The grand ballroom was filled with candlelight; it reached to the high ceiling, three stories high, revealing the cherubs playing among the clouds while gods looked down on them. The hundreds of candles in the chandeliers and candelabra flickered in the soft breezes following from the open doors that lead to the magnificent gardens surrounding the palace.
Music combined with laughter floated out of the grand ballroom and to the ears of a man seated in the rose arbor. He was hiding there, in the rose arbor that none could rival, avoiding the ball, avoiding the people, avoiding his fate. It was his twenty-first birthday, the day he became a man.
And, like all men in his family, he had to go on a quest. A quest to find his “true love”, the woman who would be his wife, his queen. The woman he would love until for eternity.
“Justin,” a voice called. “Where are you?”
He groaned at the voice, hoping the woman wouldn’t think to look in the arbor. In the arbor, surrounded by roses more beautiful than any other in the seven kingdoms, possibly all the world, he was happy, relaxed, content. But if she invaded it, that would all be ruined.
One of the princess invited to his birthday ball appeared in the entrance to the arbor. “Justin, why are you out here?” Britney asked. “Everyone’s been looking for you.”
“I came out here to think,” Justin told her. He sighed and walked towards her. He could try to get rid of her, but the mood had already been ruined. So he might as well go back inside and dance with all of the princesses and daughters of the lords and rich merchants who had been invited.
Britney smiled up at him. “Are you looking forward to your quest?” she asked as they made their way back to the ballroom.
“As much as one can,” he told her in a noncommittal voice.
“What do you think your bride will look like?” she asked.
“I don’t know, Britney,” he told her. At least she won’t be you.
“Do you really want to marry some woman who you just happen to meet on your journey?”
“The woman I marry is supposed to be my true love, so yes, I do. I want to marry for love.”
“But surely it doesn’t always work that way. Can’t you just marry someone of your choice?”
“No, Britney, I can’t. All the men in my family have to find their brides through a quest. No one knows what would happen to our brides if they weren’t our true loves. Everyone fears it would be something terrible.”
“But how do you know the woman you marry is your true love? Couldn’t the woman you turned down be the one you were meant to be with?”
Justin swung her into his arms as a waltz began. “Britney, if you are my true love, then my quest will lead me right to you. The quest has never failed us so far. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Britney smiled at him, while inwardly fuming. She wanted Justin, heir to the throne of the richest kingdom in their region.
It was midnight when the king cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he called, gathering everyone’s attention. “Tonight, we gather to celebrate my son’s twenty-first birthday. He is finally a man. Tomorrow, he leaves to begin his quest to find a bride. May all the luck in the seven kingdoms be with him.” The king raised the goblet of wine he held, and all the people crowding the ballroom followed suit. Cheers rose to the cherubs and clouds and gods.
Justin smiled at everyone, and they all thought he was happy to be going on this quest. But inside he was grimacing. A quest was the last thing he needed.
Far, far away from the grand ball being held for Prince Justin, in a land that hadn’t even heard of the prince, or his family, or the country he was from, or the seven kingdoms in his region, a young girl, Samantha, expert thief, silently crept into a small, dank room, smelling of the past ten occupants, and pulled a handful of coins from a man’s pocket. She grinned as she slipped out the window. Stupid people, she thought. They have no idea of how to take care of their money.
She tied the coins in a cloth and walked swiftly towards the forest. A mist rose around her, surrounding her as she disappeared into the forest she called home.
She had everything she needed in the forest. The last thing she needed was her past, unknown to Sam herself, to be discovered. She was happy with her life, content controlling her forest and occasionally stealing something from the traveler stupid enough to travel through the uninhabited part of the kingdom. Everyone knew dragons and wild cats and vicious unicorns still roamed these parts. Although very few people were hurt, or even saw, one of the creatures, the legends were enough to scare off most.
“Willow,” Sam called, walking into the small hut she lived in. “You here?”
Willow, her best friend, walked in right behind her. “Now I am. Any luck?”
“A dozen gold coins.” Sam untied the cloth and spread it out so Willow could see.
“This is wonderful,” Willow exclaimed, her dark green eyes brightening. “We can get some things we need now.”
Sam might have been the thief, the supporter of them both, but she was dependent upon Willow for more than she could imagine. Willow was the one who knew the forest, the animals, and could bargain with anyone and come out on top.
Sam poured the coins into Willow’s hands. “These should last us for a little while.”
In the royal castle in the royal town in the same kingdom Sam was raiding pockets, the king was pacing his room. “I hate being the king,” he complained. “I’m not suited to this life. I need to have my peace and my privacy and be able to do what I love. As the king, I can’t do any of that.”
“Your Majesty,” his only loyal advisor began.
“It’s Josh,” the king cut in. “Call me Josh. Or even JC.”
“Yes, your... Josh.” He cleared his throat. “You can’t just abdicate. You must find someone to replace you. And you know the people won’t be happy unless the person who rules after you is a member of he royal family.”
“I know, damn it. Unfortunately, I’m the only one left, Lance.”
Lance shifted, drew closer to his king. His deep voce was low. “Have you ever thought that there might be some truth to the rumors?”
Josh’s blue eyes widened at that thought. Why hadn’t he remembered the rumors before? If they were true... he could be free.
“We set out in a month, Lance, to see if the rumors are true.”
“We?” Lance questioned. “Set out?”
“Yes, we. As in you and me. You’re the one that reminded me of them, so you’ll also come along. And you’re one of the few people I trust in this castle. We’re going to see if we can find any truth behind the rumors.”
“What excuse will you give to your people, Maj- Josh?”
Josh laughed, a twinkle in his eye. “Why, I’m going on a bride quest.”