikes all over it... Careful not to lose her balance, Adele raised a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding rays. Though, the sun did seem darker then before. Strange. Adele nearly fell off of Calvin from shock when she saw what the thing was. A castle. And not just any castle. Adele knew that castle from seeing more than twenty paintings of it in the castle's art hall, dark, shadowy, and normally surrounded by dragons. The Night Kingdom. Only a few miles away. Adele could hardly believe it. Here she was, the heir to the Day Kingdom, riding right into the enemies hands. But there was nothing she could do. If she went back home, everyone would ask why she had run away, and she would have to tell them the truth. She was a mevaita. They would consider her evil, throw her in prison, and she would never see the light of day again. She had no choice. Even if she did turn around, Adele had probably already been seen anyway. She was in a clearing, only about two miles away from the castle, standing on her horse. Anyone who was looking the right way would immediately see her. She had to get to safety. She had to... what? Go into the city? The city of the Night Kingdom? That was too dangerous. The castle itself? She could sneak in and disguise herself as a servant! Adele clambered off of Calvin, a plan forming in her mind. She untacked her horse, threw it all up into a tree, and let Calvin live the good life alone in the forest. She knew he could take care of himself, and he'd come if she whistled for him. Satisfied in her work, Adele started off, sneaking through the forest, always keeping out of sight of the castle, but still heading towards it. The Night Kingdom, the Day Kingdom's worst enemy, would have the princess, the heir of the throne, in their midst. And they would have no idea. . (Ackkk I'm SO sorry for the long post) |
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Sunny
