A Princess's Duty

•Chapter One• Don't Touch My Books

Early Saturday morning, Princess Kathryn of Maelden climbed up her favorite tree: a giant fig tree that stood in the center of the castle garden. She loved climbing it to escape the stuffy castle and pretentious people that dwelled inside. When she lounged on the branches, Kathryn could forget about all her duties and future obligations, if only for a little while.

Kathryn, a lovely princess of thirteen years, knew she was considered an oddity by the high-class persons who inhabited the kingdom. She was bookish, and had few friends. Kathryn talked to the servants politely, as if they were equals. She was obstinate and could be hot headed, but kind at heart. As a princess, she had much responsibility on her shoulders in the future and the present. But Kathryn did not mind. She wasn't lonely, though she often found herself alone. She understood that her father and mother loved her, but had to put the needs of the kingdom before themselves and before her. She knew could always turn to a book. Kathryn considered the characters in books to be her dearest friends.

The princess pulled a large novel out of the satchel that was slung across her shoulder. She opened it to page 206, where she had stopped last night, and started reading.

Kathryn bit her lip. This novel was starting to get intense. It was an epic story, full of adventure and romance, mystery and grief. She gasped. No! The two lovers, who had been tragically parted in the last chapter, were preparing to lead their armies into battle against one another. The beautiful warrior princess, Ayala, and the dashing prince Edmund, were unaware of the others' identities!

She had read this novel twice before, but she never got tired of it. It had been the novel that inspired her to become capable with a weapon. After a heated argument with her mother, who insisted that learning to fight would be "highly inappropriate for a lady of your status" and consent from her father, she trained with a lightweight saber, a bow, different throwing knives and sword. Her swordplay still needed touching up.

Just as Kathryn prepared herself to turn the page and read the next dreaded scene, she felt the parchment being ripped from her hands. She groped for a tree branch and grabbed the nearest one tightly. Kathryn gasped for breath, and jerked her head to see a boy. He looked about her age, perhaps older, and now, the devilish looking thing was examining her beloved novel with squinting, unintelligent eyes. He was wearing a tunic and trousers made of rich fabric and embroidered with some crest that she probably knew but didn't stare at long enough to place. The sniveling prat was probably a stupid noble's child.

Kathryn's face heated as his hands turned the pages of her novel none too gently. He was ruining it! He had certainly already soiled the previously perfect parchment.

Kathryn huffed and asked him, "Now just what do you think you are doing, you simpleton?"

The boy turned to her. His warm brown eyes sparkled with amusement. "Looking at your book" he replied, smirking. "I didn't know women could read, as a matter of fact. I was interested." He shrugged. The nerve of him! Though he was interested in what she was reading, he did not seem interested in giving Kathryn her novel back. She clenched her fists. The boy continued speaking: "Why isn't a lady like yourself prettying yourself up in front of a mirror? You could certainly use it."

 Kathryn flushed in anger. She was one hundred percent positive she looked fine with her wild black hair pulled back in a messy, but practical bun. Maybe she wasn't the most beautiful girl, but she certainly wasn't ugly. Not that she cared what the boy thought. As far as she was concerned, loose tunics and trousers were so much better than silly fluffy dresses. Why should she sit simpering in a corset, simply because she was a girl? The answer was simple: she shouldn't, and she wouldn't.

Kathryn finally snapped, "Well, you bumbling buffoon, now that you have manhandled my book and insulted my sex, I would suggest you hand me the novel now, before I shove you from this tree." This fool of a boy was tugging at her nerves. And not the happy nerves.

"Who are you anyways? A silly serving girl?" The boy questioned. "You can't just talk to me like that and expect to get away with it." He casually tossed Kathryn's book hand to hand, making her clench her hands tighter. He grinned and announced, "I am Prince William of Dwolle."

Kathryn squinted at him. So that's who this boy was. One of the princeling brats of the Kings that her father, King James, had invited to stay with us for a short time. The Kings, royal relatives, and/or envoys of five kingdoms, Dwolle, Nydriar, Ethiloth, Boerynn, and Etherassia, had come to discuss politics, arrange marriages, and ratify the Treaty of the Six Kingdoms. The six kingdoms were the most powerful on the continent, and agreed to travel to Maelden, the largest and richest of the kingdoms, to ratify the treaty.

This had been just precisely what Kathryn had been trying to avoid when she climbed her tree. She was hoping not to meet any of the spoiled, bratty children of the other kingdoms.

She straightened her shoulders, drew a breath, and tried to muster up as much bravado as she could. "It is no business of yours knowing my identity. Now kindly, good prince, give me the novel or I repeat, I will not hesitate to shove you from this tree!" She said the last words at nearly a shout. And she was serious. If he didn't give her the book, he would meet two new friends. One being her fist, and the other the floor. Maybe he would even hit a branch or two on the way down.

The foolish Prince William of Dwolle smirked and held the book in the air, as if he planned to drop it into the grass below.

Kathryn finally lost it. She had given him two very clear warnings. Without thinking about the consequences, she snatched her book back and promptly pushed the young prince out of the tree.

Prince William gave a rather shrill and girly shout as he plummeted to the ground. He was genuinely shocked at this strange girl's actions. Girls were supposed to wear pretty dresses, do housework, and certainly not push people from trees. And what in all the six kingdoms was she doing reading, of all things, in a fig tree, of all places? She must be mad! That was all that he had time to think before his arm met the ground. He grimaced on pain. The arm was most likely broken.

As Kathryn watched him fall, she heard his scream, and saw him holding his arm in pain, she felt a sliver of guilt, but then banished it as he began cursing and spitting at her. Stupid prat. That ought to show him to take her seriously. She clutched her book to her chest, grateful that it had been returned to her at last. She gently placed it in her satchel and began her trek down the tree. When she made it down, the little prince was sitting on the grass with a scowl on his face. She smirked and crossed her arms.

"Come along now, Winfred" Kathryn said, intentionally missing his name. "I will show you to the infirmary." He grumbled, but didn't protest.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! What do you think so far? This is one of my first written stories so please tell me if it's awful (or good).

*virtual hug*

~Juli Monae