One Hundred Tears In The Sunset

Chapter One

The grass that grows beside every stream,

Like angelic smiles faintly gleam,

Step gently, cause it not to scream,

For it has grown from a lover's dream...

-Two weeks later-

Tehya stood stiffly in the giant attic, her blank eyes gazing out a large diamond window. Her dress was long and filled with undercoats of the purest red silk. Along the material small gleaming jewels glinted in the setting sun. She stared stonily upon the grounds that grew around the castle, and watched the servants who rushed around the summer gardens. They carried long wooden tables out on to the freshly cut grass spreading fresh silk sheets upon the smooth surfaces. The cooks rushed out, their hands filled with platters of every type of food you could imagine. Candles were being set on every stone statue that the garden contained, and a music band twiddled with their instruments practising for later. The evening sun cast an orange gleam upon the gigantic gardens and it's workers. It was a perfect evening for the dance,

"If you would Princess? I am too attend to your hair." Teyha's maid bobbed a curtsy as the princess turned her cold grey gaze upon the her,

"Well then? Attend away!" She snapped swiftly. As if Teyha cared about the dance, or her blond tumbles of hair, or the perfect flowing dress she was told to wear tonight! As if she cared about anything anymore. The maid curtsied again and ran a comb through Tehya's non existent tangles. The princess sighed and slowly stared around the huge square attic.

The walls were a royal rose red with deep swirls of flowing patterns with frames of large paintwork of tree's, and gardens hung upon them. Two grand oak wardrobes held every dress a princess could ever wish for, a floor to ceiling mirror sat between them and an enormous four poster bed with velvet red covers stood in the middle of the room,

"Your uncle requested you to wear your tiara tonight Princess." The maid said softly as she rolled Tehya's hair into luscious locks,

"Of course." She mumbled,

"It is to be a grand evening Princess! You must be looking forward to it very much! You'll have a wonderful time." The maid smiled,

"Of course." Tehya muttered again. Her face was set in stone. As if she could enjoy herself at a dance, when all her mind kept doing was rewinding back two weeks ago. When she had walked into the throne room, and had seen her own parents torn apart, their bodies covered in lashing of thick settled blood. As if Tehya cared about some stupid dance, when all she could see was that in her mind,

"And your uncle has sent for the finest of gentlemen and prince's who are looking for a princess of their own!" The maid's eyes were wide with happiness but Tehya barley smirked,

"I do not wish too marry. I am far too young."

"But Princess you are seventeen! 'Tis a fine age to marry and bare your heir to the throne!" The maid seemed shocked but finally Teyha understood her Uncle's intentions. Everything would be done for an heir to the throne, even marrying off his only niece to a man twice her age,

"You're hair looks beautiful Princess! You will be a marvel this evening!" The maid smiled at Tehya and just for a moment the princess wondered what it must be like for this maid. To work all day for such little pay, to perhaps worry if she would even be able to eat the next day. A loud knock rang out on the wooden oak door breaking into Teyha's thoughts,

"Princess Skye? You are to attend to the dance now. The guest are arriving at present moment and your uncle requests your company." A guards voice called for her. Teyha held down her simmering sigh and stepped from the mirror.

Let the show begin, she thought silently.

*****

"Hold your head higher."

"Yes Mr Blairs." Tehya replied stiffly,

"In company you will call me uncle." Mr Thomas Blairs hissed down at the princess, and then smiled sweetly at some guests who had wandered close to them. Tehya stood under in the shade of a simple cotton white tent that hung from low hanging tree branches. Her red satin heels sunk into the mud as she glared around.

The lady guests were dressed in huge multi-coloured silk dresses, with hair risen high upon heads, and their powdered faces were all set in fixed smiles. The men guests wore black and grey top hats with long dress suits of the finest material. They all hovered around the standing tables and munched merrily from the platters, or danced slowly to the loud music,

"You will have something to drink." Mr Blairs grabbed a small crystal champagne flute and stuffed it in Tehya's gloved hands. She sent him a cold hateful stare but he only swiftly smirked back,

"I wish to go back to my room." Tehya said icily,

"You'll do no such thing! Come, let us mingle with our guests! We are royalty and look they are all inching to talk with us." He was right of course. People hovered around Tehya and her uncle, shooting them unsure glances,

"Oh lets!" She muttered sarcastically. They stepped together into the bunched up crowds, and spoke politely with their guests. Tehya hardly noticed what she was saying, she was too busy trying to keep her emotions hidden. She should be at her castle with her mum and dad, or riding her horses and dancing with her old friends. Not standing next to the Uncle whom she hated,

"And this, Princess Tehya is Mr Arthur Dummond." Mr Blairs gently pushed the Princess towards an older man who stood in-front of them. His hair was short with gentle blond curls that flicked into chocolate brown eyes. He wore a black top hat that had a large circle of ribbon around the top. He was in his mid thirty's, and had a strong presence to him as if he could win any fight. Perhaps if Tehya could be bothered to care, she may have found him quite handsome,

"Mr Dummond, it is a pleasure." Tehya held out her gloved hand which he gently took and kissed,

"Please Princess, the pleasure is all mine." He grinned revealing a set of pearly white teeth. Mr Blairs smirked at Tehya,

"I'll leave the Princess with you Arthur if you don't mind, some of the guest were complaining about the fish rolls." Her uncle flashed an almost evil smile at Teyha and stepped swiftly away. In his place an awkward silence filled the evening air,

"How are you coping then princess?" Arthur asked softly staring at her with his mud-pie eyes,

"Coping? With what Mr Drummond?" She frowned at him,

"With the death of your Mother and Father of course!" Tehya stared at the man, her eyes narrowed. An expression of pure freezing ice filled her face, "You know, it will be okay. I also lost my parents at a young age," Arthur blundered on, "And if you ever needed someone to talk with, well then I can..."

"I'm sure you can." Her voice could have frozen lava to the core, "But now if you please, my glass is empty."

"Of course Princess I will return shortly." Tehya watched Arthur step through the crowds, and then she twisted away quickly walking out of the tent. Her pulse was speeding too quick, she could feel tears springing to her eyes. No, no, no! I shall not cry! No one shall see the Princess cry! Tehya thought fiercely. She glanced around her making sure no one was watching, and silently stepped into the cluster of tree's that surrounded the castle.

It was cooler under the green summer leaves. The loud music, and chattering from the guests seemed so far away. The sun glistened down through the tree tops giving the brown bark an orange sheen. Birds sang the evening song loudly, bumblebees buzzed by, and the sound of a stream rushed softly on the warm breeze. Slowly Tehya felt the sting of her tears fall away. Her red heels wobbled on the fallen twigs, and lumpy mud, yet she made no move to return to the dance. I quite like it in here, perhaps I will never return, The Princess smiled slightly for the first time in two weeks. It wasn't a happy smile, but more of a content smirk. Tehya carefully stepped further into the tree's, watching a grey squirrel scurry silently away. She'd never before been inside the small woods, and was curious to see a well worn path not far from where she had walked. The princess followed the path which led deeper into the darkening woodland, yet she wasn't scared. This was the first time in weeks she'd felt calm and relaxed. The warm sweet air seemed to fill her up with peace. It was then, as the sun was about to set, and the woodlands was misted in yellows and reds that Tehya saw the stone stables. They stood at the end of the path, covered in thick cushions of green moss. Three hollow square windows and a simple wooden door decorated the simple grey stone. The roof of the stables seemed slightly worn and a glass window glinted on top. She could have turned around, and ignored the worn stables, hurried back to the dance before her Uncle realised she was gone. But before the Princess had a chance to change her mind she was flipping off her satin heels, gathering her red silk dress and hurrying towards the old stone building. The sound of her bare feet thudded loudly inside the crowed trees. As she drew closer, she saw the brown head of a grumpy looking horse peeking out one of the windows. Her Uncle had never told the Princess he had horses,

"Oh my. You are beautiful." She whispered softly to the Mare. The horse blinked up Tehya with thick black lashes and big brown eyes, "I wonder if you have any friends." She breathed, and pushed the unlocked wooden door open. The stables smelt sweetly of fresh hay, it wase only small a small barn, with just enough room for the three horses that lived within. Tehya's heart lept with joy, and worries were forgotten, if just for this sweet moment. In her old castle she had, had horses but on the day of her parents death, they had been slaughtered as well,

"Oh but you are all women!" Teyha laughed as she stared at the Mares. The first horse that the Princess has seen was now blinking at her along with a black mare that had a fine coat which seemed to shimmer in the soft specks of dying light. But the last horse was pure white like she had been covered in a blanket of snow. Tehya slowly reached out a hand to smooth the mare, when a voice echoed from the stable entrance,

"Watch her. She'll bite." The princess spun around. Her cheeks were flushed red and she had a smudge of mud on her cheeks. Her hair was falling from it's clip and surrounded Tehya's face in a messy embrace. She stared at the young man who had stepped into the stables. He was older than her, mid twenties and, wore a muddy white work shirt which was covered in a slightly too big black overcoat. His skin was rough looking, and well tanned as if he had spent many hours under the sun's glare. The man had hair blacker than a stormy starless sky but, it was his eyes that made the Princess stare. They were the colour of turquoise sapphire jewels,

"Who are you?" She demanded,

"I am Brooke. Brooke Heathingdale, and you are the Princess." He stated stepping past her. Brooke walked with a slight limp as he took each step towards Tehya, until they were a mere inch apart, "Well? Move then." He grunted, trying to get to the white mare. Tehya gasped slightly. How rude this stable man is! I am royalty! She thought strongly. The look of shock must have shown on her young face because Brooke chuckled and said, "What's wrong princess? Should I bow down before you? Perhaps bless the very hay you step upon?"

"Perhaps a bow would be only respectful!" Tehya said in shock,

"Perhaps, but please princess keep dreaming." He grinned at her with white sparkling teeth and stepped into the white mares stable room. Again Brooke had shocked her, stable men never usually had such white teeth,

"What is her name?" Teyha asked. For some reason the man's attitude had not angered the Princess as much as it should have,

"Gem." He grunted as he removed some of the older straw that surrounded the horse, "Don't ya go touching her though, unless you want ya fingers gone. She's a grumpy old sod." Tehya frowned. There was something about the way Brooke spoke, it was as he had been taught to speak properly but covered it up in servant's slang,

"My uncle never told me about the stables." Tehya mumbled and walked back over to the brown mare,

"He wouldn't have." Brooke muttered from behind her,

"Why?" She asked but he didn't answer, "Can I take her out?"

"What in you're fine red dress? Are you not at the dance? I've heard it's the place to be tonight." He grunted,

"It's just a stupid...." Tehya stopped herself and was annoyed for losing control on her feelings, "I must return I suppose."

"Yes you must." Brooke leaned against the stone wall staring at the Princess with a look of humour on his handsome face,

"I'll go now." She stared at him unsure of what to make with this man's rude words, strange behaviour and stunning blue eyes,

"You best go quickly. The sun has set and it's getting dark. Who knows what scandles could happen to a young girl alone in the woods,"

"Of course. Well farewell, Mr Heathingdale." Tehya nodded, and pushed open the stable doors. She heard Brooke chuckle softly,

"Farewell Princess."