The Fire Within (Pols Voice & darkangel76)

The sun rose in the east, a day much like any other. The rays shone through a small crack between the plush purple curtains of Edana's room, the light kissing her skin with its warmth, beckoning her awake. She turned slightly, a soft groan leaving her as she brought a tiny hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes. Suddenly, she sat up, her blue eyes opening wide as a crooked smile plastered across her angelic face. She looked over at the curtains, squinting slightly as the light struck her eyes. Immediately, she pushed the heavy covers aside and swung her legs over the side of her bed and jumped up, bare feet hitting the cold stone floor with a thud. Running to her widow, she threw open the curtains and looked out, peering toward the town of Coakley in the distance.

Brynmor was vast, Edana's father the King and ruler of everything in it. But Coakley was nearby the castle, the town that she was allowed to visit on occasion if she followed her father's rules and took an escort or... several.

Edana sighed, a hand moving to rake through her long, wavy tresses as she looked out over Coakley. She could see that the fair had already set itself up, the tents and wagons unmistakable in the distance. She let out a tiny squeak of delight at the thought of finally getting the chance to see it, having finally convinced her father that she was old enough, mature enough to go now that she was nineteen. Elated, she ran to her wardrobe and opened it up. Several gowns awaited her, each one begging to be worn. But, which one?

After some contemplation, Edana finally decided on the blue since it matched her eyes. Just then, there was a knock on her door.

"M'lady," came a voice.

Edana recognized it immediately. It was Thalia, her handmaiden. "You may enter, Thalia," she said, though there was a hint of reluctance in her voice. It was a shame, though she didn't mind the girl's company, she knew the only reason she'd been sent was to keep an eye on her, to ensure she was being watched.

"I've come to help you dress, m'lady," Thalia stated, her dark hair falling over her shoulders as she curtsied.

Edana nodded and tried her best to smile. "I've chosen the blue for today," she said plainly, pointing out the gown she'd already removed from the wardrobe. Thalia had already gone to work getting the corset and other essentials Edana would need to get ready.

Once Edana was dressed, her hair done up so that part of it was up while the rest hung in ringlets down along her back, she knew it was time to find her father. The King would want to see her before she left, to make sure she was escorted properly to the fair in Coakley. Thalia walked with her to the throne room.

Before Edana knew it, she was in her carriage being brought to Coakley. Along side rode three men on white horses. How she wished they weren't there—such a bother! She wanted to explore Coakley, see the town, enjoy the fair! As she neared, she could sense the energy of the villagers, of the people as they milled about the newcomers who'd set up their tents for entertainment and revelry.

With wide eyes, Edana wanted to see and touch everything, her senses reeling as she took in the sights, the smells, just everything. Finally, the carriage stopped and she felt her tummy flutter with the anticipation of being able to finally experience the fair. For so long she'd pined from afar, watching from a distance in the castle—it was difficult being a Caillean. As she stepped onto the ground, she heard the whispers of the villagers, their eyes fixed upon her as they watched. It wasn't often that she got to visit Coakley and each time she considered it a treat.

Slowly, Edana and the three guards escorting her began to make their way through the crowd, the crowd growing in size with each step she took. Her mind spun, thoughts running wild as she began to have dark thoughts about running, daring to be bold and taste freedom if even only for a little while. As more and more people gathered, the entertainers shouting, villagers laughing, music playing, she turned to look at the guards following her...they were becoming distracted.

Suddenly, Edana made a conscious decision. At that, her feet began to move, her legs running as her tiny hands gripped the silky blue fabrics of her gown. She couldn't help but giggle as she ran off into the crowd, her plan working perfectly as she weaved through the sea of people, the guards all but lost behind her.

For now.

In a house in the small town near the castle where festivities were taking place, there was a house that held a special person, a unique person rather. Someone who was different than anyone else in town. His name is...

"Drako!! Wake up! Goodness how can he still be asleep with all this racket going on outside?" A female voice had said from the downstairs of a two story house as it was going up. The female walked into the room of the boy and pulled back the curtains on the window, allowing light inside the previously dim room.

Drako grunted as he tossed and turned to turn away from the window from which the light was entering his room. "Nnngh. I don't want to get up..." He said as he sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Come now, the annual fair is in town now. You don't want to miss that do you? Also, I made you some breakfast." She told him.

Upon hearing that the fair was this day Drako shot up out of bed and rushed to get dressed and eat breakfast. "Okay mom! I'm headed to the fair now!" He said as he headed out the door and towards the fair. Once he arrived at the fair he ran about happily wondering what to do first. He had been walking backwards and then bumped into some one. He turned around to apologize, but when he gazed at the figure he bumped into, he found himself speechless to see that it was the princess.

It was remarkable. Edana felt a surge of exhilaration fill her at the notion that she'd actually been successful at losing her entourage of escorts. A part of her wondered if they were as annoyed at having to watch over her as she was at having to constantly be watched. As she pondered that, she couldn't help but wince. There'd definitely been a time or two one of the men had let his eyes linger a bit longer than he should have. Had her father noticed, she wondered what he might have done. Then again, most of the guards tended to stare when she passed their way. Perhaps it was just the way of things. She couldn't be certain and being cooped up in a castle with only Thalia to talk to...she really had no way knowing better.

But finally, Edana found herself in the midst of Coakley, the villagers bustling about as the thrill of the newly arrived fair seemed to get everyone into an excited mood. She could feel the energy, the anticipation. Her own was rising as her blue eyes glanced over the tents, her hands brushing against their ropes as she made her way through the thick crowd of passersby. Once or twice, she was sure she heard her name being shouted out. But, she made sure to walk in the opposite direction, doing everything she could to keep attention away from herself and thus remain hidden from those who'd wish to return her to the watchful eyes of the guards her father had entrusted her care to.

Edana felt her giddiness bubbling up as the smells of fair reached her nose. More than one lady dressed in thick make up traipsed in front of the tents, their costumes bright and colorful as they performed a few eye-catching tricks to tantalize. The barker wasn't far off, his voice booming as he announced the sights to be seen inside the various tents. It was all so much to take in—the sights, the sounds, the smells. Music could be heard nearby as one of the fair's people began to play an instrument she'd never seen before, its lilting sound quite pleasant to the ear and causing several who were near to break out into jovial dances.

Edana giggled, though her eyes remained watchful for the guards should they be near. So far, luck and good fortune remained on her side and she couldn't be more than grateful. Tiny hands gripping her blue silky skirts, she continued to meander through the crowd, hoping that no one would recognize her and ruin her day, her fun by handing her over to her escorts or... Her head tilted, her gaze going distant as she suddenly thought about the perils that could befall a young girl wandering the streets. Alone. She bit down on her lip, a surge of panic creeping through her veins.

No.

That was her father talking. Her father wanting to ruin the best day of her life! Well, she wouldn't let him! She'd make the most of this outing. After all, she was Edana Cailean, daughter of the King of Brynmor!

Suddenly, Edana backed into something hard, her knees wobbling as she nearly lost her balance. Recovering and shaky, she turned to see what she'd bumped into. Only, it wasn't a what, but a whom.

"I...I'm terribly sorry," Edana spoke quickly, her blue eyes averting as she moved into a low curtsy. Though she was a princess, she'd clearly bumped into a man. She'd been taught to show respect to men regardless of station and she wasn't sure of this one's since she'd never been allowed to venture outside of the castle very much. Her thought, given she'd bumped him was to err on the side of caution. Swallowing hard, she looked up and smiled shyly, slowly rising upward. "I wasn't paying attention." Her cheeks flushed and she gestured toward the surrounding tents. "So much to take in and it has me a bit overwhelmed." She giggled nervously and bit down on her lower lip. Worried that the man might search for her guards to turn her in, she glanced to see if they were about. Fortunately, they weren't. She let out a tiny sigh of relief, her tummy fluttering in hopes that her day still would not yet be ruined.

Drako stood there, unsure of what to say or do. After a few moments he attempts to compose himself by taking a deep breath. After he calms down a bit he properly bows at her before speaking up. "N-no, it is I whom should be sorry, Princess." He stands back up and puts his hands behind his back, clasping them togeather and looking around. "Um, are you with someone here or are you here by yourself?" He asks. "Not that it matters or anything, I'm just curious is all." Drako moves one hand behind his head and lightly rubs it while looking down and away.

Edana felt her heart stop, her breath catching in her throat as the man formally addressed her. A wave of terror and panic washed over her and her blue eyes darted back and forth, fearful that someone might've overheard. Or, worse yet, one of the men from the entourage her father had hand-chosen to escort her to the fair had heard something and would suddenly come barreling through the crowd only to whisk her away, ruining everything she'd gained by taking the chance and running away, losing them in the crowd of onlookers as they gathered around the tents of the fair.

"Shh..." Edana whispered harshly. "Someone might hear you." She scowled slightly, her lower lip jutting out into an unmistakable pout. "I..." she continued, but her eyes went wide just then, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before she suddenly bit down on her lower lip and ran up to the man she'd bumped into, grabbing hold of his arm and ducking behind him and causing several passersby to look on with puzzled expressions.

Edana felt the blood rise to her face, her cheeks heating up as she hid her face from view as one of the guards walked by, tromping through the crowd with an angry—and very determined—look upon his face.

"He'll be gone in a moment," Edana whispered softly against the man's ear as she remained behind him, circling around him as the guard made his way through, beady eyes scanning for his lost prize—the princess, Edana.

As soon as the guard was gone, Edana let out a long exhale. Her day on her own could continue...for now. She took a step back, her cheeks darkening a few shades of red as she looked toward the man next to her. Giggling softly, she covered her mouth and curtsied low, looking up into his eyes as she lowered herself.

"I humbly thank you, kind sir, for helping me out of a most precarious predicament," Edana said, her words still a bit hushed. Her blue eyes glanced in the direction that the guard had walked and she smiled. "For now, I am in your debt." Slowly, her eyes still fixed upon his, she rose into a standing position, her hands gripping her blue skirts. "Perhaps you'd be so kind as to escort me away from this crowd?" Her expression was one of pleading. "I would owe you further favor, kind sir," she then added. "After all, you've ensured that my day here at the fair might one to remember and..." her voice trailed for a moment. "I so rarely get the chance to enjoy myself outside the walls of the castle." She gave him a smile then. "Please? Would you?"

Edana's heart raced as hope filled her. The last thing she wanted was to be sent back to the guards, having them watching over her hawks, scrutinizing her every move, her every step. It had been getting worse as of late...and the stares. She noticed the way some of them looked at her and the way it made her father's face turn purple with anger. The King had already begun to hint that she was wiling away her time dreaming of adventure outside the castle walls, that she had duty. Of course, she was still his daughter and she tried her best to use that, to stave off the inevitable.

But it was only a matter of time. And her father was growing weary...impatient. Though, she was certain she could hold him off. After all, she wanted to marry for love, not for anything less!

"Please?" Edana asked again, her blue eyes big as she looked to the man, hoping he'd oblige her the request.