Chapter 1 by Sheilla Kiwi
One dark and crisp night as the moon was watching over the land from high in the sky all the people in the kingdom were closing doors and turning in.
Birds were settling down into their nests as a warm wind rocked the trees and lights were dimming from a long hot day. The stars danced around the moon creating a perfect work of art for all to gaze in wonder at as they lay in their beds all snuggled up.
Alone in the castle garden lay a mother and daughter on freshly cut grass taking in deep breaths of fresh cool air and sweet aromas, starring at the sky. With her arms folded behind her head and yellow dress spread out over the ground, Leahcar was enjoying time spent with her mother, Queen Islizah. Leahcar always looked forward to spending nights with her mother, especially in the garden when the flowers were blooming and the nights were clear. It seemed to her that she could always see God best in moments like this when there was nothing wrong and the world seemed to be at peace.
Ever since she was a little girl around the age of three, her mother Islizah would walk her through the grass and tell her about all the different kinds of flowers that God has created. Once she got older Leahcar would go out alone and pick all her favorite flowers and make a bouquet to put next to her bed. The smell of freshly cut flowers was the smell of home.
These memories passed through Leahcars mind. Now she was a young lady at the age of seventeen and her responsibilities as the princes, and as only child, were growing keeping her away from some of the things she loved most, making those rare moments even more precious. But this would not trouble her. For the time being she would just relax and enjoy now.
Leahcar turned her head to see her mother by her side. The moonlight highlighted the silhouette of her tanned and young looking face. It always made her hair look as if it were glowing when it was dark and the moon was out. Her mother had her arms sprawled out by her sides and her eyes sparkled like a child’s.
Islizah noticed Leahcar’s gaze out of the corner of her eye and turned to face her daughter. First thing anyone noticed about Leahcar was how fair she was. She got her mother’s blonde hair and crystal blue eyes but unlike her mother and much like her father, Leahcar had lightly colored skin.
Leahcar smiled back at Islizah and turned on her side propping her head up with her hand. With her right hand she reached down and pulled out a fist full of grass from the dirt and sprinkled it onto Islizah’s face. With a mouth full of grass, Islizah hastily sat up to wipe it away. Leahcar burst into laughter at the site of her startled mother grabbing at the grass like it was a spider web. Once she had cleared away the disturbance, Islizah joined in on the laughter realizing how silly she must have looked.
Still laughing they both lay back down sliding closer together. Islizah slipped her hand into her daughter’s whispering into her ear, “I love you.” Leahcar leaned over and whispered in return, “I love you too.”
For a while they were content to lay in silence, side by side, as mother and daughter.
Suddenly, Leahcar awoke from her dreams. She twisted under her blankets trying to find a new position. Finally finding a more comfortable place on the bed she closed her eyes and was silent. In the silence then she could hear a commotion in the halls. It sounded like people running back and forth in front of her door. She could hear a couple maids whispering just on the other side. She leaned over listening carefully. “Should we wake her?” one said, “I’m not sure. Perhaps it would be better to wake the mistress and tell her in the morning when things have calmed down a bit.” Leahcar recognized the voices as her personal maids. They sounded frightened and out of breath.
Curious to know what was going on; Leahcar swung the silky blankets aside and slipped out of bed stepping onto the cold wooden floor.
Leahcar threw on her robe as she walked to the door. She put her ear against the door to listen. The maids must have left because she could not hear them talking anymore, but she could still hear people moving through the hall. Deciding it was safe Leahcar turned the handle and opened the door. Everyone close by stopped where they were and turned to look at her as she stepped out of her bedroom, all talking stopped.
A couple maids wiped away tears when they realized that she was looking at them, but it did not matter because Leahcar knew something was not right.
She stepped up to a young guard and asked him what was going on. “You better look for yourself your highness.” he said nodding to his left then dipping his head in respect and walked away in haste.
Leahcar glided across the halls in her gold and blue night garments. She followed the frightened looking people heading in the direction the guard and pointed, and then realizing that she was walking in the direction of her parent’s bed chamber she also became frightened.
What could have happened, she thought. Leahcar could feel tension seeping through the halls bighting at her, but she didn’t know why.
She stepped closer and closer, every step was a struggle. Unlike the people around her who were running out of panic, she was walking, slowly walking, step by step, each foot weighed down.
Leahcar froze; finally she arrived at what seemed to be the source of panic. A crowd of guards, maids, servants, lords and ladies were crowded around the door of her parent’s chamber, some holding torches for light. Some were whispering, others crying, and some stood in silence not sure what to make of the situation. Leahcar dashed forward pushing through the crowd leaving a trail of shocked people behind. There at the end of her struggle Leahcar found her father, King Rehtaf, on his knees clutching a limp form-shacking. Where was her mother?
Quietly and very slowly Leahcar crept over to her father’s side and knelt down beside him. There with the light of the moon shining through the window down on her face was Islizah, Queen of Nevaeh Kingdom and mother to Leahcar, lying in her husband’s arms: dead.
Leahcars eyes blurred and she stumbled backwards. She felt as if someone had just thrown a rock into her chest and shoved her heart into her throat, beating faster than ever.
Then, from behind she felt gentle but strong arms grasp her and hold her tight. “It’s going to be all right, I’ve got you.” Gabriel’s soft deep voice was the last thing Leahcar heard before everything turned black.
