moon
Elite Writer
Posts : 5597
Join date : 2011-02-16
Age : 25
Location : lost in the woods
 |  Subject: seven stars  Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:30 pm | |
| Seven Stars Reniah’s pale eyes scanned the dim horizon, sun not yet lit from behind a mass of monstrous clouds. “Reniah, the king is waiting,” a bell-like voice rang from behind her. Spinning on her heel, the champion simply nodded.
“Of course, what am I to waste the kings time?” she responded obediently. Grabbing her sword from the moss-covered wall, she walked up the cold steps to meet her royals.
“Oh shush, they can find another champion anytime, don’t waste your breath, girl,” the woman snapped, her beady green eyes forming snake-like slits.
Laying a small finger on the hilt of her blade, the woman retreated. A smirk danced across her lips as she continued up the grand staircase. No one ever stood a chance once Reniah touched her blade. They knew all too well that she could kill them, a thousand ways in the most cruel and painful of crimes.
Leather boots making hollow echoes across the barren castle grounds, the morning air stood still holding its breath. Trained eyes watched her climb her way to the royals, not trusting the most vicious female in the country. The land of the Seven Stars was a truly magnificent nation. Rolling hills in the west made their way into steep mountains, areas strictly used for mining. Rivers and lakes were dotted along the stretch of country land, allowing for trade to be more easily accessed.
“Reniah, hurry up, her majesty doesn’t have all day!” exclaimed Bertha, the maid whom had raised the young champion since birth.
“I know, the steps are rather lengthy, hm?” the girl responded, raising a thin, dark, eyebrow. The light slap she received in reply did nothing to quicken her pace, before she stood in front of heavy oak doors, guarded by guards.
As the doors creaked open, she stepped into the grand throne room. A long room, filled with stained glass windows of olden times, suited the kingdom. The castle must reflect only the best of a nation, showing both strength and power.
Kneeling in front of the king and queen, she stood perfectly still. Edmund the third smiled down from his throne, a gentle twinkle in his deep blue eyes. Reniah was alive thanks to the king, and his adventurous nature. Her father was a navy captain among Edmund’s fleet, who had died in the war of the Silver Dawn.
The king, a loyal man, promised the captain only the best for his daughter, who was somewhere alone in the hills with her mother. Beaten and bruised, the young girl lay in the hay, aside several oxen and sheep. Her mother, driven insane by the grief of losing her husband, killed herself. Reniah was taken in, and cared for.
The young girl was supposed to be sent to death, the kingdom not needing another orphan. However, Reniah had a fierce determination, even as a young girl. As she was being sent away, she managed to draw a sword, and attempted to attack the guards. Amused, the king decided to spare her life until she was a teenager, when she would prove her worth.
The champion wished she could say the same for her queen, Constance. The woman’s harsh stare was enough to make anyone avoid eye contact, even Reniah at times. She hadn’t wanted the girl’s presence the second her small body was introduced to the castle grounds. Constance wishes nothing more, until the day that she has to select a new warrior.
“At ease,” Edmund said sharply, his voice filling the room with an unnerving echo. Rising, Reniah stood tall, making her small frame seem regal and bold, as she always did in the arenas. “The duke of Silver Chalet has requested a visit,” he began; the sting of old ties with nations showing in his voice. Silver Chalet had declared war on Seven Stars years ago, when she was young.
“Am I to duel him?” Reniah interrupted, a childish grin spreading across her face. The champion couldn’t help it, the urge to fight ran through her veins even in the most serious of times.
“Do not interrupt his majesty!” Constance declared, her high voice cutting the mood like a knife. Stiffening, her smile evaporated from her face, head bent downward.
“Constance,” Edmund scolded a calming hand place on top of his wife’s. “As entertaining as that would be, he is bringing his three sons, to court Janella,” the king continued.
Reniah’s jaw clenched at the mention of Janelle, the fair princess of Seven Stars. Taking almost entirely after her scornful mother, the champion wished daily to meet her the next time golden gates opened to reveal her opponent. “Duel the sons, then?” she questioned, amusement lingering in the air.
She hadn’t ever killed royalty. Reniah had killed all sorts of people, from commoners to prisoners, but never royalty. The champion found delight in all of her fights, even if they were simple. Her job was simple; drag out the death of her opponent, and make it interesting, despite the unfair match up.
“Of course not! You are not murdering guests!” Constance’s voice screeched. Simply lowering her head, Reniah waited for the real reason that she was sent up to see the majesties.
“The sons will need a guide throughout their endeavors here, they need a guide,” Edmund responded, a gentle smile still glistening on his face. Reniah realized what the king meant. She was to guard the sons, as they fought for the hand of the prideful Janelle.
“They will watch you fight, and if they approve of your skills, you will protect them,” he insisted. Reniah was yet to know if the king really knew her feelings towards people in general, how lives were short-lived, and simply taken. “Do you accept?”
Nodding briskly, she didn’t wait for an excuse to leave. Reniah had to train, prepare for this. “Yes,” Reniah called, her braid hitting her back as she ran down the stairs, to the arena.
------------------------------------------------------------------ “Dmitri!” a strict voice screamed, followed by the moans of a young boy. Janelle waited impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a silky pink gown. Her golden hair perfectly shined, and elegantly styled, she tapped her foot with impatience. “Hurry up!”
A small wisp of red hair thundered down the stone steps, echoes filling the castle. “Janelle!” Dmitri repeated, mocking his older sister’s tone. Dressed in a traditional fashion, the ten year old looked tremendously out of his comfort zone.
“Come, the suitors are waiting!” she said swiftly, dragging the frame of the prince along with her. “For me, and aren’t to be kept waiting by you.”
----------------------------------------------------------------- Silver armor, looking as fresh as the dawn, suited Reniah perfectly. Her small frame didn’t appear as deadly as it was. A three-foot long blade, made from the finest metals available, shone at her side. Today was the day of the suitor’s arrival, where they would pick their guard. No matter how much she despised having to watch the men chosen to marry Janelle, it was an honor.
Stepping out into the bright sunlight, she met the familiar faces of the royal family. Sitting alongside the king, was another man, wearing deep purple robes and a bold grin. The duke. Alongside him, were three boys, all of the same age. The first had a kind face, with dark eyes, and a thick mess of uneven hair, flowing in whichever way possible. A mess of blonde curls followed him, with steel blue eyes. Reniah sensed something off about the second son, but dismissed it. The last son looked just like his father, with a confident grin and hazel eyes.
“Welcome, friends, guests, and fighters, to the introduction of my daughter’s choosing,” a loud voice boomed, coming from none other than the king himself. “Without further ado, I present Reniah, Champion of Seven Stars, and her opponent, Jaxson, of Ruby Cliffs.”
Hearing the usual muted cheers from the audience, she watched a decently sized boy walk out from the golden gates. He appeared to be at least six inches taller than the girl, with a double-bladed axe resting in his hands. She could guess he was a prisoner of war, from their nearby enemy. If he killed Reniah, the boy would be freed from a life in captivity.
“Captives first,” Reniah teased formally, gripping her weapon. Her jet black hair was tied in a loose braid, as fingers of it branched across her face in the breeze. The prisoner simply spat on the ground before sprinting at the champion.
She had decided to make the deaths before the suitors swift, and efficient, for the insurance that she was indeed a deadly assassin. As Jaxson neared, Reniah had already decided where her blade would end up penetrating his flesh, and a backup plan.
Kicking her opponent in the gut, she quickly stabbed her blade along the lining of his armor, deep into his chest. A gasp was heard from the captive, before she removed her blade. Cleaning the scarlet blood off the silver sword, she wiped the sticky liquid on her armor.
Backing away from the dead body, she started directly in the view of the sons. Her hair blew softly in the breeze as she saw them speaking to each other, her heart pounding clearly in her ears. Reniah tried to slow her breathing, adrenaline still pumping through her veins from the short-lived fight.
After what seemed like decades, Edmund’s voice rang clearly through the arena. “Thank you all for attending, I apologize from taking the entertainment away,” he declared, motioning to Reniah. Her chest swelled up with joy, the idea of being a guard for once, instead of a trinket for the amusement of others.
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