climbed the last
step, stepped on the thick dais, and came forward to put her hand in his.
"Princess Anya of
Palance!"
A deep silence met her
appearance. To them, she must look like a young, beautiful, fragile princess
dressed in white. She was the king’s sole child, stolen from the cradle by a
vengeful sorceress.
She was the infant
offered in sacrifice for the life of her people, the cursed girl they all knew
about but had never seen in the flesh. Yet there she stood before them, flooded
in sunshine and smiling.
Fingers enfolded in her
father’s hand, she laid eyes on her people for the first time. So many watched
her, mouths agape, gazes brimming with shock, joy, astonishment and hope. She
could tell from their wondrous expressions that they recognized her as a real
princess. One proud of them, drawn to them, willing to serve and protect them.
Enraptured by their awe,
she waved at them. They broke free from their admiration and the ensuing
roaring was thunderous, rent by wild cries of "An angel of mercy!",
"The blessed child has come!" and "Long live Princess Anya!"
filling the air around her.
Uplifted by their
demonstration of approval and amity, she floated on happiness, wondering if
Kylor watched the ceremony from his cell in the keep. He was no doubt proud of
her. As her protector and savior, as her beloved, his rightful place should
have been beside her on the dais.
The crowd still hailing
them, King Harfayn took a step back to indicate the ceremony came to an end.
She was about to follow his lead when the throng suddenly looked past them.
Eyes widened and mouths dropped, an immense surprise etched on their faces.
One by one, old and young
alike, they went down on one knee in a gesture of veneration. A respectful
silence hung in the air as they all stared behind her. Intrigued, she turned
her head.
Her mother walked to her,
magnificent in a long golden dress, a diadem crowning her head, the loving
smile she knew so well stretching her lips. Hardly able to breathe, she joined
the assembly in watching the Queen of Palance with amazement and adoration.
She heard her father gasp
beside her. He let go of her fingers while respectful, hushed exclamations started
coming up from the crowd and filled the silence with "Our queen is
back!"
Her mother took hold of
her hand without glancing at her husband and faced the crowd.
"My beloved people,
I have missed you so much I cannot begin to express the depth of my feelings."
Her tone conveyed such
vibrant emotion that she wondered if her mother was addressing them or her
father.
"I am here to stay
and wish with all my heart that our lives will now be joyful and
peaceful."
A big man with a child on
his shoulders shouted from the right side of the dais, instantly followed by
others.
"Welcome to our
gentle queen! Welcome to our princess!"
Before they could all
start cheering again, her mother took a step forward but kept avoiding her
husband's puzzled stare.
"Dear people, King
Harfayn and I have an announcement to make."
She felt her father stiffen.
He hadn’t known his queen would be here and he obviously had no idea what she
was about to say. Too late anyway as her mother's voice resounded loud and
clear across the courtyard.
"On this blessed
summer solstice, we are both very proud and happy to proclaim the betrothal of
Princess Anya of Palance to Kylor, son of Xandor."
Chapter
Eighteen
The three of them had
climbed down from the dais in a single file, leaving behind them the ecstatic
crowd. The events of this special summer solstice proved the sorceress wrong.
Eighteen springs had
passed since she abducted the royal infant, yet the creators didn't strike
their children and no giant rocks fell from the skies to transform the land
into darkness and desolation.
The king ascertained the
falsity of the prediction, the queen returned to them after so many years of
absence, and the princess was betrothed to the highly respected wizard’s son.
To the people of
step, stepped on the thick dais, and came forward to put her hand in his.
"Princess Anya of
Palance!"
A deep silence met her
appearance. To them, she must look like a young, beautiful, fragile princess
dressed in white. She was the king’s sole child, stolen from the cradle by a
vengeful sorceress.
She was the infant
offered in sacrifice for the life of her people, the cursed girl they all knew
about but had never seen in the flesh. Yet there she stood before them, flooded
in sunshine and smiling.
Fingers enfolded in her
father’s hand, she laid eyes on her people for the first time. So many watched
her, mouths agape, gazes brimming with shock, joy, astonishment and hope. She
could tell from their wondrous expressions that they recognized her as a real
princess. One proud of them, drawn to them, willing to serve and protect them.
Enraptured by their awe,
she waved at them. They broke free from their admiration and the ensuing
roaring was thunderous, rent by wild cries of "An angel of mercy!",
"The blessed child has come!" and "Long live Princess Anya!"
filling the air around her.
Uplifted by their
demonstration of approval and amity, she floated on happiness, wondering if
Kylor watched the ceremony from his cell in the keep. He was no doubt proud of
her. As her protector and savior, as her beloved, his rightful place should
have been beside her on the dais.
The crowd still hailing
them, King Harfayn took a step back to indicate the ceremony came to an end.
She was about to follow his lead when the throng suddenly looked past them.
Eyes widened and mouths dropped, an immense surprise etched on their faces.
One by one, old and young
alike, they went down on one knee in a gesture of veneration. A respectful
silence hung in the air as they all stared behind her. Intrigued, she turned
her head.
Her mother walked to her,
magnificent in a long golden dress, a diadem crowning her head, the loving
smile she knew so well stretching her lips. Hardly able to breathe, she joined
the assembly in watching the Queen of Palance with amazement and adoration.
She heard her father gasp
beside her. He let go of her fingers while respectful, hushed exclamations started
coming up from the crowd and filled the silence with "Our queen is
back!"
Her mother took hold of
her hand without glancing at her husband and faced the crowd.
"My beloved people,
I have missed you so much I cannot begin to express the depth of my feelings."
Her tone conveyed such
vibrant emotion that she wondered if her mother was addressing them or her
father.
"I am here to stay
and wish with all my heart that our lives will now be joyful and
peaceful."
A big man with a child on
his shoulders shouted from the right side of the dais, instantly followed by
others.
"Welcome to our
gentle queen! Welcome to our princess!"
Before they could all
start cheering again, her mother took a step forward but kept avoiding her
husband's puzzled stare.
"Dear people, King
Harfayn and I have an announcement to make."
She felt her father stiffen.
He hadn’t known his queen would be here and he obviously had no idea what she
was about to say. Too late anyway as her mother's voice resounded loud and
clear across the courtyard.
"On this blessed
summer solstice, we are both very proud and happy to proclaim the betrothal of
Princess Anya of Palance to Kylor, son of Xandor."
Chapter
Eighteen
The three of them had
climbed down from the dais in a single file, leaving behind them the ecstatic
crowd. The events of this special summer solstice proved the sorceress wrong.
Eighteen springs had
passed since she abducted the royal infant, yet the creators didn't strike
their children and no giant rocks fell from the skies to transform the land
into darkness and desolation.
The king ascertained the
falsity of the prediction, the queen returned to them after so many years of
absence, and the princess was betrothed to the highly respected wizard’s son.
To the people of
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