Emerald Hills

Chapter one: Snow

If the sky was a canvas, today it was painted using one colour: Grey. Snow usually liked rainy gloomy days. She could sit curled up inside the cottage and read: The history of Emerald Hills. Snow liked to know things, things about other cats and stories from afar. They inspired her, and gave her more of idea of what was going on in the world. Her town was small, her house was small, but the world was ginormous. And compared to the world, her life was quite small, just another breathing cat, out of a whole population. Her problems were worth nothing. But today was a problem and it seemed like was worth a lot. To her at least.

She usually spent her Sundays walking around and greeting neighbours, or at the market selling the fruits and vegetables she grew in her small backyard. Most of the time she wouldn't mind it if her Sunday's were spent indoors, that would give her a chance to write to her father. He was stuck in the hospital with a bad case of heart worms, as for Snow's mother...she died when Snow was just a kitten, so it was her father that had raised her. Snow missed her father very much.

Everyday Snow thought. Snow thought a lot. About how things could be different, about her mother, about the future, present, past. Thought about the small town she lived in, about how wealthy she felt even though she barely had anything. To her, she was the wealthiest, richest, cat of all! It did not matter to snow that she most definitely was not, the wealthiest and richest cat. She was far from it. Probably the exact opposite. Sometimes it was hard to stop thinking and breathe. Just breathe the fresh air of a lung piercingly cold dawn, just bring herself into the present moment. Enough thinking, deciphering, or playing out scenarios. It was useful but sometimes annoying to have such a thought filled head.

Snow had a lovely neighbourhood, a small town filled with friendly country cats. It was place where everyone knew everyone and everything about everyone. So "secret" was a foreign term. So of course everyone knew that Snow's roof was a problem, an issue. Especially in rain.

Snow placed a paw to her forehead. "Urghhh."

Snow overall loved gloomy days, but today was different.

Today was not a good day. Her roof was leaking due to the strong rain hammering down on her cottage. Snow had used every single bucket she owned, to catch the droplets as they fell from the ceiling. Snow was usually different from other cats, but was no different when it came to the popular opinion of being wet. Like every other cat, she hated it.

"Father will definitely hear about this in my next letter" she mumbled, uncharacteristically grumpy. I wonder how he is. My father.. I should visit him soon. He's probably bored out of his mind, and I'm selfishly not there with him. Is anyone else in the village experiencing leaking? My roof really sucks. I mean the cat who built it must've been crazy! Or maybe just broke and couldn't afford to build a better one. I wonder who they were.. I never met them.. well the house is quite old so their probably dead. Snow weaved through the buckets, careful not to knock any of them. She padded over to the coat hanger in the corner of the room, she slipped on her yellow raincoat. She stopped and stared into the mirror. Staring back at her, were her strange eyes. She had one blue eye and one yellow. She was often teased for having two different colour eyes. Her father always told her they were unique and beautiful. I miss him. And my mother, who I barely knew.. I'm sure father would have been devastated and he still had to take care of me. That would have been hard. And now I am losing him too.. Snow thought, remembering her last visit to the hospital. He's gotten worse.. I wish I could help him...

Snow blinked before tears could come, brought herself back to the present moment and walked out the door. She was instantly soaked to the bone with cold water, she shivered. Snow frowned at the sky. She put her front paws on the walls of her house, and jumped up with her back legs. Her claws scratched the roof as she struggled up. The wind howled and the sky seemed to be laughing at her attempt to fix the roof.

There were problems that could be fixed and ones that cannot be fixed. This was one of those "cannot be fixed" problems. There seemed to be small gaps in the tiles, too small to notice if you don't look closely. The only way to fix the roof would be to replace it. Snow could never afford that in a thousand years. It was way too expensive. Makes sense why the cat who built it, couldn't afford a better roof.

Snow leaped off the roof. There seemed to be a letter at her door. It was soggy and wet. Snow must of walked past it on her way out. She picked up the letter and squinted at it. The ink had been smeared from the rain. She knew instantly it was from the royal family, because of the royal paper and colouring. Looks important, but why would they send a letter to me of all cats? I'm a nobody. I must not be the only one who got a letter.. Ripping open the top, she slipped the letter out with caution, who knows what was in here?

It read:

Dear citizens of Emerald hills,
I announce that a ball will be held in my royal grounds, to find my daughter, Princess Panther, a husband. We have tried to limit this to just royalty and cats of importance, but had no luck in finding that special future king. So we've opened our gates to anyone who would like to come. You must come dressed in your best clothes, and arrive at sundown. By the time the sun rises, Panther will have chosen her king.
Signed, Queen crow.

A ball. Seriously? Shouldn't the queen be doing more important things rather than dancing and throwing parties. And she surely wouldn't marry her daughter to a non-royal. There must be something more.. maybe a secret arrangement with a prince. The ball is just a distraction to make everyone think she's a kind and fair queen, but I guess I could go.. maybe have fun too. And then I'll actually have something to tell my father about.
"I guess I am going to the ball."