1 Going home

Fox set on the side of the bed and thought about what the future held for her. She knew the end was coming fast. No one knew when, only he did.

Fox was stuck at the age of fifteen. She never aged, however she did mature. No, she wasn't a vampire. She was from a world that most people could never understand. You see, Fox was not just one thing, but many. She had lived many lives and every time she was reborn a piece of her old life would travel over as well. She could feel it all running through her veins. She felt all the raw power clawing its way out, fighting to be free.

Fox heard a knock on the door. She knew it was time to go back. Back to the home and family she left a long time ago. "Princess? Are you ready in there?" The servant knocked on the door again. She knew if she didn't answer, that the next step would be the guards. Fox took one last look around the place she had called home for ten years. Saying goodbye to the last bit of freedom she would ever have.

The carriage ride was long and quiet. It gave Fox more time to think about the kingdom she left behind. She was only five when she was there last. She remembered it like it had just happened, mainly because that was the worst day of her life. Fox hugged her knees as she thought about that day.

She was a small girl full of energy. She ran down the hall and into the throne room. The room was huge and covered in red silk curtains. Pictures hung on the wall of her father and her. The room smelled like flowers and rain, even though it was sunny and no cloud in the sky. The castle always smelled of rain. Her father set on he's throne talking to a older man. Her father always held meetings with people from other kingdoms, so seeing new people in the castle wasn't that strange.

Fox ran by her father's side and tugged on he's robes. The king smiled and raised he's hand to silence the older man. "Yes my princess?"

"Father I want to go to the market. I want new lace please."

The king let out a loud laugh and rubbed her head. "I am working right now princess. Silvarus, take the princess to the market for her things." With that the king turned back to the new man and continued talking. Silvarus was the king's right hand man and Fox's bodyguard. He had been by her side since the day she was born. It seemed that everyone in the castle didn't age. Silvarus was stuck at the age of what looked like twenty.

Silvarus' hair was dark as night and his eyes as bright as day. He was taller then any man Fox had ever met. His arms were as big as logs and he would always throw her around like she weighed nothing.

Silvarus grabbed Fox up and set her on his shoulders. He wasted no time taking Fox where she wanted to go. She loved the market, the smells, people, and amazing items found there. This day, however, was different. The market was quiet, the streets didn't vibrate with the traffic of horses or people. Fox could sense something was wrong, that's when she smelled it. Smoke.

Silvarus ran into a small shop near where they stood. He said Fox down and looked around. "Stay here! Don't move!" He ran off into the smoke that now filled the streets. Everything was happening so fast. Fox's heart was pounding and it was becoming hard to see anything. The smell of smoke then turned sour with the smell of burning flesh. Fox grabbed her face, running out of the shop and down the streets trying to escape the horrible smell.

She ran as fast as she could not looking back. Then she stopped, not because she wanted to, but because someone had her. Fox looked up to see who had a hold of her only to see the man from the throne room. "Well hello princess. You're coming with me." Fox screamed for help as the man tried to drag her away. Her body began to stiffen and her heart began to race harder. She looked at her kidnapper but instead of fear there was something else, hunger. The world began to spend and the last thing Fox saw was the look of fear on her attackers face.

Silvarus ran back to the shop where he had left Fox. When he open the door, panic overcame him. He put his nose in the air trying to catch her scent. After a few minutes he found it, it along with the scent of fresh blood. He ran as fast as he could to her, however, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. Fox set in a puddle of blood eating her attackers heart. Wings spread from her back and protected her from the fire. Silvarus sighed. He knew it was time to send her away. They had to protect their kingdom.

Fox sighed as she set in her carriage. "That was so long ago." She lived most her life in the mountains away from everyone she had ever known. It wasn't until she received a letter from her father, that she even thought about her kingdom or the people in it. All the letter said was that her presences was needed at the palace. She feared that something could have happened to her father.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt. Fox glanced out the window hoping to see her kingdom, but instead all she saw was woods. Frustrated on why the carriage had stopped, Fox opened the door and stepped out. There in front of the carriage stood a group of knights. A knight stepped forward and smiled. He was a handsome young man, with brown hair and golden eyes. If Fox wasn't frustrated with everything she may have even liked him. However, today was not the day for her to have feelings. "Princess, we was sent by King Raven to escort you to the castle. I have a scroll the king gave me as proof."

The young knight handed the scroll to Fox and waited for her to read it. Fox wasn't sure about this young man. Many people wanted her title and many people would kill for it. She learned that people could not be trusted. "Sir Eric, my daughter, Princess Fox, will be rejoining our court. I am writing you to set up an alliance of sorts. My daughter's hand in marriage is on the offering table. Her carriage will be on the east road heading into the kingdom. Guard her with your life, you wouldn't want any harm to come to her."

Fox stared at the scroll for what seemed like forever. She finally knew why her father had wanted her home. It wasn't because he was sick or dying, no, it was so he could marry her off. Fox tried to stop her mind from racing, but the longer she stared at the scroll the more mad she got. She opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was a scream. "I will not be an item used for money or an alliance! Take me to my father!"

Fox threw the scroll down and stormed back to her carriage. Safely inside, the carriage began to move again. Fox's mind began to calm as she thought through everything she had read. This had to be a mistake. Her father would never do this to her. She knew there had to be something wrong. Just as she was about to go over all the possible ideas she noticed a change in the sound outside. The sound of leaves disappeared and the sound of stone replaced it. Fox glanced out the window and there it was. Her kingdom.

The smell of the bakeries and the sound of laughter filled the carriage. Memories of her childhood played along every sound. She knew she was home. "Driver! Stop the carriage!" Fox flung open the door and rushed out onto the stone road she use to dance on as a child. As she stretched her arms and legs the towns people gawk at her. Fox was not dressed up by any means. She had wore her most cozy dress and hadn't even put her hair up.

Fox was a small young lady with long white hair that formed ringlets down her back. Her eyes glowed blue, a blue brighter then the clear sky. Her long, plain, yellow dress swayed in the wind. She smiled at the towns people and turned to her driver. "I would like to walk from her please. I would love to walk through my kingdom again."

At that the young knight hopped off his horse and walked to stand beside her. "Princess, you are to report to the king at once without any delay. Get back into the carriage." Fox could feel the heat raising her her face. She refused to take orders from some man she had never met.

"I said I want to walk through my kingdom." Fox pushed the young knight aside and began to walk down the road. The people in town pointed and whispered to each other. A town that once accepted new people with open arms, is now shunning them. What had happen to the town that Fox remembered so long ago. This town smelled the same, and sounded the same, however, the people were different. Fox wouldn't let them bring her down though. She was finally home and the castle was in sight. Nothing was going to stop her now.

As she neared the gates they opened. She entered the castle with the knights following behind her. Now she just needed to have a word with her father. As she entered the castle a chamber maid greeted her. "My lady, the king has asked me to get you ready for tonight's ball." Fox waved off the chamber maid. Nothing was going to stop her from seeing her father now. She was too close to be dismissed.

"I want to see my father first." Fox moved the maid aside and entered the throne room. Her father, King Raven, set on the throne. Silvarus stood beside him, as always, guarding over him. As Fox entered and made her way to the throne, Silvarus tensed up. His eyes widened and it looked as if he stopped breathing. His whole body got still, even his long black hair stopped. Fox could never figure out how he did that.

The king smiled his devilish smile at her. "My daughter! You finally made it. I would have loved to have seen you dressed though. You have a lot of people waiting to meet you."

"You mean my future husband?" Fox glared at her father. She was not going to let him get out of this one. King Raven laughed loud and strong.

"I can not keep a secret from you, can I?" King Raven's eyes glanced at the knight behind her and then back to her. The two always had a way of reading each other minds. Something was telling Fox to just play along with it for now. She walked closer to her father and whispered softly to him.

"I will play your game for now. But over my dead body will I give in to this. We have a deal father?" The king nodded. The smile on his face faded a bit and his eyes narrowed.

Silvarus tried not to laugh but a sound still came out. The king sighed and turned to him, clearly upset. "Silvarus, make sure Fox is ready in time for the ball tonight. We don't need anymore delays." Silvarus bowed to the king and picked Fox up. He threw her over his shoulder and began to march to her room. She tried to fight against him but it wasn't enough. Silvarus was just too strong.

Once they made it to her room he set her down and shut the door behind them. "Get dressed." He blocked the door and stared her down. Fox laughed and shook her head. She would not let her father get what he wants. Not if it means treating her like an item.

"You think you can tell me what to do? Why don't you come make me, lap dog." Silvarus grinned a devilish smile. With one smooth motion he grabbed her up. One hand wrapped around her waist and the other slid up the back of her dress. He made one movement and her clothes tore off her and fell to the floor in a pile.

Fox pushed away in shock. Silvarus let go and she fell to the floor. Her body began to ache from his grip and her face began to burn. Tears rolled down her cheek as she gathered herself to stand up. Fox grabbed onto her bedpost and pulled herself up off the floor. She glanced back up at him only to see a blank stare on his face.

There was a small noise at the door and he opened it. Chamber maids entered the room and began gathering all the items she was to wear tonight. "Get her ready." With that Silvarus walked out and shut the door behind him.