Prose

Angel Love ***
As yet, Untitled ***
Butterfly ***
Princess in Shining Armour ***
Smelling the Renegade Roses

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Ever since I was a child, I heard how my life would be in danger some day, it just went with the territory, they said. Anyway, they also said that I would be rescued by a knight in shining armour, and it would be the happiest day of my life - the day I met my husband. Even at ten, this idea did not appeal to me. I was always determined to marry someone I had fallen in love with. And if being the damsel in distress meant that wouldn't happen, then I would make sure that I would never be a damsel in distress.

I started sneaking out and training with the paiges when I was eleven. I worked my arse off and was inducted as an honourary Boy. Sometimes, I felt it was an honour, others, I felt it was a pain. Like when they were talking about how they had bedded this servant girl, or that kitchen wench, forgetting that I, in my breeches and belted tunic with no figure to speak of, was still a woman, or girl, despite my growing masculine persona.

By the time I was fifteen, my father was after me to wear dresses all the time. It was time for this phase to end. He held a huge coming of age ball for me. It was the talk of kingdom when I had the audacity to wear the clothes of a courtier friend - a male courtier friend. Afterward, my father strictly forbid me to wear anything other than a dress in his presence. For me, this meant staying in my suit of rooms and sneaking out a window to go hunting on a whim, or go running and swimming with the courtiers' sons. Somehow, my father found out about it. My mother also found out about it, and she was not so 'forgiving' as my father. My friends and I were in the lake, swimming nude when she stormed from the castle, and stright up to us. I listened to a fifteen-minute sermon on how I was immoral, and a poor excuse for a princess. To their credit, my friends gave her an equally long lecture on how I was more fun than most princesses.

That's why I ran away. Why I took some extra fabric from my waiting maid's sewing basket and bound down my nearly non-existant bossom Why I packed a rucksack with food, wineskins, and extra clothes. Why I strapped a sword to my belt and a slung a quiver across my back. Why I stalked out in the middle of the night to face the world.

I stopped by the stables to talk to our courier's son. To make sure he would let all of the Boys know I was safe. And to get him to cut my hair. He agreed on the condition that I allow him to keep a lock of it. I didn't care. I saddled my eldest brother's horse and rode off into the forest. I traveled by night, under the cover of the trees, until I was out of my kingdom; yet, I still stayed off the roads for fear one of my brothers' might ride by and recognize me.

It all started the day I saw the peasant maiden. She had her skirts hiked up to her knees and was wading in a pond, picking up frogs and throwing them as far as she could. She had a good arm.

Entranced by this unusal display, I approached the woman. For the first time thanking my father for making me suffer through etiquette lessons, I addressed her, "My good lady..."

"Oh!" She started, hastily untucking her skirts from her belt, "My good sir." She curtsied as best she could while still standing in the water.

I bowed in return. "Why do you misuse the poor frogs like this?"

She blushed and glanced down at the frog clutched in her hands, and set it down on the ground as she waded out of the pond. "My father fortold my future before he died this morning."

"And you take your agressions out on defenseless animals?"

"No! ...Well, yes. He said I would fall in love with someone who was not what they appeared to be."

"And so you picth frogs?"

"I've heard tales."

"Oh."

I talked with her for a few hours and discovered that her brother would be coming home in a week's time to take over as head of the household. I offered to stay with her family until he arrived. She gave me a calculating look before accepting. It was not a long ride to her home, her younger siblings ran from the house screaming "Denny!" I glanced over my shoulder at her. An amused smile played on her lips as she explained, "They think you're our brother." I realized suddenly I had never asked her name and was about to ask when she grinned and said, "I'm Jenna." I ginned in return as helped her from my horse.

I watched as she gathered her sisters and brother into a bone-crunching hug. She turned back to me, "Children, this is...?"

"Phen," I bowed to each, kissing the hands of her two sisters, who giggled and blushed. Her brother bowed in return. I grinned as I fell to one knee before the three children. "Who are you?"

To Be Continued...