a short story...

The beginning of a short children's story I wrote when inspiration struck...   

- 

PROLOGUE

 

The two countries had been at war for a long time.  Listra was rent in two, for what reason, no one could remember. The first generation was nearly gone, and a new risen in their place, to continue the fight, having no idea why. How had it started? Why had it started? No one knew. But what had it been like with no war? What was peace like? Only one person could remember.

-

CHAPTER ONE

          

           In the palace of Eastern Listra, nestled among the mountains, overlooking the Great River that flowed through the Grendeline Valley, sat Princess Celia. She was seventeen years old, and her face and arms were tan from long hours outdoors. She had long, curly, brunet hair, which her maid, Mildred was brushing; it must be admitted, rather impatiently. 

“Ow!” Celia cried, as her maid yanked the brush through a particularly stubborn knot. “Can’t you be gentler?” 

Mildred sniffed, annoyed. “I should cut it all off if I had any say,” she muttered rebelliously.  

 Celia leaped to her feet. “Why Mildred!” She exclaimed. “How ridiculous you are! If you had only told me that you hated brushing hair, I could have got someone else long ago! Don’t brush a single stroke more,” she added, grabbing the hairbrush from Mildred’s startled hands. 

Mildred looked worried. “But miss, will I be thrown out?” she asked, in great concern. 

“No, Mildred!” laughed Celia,  “I will just hire someone else to brush my hair!”. She was blissfully heedless of the cost of servants.

The new maid was hired. She seemed rather old, but she did her task quite well. She often told Celia beautiful stories as the thick stubborn hair was brushed into shining dark ringlets. One day, she told Celia about the squirrels living in Worden Woods. 

Celia sighed. “I do wish I could have a pet squirrel. But no one is willing to catch one for me. They say squirrels are extremely difficult to catch.”   

The maid looked up, and her smile made her blue eyes sparkle. She smoothed back one of her own white locks. “Ah, but these squirrels would love to become your pet. They are gentle, and nearly tame, for few people try to catch them.”  Celia was enchanted. Her dream since she had been a little child was to have a pet squirrel, though her parents were not keen on the idea. Both the king and the queen were agreed on the fact that squirrels were ugly pests.

The princess failed to notice the smile, and looked up excitedly, thinking to herself, “How perfectly splendid! I shall catch one myself! What an adventure!” Her green eyes danced at the thought.  She was a wise young woman, though, and knew from experience that a princess was allowed to go very few places alone. So she kept her mouth shut.   

She mused under her breath. “Mother and Father will be in the throne room all day on Friday. That will be the best time. November the 7^th. That leaves me four days to get ready.” The old lady’s eyes twinkled. She had keener ears than the princess realized.

 -

And... 

A map of Listra, in case you are still interested. 

:P

(I had as fun painting the illustrations as I had writing the story. The map was my favorite part.)