The Guardian Chronicles: Chapter Four

The day passed by slowly. Arya talked to me about Beijing, and as I had guessed, Artemis. She was glad that I was happy being with him. Sometimes I wondered if she seemed more like a mother because I had told her when we were little and would play castle that she could be my royal advisor.As the hours dragged on, I watched Irina with profound intensity. She glared at me every time she passed me, but otherwise acted as if nothing had happened last night. When I returned to my room after lunch, there was a note lying on my vanity table. I picked it up and flopped on the bed to read it.

Luna--Please meet me in our "place" by the lake after sunset. I need to talk to you. It's important.--Arya

I waited for sunset in silence. Finally, my wait was over. I took out my diary and quickly scrawled an entry.

Dear Diary,

Going to meet Arya. Will finish entry upon return.

I threw the book under the bed and headed through the courtyard and into the woods toward the lake.Irina was waiting."Where is Arya?" I didn't hide my emotions this time. I made it clear that I wanted her dead, that I wanted to kill her. She made it clear that she felt the same way about me. She took a step toward me, her eyes burning with hatred."Your sister is at home, of course. Are you honestly stupid enough to believe that she would be here? Silly girl...""The note was from you. But how did you--""Oh, it was all too easy to get your little sister to dispense the proper information." She smirked."Now, let's finish our little battle, shall we?" She lunged at me, and I leapt to the left. She caught my ankle, and I landed hard on the ground. She grabbed my right wrist, and stood, pulling me with her. I turned to run. She jerked my wrist, turning me to face her and snapping the bone. I cried out, but she slapped her hand over my mouth, muffling my scream. I tried to break free, but her grip would not break.Finally, I was able to loosen her grip, and I bit down on her hand. She let go, and I slid to the ground. I turned to run toward the castle, which was behind her. Before I could get far enough from her, however, she brought her hand toward my face. I felt her hand hit my cheek, and I fell backwards. My head hit a tree as Irina came to stand near me."I've had enough of your little games, Brat. It's over. I win." Before I could register anything, her dagger was in her hand. The dagger, however, was not my worst problem.In my attempt to understand, I had failed to notice that on her back was a silver scabbard, from which she now pulled a second blade, this one the length of my entire arm. She came toward me, her hatred for me burning like fire in her eyes. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't scream. I could only lay there bleeding and crying. She continued her advance, and the longer blade pointed at my heart. I cried out as the blade pierced my skin, and Irina continued to come closer. I closed my eyes and waited for my aunt to put me out of my misery.The pain stopped as quickly as it had started. I opened my eyes. Irina was on the ground and Artemis stood over her. The blade was now in his hand, and the tip was buried in Irina's ribs. Artemis left the blade where it was and came to me. He lifted me ever so gently into his arms and stared away from my wounded aunt. I noticed that we were not headed toward the castle, but toward the lake. As he carried me, I realized that my face was wet, but not with blood. Rain? I looked up with what little strength I had left and realized that I was not wet with rain, either. I looked at the lake as the tears began to run down the face of my beloved Artemis.We finally reached the clearing around the lake, and Artemis laid me gently on the grass beside the water. He grasped my hand, and I wanted more than anything to comfort him, to tell him that I was going to be alright. The fact that I couldn't only made the pain worse. Finally, I mustered up enough enough strength to speak."Artemis?" My voice was an almost inaudible whisper, but he heard me, and looked straight into my eyes."Yes, Luna?""I love you." He pulled me to him, tears falling freely. Then, I closed my eyes and saw nothing more...

Living In The Dirt: Daily Life in WWI ~Chapter One~

Chapter One

My name is Nuala Aiobhian. I am seventeen years old, and have yet to graduate high school. I left school early to take care of my family. My mother is expecting her second child, and my father has just found out that he has less than a year before he will most likely die of cancer. Even though I am the only child in our family, my father cannot earn enough pay each week to last a full week. It usually takes two, or even three weeks’ pay to buy our family one week of food and medicine. Adding to our troubles, half of the men in our town have been drafted into the military to serve in the war. My father is one of those men…
My father cannot serve in this war. He is sick, and must work to take care of my mother and me. If he goes to fight in this war, my poor, weak mother will have to leave to work in the mines, but she cannot, as she is expecting a baby. But, if he refuses, he could possibly be sent to prison for disobeying the government. I don’t know what to do…
It was June 28th. Papa said that there had been a disaster in Bosnia. The Archduke, Francis Ferdinand and his wife had been assassinated in Sarajevo earlier that day. Papa believed that this would start a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Serbia is the country south of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The newspaper said that Serbia was home to a group of nationalists called the Black Hand, and that they sent the man who killed the Archduke in Serbia. Mama said that we did not have to worry about a war, but I thought Papa was right…
The next few days passed without incident. However, on July 5th, Kaiser William the second made an alliance with Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, promising support against Serbia. The next few weeks passed, and finally, Franz Joseph declared war on Serbia and Russia. The next day, Tsar Nicholas Romanov began to mobilize the Russian troops into Austria. On the same day, Austro-Hungarian troops began to invade Serbia. Three days later, Germany declared war on Russia. Papa had been right…
My head reeled at how fast this was happening. All of Europe was being affected by the war, and this was just the beginning, I could feel it. In the early morning hours on August 2nd, I walked into the entry hall to fetch the mail. There was a telegram for Papa in the mail. I knew immediately, without looking at it, what it was. I went into Father’s room to wake him. He opened his eyes and sat within minutes. However, as he sat up, he moved slowly, and as soon as he was upright, he began to cough. Mama awoke, and told me to fetch Papa a glass of water. I hurried up the stairs, struggling in an attempt to keep from spilling any. When I got back into Mama and Papa’s room, Mama had Papa lying down again, his head propped up on her extra pillow. I looked over his frail form, sick with worry. But I was not as sick as Papa was. He was too sick to serve in the war, and as I thought about this, I knew then what I had to do.
That night, I read over the telegram one last time. I had not shown it to Mama or Papa, nor had I told them what I was planning to do. I climbed out of my bed and began packing. I crept quietly into the storehouse and took a loaf of bread, some crackers, and some jam. I went back into my room, stashed them in my bag, and got to writing. I left the note on the table in the kitchen for Mama and Papa. By the time they found it, I would be far from home, and almost to the palace. I snuck into the doorway of Mama’s and Papa’s room, and bade them a silent goodbye. I did not know when I would see them again. Finally, I slipped out through the front door and into the night.

The Guardian Chronicles: Chapter Three

Irina stared at Artemis as he came to stand beside me, grasping my hand in his.
"So, you're the boy." Irina beamed with delight at having found him finally.
"I am." His face was stern, and he gripped my hand harder.
"Stupid boy. You will not have that throne as long as I am around." She almost growled at him.
"It's not the throne I want." Artemis seemed calm, but I knew that inside, he was searing with rage. Irina could obviously detect it as well, for she started smirking. Artemis' rage was now my own. There was no longer any doubt. I wanted her dead.
Artemis seemed to sense this. He pulled me behind him, putting himself between me and my aunt. Irina took advantage of the moment, stalking back and forth like a great cat.
"Oh, how cute, hiding behind him like he can protect you." I glared at her, almost blinded by tears of rage that threatened to fall. My fingers traced the edges of the rock that I had absentmindedly picked up on the way here.
Suddenly, the tension broke. The rock flew toward its target before I even knew I had thrown it. Irina whirled around and moved to dodge it, but it sliced through her cheek. She dove at me, dagger in hand, but I was ready. The rock had given me enough time to unsheathe my own dagger, and I parried every attack, though many still wounded me. Irina had a second blade out suddenly, and was battling Artemis as well. Soon, our combined attacks were too much for her, and she fell to the ground. I raised my dagger and moved toward her. Artemis grabbed my arm, stopping me. For a human girl, I was strong, but he was stronger. He pulled me around to face him.
"Leave her." His green eyes stared directly into mine.
"But--" I started to protest, but he interrupted me.
"Leave her. If you kill her now, it will only cause trouble for you." I stopped struggling and glared at the ground. Irina glared at me, and Artemis glared at Irina. Finally, he put his arm around my waist and we turned away from my aunt. He kept glancing back out of the corner of his eye, as if Irina would run up and attack us from behind. She didn't.
We made it back to the castle safely, and Irina was nowhere in sight. I led Artemis to the dumbwaiter in silence, as I didn't want to alert anyone of his presence. When we reached the thirteenth floor and my room, Arya and Solara were still waiting for me. Arya took one look at Artemis and raised an eyebrow. Solara stood up and walked over to us, and Arya followed.
"Good evening, Artemis." Solara smiled sweetly.
"Good evening, Solara." He didn't smile. He rarely smiled at anyone besides his friends, and me.I was sure Arya would ask me about this after Artemis left.
"Artemis, this is my sister, Arya." I tried to hide the emotions that were still burning through my mind from my encounter with my deranged aunt.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." As Arya greeted him, she seemed extremely curious about him.
"The pleasure is all mine." Artemis' voice showed only a small amount of emotion, but Arya was pleased.
"Oh, such a gentleman!" Artemis looked at me as if Arya belonged in an asylum. I shrugged, and Arya ignored the gesture. "I need to go down to my room and unpack. Goodnight, all." She left the room without another word.
I couldn't hide my emotions anymore. I flopped down on my bed and let the tears flow in silence. I didn't sob or whine, only laid there as the tears rolled down my cheeks. Artemis sat on the bed beside me, and Solara sat on the windowsill.
"Why did she do that, Artemis? Why would Irina try to kill me?" My voice was hysterical. Artemis pulled me to him. I laid my head on his chest, and he placed his hand on my head. I heard Solara murmur smething to him and leave the room.
"I don't know, Luna. But I won't let her hurt you. We sat there for several moments, just sitting in silence. After awhile, the silence was broken.
"I have to go, Luna."
"It can't be dawn already." I didn't move. I simply laid there, my head on his chest. Several seconds later, he sat up, causing me to sit up with him. He stood and went to the glass doors, opening them silently.
"Will you be back tonight?" I went to join him on the balcony. He turned to face me, his green eyes staring straight into mine.
"As you wish, Princess." I blushed. That was why I had told him not to call me his princess. "Goodnight, your Highness." He grinned. I smiled back.
"Goodnight, my Knight." He kissed me goodnight and climbed over the edge of the balcony.

The Guardian Chronicles: Chapter Two

I woke the next morning to Solara trying to shake me awake.
"Luna, come on, love. Get up!" She finally pushed me off of my bed, not realizing that I was already awake.
"Ow! Geez, Solara, I'm up already! What do you want?" I used the bed to pull myself off of the floor, rubbing my head in an attempt to ease the pain.
"Sorry. Anyway, you'll never believe it!"
"What is it?" I was bored again.
"Your sister has returned! Arya's back!"
I stood quickly and went to the window. Outside sat a carriage drawn by two white horses. Beside it stood a small girl in a silver gown. Her long, dark curls were braided neatly and hung in the center of her back, complimenting her slightly tanned skin. After several seconds, she looked up and saw me. Even from my window, I could see the smile spread across her face as she waved at me. I waved back and ran out to greet my sister.
"Arya!" I nearly tripped over the hem of my gown as I rushed to meet her.
"Luna!" She met me halfway and threw her arms around me. Then, she grasped my shoulders, which were at her eye level, and examined me from head to toe. I wondered how different I looked to her after all of the years she had been gone. Arya was my younger sister, but I was the rebellious, carefree one. Sometimes, she seemed like more of a mother to me than a younger sister.
"You have grown, love." She chuckled, as she had always loved measuring me to see how much closer she was to my height. "You're almost as tall as mom!" I nodded.
"How long will you be staying, Aya?" Aya was my personal nickname for Arya.
"Hopefully for a few years." Arya would be eighteen in one year, and I only had a month before I could inherit my parents' kingdom.
"Welcome home, Arya." My aunt had come out and was standing at the top of the courtyard steps. Arya smiled at her, but nothing more.
"Well, let's get your belongings to your room." Irina snapped her fingers, and Solara and several other servants appeared. Irina pointed to Arya's trunks and went into the castle. Arya and I exchanged glances, and Arya went inside as well. Solara grabbed two of Arya's trunks, and I walked inside with her. She started toward the steps, but I stopped her.
"Sol, you can come this way. She followed me, and I led her to a wall which had a hole in it. I reached in and pulled a rope. Several seconds passed, and Solara simply stared at me. Finally, the dumbwaiter decended. I helped Solara lift the trunks into the dumbwaiter and crawled inside. Once Solara was safely inside, I pulled the other end of the rope pulley, and the dumbwaiter began its ascent. We were silent as we passed several floors.
When we got to the eleventh floor, I helped Solara get the trunks out of the dumbwaiter and continued up to my own room on the thirteenth floor. When I got to my room, I took out my diary. Before I wrote anything, I flipped through the pages, as I did every day. Several pages were torn, and there were a few pages falling out. I wasn't surprised. I flipped back to the first page and read the entry:
Dear Diary,
I saw a boy my age sitting all alone at the fair the other day. He looked lonely and sad, so I went over to talk to him. He didn't say much, but he told me his name was Artemis. I told him I thought that was a funny name. He smiled, but I don't think he thought it was funny.Then I told him my name and asked him what kind of ice cream he liked. He said he liked strawberry, so I asked Mommy if she would get him a strawberry ice cream cone. When we finished our ice cream, I had to go home, so I invited him to my brithday party. He came, and he gave me this diary! Anyway, Mommy says it's bedtime now, so goodnight, Diary!

I smiled and turned to the inside of the front cover. There, I had taped the piece of paper that was inside the diary when Artemis gave it to me. On it was written a brief note:
Thank you for being my first real friend. Artemis.
I smiled again and closed the book. As soon as the book was back in its drawer, there was a knock on the door. I went to open, and Arya and Solara were waiting in the hallway. They came in and I closed the door behind them. Arya sat on the bed and Solara stood next to her, and I went to sit on the windowsill.
"So, Arya, how was China?" I was genuinely interested, though I still sounded bored.
"Oh, Luna, it was wonderful!" She was suddenly buzzing with excitement. "I wish you could have been there! The mountains, the city, and the pandas! Oh, they were so cute!" She kept talking, but my eyes were drawn to the ground outside. I had lost track of time, and it was dark now. It was after curfew, but a tall, thin, cloaked figure made its way toward the woods. Arya was still talking, but I excused myself and took the dumbwaiter to the second floor. I slipped outside, unseen, and took off after the figure.
I followed the person deep into the woods,and stopped at the edge of a clearing. The figure stepped into the moonlight and removed its hood, and I watched in silence as long, red locks cascaded down the woman's back. I gasped, and instantly regretted the action.
"Isn't it after your curfew, Luna?" Irina's voice was cold as she turned to face me. I stepped from my hiding place, my dark green gown blending in with the ground in the darkness. I said nothing.
"You know, Luna, most people wouldn't like to find out that their ruler doesn't follow the rules set for the village." Irina's eyes burned with mischief and hatred, and I clenched my fists. My eyes drifted down to her hand, and the object she held.
"I'm not their ruler." My voice was hard. She took a step toward me, glaring. The moonlight gleamed off of the knife blade in her hand as Artemis stepped from the shadows behind me...

The Guardian Chronnicles: Chapter One

"Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight."
I closed my eyes and thought of my wish. I hadn't wished on a star since I had turned seven, and my best friend had convinced me that stars couldn't grant wishes. Tonight, however, I needed a wish. I waited until the second star rose, and the ritual was complete. I sat in the window for a single moment, looking out over the sleeping village. Then, with an exasperated sigh, I rose from my perch on the windowsill and walked over to my desk on the north wall of my bedroom, and sat down in the high-backed chair. After several minutes of silence and restlessness, I stood and went to the vanity table across the room, and began examining my reflection in the mirror. I reached up and removed the pins from my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders. As I examined my reflection once more, I only barely heard the light knock on my bedroom door.
"Come in," I said, my voice dripping with boredom. I perked up slightly when Solara, my housemaid and best friend entered the room.
"Hey, Luna." Solara greeted me informally, coming to stand behind me.
"Hello, Solara." My voice still showed no emotion, so Solara started braiding my hair, trying to engage in conversation.
"So, I heard you got in another fight with your aunt," she began. I only nodded. She sighed, and continued. "Do you think, maybe, she'll ever give up her position? If your parents come back, I mean?"
I shrugged.
"My parents aren't coming back, Solara." Solara gave me a questioning look, so I explained.
"I found a letter that my mom sent Irina before the accident." I paused to see what she would say, and she motioned for me to continue.
"She wrote that my dad had been shot by an assassin sent to kill her." Solara gasped, and I continued.
"He died the next day, and my mother became sick with grief. A year passed, and eventually she went mad and slipped into a comatose state. Her condition grew worse every day, and it escalated into her current state." Solara was silent as the words sank in.
“Is there anything I can get you, love?” She finally stood, attempting to ease the tension. I nodded.
“Tea, please.” Solara nodded in return and left the room, closing the door behind her. I examined the intricate braid which Solara had woven through my long, blonde hair, and was startled by another knock, this time on the window. I turned to see two green eyes, partially covered by blonde bangs, staring back at me. My heart skipped a beat, as it did every night now, for those eyes belonged to the one person I loved more than any other, my beloved.
“Artemis!” I nearly flew to the window and threw it open, stepping back so that he could climb inside. He wrapped his arms around me, and I laid my head on his shoulder. We stood there for several seconds, locked in a silent embrace, and I was taken by surprise when he tensed.
“Someone’s coming,” he breathed. I listened for a second, and I heard the footsteps. I sighed and led him to my oversized, overstuffed closet. He slipped inside, and I started to close the door as Irina burst into my bedroom. I slammed the closet door and turned to face her.
“What do you want?” My voice was apathetic again as I stabbed the question at her, and she simply stared at me. Several seconds passed, and she finally spoke.
“Who is he?” Her voice was rigid and cold, and her stare became a glare. She looked at the closet door behind me, and I struggled to stay calm.
“Who is who?” My voice was now as cold as hers, if not colder. I could see her face turning red, and her lips were pursed.
“Do not play your little game with me. I know he was here, just before I came in.” She paused, and her face lit up in triumph. “Perhaps he is still here.” I struggled harder to keep my composure and she watched me, waiting for my façade to dissolve. I, however, was winning. Any minute now, she would give up. I could see it in her eyes. She would make several hollow threats, and then she would give up and leave. I stared defiantly at her as she continued her rant, droning on continuously about how she would find out who the boy was if it killed her.
And hopefully one day it will teach you a lesson, my delusional aunt Irina, I thought bitterly.
Finally, after a half hour of pointless drama, Irina stormed out of the room, infuriated by my apathy. I sighed, and flopped down on my bed, surrendering to the silence that took over.
After several moments of silence, I was startled by a loud thunk from my closet door. I gasped, and nearly fell off of my bed in my rush to get to the closet. I wrenched the doors open and Artemis fell out, landing face down on the floor at my feet. I knelt and held my hand out to him. He took hold of it, kissed it gently, and we stood together. He looked over at the open closet door and raised one eyebrow.
“Now, why in the world would anyone need so many clothes?” He chuckled, and I smiled weakly.
“Irina bought them. I don’t know why she thought I needed so many gowns.” I sighed and went to the glass doors on the west wall. I unlatched them, pushed them open, and stepped onto the balcony. As I breathed in the cool night air, Artemis came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me once more. He grasped my hand gently with his, and spun me around gracefully to face him. He suddenly leaned forward, causing me to lean back over the balcony railing. My gut instinct warned me that I was going to fall, but my mind and heart told me otherwise. I trusted him. It took me a moment to realize that he was now holding me with only one hand, and I started to feel slightly nervous. Before I could protest, however, we were standing upright again. He removed his hand from my back, bowed, and held his other hand out to me. In it was one of the roses from the vines which over the years had snaked their way up the castle walls and my balcony. I blushed lightly and accepted the rose, and he straightened. He grasped my hands and pulled me to him. I looked up, and our lips met. This was how we remained for several seconds. He pulled away suddenly, yet reluctantly. He kept his arms around me as he looked at the sky.
“It is dawn, Luna.” His voice was calm as usual, but I could still detect the reluctance in it.
“No. Not yet.” I did not want him to leave. He kissed me once more, climbed over the edge of the balcony with only three simple words, and disappeared into the night.
“I love you, too.” I whispered into the darkness, and went back inside, closing the door behind me.

Story Notes

I am new to Blogger. It is as simple as that. However, I have been writing fantasy and realistic stories for several years. Do not let that last sentence decieve you.

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