Zela’s First Draft Ever

Primitive romance… -_-7
First few chapters of Book 1 of 3

 Chapter 1: The Meeting

Flair, Elf-Prince of the Lunesa, was walking in Kallakedma, the Forests of Song. These forests were special, for everywhere in them you heard gentle singing from the angels. If you listened at a stream, you might hear the wild, beautiful voice of Kleri, Mermaid of Waters, singing. Flair found a stream, but he heard two songs. One, undoubtedly was Kleri’s song, of peace, the wide ocean, and seagulls, but one was even more beautiful. It did not seem to come from the stream. Confused, he set out to find who was singing the lovely song.
    In a glade not far from the stream, he came upon two young girls (or so they seemed) singing and dancing. He stayed in the bushes, not wanting to be seen, yet wanting to see. The singer had long curly red hair and was wearing a creamy dress with green hems. The dancer had brown hair and wore a navy blue dress with silver in it, like the night sky. The singer had little golden slippers; the dancer was barefoot. Eventually he would have to talk to them. He sighed, not wanting to break the spell, and stepped out of the trees.
    The two girls stopped, startled. The singer gave a small cry and backed behind the dancer.
    ”Who are you?” he asked quickly. “Please do not go. My name is Flair.” The singer said “Oh!” again and curtsied.
    ”I am Zela, and this is my sister Sela.” Flair knew those names. He was talking to the Princesses of the Unisa! He knew, that despite she looked twenty years of age in our time, Zela was far older than he, older than his parents.
    Suddenly, Flair’s bodyguard and life-long friend, Gloriin, rode into the clearing. He pulled up short in surprise at the sight of the two princesses. Flair’s horse was trotting behind him on its reins.
    ”Who is this?” asked Gloriin.
    ”The princesses of the Unisa,” answered Flair. “Zela and Sela.”
    ”Oh.” Flair untied his horse and mounted it.
    There was a sound of many horse’s hooves, then a richly dressed lady and her retinue came through the woods. The lady began talking as soon as she saw the two girls.
    ”Sela, Zela, your father wants to talk to you. You know there is a party tonight. A small one, true, but you need to be back in time to have that talk and get dressed, and then Sela, you were going to finish that embroidered pillow for Tring’ket afterwards and Zela, you have to go shopping, you can’t just go around with no shoes because it’s comfortable, even Sela wears slippers all the time except in bed… Who is this?” During this time, the other men and women nodded and shook their heads vigorously and clicked their tongues.
    ”My dear Gala,” said Zela, “this is the Prince of the Lunesa, and this is his bodyguard.”
    ”Gloriin,” said Flair.
    Gala sniffed. Apparently she did not think much of bodyguards. “Well, that’s very nice. Would you like to stay for supper and perhaps the night, your highness?” She turned back to Zela and Sela. “Where are those unicorns of yours?”
    ”Mother, they’re not ours, we’re friends. They are grazing over there,” said Sela, pointing southwest.
    Gala smiled as if she had not heard the first part and said, “Don’t be late. Be back in half an hour.” The queen turned her fat unicorn and the whole troop cantered away.
    When the last sounds of the train had died away, Zela asked Flair and Gloriin; “Do you want to come?” She seemed rather half-hearted about it.
    ”Yes, at least I do,” Flair answered. Sela was calling the unicorns. When they came in sight, Flair caught his breath. Two of the loveliest creatures in the world were coming through the trees. They were pearly white and seemed to glow. One of them had a blue-tinged mane. The others had a hint of silver. Their horns were spiralled and every other twist had a hint of the same colour.
    ”The blue one is Mistila, and the silver one is just Mist,” said Sela. “I ride Mistila.” She went over to a tree and picked up a small side saddle. Mistila followed her and Sela put it on. Zela rode bareback. So they all went back to the Unisa capital together.
    The first thing Flair did was to tell a messenger to go back to the Lunesa and tell his father, Flar, where he was and what he was doing. Then he and Gloriin waited and talked with courtiers until the princesses returned from their talk.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

    Cerd, the King of the Unisa, wanted to talk to his daughters about their marriages. The five sisters, Kyla, Sela, Mayla, Haila, and Zela, sat in a semicircle around his chair in the living room of his apartment.
    ”You are old enough to be engaged, anyway,” he said at Kayla’s protest that she was much too young. “Now, first, Kayla will be married to the younger Lunesa prince, Fireflaire. Arrangements will be made soon, as he is only a bit older.”
    Zela could not help thinking that, in our years, 11 to 18 was a bit much.
    ”Now, Kayla, he is a nice young man, so don’t argue. He is blonde and his portrait is in the long hall. Pretty Sela, the Dragesa have asked for your hand for their oldest. He is rich and wise, and he sticks to a task. Mayla, I believe that the older Lunesa prince is perfectly suited. Don’t go telling him, because then you’ll spoil all of our plans.” Mayla snorted.
    ”Haila, dear,” continued Cerd, “don’t weep, we will find you a perfect husband. If we can’t, then you can stay here with your mother or go to a convent.”
    Haila stopped crying a little. She said, “I prefer the convent… if only it has a good Mother in charge.”
    ”Of course, dear, the best. You are still a princess. Zela, griffins have flown in while you were gone this afternoon. Their prince is here, asking for your hand.” She sighed. Why? Well, she did feel sorry for the Lunesa prince, being here, and going to be married to Mayla. Mayla was the sweetest child, but then she started getting uppity, as Gala said. “Fine,” she said out loud.
    ”Well, as that’s all settled, you can go out to that party now. Have a good time.”
    Zela thought sardonically, How could I have a good time with a boyfriend hanging around?
_____________________________________________________________________________________

    A few weeks later, the Lunesa decided to return the favour. The whole Royal Family of the Unisa was invited to a ball celebrating Fireflaire’s birthtime. It was the fifth week of spring.
After one of the dances, Gala came sweeping over regally.
    “Zela, your father and I have been discussing your wedding, and it will be in a week. Tomorrow the dress fitters will come.” She swept away in a rustle of silk.
    “If I am there to be fitted,” Zela muttered angrily. She left the ballroom.

The next day, a young knight without armour was seen galloping out of the castle on his unicorn.

    A week later, Flair located her. She was sitting in a clearing in the southern woods of the Kallekedma, talking with Sela. Mistila knelt nearby. Flair and Gloriin sat down too. She welcomed them with a laugh.
    ”See my preferred life!” she told them. “Instead of gay balls and arranged marriages, I live simply, by myself. I need no fine clothes, for they get in the way and waste material. My curtains are of silk, but my bed of cotton. Rest now, and I will sing you the story of the world.” She began, a long poem in Gregorian chant style she composed herself, but different than the one Flair had read, by her, in his library.

The Angels were nine
Ten with Elflan
But one left their number
And they were nine again
Elflan lived apart
Watching
And Gothebhen
Deep in the center of the earth
Bided his time
Malos and Stria
Olar and Varana
Telvar and Kleri
Horen and Yia
And Gothebhen

The angels laboured
Shaping the earth
Building a house
For them to rest
And to journey out of
Then the sun and moon
Bright for night
But mostly for day
Then I was made
A wise flower
They told me
And swordmaid
Gothebhen, watching
Copied and changed
Another woman was born
But who?
We shall see

    When she was finished, there was a stir of wonder. But Mist galloped out of the trees, covered in foam. Zela sprang up at once.
    ”What is it?”
    ”Soldiers,” gasped Mist, throwing her head around agitatedly. “They surprised me in a meadow, and I ran to you, knowing they would find this place anyway. I had to warn you.”
    Flair and Gloriin jumped up too. “We have no horses,” said Flair.
    Zela smiled at them. “You do not have to run. Mist is fast, but she is tired, and you are not wanted by my persuers.” She mounted Mist.
A shout came from behind them. Zela paused as a mounted knight rode up.
“Princess Zela, the queen desires your presence. I beg you, do not hinder her in this.”
Zela’s eyes flashed. “I will have none of arranged marriage. Take that to your Queen.” Zela dashed away, faster than Flair would have guessed a weary horse could go.

Chapter 2: The Betrayal

    Flair walked thoughtfully through the forest to the tower. He had a lot of things to think about. Gloriin was not with him, for the simple reason that Flair had told him he wanted to be alone this afternoon. Gloriin had known that he had something important on his mind, for he had looked at him suspiciously. He would know soon.
    He came to the tower and called upward, “Can I come up?”
    Zela’s head appeared over the balcony, and she said, “I suppose so. I am in the middle of something, though.”
    What she was in the middle of was apparent when he got up the ladder. She was cleaning up all the mess on her table.
    ”I have something to tell you,” he told her. She looked at him. “That’s nice. What is it?”
    He came toward her, took her in his arms. She backed away until she came up against the wall. There was a stool there and she leaned on it. “No.”
    ”Yes.” His arms were around her again. Her hands came up to push him away, but she was too weak. She wondered at her weakness.
    ”Why?”
    ”Don’t ask me why, I’ll never be able to tell you. Please understand.” He was very gentle. She felt herself slipping, could not say why either, just knew she was weakening more. She, who had stood from the beginning of time, to fall to this young prince whose sword was love and his shield was confusion!
    He kissed her.
    Mayla ran through the trees to where she had tied her horse, and galloped to Ilandis.

    Mayla arrived at the Capital and dashed into the castle. Immediately she went to her mother and gasped out her news.
    “Zela loves Flair! I saw them.”
    “Really, dear? That is wonderful. Oh, but we will need a new husband for you. However, don’t forget your titles. Prince Flair, Mayla,” said Gala.
    “No, I want him! He’s mine, and then that prying sister of mine has to go and impress him with her spirit. She spends too much time on her exercising.”
    “I agree, but that is not the point. You just showed spirit, which must not be a bad thing, then. However, at least Zela is not in love with a silly commoner. You must keep that in mind, dear.”
    Mayla departed in bitter wrath.