Disclaimer etc: This is a story based on Presea from Magic Knight Rayearth. However, you don't need to know anything about Rayearth to understand this story because it takes place before the Magic Knights come. All Rayearth characters belong to CLAMP. In this story Presea could be from the anime or the manga. It doesn't matter. ^_^ As for Stephen, Terria, and Sui... if you don't know, then don't ask. I'm just kidding...LOL. Hint: Crocodile Hunter (yes I was bored). Anyway I was really proud of this story. Any feedback is VERY appreciated. Enjoy the story... ^_^

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It is said that the seventh child of a family is blessed with a certain magic or power. Some believe in this story…some do not. A very long time ago, in the kingdom of Questria, a seventh child was born to the family of Aldrain. Benedict and Gwyneth Aldrain already had six children, three boys and three girls. They were Trent (age 14), Twins: Gavin and Lily (age 12), Caitlin (age 9), Rusty (age 7), and Sierra (age 5). The Aldrain family wasn't very rich. Benedict worked as a blacksmith and Gwyneth stayed at home with the children. Trent was already working as an apprentice to his father, and Gavin was getting ready to work as well. Lily was becoming a lady as best as she could. A new baby would be perfect for her. It was a warm summer day when the family welcomed the seventh child: Presea. Presea was a beautiful baby. She had a great temper for a newborn child. Her family loved her from the start. Lily and Caitlin often argued over who got to care for Presea. Sierra didn't really care because she was still very young, but she still liked to play with her new sister. And so, Presea's early years were very calm and peaceful. That was the way she liked it…
The years passed. Presea was now eight years old. She had brown eyes and golden brown hair. Life was different now. Trent was twenty-two years old. He was married and he worked for his father. Gavin also worked for his father. Lily and Caitlin were both engaged, soon to be married. Little Presea felt quite alone at times. She was learning everything that her sisters had learned. That day she woke up like she normally did. It was her duty to take food to her father, and as she slipped on her shoes, she wondered what the day would bring her. Presea had a big imagination…and sometimes it got her into trouble. She wandered into the small kitchen. "Mother, I'm here." Gwyneth smiled at her youngest child. "Presea, good morning. The basket with your father's food is over by the door. You know that you must be careful. I don't want you to get trampled by horses or anything." Presea picked up the basket. "Don't worry. I'll be careful." Then she opened the door and stepped out into the bright sunlight. She walked down the street to the blacksmith shop.
"Father? I've got your food!" she called. Benedict looked up from his work. "Bring it here." Presea obeyed. Trent wandered into the room. "Trent!" shrieked Presea. "Presea!" Presea ran and gave Trent a huge hug. He laughed. "You're going to get all full of soot and dirt. What will your mother think?" Presea smiled up at him. "She won't mind…" Then the old blacksmith, Miles came in and started talking to Benedict. Presea could only pick up bits and pieces of the conversation. She heard things such as "invading army" and "watch our backs" and "the king and princes". Presea felt a bit excited. She wondered what was going to happen. Benedict's face seemed grim. "Presea, go straight home now." Presea could tell by the sound of his voice that he meant it. She waved good bye and left.
Presea thought about the parts of the conversation that she had heard as she walked home. She had a feeling that something wasn't right. Would the kingdom be ok? Presea knew that the king was usually fair and just. The princes…Presea knew that the young prince, Braden, was a year older then her. The older prince, Tristan, was three years older then her. She had heard rumors about Tristan…that one day he might be very powerful. But Presea didn't think anything of it. Right now, she just decided to get home.
The full moon shined brightly at midnight. And Sierra awakened Presea. "Presea! You must get up! Hurry! The kingdom is under attack!" Presea got out of bed and dressed as quickly as possible. She was scared. Rusty ran in and grabbed Sierra's and Presea's hands and dragged them out to their mother and father. Benedict was talking quietly to Gwyneth. "You must take the children. We must get them to safety," he said. Gwyneth nodded solemnly. Presea was confused. She wasn't sure what was happening. Benedict knelt down to his youngest child. "We're going to try to get out to safety. Your mother and I will protect you as best as we can. We love you, Presea. Never forget that." He kissed her forehead. Presea was almost certain that she saw a tear slip down his cheek. Then Gwyneth took her hand, and they all ran out into the chaos.
Presea tried hard to keep up with her family. But it was a tough thing to do. The army that had invaded was attacking everything. Presea saw people fighting bravely. The kingdom's army was fighting along with the people. The Aldrain family ran and ran. Suddenly something horrible happened. Presea lost her footing and fell to the ground. She was instantly swept up into the chaos…and away from her family. She dodged the fighting armies and hid in a dark corner. A light rain began to fall. Presea huddled alone in the corner. A few tears slipped down her cheek. She was alone on the streets. Now she'd have to fend for herself… Presea curled up as best as she could. And she fell asleep, listening to the cries of war echo through the kingdom…
Presea woke up the next morning cold, sore, and extremely hungry. She stretched slowly and stood up. The air was cold and it smelled of smoke. Presea wondered what had become of her family…and what happened to the kingdom. She walked out of the corner. It was apparent that Questria had fended off the invaders because there was not one unknown in sight. Presea felt her stomach rumble. She had to find food. She walked around as if she was a stranger. Suddenly a hand grabbed her from behind. Presea almost let out a yell, but the hand clamped firmly over her mouth. She stared up at her "captor". It was a young man, not much older than she was. He let go of her and she wretched away. "What do you think you're doing?" He smiled. "You're obviously new to the streets. Welcome. They call me Rogue." "Well, Rogue, I still don't understand what you're trying to do…sneaking up on me like that!" "I am trying to protect you. If you go on and try to steal without experience, you'll get caught and the penalty is death." Presea looked at the ground. "Oh…well thank you." She stuck out her hand. "My name's Presea." "Presea…I can tell you're hungry. Come on with me, I'll take you for something to eat."
And so Rogue got Presea something to eat. She was very grateful that someone had decided to help her out. And as the years passed, Presea grew wiser. Ever since Rogue had taken her under his wing, they had become a team. Presea was "street smart". She knew how and when to steal. She knew the hiding places. She knew who she could and couldn't trust. She also had picked up the art of sword fighting from watching duels on the streets. It excited her to see the men act so noble…even if most of the duels ended in death. Presea had her own sword. One of the duelists gave it to her on his deathbed, and she never went without it. Now Presea was at age fourteen. Rogue was sixteen. They had decided to go for the ultimate challenge…
"Presea! Wake up!" Rogue shook Presea from her sleep. "What? It's too early…" "We have to work on our plan." Presea sat up. She looked around the old abandoned building that they had slept in that night. "Oh...ok." She stood up and Rogue tossed her an apple. "I got breakfast." "Thank you. Now let's get with the plan." "All right. The plan is to sneak into the grand castle…learn some fighting techniques…and then sneak out with some proof that we were there. Then we'll get a reward…" Presea munched on the apple. "Doesn't seem that hard." "The hard thing will be how to get in." "That's easy. The moat." "Hello earth to Presea. There are snakes in there. Poisonous snakes." "I wasn't saying that we should swim. We'll…" "Presea we need a strong plan." "I am trying to think!" Rogue kicked a rock. "Why don't we swim…" "I thought you didn't want too." "We have no other choice." "Fine then. But don't you think this is a bit risky…even for us?" "We have to do this to keep our status." "You're right. Let's go." The two exited the building and went to the castle…
Presea waited as Rogue carefully scanned the moat. He gave her the "all clear" sign, and she walked to where he was standing. "I checked as best as I could. There's an entrance through a crack in the wall over there. We have to swim for it…and fast. I know there's snakes in there." Presea nodded. "Let's do it." The two silently entered the cold water of the moat. Presea gasped. "This water is like ice! How could any snake live in here?" "I don't want to find out. Keep moving." They swam across the moat and into a little crack in the wall. They made it. Presea shivered. "That was way too cold. Next time we'll find a different way in." "I totally agree." The two walked down the hallways to the royal weaponry. They had already mapped out the castle perfectly, and knew exactly how to get out after their plan was through. Presea looked around the weaponry. The swords shined silver. They gleamed in the light. Presea was stunned. She was in awe of the whole thing. Rogue snapped her back into reality. "Presea! We have to finish the job!" Presea shook her head. "Yeah…yeah we have to." "Have to what?" came a voice. Presea and Rogue froze…then turned. The palace guards had caught them. "Well, well, well what do we have here? Two little sneak thieves?" There was no way that they could both escape. Presea grabbed a sword. "Rogue go! I'll meet you later!" The guards were advancing. "Presea! I can't leave without you…" Presea swung the sword. "You have to!" Rogue looked at her uncertainly…but her knew that she meant what she said. He took a rope and swung out through a window…leaving Presea to deal with the guards.
Presea glared at the guards. They charged at her. A full-fledged fight erupted in the weaponry. Presea's sword was knocked away. The head guard was about to strike her when suddenly…"What is the meaning of all this?" came a voice. The guards backed away, revealing Presea who was sprawled on the floor with her hands over her head. Presea uncovered her head and looked up. The king was standing there along with the older prince, Tristan. Red flashed through Presea's mind for a moment, and she shook her head. Then she realized that she was being totally disrespectful. She knelt down in surrender. "Your highness…" "What is going on in here?" the king turned to the head of the guards. "Well?" "Your highness, we found this little thief and her friend ready to steal weapons. The other one escaped, but we got this one." The king eyed Presea, and Tristan raised his eyebrows. Presea looked at Tristan and a chill went down her spine. He scared her for some reason…but she couldn't figure out why. Then the king spoke. "Rise, child." Presea stood. "What is your name?" "Presea." "Do you realize that the penalty for stealing is death?" Presea nodded solemnly. "Well…don't you have anything to say about it?" "I didn't plan on getting caught…" This made Tristan laugh, and the king shot him a look. He covered his mouth. Presea glared. The king turned back to her. "You are young…and a girl. I can't execute you…however…" "However?" "You will work here. As a servant. The guards will show you to the servant's quarters." "What? Why? I serve myself and no other!" "That'll change…" muttered Tristan. "What are you talking about pretty boy?" The king shook his head. "Tristan, be silent. Presea, this is your punishment, and it's far better than death." "Says you…" The king held up his hand. "My decision is final. Guards, take her to the servant's quarters." And the guards took Presea by the shoulders and led her to the servant's quarters…
Presea was soon settled into her new life. Her new job wasn't so bad. She was the one in charge of cleaning the weapons. Every weapon in the armory awed her. She was slow with her job because she just couldn't help admiring every weapon she cleaned. Her favorites were the swords. Today she decided to play with one of them…just for a while. Presea picked up one of the bigger swords. She stood with it, like the duelists on the streets. "Stand forth and face me, your worst nightmare!" she said to the rest of the weapons. She swung the sword a few times and jabbed it at the air. She was enjoying herself so much, that she hadn't noticed that she had company. She turned and saw a man. The sword dropped from her hands, and clattered onto the hard floor. Presea kneeled instantly. Standing before her was the Master Smith, Riley. His weapons were the best in the kingdom of Questria…the best in the whole land of Cephiro. He was a widely respected man. Riley smiled at her. "There's no need to kneel at me. You may rise." Presea got up. "You're new here aren't you?" "Yes sir. My name is Presea. I… take care of the weapons." "And you do a fine job." "Thank you sir. I am honored by your compliment." "You are so formal with me. You must come from a very respectable family. And yet…you're here with the servants." "With all due respect sir…I don't mind being here. My family disappeared. I've been here a short time. As for my family…we were common people. I got thrown into this situation on accident." "Oh I see. Do you like the weapons very much?" Presea's eyes sparkled. "I love them sir. Ever since I was little I've been around weapons. I've seen them used. I've seen them made. I've even made a few myself. Weapons just call to me in a way." Riley was almost shocked by this young girl. She spoke with grace and eloquence. She was polite and respectful. Yet…he had seen her with a sword. And she was very good. Riley had a feeling that cleaning weapons was not for this young girl, Presea. As Master Smith, he decided that he would speak to the king as soon as possible.
Presea walked down the hallway. It had been a few days since her talk with the Master Smith, Riley. She had thought about the conversation many times in her mind, but couldn't figure what it meant. Suddenly a figure jumped out of the wall. "The wall?" Presea said out loud. She ran to the figure. It was the younger prince, Braden. "Excuse me, but did you just jump out of the wall?" Braden got up and dusted himself off. "Yeah. It's fun. Oh! You must be Presea." "How do you know me? I've never spoken to you before." "Many people here already know you. There's big things in store for you." Presea eyed him strangely. "All right. Stop being so mysterious and give me a hint." "Well Master Smith Riley has been keeping an eye on you. There's rumors that he might take you in as an apprentice." "Really?" "Yeah. They say that you're good with weapons." "I guess I am. But what about you?" "Oh I'm…I'm not that great. We shouldn't speak about this here though. I don't want my older brother to hear me. Come with me." Braden touched the wall and it opened, revealing a secret passage. Presea followed him to a secret room. "Wow… I never knew about this," she said. "I was the only one who knew about this place until now. It's safe to talk in here." "Ok. So what about you and the weapons?" "As I was saying, I'm not that great. Tristan gets all the glory around here. I'm a bit of a side detail I guess. I was never good with weapons. My father hired the best knights in the land to teach me, but it didn't help. I'm a failure in everybody's eyes." "You shouldn't say that, you know. Let me tell you something that I learned from my father. He told me that there is a weapon for everyone. Obviously you never used the weapon made for you." "But how is that possible? You're good with almost every weapon you pick up, so they say." "I might be an exception. Listen to me, I will help you find your weapon." "Do you really mean that?" "It's a promise." "Thank you. You know… I barely know you, but I feel as if you are my best friend." Presea smiled. "Thank you. I am happy to have your trust." "As long as I have yours." "You have my trust, Braden." "We'd better get back. People could be looking for us."
Braden and Presea walked down the hall together, when Master Smith Riley approached them. "Hello Braden. Presea, may I see you?" "All right." She went with Riley. He led her to the meeting room of the king. Presea lowered her head. "Your highness." "Hello Presea. Please sit." Presea sat. The king spoke. "I've been hearing that you're very good with weapons. Not only in their use, but also in their creation. Do you agree." "I think so. I've always felt comfortable when I work with weapons. It just comes to me." "Master Smith Riley would like you to become an apprentice to him." "Really? That would be great!" "However… you must undergo a small test." "A test?" "Presea, under normal circumstances this wouldn't happen. But I caught you as a thief, and therefore, you must show me that you are worthy of becoming anything more than a servant." Presea bit her lip. Those sounded like fighting words to her. They stung her. She knew that she was more than a servant. "What must I do?" "You must create a weapon from the mineral, escudo." "But that's next to impossible. Only gifted smiths can do that." "That is the test. Take it or leave it." Presea looked the king straight in the eyes. "I'll take it."
Presea walked numbly down the hall. She was upset by the king's comment…and a little nervous about the test. She almost walked into Prince Tristan. "Oh! I'm sorry your highness." "Presea! How nice to see you." "Oh it's you Tristan. Why is it so nice? You see me a lot, you know." "Oh I know. You know, your eyes look beautiful when you're nervous." "How would you know if I'm nervous?" Presea was getting a bad feeling about talking to Tristan. She sidestepped him. "If you would excuse me, I've got to go do something important now." "Of course." She walked swiftly away. Tristan scared her… badly. She decided that she would do her best to avoid him…always.
The day of Presea's test came. She walked to the forge. Her stomach flip-flopped. She almost felt sick. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the heavy doors open and walked inside. The king was sitting there, along with both princes. Master Smith Riley was there as well. Presea bowed her head to all of them. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something. Did Tristan just wink at her? Presea shuddered, and waited for instruction. Riley brought the escudo out. The king spoke. "Miss Presea, you may begin when ready." Presea nodded. She walked over to the escudo and ran her hand along the smooth surface. She closed her eyes. Power seemed to engulf her. A vision danced in her head. She saw a sword. That was the weapon that would be created from this escudo. Purple surrounded the sword. The color of royalty. In her mind, Presea forged the sword. It was beautiful in her mind. The sword was near completion, when she decided to add a small detail. A purple stone went into the hilt. And the picture was complete in her mind. Presea opened her eyes slowly. Before her lay the sword from her mind. She picked it up gently, and turned toward to awaiting eyes. She knelt with it. "I have done what you asked. Here is a weapon made from escudo." Riley smiled with satisfaction. "There it is, your majesty. The girl has proven her ability to us all." The king nodded. "Yes she has. From this day forth, I make Presea your apprentice. May she learn all she needs to know to become a Master Smith." Riley nodded with approval, and reached into his pocket. Out of it he pulled a headband with a garnet stone in the middle. He placed it around Presea's head. "This is a gift from me to you. Thank you for becoming my apprentice." "No…thank you. Thank you so much." And Presea gave Riley a huge hug. Then she turned and walked up to Braden with the sword. "I believe, Braden, that I have found your weapon. This is yours." She handed him the sword. He gasped. "It's beautiful." "I'm sure your real training will start soon." Braden tilted the sword. The stone in the hilt shined, and they could all see a "B" clearly embedded in it. Braden smiled at Presea. She was grinning from ear to ear. She was now an apprentice to the most respected Master Smith. And Tristan looked on…and his eyes were green with jealousy. He would get to Presea. Even if drastic measures had to be taken.
From that day forth Presea was swept into a new way of life. Her days were filled with learning how to forge different weapons. She also cleaned them and delivered them on occasion. Presea had her own living quarters now. It was a room…neither too big nor too small. She had a bed and a trunk for her clothes (she now had more than one outfit). Her sword that she had received from the duelist on the street now hung on the wall. Now she was working very hard to create a sword for the king. Riley came into the forge with more materials. He sat down on a bench and motioned for Presea to sit with him. She did. "Presea I have to tell you something very important." "Ok." "One day you will become the Master Smith… the best artisan in Cephiro." "I know. And I accept that with my heart." Riley smiled. "That is good. Now I must tell you an important story. It is a story that all who are to become Master Smiths must know." "I'm listening." "As you know, Cephiro is very stable right now. That is because of our Pillar, Princess Emeraude. But there is a legend. The legend says that when Cephiro is in a time of turmoil, the Pillar will summon three Magic Knights from another world." "Whoa…another world. That's amazing!" "There's more. The one who is the Master Smith at this time is the chosen one who will make weapons for these Magic Knights. Weapons from escudo." "I think I understand what you're saying." Riley nodded. "It is tradition to tell apprentices of Master Smith's this story. You are my only apprentice though. Therefore, if something happened to me, you'd become the Master Smith. And if the magic knights were to come during that time, you'd be the one to make their weapons." Presea stood from the bench and knelt to Riley. "I am honored to take this responsibility if the time should come." Riley touched her shoulder. "I knew you would. That is why I chose you to be my apprentice. You've got some sort of spark, Presea. I saw it. I know that I made the right decision by making you my apprentice." Presea got up and went back to work as Riley left. What an exciting story! But she wondered… would it ever really happen?
The years passed and Presea grew older, wiser, and prettier. She was now seventeen years old. Her golden brown hair was very long now, and she usually wore it up. Today she had it in a braid. She had gained much knowledge over the short span of time that she had been an apprentice. Not only did she gain knowledge of weapons, but she also gained knowledge of the world. Presea had been allowed to take classes with Braden and Tristan. There were classes on history, literature, arithmetic, and more. Presea loved to learn. She was especially fond of reading and writing. However, today was her day off, and she and Braden were dueling in the courtyard. "All right Braden, it's time to meet your end!" she shouted playfully. Braden drew his weapon. "I don't think so, enemy of the kingdom. It's time for you to die!" They started dueling. The clanging of the weapons rang through the courtyard. Many people feared that they would hurt each other. Braden and Presea laughed at them though, because they were only acting out the scenes from the streets that Presea had told Braden about. Braden had grown up as well. He went from a small, meek boy, to a strong prince. He had dark hair, and his blue eyes gleamed in the sunlight. With the help of Presea, his fighting skills had improved. She was right about his weapon. It was made for him. When he fought with it, he was almost invincible. But today he and Presea were fighting with rapiers. Meanwhile, Tristan sat on one of the benches and rolled his eyes. He too had grown up. He had been strong and powerful as a boy. And he was still strong and powerful. His feelings for Presea grew each day. This girl was always able to earn everyone's respect. He wanted it to be his alone. He did not understand why Presea liked his brother more then himself. He watched Presea's graceful movements, and his brother's more…awkward ones. "My dear brother, what ever do you think you're doing?" he called. Braden and Presea stopped their duel and went over to him. "Well, Tristan, I'm just practicing." "You call that practicing?" "Well what would you call it then?" Tristan crossed his arms. "I call it being foolish and childish." Braden looked a bit downcast, but Presea wiped off some sweat that had begun to drip down her face. "Please Tristan. We're just acting out situations. You do understand that don't you?" He looked up at her. "What I can't fathom is how you two, almost adults, are still playing children's games." "They are real life situations, Tristan. You're lucky that you've never been caught in a real duel." The look in her eyes made him temper his comments. The best way to get to know Presea was not to anger her. "Fine then. Call it what you will. In the meantime, I'm going inside. It's hot, and I'll leave the dueling to you." He got up and walked away calmly. Braden and Presea stared after him. "What was that all about anyway?" asked Presea. Braden shrugged. "He's been acting weirder and weirder lately. I see him sneaking out of the castle at times. Yet whenever you're around, he acts even more strangely." "I wonder what I have to do with all this." "I really don’t know. And I doubt that I'll find out. You've seen that Tristan and I really don't see eye to eye." Presea nodded. "That's the truth. Oh well. Let's get back to practicing." So they both swung their rapiers, and the clanging of the weapons rang through the courtyard once again.
Things got very interesting a few days later. Presea and Master Smith Riley had gotten invited to a royal dinner. Presea was given a dress, much to her surprise. She hadn't worn a dress since she was young. She had always worn breeches and a tunic around the forge and even around the castle. But this time a dress was given to her. It was dark green silk. Presea felt almost silly when she put the dress on. It was beautiful, but it was still a dress. She kept her hair in a braid, and went to the grand dining hall. First Braden greeted her. "Wow! The great Presea has been reduced to a dress!" Presea punched him playfully. "Shut up. It wasn't my choice!" They stopped their shouting when the king appeared. He nodded to them and they went into the dining hall. Riley was there and so was Tristan. Presea concentrated on Riley so that she would not have to look at Tristan. But it was too late. Tristan was up immediately, and at her side. "What a lovely evening it is, Miss Presea. It's so nice to see you looking so proper." Presea forced herself not to gag. He took her arm, and she almost pulled it away. "Please, Presea come with me. I have a seat saved for you." Tristan led her to the seat right next to him. He pulled the chair out, and motioned for her to sit. Presea looked over to Braden for help, but he was busy talking to Riley. She sighed. It was not right to refuse an invitation from a prince… even if it was Tristan. So Presea accepted the seat, and smiled at Tristan as best as she could. She half thought that Tristan had arranged this whole dinner just so he could have her sit by him. He tried to make conversation with her. "You know, Presea, green is such a lovely color on you." "Thank you Tristan." "And that dress…it makes you shine you know." "I never knew that I could shine." "Well you do." "Thank you again." She gritted her teeth. This was almost painful. The meal was brought out. Presea couldn't help but think of her old friend Rogue when she ate. They had scavenged around the city so many times for a crust of bread or a piece of fruit, and now here she was dining with the king. She wondered what had become of Rogue. Did he still wander the city streets? Did he still try to look for her? Or had he heard of her position and decided that it was better that she stay there? Presea made a mental note to look for him soon. Tristan interrupted her thoughts once again. He stood up and looked at her. She couldn't guess what he was going to do this time. He looked at everyone at the table and spoke. "As you all know, the imperial ball is coming soon. It is in a week in fact." Presea remembered hearing about the ball, but she hadn't given it second thought. He reached down and took Presea's hand. "I would like to invite you, Presea, to be my guest at the ball." Presea gasped. This was the ultimate torture. But how could she decline? Especially in front of the king. Braden looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. He knew what she was thinking. Presea looked at Tristan. Her voice shook, but she replied, "I…I would be honored to accompany you." He smiled. She got up, and took a step back. That smile made shivers go down her spine. Riley looked concerned. "Presea, are you all right?" "What?" "You look a bit pale." "I do? I mean…I think I might be coming down with something. May I be excused?" The king nodded. She turned to walk away, but Tristan grabbed her wrist. "Need an escort?" She looked him in the eye and glared. "No thank you." She pulled her wrist from his grasp and swiftly exited the dining hall.
Once back in her room, Presea threw off the dress and got ready for bed. She sat on her bed, and punched her pillow many times. Tears streamed down her face. Why was Tristan so insistent that she go with him? Why did he have to like her? Presea hated to admit it, but she felt a hint of fear when he was around. Yet she couldn't figure out why. She heard a door slam. Riley was back. He knocked on the door. Presea wiped her eyes. "Come in." Riley opened the door. "You're going to sleep so early?" "Yes. I just don't feel good." "Are you going to be all right?" "I think so. I just feel a bit tired… a little dizzy too." Riley nodded. "Probably too much work. You put so much of yourself into your weapons that you're probably tiring your soul. Get some rest, Presea." "I will." "Good. See you in the morning then." "Right." Riley exited and closed the door. Presea lied back on her pillow. Soon she was sick of thinking about Tristan, and sleep came easily.
It had been a few days since Presea had been shocked by Tristan's invitation. She was concentrating so hard on her work, that she had almost completely forgotten about it. Until that day. Presea was hard at work on making an ax. Her work required full concentration. Riley looked in from the other room. "I'm sorry to bother you Presea, but you have some visitors." Presea let out an exasperated sigh. "People always bother me when I'm concentrating the hardest. I'm coming." She set her work to the side and wandered out into the main room of the forge. There were three ladies standing there. "Hello. What can I do for you?" she asked. The lady standing in the middle stepped forward. "We're here to take your measurements." "Measurements?" "For your dress for the imperial ball. It is Prince Tristan's orders." "Oh I see." "So if you would please come with us. This shouldn't take too long." Presea rolled her eyes, but followed them. The measurements were done in no time. Presea shook her head as she walked out of the room. Tristan was so desperate. And Presea was sick of it.
Presea felt even more sick on the day of the ball. Her dress had arrived two days earlier. It was deep red so that it would match her headband. Riley told Presea to take the day off for the ball, so she spent most of the day reading in her room. Finally it was time to get ready. Presea almost winced as she put the dress on. It was very beautiful…but it had been from Tristan. She wound half of her long hair up into a bun and left the rest down. She was ready. There was a knock at the door. Presea pulled it open to find Tristan. He looked very handsome, but Presea knew better. So she politely accepted his hand, and they went to the ball. The ballroom was glorious, and Presea couldn't help but stare. Beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The whole room glowed with beauty. Musicians were playing and people were dancing. Tristan led Presea to his father and Braden. Presea felt a bit bad for Braden. He had nobody as his partner. An announcer appeared to announce all of the important guests. Presea was very surprised when she was announced. But she smiled and gave a graceful curtsy as everyone applauded. When the attention was off of her, Presea gritted her teeth. This was the most horrible event that she had attended in a long time. Then the dancing began. Tristan led Presea to the dance floor, much to her disappointment. Tristan smiled at Presea. She might have actually enjoyed herself if she liked him. But that was not the case. "You look marvelous Presea," commented Tristan. "Thank you. You look very nice as well." He bowed his head, and they kept dancing. Dance after dance. Presea's feet were beginning to hurt. She had to think. She needed a way to turn him off. "Tristan, how much do you really know about me?" "Not much. You never let on anything about yourself." "Perhaps you might like to know. I was once a dirty thief. One of the best thieves actually. When I was younger my friend Rogue and I had to eat rats sometimes. Oh and snakes. Do you know how good they can taste? I also kept a few as pets. I just love snakes… any reptile in fact." Tristan hid his look of disgust. This beautiful girl once ate rats? He made a mental note to never let that happen to her again. "It must have been very hard to live like that." Presea grinned. "No I enjoyed it. The best years of my life in fact." Something caught Tristan's eye. "Would you excuse me for a moment? My father would like me to speak with somebody." "No problem." Presea watched him go. "Yes!" she whispered excitedly. She had gotten rid of Tristan. Braden came up behind her. "Guess who?" "Hi Braden." "Hey what happened to the dashing Tristan?" "Dashing? That's not the word I would use. He said he had to go talk to somebody. He said that your father wanted him to." "That's strange." "What?" "My father hasn't even given Tristan a look since he started to dance with you. He's been preoccupied with his guests." "Well I wonder what's going on." "I guess we'll find out when he returns."
Tristan never returned. So Presea and Braden danced the rest of the night. Presea felt more comfortable with Braden. They spent most of the time cracking jokes instead of dancing. Finally the ball was over. Presea returned to her room, tossed off the dress, and got back into her regular clothes. The dress lay on top of the other dress that she had worn to the dinner. She didn't care. The ball was over, and now she would devote herself to the weapons. After yelling good night to Riley, Presea picked up one of her books. It was too late to work on weapons so she decided to read a bit. But soon her eyelids drooped, and the words blurred. Presea fell asleep in her clothes with the book lying on top of her.
A huge bang woke Presea out of her peaceful sleep. Had the castle just shaken? Presea heard lots of shouting. She pulled on her boots quickly and took her dagger. The castle shook again. Was there an earthquake? What was going on? Presea sniffed the air and looked out the window. Smoke rose over the city. The city was burning. Something was horribly wrong. Presea dashed out of her room to find Riley. He wasn't in his room. Braden was her next stop. She ran down the halls and saw him running in her direction, fully dressed. "Presea!" "Braden! What's going on?" He grabbed her arm. "The castle is under attack! Father shouted at me to get out!" "Where's Tristan?" "I have no idea. Nobody can find him." They heard shouts coming down the hall. "Come on! We have to hurry or they'll kill us!" Braden ran, pulling Presea behind him. "Where are we going?" she shouted over the noise. "To the secret passage." They were running when Presea stopped short. "What is it?" Braden asked, out of breath. "That figure near the wall…" Presea knelt next to a fallen figure. "Oh no! It's Riley! Riley!" Riley opened his eyes. "Presea…" "What happened to you?" "They got me…" "Who?" "Betrayal…" "Who did it?" "I…" he looked up at Braden. "You don't have time. You must go. Braden, take care of Presea. Presea, you are the most precious thing that has entered my life. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were the one." He reached up and touched the garnet on her headband. "I now dub thee Master Smith of Cephiro. Take your title and use it well. And if the legend comes true, you know what to do." He closed his eyes. Presea gasped. "Wait Riley!" Tears streamed down her face. "No…" She sprang up and looked back down the hall. "I'm gonna get them!" Braden grabbed her wrist. "No Presea! It's too dangerous. He told me to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do now. Come on!" He pulled her to the secret passage. They heard loud footsteps coming down the hall. They ran through the passage until they came to the slide that led to the moat. Presea looked down it. "We'll have to swim once we get down there." Braden nodded. "I know. Get in." Presea got into the slide, and Braden followed. They slid down the dark slide and landed with a splash into the moat. They quickly swam across it and bolted from the castle into the city.
The city was in total chaos. Flames swept the sky. Presea and Braden ran on. The strong smell of smoke stung their nostrils. But they kept running. Men were fighting in the streets. "That's an unknown army," commented Braden as they ran. Presea looked at the fighting. "We should keep a low profile. Come on. I know this place like the back of my hand." They kept going. Suddenly Presea was grabbed from behind. She almost shrieked, but a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. She looked up at her captor and saw… "Rogue!" Rogue released her and smiled. "Presea! What a surprise!" Braden eyed Rogue strangely. "Presea?" "Oh… Rogue this is Prince Braden. Braden this is my friend Rogue." Rogue stuck out his hand. "Pleased to meet you. What are you two doing out here?" "The castle is under attack. We escaped." "I see. All of a sudden this army just appeared. It's very strange. I'd imagine that whoever it is will eventually see you missing. Let me help you get out of here." Braden's mouth dropped open. "Really?" "It's the least I can do. For leaving Presea that day in the castle." He winked at her. "Come on." Rogue led them through all of the passageways in the city. Presea was very familiar with them. Rogue kept the atmosphere light by chatting. "Presea… it's been too long. Look at you. You're all grown up into a beautiful lady." Presea blushed. "You know that I kept trying to get you out, but then I heard of your position and decided to let you be. I thought that it would be good for you." "Oh Rogue… I wish I could have seen more of you over the years. I missed you." "Me too. Nice jewel you got there." Presea touched her headband. "It was a gift." Braden, who had been quiet, now added. "You're looking at the Master Smith of Cephiro." Rogue gasped and kneeled. "Presea… congratulations." "Rogue, get up. You don’t need to bow to me." He grinned, and they kept going through the city. Finally they got to the outskirts. Rogue pointed across the fields to a group of trees. "The Underground Society will protect you from any harm. They'll hide you from whoever might come after you. To get to them you must go through the swamp. Be warned that it can be very dangerous. Many crocodiles and poisonous snakes live in there as well as other animals." Presea and Braden nodded. "We'll be careful," Presea said. "I promise you." Rogue took Presea into a hug. "You better be. I want both of you to return to me someday in one piece. Meanwhile, I'll keep looking for more information so that you both can eventually return." He shook Braden's hand. "Safe journey to both of you." Braden and Presea looked at each other and began walking toward the swamp. Presea looked back once and waved to Rogue. He waved back. And Presea looked ahead. It would be a dangerous journey. She hoped that they'd make it back. In her heart she wished for peace in the city. Perhaps one day her wish would be granted…

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Part Two: The Underground Society