(-Becoming Royal-)

The Hood of Darkness

Edaline gently knocked on Sophie's door, dreading the conversation ahead.

"Sophie.. we need to talk.."

No answer.

"Listen, I know that this is difficult, especially with your father out preparing an attack on Everglen as we speak but- gah! What am I saying? Can I come in?"

Once again, there was no reply.

She took that as a yes, and slowly turned the knob. She saw a lump on the bed, surrounded by bracelets.

"Sophie I- are you okay?" She stepped to the bed and gently pulled the blanket off of Sophie.

Or what she thought was Sophie.

"What the-?!" Edaline jumped backwards when she saw a pile of pillows under the blanket.

"No no no no!"

She raced down the halls and out the front gate.

"Ready your men!" King Grady yelled into the night sky to his troops' commanders. "We attack on my command!"

On the horizon, there was another army, Everglen's army.

They all stood there with shaky legs, knowing that this was the princess's kingdom and they didn't want to anger her. Every soldier had seen what she was capable of, her wrath.

At the head of the army was Alden, he bore no weapon, no armor nor horse.

The only thing that separated them was a river, one that would take them at least five minutes to wade through.

"Grady, my dear friend, please!" Alden yelled from over the river. "This is rash, even for you! We need to discuss this instead of harming the lives of others!"

"I didn't appreciate your hiding information about my daughter from me! We had a deal! And if you had seen her these past weeks," He yelled back. "you would have seen that she's grown weak. She's dependent, which is not how I raised her. You have changed her for the worst!"

"That isn't reason enough for war!"

"In my eyes, it is. I-!"

"GRADY!" A feminine voice called from far, far away.

"Eda...?" He pulled the reigns of his horse and turned to her. She rode in on a horse of her own.

"Grady Sophie is gone!" She cried. "There was a string of bracelets on her bed, they spelled 'find us, Moonlark'! Grady she hasn't been seen for a few days!"

"What...?!" He turned to Alden. "You took her!"

"I've done nothing of the sort!" He yelled back.

"Liar!" Grady signaled for a soldier to take Edaline back to the castle for safety. "Men, ready your weapons. There will be blood tonight!"

"You leave us no choice..." Alden sadly bowed his head. "Soldiers, for Everglen!"

They cried back in praise of their kingdom.

Like a gunshot, each army raced towards each other, yelling words of hate at the others.

They had made it over the river after much struggle.

About 50 yards before they could make contact, however, something fell from the sky and onto the ground, sticking a landing on it's feet.

"What is that?" A soldier asked, from which side was unclear.

"I don't know..." Another replied.

Then the thing stood and it was revealed that it was a person, an elf.