Authors Note: All the characters, story line, and everything else you read in this story is the property of me. I created all this from my own imagination and I ask of you not to steal any of it. I plan on turning all this into a fantasy series one day. Thank you.
******
A young woman, appearing to be in her early twenties, stood on her balcony outside her bedroom chamber, watching the herd of Unicorns that roamed free among the large city of Jupiter. New foals danced about their mothers, fearful to leave the the protection of her watchful eyes. The yearling foals from last year pranced about and pretend-fought with each other using their new horns. Even though she couldn't see the herd very clearly from her balcony, the young woman knew that at the base of the older Unicorn's horns, the ones over two years of age, there were special jewels , where the magic of a Unicorn was stored. Because of this, Unicorns were endangered in some parts of this vast world. One single Unicorn Jewel had the power to demolish a large city if the owner of one so wished. That is, if they know how to activate the Jewel's true powers.
A sudden cold breeze made the woman shiver. Turning away from the beautiful sight below her, she went back inside and closed the sliding glass door.
It wasn't normal. That cold chill. Something icy was beginning to take hold of this land, but what exactly, she had no clue.
The air inside her bedroom chamber was warmer, and soon her body had heated itself back to normal temperature. She sat down at her recently polished wood desk and opened a small box that lay in the middle. From it she extracted a small green gem. Gently she stroked its gleaming surface with her finger. It seemed like forever since the last time she had worn it. She had refused to wear it many years ago. Only on special occasions did she, like festivals, birthdays, and for the crowning of the new King after the unexplained disappearance of the King before him. It was for that reason she refused to wear the gem. For this object, this small object, carried with it the title of her rank, what she was born as. And it also carried the guilt she felt everytime she looked at it.
Quickly, she put the gem back into its box and stuffed the box into a drawer of the desk. What kind of a daughter was she? For a whole century she had been searching and praying that one day the old King would be found. Her father, Koasin, had ruled this city with a kind and strong heart. He had went riding one day out in the small woods surrounding the city. Most everyone here say he was too close to the ever expanded Darkwoods and that the evil creatures within the taunted forest had consumed him. But she know better. Her father was a strong Wizard. There was no way she was going to believe he had let his guard down for even one second. Besides, his mount had come back unharmed. If what the people kept saying really happened to her father, then the horse would have also been lost or if not that, seriously injured by the creatures inside the Darkwoods. No. There was more to this story than what was believed by the people.
The door to her room opened and a maid in a gray dress and apron entered. The older woman curtsied deeply before saying," Milady Jennifer. You brother, his royal highness, King Ash, wishes to speak with you."
"Tell him I'll be right there," replied Jennifer.
"Yes, milady," came the meek reply, and the door closed behind the maid.
Jennifer-or Kenora as she preferred-arose from her seat. As she walked to the door, she caught a glimpse of herself in her mirror hanging on the wall.
A beautiful woman stared back at her. The beauty she was born with she felt was a curse. Men constantly assumed she needed a guardian with her all the time. Truth be told, she never needed that sort of treatment. Inside of her she held more power than one man could ever hope to imagine. Her brothers always joked about how she was going to grow into an old woman alone if she didn't stop brushing aside every young man who wanted her hand in marriage. Then of course she'd tease Chester for not choosing himself a wife and he'd say that he was much too busy keeping her out of trouble.
One thing she had to admit, as she studied herself in the mirror. She liked the way she looked. Some people might say she was being conceited, but she didn't think so. To her, she was simply aware of how she looked. Her light brown silky hair was pulled back into a sequence of braids at the back of her head, held together by pins. Wise, dark brown eyes watched her from the mirror. Eyes that have seen many things happen, good and bad. She was much older than she appeared to be on the outside. A hundred and twelve was her true age, for being a Magician made a person immortal.
She ran her hands down the front of her skirt, feeling the fine texture of blue silk under her fingers. There was a slit on one side, up as far as her knees and revealing the purple petticoats she wore underneath just for this purpose. There was quite a bit of white pearls sewn onto the dress. One line near the bottom around her skirt and the second around her slim waist. The gown's sleeves flared over her hands in a different blue than the rest of the dress, and the collar, also flaring somewhat, was just past her neckline.
"Are you going to stop admiring yourself in the mirror long enough to go see what Ash wants?" her older brother, Chester, teased from the doorway. The hadn't heard the door open. Guess she was getting conceited to have not heard it. Of course, you had to take into account the fact that she had been travelling around for many years searching for her father and never had a chance to wear nice things as she was now.
Smiling at her brother, she followed him out into the hall, where he left her to go do something important, so he claimed. Kenora proceeded to her other brother's study, where he most likely would be waiting for her.
It was a long walk there. This castle was huge, and Ash's study lay in a tower where it was quiet enough for him to work. The servants and maids along the way greeted her with politness, saying things like "How are you this morning, princess?" or simply bowing and maybe a "Milady." She replied just as politily back.
Finally, she reached the door to Ash's study. She knocked twice, waited for his muffled 'Come in' and went in. She closed the door quietly behind her. Curtsying deeply, she said," You wanted to see me, my King."
Ash turned to face her. A very handsome man with black hair cut just below his chin, he was the same age as her. They were twins, but looked nothing alike. While he had clear blue eyes, she had deep brown. She had a small mole on her right cheek, near her mouth. He had none. He always studied more about weapons and fighting. She always preferred the arts of magic. One could never guess that they were twins, her being the older.
"Jemma," smiled the King kindly. "You know you don't have to do that. Only when the people expect you to."
The woman rose with a grace that a swan could not hope to achieve. "I know," she replied, rising back up and cupping her hands in front of her. "But it shows that I have great respect for you."
"Then I guess I should bow to you, too," he proposed, droppping his top half with an elegant wave of his hand.
"A king should not have to," she protested with a smile. "Not to someone of lower rank than he."
With a small chuckle he straightened back up and took one of her hands in his. "Only by society a princess if lower than a King. Even if they come from the same flesh and blood." He kissed her hand, the way a brother would to his sister. "In my eyes, dear sister, you and I rank the same."
"Enough, Ash," Kenora giggled, her face actually going red. "Enough of this proper joking." Once again, she cupped her hands in front of her and looked at him seriously. "Why have you called me here?"
Ash walked to the back of his desk and leaned his weight on the back of the chair. "There has been another proposal," he announced to her.
"Another proposal?!" his sister repeated with distaste. She crossed her arms angrily beneath her breasts. "Can't you do something about these young men, Ash? I will not choose a husband that way!"
Much to her surprise, he laughed at her.
"Not for you, sis," he started to explain.
Kenora's eyes widened. Never has a marriage proposal been given to someone in the castle other than her. "Who, pray tell, who?" she insisted.
"For Jasmime."
"Jasmine?" she repeated again. "Our sister, Jasmine?" Ash nodded.
"The young man came directly to me first," the king added. "Jasmine knows nothing of it."
"And you said yes," Kenora insisted more. "Tell me you said yes."
"I told him her family would have to talk it out with her," Ash responded," then I'd call him back here for the answer." There was a pause, and when Kenora never said anything, he added," I will not choose Jasmine's husband for her. I never with you. There were many young men I thought perfect for you, but I refused them your hand because you told me to."
"But it's not like Jasmine has men proposing to her all the time," she argued, going over to stand in front of her brother's desk. "Men who don't even love her."
"Jemma," he started softly," I'm sure some of those men truely loved you. You just have to give them a chance."
"Never!" she cried. "Do you really expect me to marry someone after only a few days?! I want more time than that. I want time to really think 'do I really want to spent my whole life, or his if he's a mortal, with this man'? What? What's with that look? You're hiding something from me, aren't you? Spill." Laying her hands down on the desk's top, she leaned forward.
Ash stared right back at her, his blue eyes not completely hiding the fact that he was keeping a secret from her. "I swore to mother I wouldn't tell you, but I see I have no choice. There's no way you'll leave me alone until I tell you." He sighed deeply, not wanting at all to tell her and dreading it. "Mother lately, has been very concerned about you."
"What did she do?" Kenora presisted.
Her brother actually swallowed before saying," She arranged for you to meet the head captain of the army in Jupiter."
Kenora's knees gave way and she collapsed into a chair. "She didn't?" she asked in disbelief. "I told her not to intervere. When? When am I to meet him?"
"Today at the ceremonial castle party. I tried to tell her not to, Jemma, but you know mother. Doesn't matter to her if one of her sons is the King. She still expects to be obeyed. I can still get rid of him for you if you want."
Kenora managed a weak smile. "No, Ash, I'll meet with him. Just not at the party."
******
Unconciousily, Kenora brushed at her skirt, rearranging the bow at the top of the slit even though she didn't need to. Besides her Ash coughed. She looked down at him, sitting on his throne with his forearms resting on the chair's arms. He looked so regal seated there, with his crown very unkingly hung over the top of the chair's back.
Kenora stood at his side, the traditional place for someone of high rank, yet lower than the King or Queen's. Her hair was in the same style as before, but this time she wore a halo of silver roses around her head. Flowing halfway down her back from the halo was a transparent white veil.
The large emboirded doors to the throne room opened and two men entered. One was wearing the clothes of an attendant and the other those of a knight.
"As requested, your majesty," the attendant announced in a clear voice. "Captian Logan has arrived." He bowed before leaving them in the room alone with the doors closed.
"You highness," greeted the captian respectively. "I have come at the former queen's orders. I am yours to command."
Ash rose from his seat and went to stand before the man. "Since, than you must know of the reason." He gast a quick look at his sister, a motion that told her to come here. As someone of lower rank, she obeyed. "You are to take my sister somplace."
Logan rose slowly. "To where and for what purpose, milord?"
"Just to get to know each other, captian," the king replied. "Do not ask anymore questions. Lets just say it is my mother's will. I shall leave you now." With a nod of his head at them both, he left through a side door.
Captian Logan stared dumb-struck after him. As if snapping out of a trace, he quickly turned to Kenora and gave her a hurried bow. "Princess, I-" he started, but was cut off when she held up her hand to quiet him.
"Let us walk, captian," she told him, and he followed besides her out the castle in silence.
"You heard of the tragedy facing the unicorns?" she asked as they walked in the meadow behind and to the sides of the castle, where the unicorns roamed free.
"Of course, milady," he replied. "Who hasn't?"
"And what are your views on it?" She kept her eyes ahead, on the herd of Unicorns she had been watching earlier. The herd's stallion was watching them attentively.
"It is truely a tragedy princess," Logan replied.
Kenora stopped and turned to him. "You do not mean that, captian," she told him with sad eyes. He just mearly stared surprised at her. "You knights do not care for the Unicorns as beautiful and majestic creatures. Only as objects of ammusement and target practise." Slowly she strolled over to the herd. They neither ran from her nor attacked her, but watched her with kind eyes. The stallion, a pure black one with a silver horn, walked to her and lay his head upon her chest. Hugging her arms around his head, she leaned against his powerful side. "There aren't many people left in this world who wish to protect such beautiful beasts. I, captain, are one of those few. And I will not let you knights or anybody else harm them. If you respect me as your princess, then you will leave them alone."
Pr-princess," stammered the knight in disbelief. Then, with an akward bow, said," I shall announce what you wish to the other captains and they, in turn, will tell their armies."
"Thank you," the princess whispered. "I am very grateful. As are the Unicorns."
"You are very kind, milady," he praised, bowing smoothly this time. "The Unicorns are lucky to have someone like you."
"Do not flatter me, captain. I am only doing what's right. What needs to be done."
******
"I can't believe mother made me do that," Kenora grumpled an hour later, still amongst the Unicorn herd. She sat on the ground with the black stallion's head in her lap. Gently she stroked his head, while she steamed inside.
"She means well, milady," the Unicorn reassured.
"I know she does, Shadowdance. I just wish she wouldn't."
A sudden chill came over her, directed from the Unicorn himself. It was an evil chill, full of hatred and violence. She had felt these before, some she felt herself and others from the Unicorns she was so closelu bonded to. They usually meant something bad was coming or shrouding its blanket of darkness over the land.
Shadowdance rose with the common grace Unicorn's were born with. His nostrils flared and his ears twitched every which way. Kenora had never seen him so destressed. This was not a sign to take too lightly, like a sudden storm or a young demon out to prove itself to its master.
The Enchantress rose with the black stallion. "What is it you sense?" she asked.
"Something evil is approaching," he replied. Tail flicking nervously, he tossed his head up and whinnied softly. "From the direction of the Darkwoods. It bides its time and waits for the right moment to strike. I must get my family away from here." He whinnied louder this time, startling some of the foals who had been playing tag, skipping in and out between the legs of the adults, who were paying the little ones no mind as they tested their surroundings with their keen senses. "Will you be alright, milady?"
"I shall be quite alright," she reassured. "I must also go warn my family and the citizens of this city."
"Take care, princess," the Unicorn added, beginning to lead his herd away. "We shall return when the danger is passed or when you need us." And with that, he turned and gallopped away after the others.
"Keep safe, my dear friend," Kenora said, watching their glowing horns become further and further away. Then she rushed off towards the castle.
There was no one in there but servants and maids. Where had her family gone to? Maybe they had also sensed what Shadowdance and the Unicorns had. It was likely they had. So they must be down below the castle preparing for this evil. Without haste she hurried to that destination.
The further down the castle she went, the less she ran into people. No one but the Magicians Circle came down here. Where there was magic being delt, non-magic-users choose to stay clear.
Kenora was a member of the Magicians Circle, an organization of magic-users within a community. They were made of the strongest and wisest in the community and delt with the problems of the citizens when connected to magic. The advisors to the ruler of the community was always a member of this Circle. For larger matter with magic, Circles from other communities would join together to solve the problem at hand.
It became colder and more old looking the lower she went. There used to be dungeons and torture chambers below the castle, but were abandoned when King Koasin took the throne. He had no desire to use them, so they were converted into storage rooms for magic potions and substances. The biggest of the dungeons was where the Magicians Circle met and another slightly smaller room for cooking up spells and potions. Kenora turned straight for the two larger rooms.
The first, the developing room, it was called, was empty. The huge table in the middle of the room was swept clean of any traces of herbs and other ingredents for potion making. The black pot in the center of the table sat untouched since last week, when new potions were made to fill up the empty shelves in the potions storage room. Bottles of unused herbs sat on shelves throughout the room. Herbs were the main substances in potions. There were no windows in this room. Windows were not build into the walls of dungeons and torture chambers.
The next room, the meeting room, was also empty. Not much was in this room. A round table sat in the very center, to symbolize the Circle. Shield spells were cast about the room, so that whatever was said within the room could not be heard from the outside. Spells were cast upon each of the rooms, all spells to ward off evil, not to mask words. No shelves full of potions hung on the walls of the meeting room. Nothing of great importance was left unattended within these walls. The staff's of the Wizards and Enchantress' of the Circle were left in their chamber rooms and shrouded with invisibility spells. Or most commonly, left to follow behind the user in midair, unseen until the user wished it. Kenora's staff was in her chamber room, leaning against the wall.
The woman leaned her back against the wall of the corridor and let out a long sigh. Where was her mother and siblings? Had something happened to them? Or had she been just missing them as she searched through the castle for them? She didn't have time for this. That evil presence was getting closer and she was wasting her time searching like a mortal. She would be able to find her family if she got her staff and used her magic. So she retraced her steps back up to the main floors, where once again servants and maids scurried about.
When she reached out to open the door to her chamber room, she was stopped by a glowing ice blue orb, like the Orb of Ash's staff. It spun in the air a few times. Kenora just stared puzzled at it. It spun again, towards the right, and she realized she was supposed to follow it. So she did.
The orb lead her to the back of the castle, which made her wonder if this was a trap. Ash's staff orb should be leading her to its master. Why would Ash be at the back of the castle? Nothing and no one was here.
But sure enough, her twin brother appeared from a room. She was about to ask him why he was here, when he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room. The floating orb disappeared when he appeared.
Inside the room, sitting around a table, was the Magicians Circle. All looked troubled and some were figiting with whatever their hands touched. There were five around the table and seven in all, including herself and Ash. Out of all the cities, theirs was the smallest around. But they managed fine in their small numbers.
"What are we meeting here for?" Kenora asked, taking her seat besides Chester.
"Because it would be too obvious to the enemy if we met in our usual place," Ash explained, sitting down on Kenora's other side.
"Kenora, we have all sensed an evil presence approaching," a Wizard, Basil, told her. Even though she was royality and he not, no formalities were required among members of the Circle.
"I know," she replied. "I have sensed it from Shadowdance earlier. It does appear to be a great evil to have caused the Unicorns to leave this place temporaryly."
There were whispers amongst her fellow Magicians. Anything that frightened a Unicorn was a formitable foe.
"We must take action against this evil," Basil announced. "The city could be in great peril."
"But what do we do?" Enchantra, an Enchantress, asked. "What can we do against an unknown enemy?"
"I don't know," was all Ash said, sweat running down his face. "I just don't know."
