Innocence and Corruption

Thunder shook the rock walls of Westerfell castle as Sabrina sat straight up in her bed, her blue eyes a darker shade than usual matching the deep shadows. Seconds later, she heard voices approaching her large intricately carved ebony bedroom door.

The male voice was not familiar but the hushed urgent response was her handmaiden. "It isn't propper for you to enter these chambers without letting me dress the princess first." She struggled to sit up, the pure silk of her night gown sliding slippery between her and the woven bed linens.

The night's silence carried unfamiliar sounds of metal against metal, through the distance. It replaced the insects and night creatures that usually serenaded her to sleep.

She shook her head, the ends of her dark brown wavy hair brushed against her shoulders. She tried to make sense of her surroundings but the fog of her nightmares still clung to her conscience. It filled her with a dreadful urgency to get to her father. He would listen and soothe her, as he had before.

The gruff voice replied, "then get her dressed immediately for riding. It will be a long night. And King Halbert said we must move immediately."

Sabrina felt her heart racing, as she wondered why her father would wake her before sunrise. He usually ensured she slept well so she could properly attend to her duties throughout the castle.

The door swung open for a brief moment, the room beyond unnaturally bright. Sabrina thought she saw a light magician's magic out there.

The handmaid whispered, "Princess, princess." When Sabrina did not answer right away, her handmaiden took a couple steps closer to the bed. "My eyes won't adjust well after that bright ball of light." Sabrina could tell she was worried about tripping over an unseen object, despite the fact that she kept it spotless.

"Tracena?" Sabrina whispered, not wanting the girl to struggle unnecessarily. "What's going on?" Her voice cracked slightly, the cobwebs of sleep affected her throat as well, apparently.

"The King sent men here to take you to his hunting cabin. You need to get dressed. Apparently it is some emergency!" Tracena had made it to her clothing cabinet. The mahogany wood creaked softly, as the large doors opened.

Sabrina pushed herself out of her feather bed before allowing her bare feet to land on the cold wooden flooring at her bedside. The handmaiden knew her cabinet well, having dressed her since before either could remember.

Tracena was only a couple years older than Sabrina and had been given to her father, when a nearby farm could not pay what they owed the King. It was a simple exchange of labor for debt.

It had taken a couple months before they had come to an agreement, Sabrina being a brat, and proud of it, and Tracena prefered life with her own family. But neither had a choice. The King had tasked Tracena with caring for Sabrina and there were dire consequences to pay if they had not figured it out.

The wisp of a girl had grown into a full bodied woman. Sabrina had seen eyes on Tracena from would be suitors. But she knew the handmaiden's heart belonged to one man. Sabrina's favorite feature was Tracena's soft brown eyes. She kept her straight black hair chin length and loose.

As the years had passed, Sabrina came to think of her handmaiden as a big sister, always reminding her of why she should not do what she planned or covering for Sabrina when those plans went awry. They had their fights and disagreements but it was always settled between the two of them. Then, there was all the fun they had had together.

She allowed Tracena to remove her nightgown, her own skin glowing softly pearlescent in the moonlight. She glanced up in the mirror, meeting her own blue eyes. Her soft brown hair pulled behind her in a braid now messy from sleep. There was no time to fix that, she thought to herself.

Her face was feminine with soft curves around the edges. She had heard people whispering in the castle where they thought she could not hear. They would say how jealous they were of her creamy skin. One woman in the kitchen had even compared her to a swan. It had made Sabrina laugh at the time.

She was dressed in her riding gown and being pushed towards the door before she knew it. Tracena had become adept at her job, Sabrina admired quietly. "Get dressed. You're coming with us." Sabrina whispered to Tracena, even as the maiden pushed the princess through the door.

In the other room, a light magician was followed around by the signature glowing orb of his kind. He smiled and bowed deeply. The two knights behind him had been chatting quietly when she entered but quickly quieted to follow the same protocol.

Sabrina was unimpressed as she waved a hand at them. "Hello! What is going on?" She stood proudly with practiced poise, as the men looked up at her from beneath their bows. Sabrina huffed and used her right hand to indicate the usually required chivalry. "Come now. I hear there is an emergency. We can save all this." .

The three stood quickly. "We are to take you to the hunting cabin, your highness." The light magician answered. He clearly thought he was in charge. It was not unusual for the magical to automatically be given rank. But Sabrina was not impressed, she allowed it to show on her face. He paused, a wrinkle furrowing between his brows. "It is of dire importance."

The sound of metal on metal finally registered in her mind as it now carried through her room and the opened door. A scream rang through the night, and the light magician looked at her impatiently. "Please princess." He pleaded.

"Tracena!" She called before her handmaiden came quickly out of the bedroom, completely dressed and carrying Sabrina's plain gray cloak. "There is a chill in the night." Tracena explained.

Sabrina nodded. "Let's go. But you shall tell me what is happening outside the castle walls before we get to the stables." She figured they would take the castle halls until they reached the door that led directly to the stables. The magician turned with the knights, sabrina and tracena on his heels.