Híril with naur in hen emel / Lady with Fire in her Heart

Chapter One

  "How many times do I have to tell you that you are not allowed to carry a weapon? You are a Princess!" came the vile spittle of the King. "As King and your Father you are forbidden to carry such items" he demanded, again. With a flick of his wrist a couple of guards came over and removed all the weaponry the Princess was carrying.

"Llanastra why are you doing this?" asked her Mother with a delicate and sorrowful tone. The Princess Llanastra looked down and played with her fingers. She looked around in hope of seeing something that she could use as a distraction.

They were in the Grand Hall that was sculpted many centuries ago by their ancestors. The pale stone around them is raised as high as the trees surrounding them. There are gaps and cracks in the walls where bushes and long climbing stalks have made its way down the walls, giving the Hall a natural essence. "I believe that a woman should be rehearsed in the art of defending herself, even with guards at her side, Princess should be able to access weaponry!" Llanastra stated after minutes of silence. She looked up at her parents who were seated on high oak thrones that are carved in the body of one tree. Her Mother had her face in her hands while her Father balled his hands in his fists, glaring at his disobedient child.

"You don't trust our guards? The very guards that have saved us from every misfortune this land has been in? Many lives have been lost-" The King began

"Yes you told me, 'so we can live in peace' but I want to be able to defend myself, why can't you understand that?" Llanastra spoke over in anger.

The King stood up in a fit of rage "You insolent child! How dare you talk over me! Guards, take the Princess to her room. She will not be having supper this evening" he glared.

"I don't need guards to escort me to my room. I can take care of myself!" she spat in return and promptly left the Great Hall and briskly walked down the halls leaving the guards behind her. Storming down the halls and out to the woodland forest where her people stared at her in bewilderment. "Your highness" a few announced and curtsied. Coming to her senses Llanastra gave a fake smile back, nodded and turned in the opposite direction. Tusra Graylock was coming after her at a fast pace. Tusra was her mentor and he really did not look happy!

"Llanastra, Princess Llanastra!" he called. She sped up her walking speed as she dodged all the elves and darted up her tower. Llanastra's tower consisted of several rooms, at the top was her living quarters, following down to her arts and crafts room, then her teaching room and finally her Mentor's room was at the bottom, almost underground. There were a set of steps leading down to his room.

Darting upwards she ran straight for her room and locked the door afterwards. Soon she heard Tusra knocking on the door. "*Neth Ris are you okay?" came the saddened voice of her mentor.

"Go away traitor!" she demanded. With a pain in his heart he stayed silent for a few moments "You snake, you told Arda that I am carrying a weapon!" This was a true fact and he placed his hand on the smooth wooden door.

"He would've claimed me a traitor and had me killed" he said softly. A few moments pass and Llanastra swings open the door to glare at him face to face, only to be greeted by a solemn look of truth. Tusra stood in front of her with a book of magic in his hand and his half-moon monocle glass began to slip off him nose as he looked at the floor. Tusra's hair was a sharp crimson that slicked back into a half pony, the rest curved slightly to just underneath his shoulders. He wore a long overcoat draped in a turquoise colour and a brown shoulder pad shaped like an eagle wing. Llanastra felt like she could forgive him and placing a finger underneath his chin she smiled and brought his gaze to hers. Llanastra remembered that his eyes were mismatched, one eye was a dark brown almost crimson like his hair, while the right eye was a pale red and wore a scar from his cheek up to just past his brow.

"I forgive you, but you do understand my reasoning for it" she asked

He nodded "I do, but sadly I have to follow the King's orders before yours." He said slowly in a heavy sigh.

Tusra and Llanastra have been together since a young age, secret friends. He would dress up as a girl to be able to play with Llanastra. Then as the years went on he stopped coming, but wrote to her every day that he was away. Suddenly, without Llanastra's knowledge he arrived at the castle and had been assigned as her mentor. Since then Llanastra and Tusra have been inseparable.

Later that evening, Llanastra was sat in the art room, embroidering for her new dress. A knock on the door brings her out of her thoughts and gazes as a letter Tusra was holding. He looked like he was forcing a smile, "Would you be a dear and read it for me please? I am too far into my embroidery, it will spoil if I stop." Llanastra asked.

"As you wish my Lady" he bowed. He opened up the letter and began to read "Dearest Llanastra. I apologies for the inconvenience of this letter, but I must inform you that the Lord and Lady Yinlana are due to arrive, along with your first suitor. Their son Tanyl Yinlana. For their arrival we are going to hold a ball with a grand feast. Your father demands you attend and to keep all weapons out of sight. ~ Much love, Mother."

Llanastra sat silently and continued her embroidery, the awkward silence was driving Tusra mad, but he held his tongue. Eventually she stopped and looked at him, there were tears in her eyes as she stood. "I...I can't do this!" she spoke "I can't marry, I don't want to marry!" she added

Racing to the window Llanastra called out two names "Leena! Este!" she shouted. There was a moment of silence before two figures swung into the room through the window.

"So you are the Kelberos twins!" Tusra muttered with a gasp.

"I need you to find out as much about Lord Tanyl Yinlana. He is soon to be a suitor of mine and I want to know more about him. You have till sundown tomorrow" Llanastra demanded. They bowed courteously and proceeded to leave via the window.

*Neth Ris ~ Young Queen