"Nadia's Prelude" By Princess Nadia She ran her finger gently over the portrait. It was the only memory she had of her mother... The picture was old and faded, but in it was a woman's face, not unlike Nadia's, but older, softer. She smiled sadly down at her daughter...or was it just Nadia's imagination? Turning away, she reached into a drawer and pulled out a pendant. A red jewel hung from the chain, and it sparkled as the sun's rays cast their glow upon the gem's many facets. The pendant had been her mother's. Nadia remembered her mother's words... Nadia. Her voice, so real... Then, Nadia's voice as a little girl. What is it, Mommy? They were sitting by the fire on a cold winter night, during a thunderstorm. She had been terrified of storms as a small child and had snuggled up close to her mother for comfort. Look, it's a pendant. She slipped the pendant around her daughter's neck. It's for you. Nadia, her eyes wide, had whispered, It's beautiful. Her mother smiled and said, This pendant is will protect you in times of need and will help you reach even your highest hopes. It can unlock the mysteries of time, and, most of all, unlock the keys to your heart. Nadia had not understood all of her mother's words, but now, she placed the pendant around her neck and shut the drawer where she had kept it all these years. She still wasn't sure what her mother had meant, but she thought, This is definitely what I'd call a time of need. She was sick of it, she was sick of everything. She was tired of being called Princess. She was sick of her royal duties. She was sick of the endless lessons and lectures about proper behavior for a princess. She was tired of being trapped in the castle and never being allowed to go outside the castle walls. She was sick of wearing uncomfortable, frilly dresses in the latest fashions that had about ten layers each and were incredibly stifling. She was tired of not being able to do what she wanted to do. Most of all, she was sick of being a princess. It wasn't the way it was in fairy tales, with grand balls and parties every night, a fairy godmother to call upon in times of despair, dashing princes that swept you off your feet... Nadia stood up. Fairy godmother or not, she was going to take things into her own hands. She'd make sure she never had listen to another lecture about behavior suitable for a princess, or be told what to do. She didn't want to be trapped in the castle anymore, or wear expensive, frilly dresses, or be called "Princess". She just wanted to be a normal teenager. Most of all, she wanted to be free. Nadia knew what she had to do. She was going to run away. She tied up her hair, grabbed her crossbow, and left the room. ___________________________________________________ She wandered through the forest aimlessly, enjoying the peacefulness of the afternoon and savoring the taste of her new-found freedom. She had managed to slip out the servant's entrance through the kitchen while no one was looking. From there, she had managed to get rid of the guard at the castle gates with a few words and a simple trick; she wasn't too surprised that he had fallen for it. Her father had the dullest guards! Half of them were too busy with strutting around in their regal uniforms, and the other half were too preoccupied with making eyes at the admiring women in her father's court. Nadia frowned. She, at least, had the sense not to fall at their feet. She wanted a man with some intelligence, who was kind and charming, not these pathetic fools! Her frown deepened. Finally, she forced herself to turn her mind to other, more pressing problems. Where would she go, now that she had run away from the castle? She certainly didn't have anywhere to stay. Besides, her stomach was gently yet firmly reminding her that lunchtime was already past due. She had nothing to eat other than the small loaf of fresh bread she had managed to sneak out of the kitchen, and that was already half gone. Going back to the castle was certainly out of the question. Briefly, Nadia wondered how a fried beetle would taste, then quickly dismissed the thought with a shudder. There was an abundance of beetles in Guardia Forest, but when it came down to it, she couldn't bear the thought of eating one. Nadia wandered along, immersed in thought, not fully aware of where she was going. Gradually, she became aware of a fork in the road ahead of her. She paused, considering. The road to the left led into another part of the forest. Far off in the distance, she spotted a grassy clearing, which stretched out invitingly to weary travelers. As far as she could see, the other path led out of the forest and into lands unknown. Sunlight dotted the gap through the trees, which led to...what? Adventure? Romance? Or possibly both? Nadia followed it. ---------------------------------------------- Her first impression upon entering Truce Village was that the town was too noisy, with too many people. The normally quiet village had suddenly been transformed into a hubbub of excitement due to a grand event, which took place only once every thousand years. The excitement could be tasted in the air, and visitors bustled about chatting idly with each other or stopping to inquire about the news every now and then. Merchants hurried by, hauling their wares, and children ran through the streets, their carefree laughter carrying over the noise of the crowd. It was the day of the first Millenial Fair in the history of Guardia. Nadia didn't know any of this, of course. She soon became lost in the crowd, and struggled to find her footing. Guardia Castle, where she had lived, hadn't been like this! Sure, the people in her father's castle were busy enough. It was every bit as noisy, but there was a difference. Back at the castle, Nadia was familiar with everyone. Here, she didn't know a single soul, and she had the impression that if anyone recognized her, they wouldn't even care what happened to her. She hastily banished these thoughts out of her mind. Of course they care, she told herself firmly. I'm the princess. However, instead of having a reassuring effect, these words only served to increase the state of her despondency. Feeling small and insignificant, she ducked into a nearby doorway to momentarily escape the crowd. A glance at the sign above her head told her that she was standing in front of Truce Inn. Making up her mind, she decided it wouldn't hurt to go inside and try and learn something about this strange place. Besides, the smell of food from inside was making her mouth water uncontrollably. It was mid-afternoon when she entered the inn. The inn was nearly empty, except for the innkeeper, a piano player, and a few customers. A moody looking waitress shuffled about, cleaning tables. Nadia had expected it to be as noisy as the village streets outside. She sighed in relief at the peaceful surroundings. Wondering at this strange turn of events, she pushed the door open further and stepped inside. ------------------------------------- "You're not from around here, are you, missy?" The stout innkeeper asked as she sank wearily into a chair. "How..how can you tell?" The man grinned. "Well, for starters, miss, you sure don't look like anyone from Truce." He peered at her closely, then decidedly changed the subject, to which Nadia was immensely grateful. "You been to the fair yet?" "Fair? What fair?" Nadia asked, puzzled. The innkeeper stared. "Geez, you really aren't from around these parts, are you? The fair! The first annual Millenial Fair! It's the greatest event that's taken place in the history of Guardia!" He added, "Folks from all over are coming to visit the fair. Some have come from places as far away as Porre!" He paused and eyed her suspiciously. "Where did you say you were from, missy?" "I..." Nadia's throat constricted, her throat felt dry. "Choras? Medina?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "You're not a mystic, are you? You don't look like one to me, but you never know with those mystics..." "No." She assured him. "I'm not. But, um, I really should be getting on my way." Nadia got up hurriedly. "Where did you say this Millenial Fair was being held?" _____________________________________________________________ "Welcome to the Millenial Fair! Have fun!" a man greeted Nadia as she walked into the square. The square was crowded with tents, booths, stalls, and people. Delicious looking fruits and sweets beckoned invitingly from counters where merchants had set up their wares. The striped tents housed other merchants, ones that sold armor, weapons, rare potions, and medicine... Pausing beside a pink and white striped tent, Nadia admired an ornate bronze helmet. Setting it down, she moved on. In the far corner of the square, a huge tent was set up. Beside it stood a boy. "This is the renowned tent of horrors," he told her. "Spend your silver points here!" "Silver points?" "You can earn silver points by participating in different contest," he explained. "Like Lucca's robot battle trainer at the other side of the square." He grinned. "It's a tough one! I still have the bruises to show for it," he added ruefully. After the boy pointed her off in the direction of the robot trainer, she walked past some runners in strange costumes, a strange-looking old man selling weapons, and a boy sitting on a bench. As she walked by, she heard the boy muttered to himself, "So what if we won some war against a wizard hundreds of years ago?" Before her loomed a gigantic bell at the very center of the square. She felt strangely...drawn to it. She moved closer to examine the inscription. It read: In Memory of Queen Leene. She ran her finger along the words. Her mother used to say something about a descendent named Leene. She couldn't quite remember... Nadia turned to go. She had taken less than three steps when she bumped into something hard. The impact sent her reeling to the ground. "Ouch! That hurt!" she said, getting up. Glancing around, she realized the something she had bumped into was actually a someone. A figure lay sprawled on the ground next to her. It stirred and got up slowly. "I'm so sorry! Are you OK?" Nadia asked with concern. When she looked up, she found herself staring into a pair of the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. _____________________________________________________________ Author's Note: Well, that's the end of the story! Like it? Hate it? Send questions, comments, and criticisms to moon_princess@iname.com!