Princess Elise

Chapter 4: Happy childhood

Chapter 4: Happy childhood

Elise started being schooled at the age of 4 and her training in combat at 6 years old. She's a receptive child and learns quickly, but mostly she likes her training at hand-to-hand combat and archery. She also enjoy reading books and riding. Just like her mother, she loves horses and dogs also. Her mother's trusted knight, Michelangelo, is Elise's trainer in s*ord fighting. She excel in everything she does. She's 12 years old now and not just that everyone in the castle liked her when she was a baby, but now she's even more loved among the castle walls, even the commoner people heard what is being said about the little princess. She has a kind heart and elegant and respectful young lady; maybe a little too adventurous; treating everyone the same. Elise is judging people by their soul, not by their ranks as these trivial matters has no value to her. Elise brings a great joy and honor to her parents. 

Everyday, since she was 6, she's waking up in the morning at 7.00 a.m. to read and learn how a lady should act. Then, at 12.00 p.m. has s*word fighting lessons in Mondays, archery lessons in Tuesdays, hand-to-hand combat in Wednesdays and Fridays, endurance training in Thursdays. After her lessons and training she goes for a ride accompanied by her mother and Michelangelo, and sometimes her father too, but other times she sneak out and rides by herself 'till her parents notices her absence and sends Michelangelo to look for her and bring her back to the castle. Elise started to sneak out 6 months ago when she realized that she's pretty good at riding and understanding the horse behaviors so she felt capable of riding by herself, and besides, her parents does not allow her to touch wild animals tho she loves them. So, when she's out by herself riding, she can touch whatever wild animal she wants as long as she'll be sure that it's not gonna eat her and it's safe. Although her mother always warned her to stay away from the wolves as they are evil creatures and don't tell her father that she said that 'cause this subject angers him, but Elise saw them as little fluffy babies and she felt a strange attraction for the wild, and wolves seemed the wildest living thing around.

In a Friday, after her hand-to-hand combat training with Magnus, one of the best officers of her father's royal guards, she tried, to sneak out again, but after taking her mother's horse, Alexander, from the stable and jumping over the gate, ( I mean, don't get me wrong, the castle's gate is huge, but there is a spot where no one is looking and stuff like this, where she gathered a lot of dirt and created a big rubble inside the gate where she could jump easily on the other side and Alexander is the only horse that she trusts to jump safely with her on the other side of the gate as there's no rubble as it may cause others to be able to get inside as well), she thought it may be fun to go to the public square and visit some shops as she never got the chance to see them before and besides, no one knew how she looked like. That shouldn't be a problem.

Elise's Point Of View:

'What a beautiful day to sneak out of the castle and go for a ride!', I thought to myself, rubbing my hands and a small evil smile on my face. Right after my training I took Alexander from the stables and went to my sneaking spot with the rubble on one side of the gate, then I jumped... sorry, we jumped* over and landed safely on the other side and unnoticed. At first, I wanted to go to a ride thru the woods as usual, but then I remembered about last time my godmother, Aliisa, asked mommy to go for a walk in the public square. Mommy decided that I'm still little and I'm not gonna come along with them 'cause it's nothing for me out there and I could get hurt. 'I'm 12 years old mommy, what could go wrong? You taught me to protect myself, didn't you?', I thought, feeling proud about my achievements in self defense. 'Public square, here I come!', and as i thought about this, I touched Alexander gently, indicating him that we could go now and he started to gallop thru the near forest 'till I was far enough of the castle to not be seen and take me back this soon. I had a cloak on me so no one could see me clearly and somehow recognize me. I saw from the entrance that there were not a lot of people with horses, leave alone the fact that they were not looking even half as happy and cared for as Alexander is. There were at most 3 horses as far as I could see from here. I already reached the square so I won't just leave now because of the stares I get from the commoners. I even heard some old lady whispering to her niece, I think, that I look like a demon or like I sold my soul to one with this cloak on and my gorgeous horse. She said that it looks too good to be true and that could be the only way to get such a beautiful looking horse. I tried to don't mind it, but it actually hurt a little. When everyone tells you your entire life that you are a sweet child and a gorgeous little princess it's hard to hear every old lady on the street that they are whispering about how you actually look like a demon from hell and all of this just because you wear a cloak and they don't know who you are. I wonder if that is what my mother meant when she said I could get hurt, but then I saw some small stall with a strange food in there. It was a fried potato, but it was curled up on a stick. It looked weird, yet delicious and I remembered that I took some coins along with me. Just in case I see something interesting and worth my coins. Back at the castle I've never had such thing to eat. And that weird potato thing was definitely worth my coins. I dismount Alexander and take him by the bridle along with me so no one could stole him.

-"Excuse me, sir!What is that called?", I asked the vendor.

-"Fried potato. What name could you give a potato?", asked the man irritated. " Are you going to buy something or not?", he rolled his eyes. He seemed being in his late fifties with grey hair on the sides of his head as the middle of his head was bald, on a slender figure. I decided to remain respectful even tho he was mean to me. He must have his reasons to be irritated or maybe I offended him in some way, you never know and besides, he's an elder man and I'm just 12, I can't just be mean to elder people just because I feel so or because they are whispering.

-"How much do you want for one?", I asked politely. 

-"5 silver coins will do it.", he said with a mischievous smile on his face. I have already seen that he asked for 2 silver coins the other man that came here, but I felt pity for the old man as he looked exhausted.

-"Alright. I would like to buy one, please!", I replied and his smile widened. In the time that he fried my potato, a little girl came towards the stall running and hugged the old man's leg. She had short hair reaching her shoulders with big green eyes and a short dirty white dress that reached her knees that were covered in bruises from playing around with the other kids and falling. 

-"Grandpa, I'm hungry!", whined the little girl, then he took my fried potato out of the oil and put it on the counter on a napkin to kneel before her and pet her head.

-"I know dear. Look, this young lady will give us 5 silver coins in a second and you can go buy yourself something to eat, alright?", he reassured her with a warm smile and I fought to hold back my tears as I put myself in their place.

-"Actually, I want to buy the potato for 12 silver coins if it's alright.", I interrupted their little moment of a hug. After hearing this, her eyes light up with visible happiness and started jumping around the stall while the vendor's eyes widened in shook that I was willing to give him 12 coins instead of 2. 

-"Thank you so much, young lady! May God bless you and your family!", he said with teary eyes and a small smile on his face while the little girl jumped around the stall and cheering. I have to admit that I felt o lot better now, and I was also feeling the weird sensation of someone following me, but I was too happy to see these people's smiles on as to care if someone was watching me now or not. I took my potato after the vendor put some salt on it and I waved them 'goodbye' after I mounted on Alexander and left. I was enjoying my potato while riding thru the square's alleys when the felling of being watched washed over me again, but when I looked back, everyone was minding their own businesses, no one looking curious at me or Alexander anymore as they all saw us already. I shocked this feeling off of me and continued my walk. After 10-15 minutes of riding thru the alleys, I saw a little girl walking her dog and I melted. It was a huge black dog with strong jaw and visible muscles on it's body with a long slender tail and chopped ears. She seemed to come from a wealthy family, dressed in a cute pink dress with long sleeves of lace. I felt a little sad for the dog's ears, but he still looked as an amazing guard dog. When I get home I surely will tell my father about this dog, if I won't get any punishments, of course. Usually more training hours or not leaving my chamber, but I don't actually consider those real punishments as I enjoy both of them. So I jumped down my horse... aham... my  mother's horse and I approached the little girl with a big warm smile.

-"Good day, young lady! Is it your dog?",and I pointed with my index finger towards the dog, making sure I am not too close and trigger him in some way and make him attack, then she rolled her eyes at me, ... that little child literally rolled her eyes at me! I'm not that older myself, but still... 

-"Yeah, so?",she retorted, looking bored and annoyed at the same time at my presence next to her and I raised my eyebrows in shook.

-"I beg your pardon,...", and I watched her reaction for a few seconds and the little one was not moving an inch from her place with her arms crossed over her chest so I continued, " I do not find little b*ats like you any interesting, I'm sorry for the dog that he has to guard a child like you. I'll just leave if you're parents did not care enough to give you an education.", and then I heard a small giggle, when a tall man that came out from a large building's corner and looked directly into my eyes and had a mischievous smile on while motioning to the girl to go away. Then, the child rolled her eyes again, stuck her tongue out at me and ran inside the building and locked the doors. When he started approaching me I knew that it's not for offering me sweets... I read enough books to know that a man that pops out on an alley from a building's corner it's a bad sign, especially if you are small and inexperienced in fighting. He is twice my size and I can tell that he has an idea of how to fight. He clenched his fist and I waited with my eyes closed to be hit as I had no where to go, but it never came. Instead, I heard something like bones breaking with a loud manly scream and how a heavy weight was lifted and banged on the wall of the building. When I opened my eyes, all I saw was that man who tried to hit me with his arm broken most likely, laying on the alley unconscious and I knew that I'm not a witch so I can't just throw people like that into the walls without even touching them, but then I looked behind me and there was no one, expect for a fluffy tail that was raised too high to be attached to a dog or even a wolf, but it disappeared. I even asked myself if I'm not just seeing things because I was scared. I took advantage of whatever just happened and ran looking for Alexander, that fled away while I closed  my eyes probably. It didn't took long for me to find him as all I had to do was to whistle and he appeared in front of me and we galloped back into the forest at my favorite spot where I knew that Michelangelo would come looking for me and take me back home by now. As I galloped, I could still feel the sensation that someone is following close behind us and I instantly stiffened my body as I remembered that just moments ago someone was trying to hurt me. What if there were other people trying to as well? I tried to ignore this feeling, but couldn't.

 This was the first time that I have been so scared in my life. Back at the castle, on the training grounds no one would push me too hard 'cause I'm still a child, but out of the castle walls I am not a child anymore, I am just a future ruler and maybe the subjects don't like me already. I just kept looking back while riding, but whenever I did, there was no one tho I heard the leafs being walked on. I was praying for Michelangelo to be already there, waiting for me to take me back, but he wasn't anywhere near that place and that scared me even more. I have been gone for quite some time and no one was looking for me. Then, the leafs began to rustle again and behind a three I saw that fluffy tail again. I hoped for it to be just a friendly wolf, but I knew it's impossible, then I thought about a werewolf, but it still appeared too tall to be one. I sat there, frightened, waiting for him to come out and reveal himself, but he didn't, so I called him out.

-"Hey! I saw you... Come out! It's not funny!", I yelled to be sure that he hears me, but if it's a werewolf he would have heard me anyway. And then I thought that maybe... just maybe, that was not the right way to approach him. After a minute or so of face palming myself for calling him out, he actually came to me. he was nothing like werewolves were described to look like, he stood tall next to the three. He was huge, standing only on his back legs with a massive and muscular body and an elongated snout, his body covered in black fur and red eyes that looked directly into mine's. When he got next to me, he lowered his upper body to be at my level and looked like he's smelling me for a second and I think I heard a low growl from him and revealed his fangs for a moment, but then he sniffed me again and put his snout closer to my hand and I reached for his head so I would caress his fur. He looked terrifying  and cute at the same time if that's even possible. But then he stood up abruptly and I backed away, scared that he might have changed his mind and is going to eat me or maybe worse, t*rture me before he eats me or I offended him somehow, but instead of hurting me, he ran away and disappeared within seconds. Then I heard someone galloping towards me and I didn't know if I should be happy or scared, but then I saw Michelangelo and I relaxed. 

-"Thank God you're alright, princess!", said Michelangelo jumping off his horse and marching towards me with a worried expression on his face and I didn't try to hid my tears from him as I felt so relieved that he'd come to take me back to the castle.

-"It was such a horrible day! I won't go out by myself anymore without informing anyone before leaving!", I said thru my cries and I jumped in his arms and hold on tight to him.

-"Let's go back to the castle and you can tell me everything you want to on the way back, alright princess?", he asked and I nodded wiping my tears away.

On the way back to the castle I told him everything that happened to me today, excluding my encounter with the large beast, I didn't wanted to, I couldn't. I felt like it's my special secret. It was indeed special for me as he is the first beast this large I ever saw and I wanted to be my secret only. So I didn't told Michelangelo that I saw it's tail when I opened my eyes and that man was on the floor or that he followed me. I'll just let him wonder who could be my savior. Savior... I didn't even said thank you to him... what a clumsy girl I am. How could I forget to thank him for saving me? What if sir beast thinks I am disrespectful and won't come back to meet me? There goes my beast... I wonder if it is actually a real human in that beast somewhere. Guess I'll never get to know now. In about 30 minutes we were in front of the gate, walking by the entrance guards. Whenever I walked past them, they would be smiling at me, but today, today it was different. Not a single soul in the castle smiled at me today... they were all emotionless, not giving away anything at all. It was quite a sad sight to see, for me at least, but I could tell that Michelangelo found this just as sad as I do. It is unusual. Then I saw my father's worried expression and I ran towards him, embracing him and he got down to my level to hold me and buried his head into my neck. We sat like that for about 3 or 5 minutes and I retreated myself from his embrace to cup his face with my little hands and I saw his teary eyes and it broke my heart to see my father like this. I didn't knew that me being gone for one day did so much trouble in the castle. He tried to compose himself as a group of maids were approaching and Michelangelo already left us alone, giving us some privacy. Father looked into my eyes, grabbing my shoulders and began to tell me what happened. 

-"My sweet child, today ... while you were gone, someone sneaked into the castle claiming to be a farmer and your mother took charge of him and the grains while I was dealing with other people's problems and... and he s*abbed your mother...", said father putting his eyes in the ground in shame and sadness, but then looked again into my eyes as he heard me began to whimper when I heard the news about my mother. " But she's stable now, my dear! Don't you worry about this. The medic is with her right now and takes care of your mother!", reassured my father.

-"So mommy is not going to d*e, right father?", I asked him with teary eyes .

-"No, my dear! She is going to be alright and go on rides with us thru the forest again soon enough.", he tried to calm me down and forced a smile so I won't be worried, but I couldn't think about something else in this moment. ' What if my mommy was severely injured? What if she needed me ... but father would have told me if that would be the case... he loves mommy too!' Today I decided that I'm not going to sneak out after my training anymore for a while.

***

Four years went by and I tried to be in my best behavior, no more sneaky sneaky outside of the castle after training, more practice at hand-to-hand combat as I wanted to feel powerful, my mommy got better after the incident when she got s*abbed and I haven't seen the beast anymore when I was out with my parents for rides thru the forest, tho sometimes I still had that feeling that someone is following close behind, but I kept quiet about this. I still didn't wanted to share my secret with others. In all those years I learned about some kind of superior species of werewolves that are named 'lycans', but still... what it is wrote about them in these books does not match his size and his raven-black fur and red eyes. No one in these records had seen one with red eyes.So I'm still not sure what kind of werewolf he is. And I still don't know why he was so docile around me. From what I heard from my mother they were anything but docile creatures. That's what got me even more curious than I was before. I couldn't help but to wonder who or what is he? Now that I have some skills in fighting, I think that I will be just fine getting out of the palace after so much time, right? And besides, 2 years ago I found a foal all alone in the forest when I was out with my parents and I just couldn't leave him, so now in return, he gave me his trust and loyalty and he's the best horse I could ever ask for. I feel like he understands me. So, I sneaked out from the stable with my dear boy and we jump at my usual spot where I used to. I'm still good at it. That was pretty easy actually. I missed going out by myself, so I reached my usual spot and I sat there on the ground next to Maximus, my horse,  waiting to see what happens, but nothing interesting happened... until a blonde guy came there on a horse and he seemed surprised to see me and looked at me with wide eyes and his mouth reaching the ground.

-"Your Highness... I didn't knew you were here... I'm so sorry, I'll just leave!", panicked the blonde guy.

-"No, it's alright. Really...", I reassured him with a small smile, then he turned his back again and faced me, smiling at me as well. But when he tried to approach me, a loud growl was heard and both of us looked scared and a huge beast showed up from behind a three and stood tall upon the blonde guy as he trembled from all joints. The beast let out another growl showing his huge fangs and that guy ran away leaving me alone with him. ' What a gentleman..', I thought to myself. Then he turned his glare at me and his eyes were glowing a dark red this time that sent shivers down my spine... he looked angry. I wanted to test my theory so I held my hand out to him so I could pet him, but he growled at me instead of leaning into my touch like last time he did, so I took my hand back. I was afraid that he's gonna bite me 'cause that would mean that he would take my whole hand. He sniffed me and glared one more time at me before he got on all fours and ran away. After he was far enough from my sight he started howling... and that was scary. I wanted to talk to him, but he left. Maybe if that guy wouldn't have been here....  That's it... maybe next time, now I should get going. I won't leave it like that. In 30 minutes I was back at the castle and Michelangelo was on his way to come and find me from what I see. When he saw me he stopped  and jumped off his horse and came marching with big strides towards me, seeming pissed.

-"Where do you think you have been, princess?", he glared at me as he called me 'princess' to know I'm in trouble.

-"Yes, sir Michelangelo?", I looked at him with a sheepishly smile on, " I've just... ", but he cut me off.

-"Who were you with out there?", he asked and I widened my eyes hearing this question..., 'how does he know that there was someone with me?', " You know what? It is not my job to know that, but I really hope you were smart enough as to don't talk to male strangers! Your parents awaits you. You better go.", he said with the same pissed expression, pointing me towards the throne hall. One of the guards opened the door for me and I bowed politely as I entered 'cause there was someone else next to my parents, at my father's right hand. Again, they were all glaring at me, expect for the guest 'cause I couldn't see his face. He was hiding under a dark red cloak, covering his face, but I could tell that he was a wealthy man as his cloak seemed very expensive. What is wrong with everyone today? Before I could talk, my father spoke to me. 

-"Elise, do you know why you are here?", asked my father with a hard glare at me, but my mother beside him rolled her eyes. I wonder what is this all about, but I tried to play it cool. 

-"Because you and mother asked me to?", I asked displaying the same sheepishly smile I gave Michelangelo, 'maybe this time will work better?' And then I saw that man stiffening in his place.

-"No, Elise!", yelled father at me and everyone in the room saw my shocked expression. My mommy looked pitiful for me..."Don't play dumb, young lady! We all know you are not. Tell me what happened into the woods today!", he seemed to lose control and I was a little scared actually... for the first time.

-"Nothing happened into..." I tried to say but he cut me off.

-"Don't lie to me! Tell me EVERYTHING that happened today. All the details!"

-"...I sneaked out as I used to, then... when I got to my favorite place I just sat there for a few minutes and I got bored, but then a boy appeared with his horse and he seemed shocked by my presence there alone and he said that he's gonna leave, but I told him to stay if he wants to 'cause I don't want people to think that I'm acting like a b*at and then... and then he ran away because there was a wolf behind the threes.", I said looking down.

-"A wolf?", asked my father with a raised eyebrow.

-"Yes, a wolf.", and as he heard this he sigh.

-"First of all, do you know who is our guest? Secondly, are you sure that's all that boy did?", asked father coldly.

-"I'm sorry, I don't know who the gentleman is. And yes, I'm sure that's all.", I replied on the same tone.

-"Elise, it's time you should stop talking to strangers and especially to boys, and he is King Nathaniel of Iceland. He's...", but I didn't let my father finish and I lost my composure.

-"He's the King of beasts? You let the King of beasts hear how you humiliated me?", I yelled frantically and then I heard a loud roar echoing thru the castle.

-"This b*at will learn to behave herself in my presence and I want her punished for how she dared to talk about me!"

-"I'm not going to behave in your f*cking presence!", and as I yelled this he rose up from his place and got a grip on my jaw and I let out a whimper and I heard my mother's scream behind him.

-"Do NOT provoke me! You wouldn't like that.", and he let go of my jaw. This King not only that he had a cloak on, but he had a mask too, a black one with demonic looks on it.

-"She won't get any food for 5 days. Who's gonna feed her is going to be e*ecuted. She is allowed water. We wouldn't want the princesses lips to dry, would we?", he asked in a fake concerned expression. 'How dare he? Who does he think he is?'. I could see the anger in my mother's eyes as well as mine and father agreed...He actually agreed to let me starve for 5 f*cking days. I know that was not a lady-like behavior, but still...I was a human, not a beast like him. And that means... the beast that saved me was him...Well, it's his fault. I didn't asked for it.