Turquoise Stone

It was morning and as the sunlight seeped through the windows it became apparent that Princess Elesha had definitely overslept. She woke up and rubbed her eyes, staring at her windows with a frown as the sunlight was shining bright outside. She slapped her forehead and suddenly remembered what she had promised her sister, Princess Estella.

"Oh no", she cried aloud "how could I forget?" Not wasting anymore precious time she slipped on her shoes, threw on her coat to cover her peach coloured nightdress which was see through and rushed out her room, as she had woken up late, nearly colliding with her ladies maid that was bringing up her breakfast.

"Good morning Your Highness! I am just bringing in your breakfast, I hope you are well rested."

"Yes, thank you Bea! But I must speak to Father on a matter of great importance," yelled Princess Elesha as she ran past the maid down the stairs and to the library where she knew she would find her father after breakfast.

"Father! I'm so glad I found you here!" Exclaimed Princess Elesha as she found her father sipping a cup of jasmine tea in the library in one hand, reading a book with the other.

"Good gracious my dear. Perhaps you would want to appear a little more formal before your King?" teased His Majesty, King Theodore of Weiss.

"Oh Father I must discuss something of great importance with you!"

At this King Theodore's bushy eyebrows shot up.

"What is the matter, Elesha?" He asked her.

"Estella....that she said... urgh give me a moment let me catch my breath."

"I want to marry the King of Rubicund." She said most solemnly after calming down.

"Did your sister put you up to this?" asked her father with a knowing gleam in his eye.

"Oh no father, you know I wouldn't just throw my life away if I knew I was helping by offering myself up as a sacrifice to our enemy in the name of peace!" Insisted Princess Elesha with a determined look on her face.

"Hmmmm....., it would help solve things but will you be happy? Can you be happy my dear?"

"Yes I can, if he ill treats me I'll run right back home".

"I doubt he will be unkind dear, he would want this marriage to work out peacefully is what he said in his own words. He wants an heir." Her father said this last bit with hesitation.

"You understand what that means?"

"Yes, I do Father and I will not disappoint you."

"I know you won't." He says this wearily, taking both her hands. He tells her "I would never wish this fate on you dearest, everyone deserves to be happily married, without being forced into it."

"Well I'm not forcing myself father, I do this out of love for my family and my country. I'm sure I shall learn to love him."

"Spoken like a true daughter of Weiss. I'm so proud of you," said the king opening his arms to hug his youngest daughter. She was his favourite and she resembled her father closely.

Both father and daughter shared the same striking green eyes and wavy brown hair, both were tall and looked intimidating for their height. Princess Estella however looked more like the younger version of her mother, Queen Matilda with golden blonde hair and sky blue eyes that always had a faraway look in them.

"You are sure of your choice, my dear girl?"

"I am father."

"Very well, I shall write to him and inform him of your decision."

"Is that really necessary? I mean he did ask for Estella but I'm wondering if he might not like the fact that you are trying to bargain with him by giving me instead."

"You mean to deceive him then into thinking you are Princess Estella?" asked her father.

"Deceiving is a sin, I prefer to think of it as concealing my identity until after the wedding."

"I leave it to you then," said the king rubbing his temples wearily. "There's much I have to sort out with him. I hope you know what you are doing daughter."

"I know what I'm doing," replies Elesha as she kissed her father on the forehead and left the library.

Back in her large bedroom that was decorated in every shade of pink imaginable she slowly shut the door behind her and sank heavily to the floor. Before she knew it the floodgates of tears were released. She cried as she thought about her life that she had just signed away to an unknown king, an enemy, a monster.

She willed herself to stop crying and consoled herself by repeating, "he will not harm me," over and over again to fight the fear and the dread that were welling up inside of her and sending her mind into a frenzy of sorts. 'No, she thought firmly he would not dare hurt her, if he wanted peace as much as they did.'

Her eyes drifted to a beautiful turquoise stone that her aunt had given her for Christmas. It must be worth a fortune she thought and then she remembered little Felix. Who was going to care for him after she was gone? She had to make provision for him in some way. She knew exactly what to do. She took a bath, washed her face, brushed her teeth and took a bite of an egg tart on her tray. She wore an orange dress that reminded her of the colour of autumn leaves that fell to the ground from the trees, put on her brown boots, put the large turquoise stone into her satchel and once again ran out of her room.

She found Jasper seated at the kitchen table eating a slice of cheese.

"Jasper, thank God I need your help. You must come with me into town I need to exchange something."

"What is it now princess?" He asked slightly annoyed at having to do her bidding while he was enjoying his cheese.

"Can we go into town, now?" demanded the princess impatiently.

"Alright, I'll ask Jem to take us to the marketplace that is where you mean to go isn't it?"

"Yes," she replied.