|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Shards of a Broken Heart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter One: the party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On a balcony that overlooked a snow-covered forest - a well-dressed lady was watching how the clouds seemed to dance through the dark sky. Behind her was a ball - a very high society gathering that her parents - the local royalty - forced her to attend. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lady Bethany?" a soft voice whispered. She looked over her shoulder and saw one of the servants trying to get her attention. "Your mother is looking for you," she continued. Bethany sighed and shook her head. She should have known that the balcony was too easy an escape. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll be in shortly - I'm just looking at the stars," she reassured. The servant sighed and returned back to the party. A short while later - the Duchess - her mother stepped out and looked over at her daughter. "I wasn't going to stay out here all night," she said - as if sensing her mother's presence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I should hope not. You'd freeze if you did," the Duchess stated - draping a fur cape over Bethany's shoulders. "I know - that you are not overly comfortable in these - functions. But you can't slip out every time we have one," she stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can't blame me for trying," she retorted with a smirk. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can and I will. There is a prince," the Duchess began. Bethany moaned and shook her head. She had lost count of the number of times her loving parents had tried to set her up - but she had hoped that they would stop soon. "Give him a chance," she requested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Like that last guy - the one with a passion for drinking? Or the one before who thought women were just eye candy?" Bethany asked. The Duchess sighed. She was going to continue with her list of other failed groom prospects - but her mother was looking at her with the expression that stated - do not push the issue. "Fine where is he?" she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This way please - and try not to look as though the world is ending," she remarked as she led her daughter back into the ball. Bethany looked around at the gathering of nobles and high-ranking soldiers and knights. It was then that her eyes briefly locked on a man in the corner that was focusing on her. A knight walked by - when she looked over - the man was gone. "Something wrong?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Huh? Oh - nothing - I just thought I saw something," she replied as they continued to where the potential groom to be was waiting. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Early the next morning - Bethany was telling her closest friends of her encounter with the latest of the waves of potential grooms. All of them were laughing - until the Duchess entered the room. Then instantly everyone was serious. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - is this about Prince Timothy?" Bethany hesitantly asked. All of her friends were trying hard to keep a straight face - but the occasional snicker escaped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He and his family - have left," she replied calmly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Darn - I was hoping they could stay longer. I'm sure he knew some really neat games to play," Bethany replied as she burst into laughter - the other girls followed suit. The mother smirked and shook her head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I will admit that he wasn't - or wouldn't have been my first choice," the Duchess admitted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Mother - he was younger than me by almost eight years - and he was short," Bethany clarified. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Be that as it may - if you keep turning away suitors," the Duchess began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know," she interrupted - being serious. "I'm - just looking for someone that - is special," she added. The mother smiled. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Someone can become special with time and effort. Not everyone is perfect," she reminded. Bethany moaned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know - but all of the people you and father have arranged me to meet would require too much work. I'm not expecting perfection - I just expect more," she replied honestly. The mother sighed and shook her head. The statement sounded vaguely familiar. It was advice she had given Bethany when she was much younger. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you expect too much - you end up with nothing," the Duchess began as she looked to the other ladies who were still giggling. "In case any of you were wondering - there won't be any more visitors for a while. The snow came down rather heavily by the pass. I know - how disappointed that will make you," she added with a smirk as she left the room. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The pass is frozen? And snowed in? Yes! A break from all that formal court duties," Bethany exclaimed. She hurried over to the window and looked out through the frost. On top of the trees and everything that surrounded the castle was a blanket of snow that had to be a foot thick. "Look at it," she gasped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Looks so calm and peaceful out there," one of her friends added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Think the pond is frozen?" Bethany asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know - might be a little soon," another of her friends warned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Look at how much of that white stuff is out there. The lake has to be a block of ice," another added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I say we go check it out," Bethany suggested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moments later the gathering with a handful of guards were making their way through the snow covered forest. Through many years of enduring the frozen climate - the people of the secluded valley learned how to travel through the difficult terrain - and also had devised ways of traveling across the frozen lake and rivers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After what felt like a half a day of traveling - the group found themselves at the lake. The scenery was picturesque. Most of the snow had drifted into the banks. The sky was a light shade of blue and the light wispy clouds seemed to be frozen in place. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What a perfect day," Bethany muttered. The guards sighed as they watched the ladies change into their bladed boots. Within moments the ladies were skating. The guards sat down for what they knew would be a long uneventful shift. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Out on the lake - the fur clad ladies gracefully glided across the ice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Our chaperones seem less than amused," one stated motioning back to the guards. Bethany looked over and smirked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They would rather be at the gambling parlor I'm sure," she remarked gliding by. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Or other places," another added - remembering some of the more flavorful rumors that had circulated through the ranks of the castle. The sounds of howling wolves got their attention. They stopped moving and looked around. "Did - did you hear that?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The wolves? I was hoping I hadn't," Bethany commented. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But - wolves aren't supposed to be in this area," another pointed out. The howling resounded again - it sounded closer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uhm - maybe we should head back," Bethany suggested. They began to glide back towards the bored guards. It was as they were a short distance away from the bank when several wolves leaped out from the forest and began to attack the guards. The ladies fell onto the ice and watched in horror as the wolves tore into their only means of protection between them and the wilderness. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Any other ideas?" one of her friends asked. It was then that the wolves noticed them. The ladies carefully got up and slowly backed away from the bloodstained wolves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Across the lake," Bethany suggested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It might not be frozen enough," one of her friends reminded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Our choices - are either across the lake - or getting past those wolves - what do you think is the safest bet?" Bethany pointed out. The ladies didn't like their options - but when the wolves started to make their way out onto the ice - the choice had been made. "Go! Don't look back!" she called out. They turned and began to glide across the. They could hear the wolves pursuing but dared not turn around. It was then that Bethany heard a cracking sound. Oh no," she muttered. The ice caved in! The freezing water surrounded her! She tried to keep a float - but with her furs and blade boots she quickly sank. Darkness closed in on her? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||