STORY STARTER
Submitted by Oddity
‘Ultimately, she decided to marry the king, but not for power or riches...’
Raining Figs
It's not quite the prompt, but this is just the beginning, lol enjoy…
“-And don't get distracted!” he shouted. Selina closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, she would listen to her father and get the needed things. But not before she took a quick detour towards the castle gardens. Selina stuffed the paper in her pocket and pulled on her jacket. She loved the fresh smell of pine in the frosty air. “Not too cold, and not too hot, just the way I like it,” she thought pleasantly. The amber leaves shifted and shimmered in the morning sun, casting warm light all around. It was a perfect day to run. Although running was not proper for a young woman, she did it anyway. Her mother disapproved of this practice, but Selina didn’t care in the slightest. Her light footsteps hardly made a sound as she bounded through the forest. A commoner like herself was not allowed past the castle gates, but she knew a secret way in. Her dusty blonde hair bounced behind her with each footfall. With piercing blue eyes and a lightly freckled face, she stood out from the ordinary. Her family of four lived on the outskirts of the main city. That was where the poor were put. Everyone within their small outer group had brown hair, brown eyes, and farm-tanned skin. The typical. Her little brother, Will, made fun of her quite frequently. “He’s such a follower,” she whispered while shaking her head. As she got closer to the city she slowed to a walk. Then, she left the main road and went down an old game trail. At first, it was narrow and the branches scraped against her, but as she went farther, the trail widened into a small path. It wasn't long after this that she arrived at an old, ivy-covered white gate. She pushed open the long unlatched door and and quietly walked in. Hardly anyone visited the gardens, and if they did it was only for a short while. To them, nature was something to look at through a window. It all seemed silly to Selina. Rows of flowers stretched between large apple trees. To her, this was the most magical place in the world. Carefully, she grabbed her pile of books and sat under the largest of the trees. Its gnarled roots spread out in every direction. She smiled contentedly and opened one of the books to her place. She read out loud, knowing that so far back no one would hear her. Her sweet voice filled the air with exaggerated accents as she flipped from one person to another. She read on for a while, enjoying the peaceful quiet. Finally, she stopped at a cliffhanger, wanting to save the most exciting part for tomorrow. Suddenly she felt something drop on her head. “Ow!” she exclaimed. Then another came and landed by her side. She picked it up, bouncing it in her palm. To her surprise, it was a fig. She looked up to see a young man hanging, only by his legs, from one of the nearby branches. Her eyes practically popped out of her head when she saw his attire. His jerkin was made of fine royal blue silk and embroidered with gold. “He must be filthy rich!” she thought, astounded. Tousled brown hair hung loosely from his upside-down head. Suddenly he pulled himself up and turned to look at her. “Were you throwing figs at me?” Selina accused, standing up.
“Well yes, I had to get your attention somehow,” came his clear accented response from above. Jumping down, his feet landed heavily on the dirt. He then dusted himself off, brushed his fingers through his hair, and held out his hand. “I’m Pri-” he paused when he looked into her eyes. “My name is Keldur, whats yours?”
“Selina Elkinsdaughter,” she said shaking his hand. It was smooth and strong. Suddenly her brows scrunched, “you could've just said something instead of throwing things at me.”
He smiled, sparkling white teeth showing, “but that would take away all the fun, now wouldn't it? Plus you ended at the worst time, I wanted to know what happened to Vakir and Seliran.” She shrugged and looked down, trying to avoid his peircing gaze. “Why is someone like him, talking to me?” She wondered and then said out loud,
“I’m sure you’ve heard the story before, it’s quite common.” He pointed at the castle gloomily,
“when your stuck in there all your life, you don’t do any reading for fun.” He shook his head.
“That’s sounds horrible!” She exclaimed, feeling thankful she had so much freedom.
“You see that window up there?” He asked stepping just behind her and pointing at a large window with roses growing in a box below it.
“Mhm.” He smelled like fresh pine, making it hard to focus.
“Do you see the woman with the horrible updo shouting and throwing things?” He asked.
“Yes…?” Selina said, confused.
He sighed and with a dramatic expression said, “THAT, is my aunt.” She giggled, the woman’s hair was very amusing.
“Why is she so angry?” He dragged his foot in the dirt making a little divot as he squinted and said,
“Well, I’m not exactly aloud to leave the castle, but I do. I have to get away from those stuffy nobles sometimes.”
“Not aloud? I think your quite old enough to make your own decisions.” She exclaimed, suddenly feeling annoyed. He threw up his hands, “That’s what I tell them every time.” He paused for a moment, making an uncomfortable silence. He looked at her again, eyes softening, “would you walk with me Selina?” He asked. “Walk? With him? What in the world is happening to me? Am I dreaming?” She thought, excitement making her stomach churn. “I would love to!” She exclaimed. But doubt began creeping in her mind and she paused, her brows scrunched in thought. She couldn’t be gone for long, her father would kill her if she didn’t pick up the blankets from the market. And Will needed those new shoes. “Something wrong?” Keldur asked, his concern plain. Suddenly she shoved away all her worries, it was still early in the morning and she would have plenty of time later. She looked up into his sparkling eyes and smiled. For the first time in a long while, she felt completely free. The autumn leaves cast a warm light all around, framing them in a glowing silhouette.
“No, I don’t believe anything is wrong at all.”