"No...too wide." The Queen said.
Her royal highness, Princess Zara Van Kaufman, shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't see why we're even trying to find a wedding dress...no one can find the groom!"
Her step mother, Queen Van Kaufman sat on a settie of gold and red satin. Her small pup Latoix licked her hand.
"Daughter, we will find you a gown first...it is after all the most important part of the wedding."
Zara toyed with one of her blond curls that had popped loose from the clips. "I would think finding the groom would be the most important part."
Her step mother frowned at her then raised a hand. "Hmmm...tea...I fell faint."
Zara stretched her small shoulders as her maids removed the last petticote from the large wedding gown she'd tried on.
At nineteen, Princess Zara was supposed to be married at the end of the year. In fact, she had been engaged to a Prince from a neighbouring municipality since she was five. Unfortunatly Prince Eric Von Dietrum had not been seen nor heard from in nearly two years.
She had been told through out her life, that her bethrothed could not visit her because he was traveling and had many things to attend to. But as she grew older, she learned the truth. That in fact...no one, not even the Prince's parents, knew where he went on these so called journey's of his.
The crisis was that he had alwasy come back from his trips. But two years ago he had left, and has not been heard from since. Some people whispear that he is might be dead.
Zara shook her head of such a dreary thought, it didn't matter if whats-his-name even did show up. She had no intention of marrying any prince at all!
Zara waited patiently for her maids to buckle up the tight fitting red velvet dress that she wore according to her station. When her maids reached out to fix her hair, she shooed them away.
"I'm heading down to the gardens mama."
Her step mother opened her eyes slightly, still a little sleepy. She nodded her head. "Very well."
***********
"Aggh!" Eric huffed.
His friend beside him offered no such words, only pushed harder on the carriage.
Finally the two men righted the turned over carraige and examined the damage.
"It's broken." His companion stated.
Eric Von Dietrum, Prince of Von Dietrum turned and raised an eye brow. "You thought it would be in perfect condition Mauris? Our carriage just feel into a ditch."
The French man scratched the back of his neck.
"What do we do now then?"
Eric pulled his sackle from the top of the carriage. "Walk."
The French man looked appaled. "Walk?!"
"Oh come on Mauris, it's not that far. I'm sure the abbey is only a good five miles away."
Marius seemd to be having trouble breathing. "Five miles!"
Eric grinned, "Well, I'm going. You coming or not?"
The Frenchman threw his bag over his shoulder with a string of french curses.
Eric turned. "I'll take that as a yes."
***********
Zara pulled the hood of her cloak closer to her head, she'd tied her blond hair back in a tight coil and placed the brown haired wig firmly in place. But she still feared that her own disobedient curls, might pop out.
The traveling coach was cramped with village travellers, all clutching their luggage tightly. Zara had only brought one bag, and it was ontop of the coach. It had been the smallest bag she owned, and the only one she could afford to carry.
She smiled inside the folds of her cloak, she could hardly belive what she had accomplished! Just one week ago she had been trying on wedding gowns with her step mother, and here she was...out to explore the world.
The man next to her sneezed, not bothering to cover his nose.
Zara moved as far against the side of the coach as she could. Argh, didn't they have any manners?
Suddenly the coach came to a halt. The driver steped down and pulled a bag of the top of the coach. He then opened the door.
"Nettler Village Mrs Conling."
Zara desended the steps and looked around her...this wasn't quite what she expected.
The driver shut the door of the carraige and climbed back onto the coach.
Zara picked up her bags, well she was here. But where was here?
Dusk was just setteling down on the tiny village...that from this angel...looked..a...little...DESERTED?!
Zara's breath caught in her throat. Her maid had told her this was where she had been born in, a small village. Her maid had told her all the stories of her childhood. It had sounded like such a heavenly place to go and live.
As she marched down the small stone path that twisted along the side of the road and finally headed into the village, she kept her eyes peeled for any lights.
All the homes were dark, doors were hanging off of hinges. Cats scampered between the houses.
Zara groaned. It was deserted.
The sun was close to setting, she had to find somewhere to stay. She checked a few of the houses, but all of them had leaks and were cold inside.
Just then she glanced at what was the old stone abbey at the far end of the village street, just slightly up on a hill to the right, covered by a few tall trees.
A light shone in a single window near the top of the steeple. Someone still lived in the abbey! Perhaps some nuns? Or Priest?
Zara smiled and quickly picked up the pace to the abbey. By the time she got to the front door, she wondered if whoever was still here liked living in such a run down abbey.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door...the handle however snapped off under her grasp. She let the rusted metal drop to the ground.
This time, she pushed the door opened and it's metal hinges groaned under the stress. She looked around the dark main hall.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is anyone here?"
She felt a shiver go up and down her spine. She remembered all of a sudden a fairy tale her real mother had told her. About a monster that lived in an old castle, and the girl...what was her name? Belle! That was right...Bella et la Bete.
"Who are you!?" A voice crackled through the chilling abbey air.
Zara stiffled a scream. She looked up and around her to find the man who'd yelled at her.
"Za...Mrs..." She couldn't find her voice.
"What are you doing here? Who told you about this place?"
Zara turned around when she heared the voice behind her, but all she saw was darkness.
"I am Zara Van Kaufman." she said, hopeing that whoever was here would leave her alone if they knew she was very important.
Another voice came from the darkness. "You're a long way from home Princess."
Unlike the harsh words of the first voice, this voice was smooth, nearly quite in the echos of the abbey's main hall.
"I'm sorry I disturbed you...I'll go now..." Zara turned to run out the doorway but found it blocked by a tall black haired man, with a scar running down one side of his face. He even wore a patch over one eye. She tried not to scream, but turned around to run away only to smash into the chest of the other man.
Zara struggled to move away from the man, but he held her tight, his hands on his arms.
She glanced up at his voice.
"As my companion asked, what are you doing here Princess?"
Zara watched the pair of blue eyes that bore into her as though he could tell if she lied or told the truth. Was he a criminal? A highwayman? He certinly didn't look like one, he was actually a handsome man. Not like the peasents she'd seen in her three day journey.
He was not as tall as his companion, but still her head only barly riched to his chin. Her head was thrust back so she could look up into his face. Dark blue eyes and golden blond hair, not just blond. No a nearly metalic gold, full and loose around his face, near to his chin.
The man's mouth moved into a small smile. "Well Princess? Are you going to goggle all night, or tell me why you're here?"
Zara looked away quickly but thankfully found her voice. "If you let me go I'll tell you."
The man's voice held a hint of amusment. "Very well...
