Evermore: The Rylakian Heir
Caroline Metzlaff
Copyright 2012 Caroline Metzlaff
Published November 2012
Special thanks to Jessie Wood and Marilyn Metzlaff for encouraging me and reading each chapter as fast as I could write it, and to Matthew Wood for his mad photography skills and endless patience. I hope you all enjoy reading this book even half as much as I enjoyed writing it!
If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales
– Albert Einstein
If I am honest, I have to tell you I still read fairy tales and I like them best of all.
– Audrey Hepburn
EVERMORE: The Rylakian Heir
Chapter 1
The forest was dark; the moon was just rising in the sky like a crystal ball floating in a bed of royal blue velvet. Bare branches of sinister looking trees reached out to her, like the gnarled fingers of a crone, inflicting unwanted caresses across her cheek; she flinched. Hopelessly lost, she had no idea how far she had come. In the distance an owl cried and something sprang up from the darkness; stifling a scream Snow fell to the ground in defeat and began to silently cry. She had been so strong for so long; stronger than any sixteen year old should ever have to be. Memories assaulted her continuously, replaying in a loop she couldn’t escape, but always ending with Gregor the huntsman’s face. She would never forget it, it had been burned in to her mind.
It was the bluebird that had alerted her. She had always had a special rapport with birds, with most woodland creatures in fact. It was Gregor himself who had introduced her to the wildlife surrounding Castle White. If the tiny bird hadn’t chosen that exact moment to burst in to song, would Snow be alive today? In her heart she had to believe that Gregor would have stayed his hand regardless.
To most he was simply Gregor, beloved huntsman of the Castle White; to Snow, he was Gregor, patient confidant for a lonely little girl...Gregor had been her friend; at times her only friend. It seemed inconceivable that he would do her harm. She’d spun around just in time to see the knife held high in his hand, a look of horror across his face as he struggled against the spell.
The betrayal was unimaginable.
“Run” He’d whispered through quivering lips. “She’s asked for your heart."
And so she had. For hours and hours she ran, stopping only to drink from the stream. She ran until she was certain she had safely passed the Rylakian border and now sought refuge in the infamous Kingdom of Lonstas. But where to go from here? A life lived within the walls of Castle White had left the young girl ill prepared for flight; all she was truly certain of was that she had to find water again, and soon. Desperation had given way to exhaustion; eventually Snow gave up and laid her head on the cool damp grass. Come what may, she had nothing more to give.
A voice in the darkness.
Dehydration coupled with exhaustion made her vision hazy and she thought he resembled a dwarf; as he was easily a full three inches shorter than herself. She couldn’t find the energy to move.
“The name’s Doctor Cornelius Rutherford, but you can call me ‘Doc’ sweetie.” With a strength that belied his small stature, the good doctor had lifted Snow up on to the horse with him, and began trotting through the dark forest. Mute with hunger and exhaustion she had simply stared back at him listlessly.
She had listened silently to the gentle melodic voice as the little Doctor spoke softly to her. He had taken the shortcut through the forest on his way back from treating an elderly elf for a terrible cough when he had came upon the seemingly lifeless girl. Surprise flashed through Snow’s eyes, human’s didn’t treat elves, and then she remembered that Lonstas, unlike her native Rylak, didn’t enforce segregation between humans and creatures. Although not a perfect system, Lonstas was the first kingdom in their world of Evermore to have taken these first baby steps towards equality and coexistence.
Doc had brought her home to his cottage, and with the help of his six kind hearted brothers, nursed her back to health, physically at least; her emotional scars would take much longer. He provided a home for her, fed and clothed her...and loved her as his own. All seven little men doted on her, cherishing every smile and showered her with their unconditional love in return. It was more than she could have hoped for.
But Snow knew one thing for certain, this idyllic life wouldn’t last forever; her stepmother would never stop....
A relentless pounding on the cottage door abruptly brought Snow back to the present. She swung the door open to find herself face to face with Cindy, flushed, out of breath and in mid pound. Cindy was the wealthy daughter of the kingdom’s most successful Entertainment Manager, Caspian Vanholston. This of course might explain her flair for dramatics. She was also Snow’s best friend; currently her only friend.
“Well, he’s gone and done it.” She announced as she brushed past Snow, and flung herself in to one of the many sturdy, wood chairs surrounding the long table. Sighing dramatically, she shook out her dark gold curls and dropped her cameo face in to her hands.
“Who has done what?” Snow asked cautiously. Her strict upbringing in Castle White had not included exposure to melodrama, so her dramatic and capricious friend never failed to amaze her. She smiled fondly at the despairing little blonde.
Snow regarded the bowl of shiny red apples placed in the centre of the table, her hand hovering as she sought out the shiniest, reddest of the bunch. She never could resist a perfect apple. The perfect apple tree that her stepmother had planted in the centre of the court...they had had such fun harvesting those apples together...but that had been ‘before’. Something had happened to change their relationship; Snow had never known exactly what, but if she closed her eyes now, she could almost smell the blossoms on that tree.
“My father!” Cindy exclaimed, green eyes brimming with tears. “He’s been out again last night with that horrible Madame Morgada! That’s twice this week!”
Snow swallowed hard and nodded slowly. She understood her friend’s fear of ‘The Stepmother’ only too well; her own had proven deadly.
“Oh thank goodness. I thought you meant Prince Leonardo had gone and married a fairy princess from another realm.” She teased lightly, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat; the Crown Prince was usually Cindy’s favorite topic, if anything could bring a smile to her doll like face, his name could.
Cindy peered up at Snow from between her fingers. “My life is practically over! And all you can do is make jokes!” She was silent for a minute as she considered.
“And the tabloids haven’t even hinted at any sort of romance in his life yet. As far as they can tell, he’s happily slaving away at med school”. Cindy placed her hand over her heart and took a deep breath. “This is bigger than Prince Leonardo Charming.”
And that really was saying something, because the elder Charming prince was the object of every teenage girl’s fantasy, in all the known realms. A perfectly muscled six foot two, with shoulder length brown waves, intelligent blue eyes and a warm, confident smile...he was the picture perfect, although somewhat reluctant, celeb. Rumours of his courage on the battle field and prowess with a sword abounded, but Prince Leonardo was at heart, a man of peace. Which of course is why he had spent the last several years in med school, he wanted to learn how to save lives; anyone could take them. This only seemed to enhance his celebrity status. The girls were both members of his fan club; in fact that’s how Cindy had befriended the tall, shy new girl.
“Okay.” Snow nodded slowly, she now knew what exactly was expected of her. Once Cindy was wound up, only hours of speculation and considerable patience would bring her ba
ck down. In other words...girl talk, and lots of it.
Saying that Cindy was uncomfortable with her father’s re-entrance into the dating game was a huge understatement; it had been simply the two of them, Cindy and her doting father, for so terribly long now, and Cindy had never really been very good at sharing. Snow was quite sure that had she been older when her father, King Roland, had begun dating Rosalyn, her dreaded stepmother, she would have reacted a lot like her desperate friend. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything Snow could do for her desperate friend, aside from providing a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen with. Cindy was her first best friend, she was learning on the job.
“Let’s talk about it while I get ready.” Snow suggested as she led the way through the homey cottage and up the stairs to her bedroom. Eagerly Cindy followed, hands punctuating various points as she poured her fears and frustrations out.
“Crap Snowy, what can I to do?” Cindy moaned. “She’s so horrible! What if he marries her?” Tears spilled down her cheeks again.
In truth, Madame Morgada was...well she was tough. Tall, with dark auburn hair pulled back fiercely from her face in to the neatest chignon imaginable, arched eyebrows over piercing gray eyes and a perfect although somewhat narrow nose. The Madame was beautiful, but in a stand up straight and make sure there isn’t any dirt under your finger nails kind of way. Her twin daughters Annette and Juliette had inherited their looks from their mother...as well as her imposing presence, and they steadfastly avoided Cindy and Snow. But most of the popular group did anyway, so Snow didn’t think it was personal. Well, maybe just a little personal.
“Okay,” Snow replied, slipping her feet in to her long, shiny white boots, as she tried to think both diplomatically and tactically as she had been taught at Castle White. “He hasn’t formally introduced you, nor has he suggested a family dinner. This has all been very casual, I would think you are safe until one of those situations is proposed.”
“Don’t use that word, it sends creepers up my spine.” Cindy glowered.
“Sorry, maybe he is just...just...” Snow trailed off as she looked for exactly the right phrase, the one that wouldn’t send Cindy into hysterics.
“Just what?” Cindy moaned. Then she gasped out loud, startling Snow completely, as she laid her hand across her mouth in horror.
“Oh no! You can’t do that! What are you thinking?” Cindy jumped off the bed and pointed at Snow’s new white boots. “You can’t wear those fabulous boots with that ugly old dress.”
Snow sighed loudly as Cindy began to quickly rifle through her large, walk-in closet, they really didn’t have time for this, but Cindy had very strong ideas with regards to fashion. Very strong ideas.
“He’s just...he’s just what?”
“Just...passing time. Maybe they’re just friends, you know playing cards and betting on wagon races? He might be lonely...maybe...” Snow hoped so for Cindy’s sake, although she seriously doubted it. Caspian Vanholston was the single most sought after gentleman in the village, he was never, never lonely, and The Madame Morgada was not the sort to waste her time. Ever.
“He doesn’t bet on wagon races...much.”
Cindy took a deep breath and nodded before continuing. “Okay, maybe. I hope you’re right.” Neither one of them added the silent but I seriously doubt it, that lingered in their heads. They didn’t need to.
Cindy tossed a silver and white dress on the bed. White with silver panels up the side, it was form fitting and...short. “Wear this.” She commanded with more authority than a five foot two inch, doll like teen should ever be able to achieve.
Snow eyed it suspiciously. “I think it has a skirt.”
“Not with those boots and this cape it doesn’t.” Cindy beamed as she held out a royal blue, velvet cape. No one dared to argue Cindy when it came to fashion, and Snow was no exception. She was usually right, and besides that, you wouldn’t win anyway, Cindy could out-talk just about anyone Snow had ever met; she was a master.
The master herself, had chosen a filmy lavender sleeveless top, matching tights and sparkly sandals. She was adorable.
“Ugh.” Snow said as she grabbed the garments. It was actually a great outfit.
“Honestly Snowy, I don’t know what you’d do without me.” Cindy began to buff her nails, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
Cindy liked to feel needed.
Chapter 2
The town of Turin was set in the valley, just east of the great mountains that separated the Rylak Kingdom from Lonstas. Turin, being part of Lonstas, was ruled by the benevolent and much celebrated Charming family, and had been for generations; much like Rylak was ruled by the White’s. Surrounded by dense forests, vibrant meadows and an abundance of lakes and rivers, Turin was your average Tudor style village. Now stories disagree on the actual reasoning, but Turin, despite its small size was a prominent and well known village. Some say it was the loss of the Idiot, others firmly believe that the magic wishing well, dead centre of town, tapped in to some magical ‘ever after’ stream, attracting good luck; still others feel it was the neighbourhood watch and aesthetics board. But for whatever the reason, Turin was home to the Holiday Palace of the Charming family, and that was enough to put it on the map.
Although all of the roads in Turin were made of cobblestone, it was only the red ones that led to the town square. By day traveling merchants displayed their wares, such as exotic spices, freshly caught fish, fresh fruit, and Cindy’s personal favourite; imported fabrics. At night, lovers, young and old alike congregated to stroll through the fragrant gardens and whisper sweet nothings beneath the moon. But the true heart of the square was that wishing well.
Legend said, that a sincere selfless wish, spoken from an honest heart, no matter how improbable, would always come true. Now teenagers for years had been making wishes for this person or that person to like them and so on, but as these wishes were not completely selfless, they were destined to fail. Adults, not wanting to waste time with a fickle well, consulted fairy godmothers, apprentice fairies and in some cases sorcerers.
The Legend had never been proven either way.
Now that particular morning, it wasn’t the exotic spices, the infamous well or even the fresh fruit vendors that caused the girls to be late for school, it was the newly arrived ‘Fanciful Fabric’ vendor that had caught Cindy’s eye. Cindy held close the dream of being a fashion designer one day, in the capital city of Crystallise. Crystallise was home to all of the wealthiest and best dressed people of all natures and origins in the Lonstas Kingdom. If Turin had a ‘season’, that being when the Charming family was in residence and throwing balls, Crystallise was one big ‘season’.
Dashing up to the Tudor style school as fast as their not so sensible shoes would allow, Snow had the distinct feeling that she was being watched. Quickly she spun around just in time to catch a very tall, muscular boy with longish dark brown hair, look the other way...but not before they made eye contact.
His light brown eyes, flecked with green and gold were really unusual, but that wasn’t what made her pay closer attention, it was the way he moved. He was fluid, he moved in a sleek, dangerous way, like a predator, and he was really, really cute; she knew in that moment that he wasn’t human. She found herself staring at the boy; she had never been this close to a creature before, Rylak had been very strict in keeping non-humans far away from its cities and castles. Socialising between species was definitely not encouraged by the Aristocracy, regardless what kingdom; in fact it had been known to tarnish reputations, in some cases beyond repair. The only other non-humans that Snow had encountered as of yet were the Crones of Turin. But no one ever counted them; all they really cared about was sugar packet stealing and bingo anyway.
The boy turned back and flashed them a truly ‘devil may care’ grin with a teasing lift to his eyebrows, before sprinting out of sight, which of course caused an embarrassing red blush to spread across Snow’s pale cheeks.
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br /> “Oh he was so cute! Do you know him? Please say you do!” You could always count on Cindy to notice the really cute ones immediately.
So naturally there she stood, her rosebud mouth open and awe stamped across her dainty face; the boy had kind of taken their breath away.
“Nope.” Snow slowly shook her head. “Not at all.” ‘Unfortunately’ she thought, and then immediately blushed again. He looked so human; she wondered what he really was.
Cindy thought for a minute. “Was he looking at you, or at me?”
Snow laughed and began to steer Cindy to the school house door. “We wish.”
The boy had run off so quickly, she hadn’t had the opportunity to see who he actually was watching. It had all happened so fast. However, Snow was clear about three things, one: the boy had been watching someone intently, two: he wasn’t human and three: he was trouble.
Snow had a feeling that they hadn’t seen the last of him. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that.
~~*~~
“Miss Snow W. Rutherford.” Announced Miss Hollyhock, teacher extraordinaire, as she looked over her notes. “This is the second time this week that you and your sidekick, Miss Cinderella Vanholston, have been late arriving at school. Do you have anything to say in your defence?”
Miss Hollyhock was the tiny school’s only teacher, and despite her hokey Sally Sweetness name, she ruled with an iron glove. No one, not even the boys dared step out of line; she had eyes in the back of her head and uncanny hearing.
“I’m not the sidekick.” Cindy interjected with a toss of her golden curls. Snow groaned inwardly, knowing this was going nowhere good...and fast.
“Excuse me?” Miss Hollyhock looked up from her notes with a look that would have shut anyone down, anyone except Cindy that is.
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