This is a private one on one between bookwormiam2010. If you are not one of the people mentioned then please do no post. Thanks. ^_^

"Grandmother, Grandmother, will you tell us a story" a young child asks with their friends running up to the grandmother. "And what story shall I tell, Isabella?" Grandmother replies smiling sweetly at her granddaughter. "Oh oh tell the story of the mage and royal" "are you sure?" "mhm, its my favorite" "Alright then have a seat" the children sit down as grandmother tells the story...

The story starts off where there was a medicine mage, taken in as a child to help out the royal family, though the princess was a lovely sight, there were bad things about the royal family. If you were not familt then they had no repsect for you...

"Grandmother why was that" "Hush child, let me speak" "Sorry grandmother"

The young man's name was..."Hey Alaraz, get back to work, the princess needs her morning potion by tomorrow morning" one of the guards yelled, they had always picked on. His name was odd, but, compared to how he looked, he was able to fit in with just about anyone. "Alright, alright" the mage had always had it hard since he was a child but never took it out on anyone and even though he was teased by everyone even a some by the princess, he never tried anything against them...that is, until this night.

(were we doing bios or just straight in?)

Princess Carina could not sleep that night. She’d tried everything imaginable! She’d demanded that someone, preferably the court musician come and play or sing her a lullaby of sorts. Sadly the music had the opposite of the desired affect and ended up making her even more awake than she already was. Annoyed she’d sent the musician running from her room with a look of outright insult on his face. And who could blame him? She’d said some words a princess had no business knowing about, and she’d insulted his music. Still it was his job to relax or sooth people with his beautiful music and the one time she’d really needed to be put into a bored stupor by his droning voice he hadn’t been able to do it! Of course this wasn’t the only method she’d tried. She’d tried different positions; she’d tried fluffing her pillows. She’d even tried counting sheep, filthy nasty disgusting sheep!

So far all she had to show for her efforts was a terribly bad attitude. Usually she seemed to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder then again she was related to a woman who was not so kindly referred to as the Ice Queen behind her back so that tiny crack in her attitude was to expected. She couldn’t be able bright smiles and guffawing laughter like her father. He had far more acting experience than she did. That’s right he father acted like he loved the people! Good old King Buford the fourth –or was that fifth? - always seemed to have time to listen to his subjects and provide some advice or fable of some sort. It wasn’t until he was alone with in the stone walls of his castle with just his family (and closest servants) that the old dragon let loose.

Maybe that was the problem; her father had said something that had put her on edge. That would explain why she couldn’t sleep, but it wouldn’t explain the case of chills she kept getting every time she lowered her head onto the downy pillows and closed her eyes. Maybe she was coming down with an illness then? Frowning softly, Carina paced around her room taking in the familiar treasures and trinkets she’d collected since childhood and trying to draw some comfort for them. When that failed to work she walked towards her balcony carefully undoing the latch that held the doors shut and stepping outside a soft breeze stirring around her. The moment she’d stepped outside Carina had started to feel somewhat better. Maybe she’d been too cramped; yes of course that was all. Sighing softly the slender princess leaned against the railing of her balcony and gazed up at the stars a low hum of contentment as the breeze lifted a few stray tendrils of her hair and lifting it off her slightly dampened skin. ’I just needed some fresh air. That’s all I needed. I bet I’ll drop right off to sleep after this.’ she thought giving herself a few more moments of relaxation before she stepped inside her room leaving the double doors parted slightly so the breeze could enter her room and make her room a little less smothering. Stifling a yawn, Carina crawled into her bed and settled in for a well deserved rest.

(Okay I am SO sorry that took so long, I am so picky when it comes down to the pictures lol)

http://i54.tinypic.com/14snzpz.jpg

Alaraz had went back to work under the moon while the guards had all been dismissed to go to sleep. The only guards not sleeping were those in the palace and Alaraz had no care for any of them. Thoughtout the years he put up with the royal family, but, this was getting far too much too handle. This night he chose to work on a few viles or bottles of mixtures. He had chosen to create a toxin to kill the princess or at least make her ill enough to suffer. After all, those in her family, seemed to have deserved it with out they treated others besides the king when he was around the people.


Alaraz created the morning potion a long time ago, 3 days ago actually, he said he was still working on it so he could get the last of the ingredients, Chamomile, Lavender, Basil, Sage...all good things needed and the royal family never cared nor did they know much about medicine. After collecting what he could, Alaraz went back into his work area by himself and mixed it all together creating a sweet aroma. He walked into the princess' room slightly knocking that only a mouse could hear before hand. Noticing she was asleep or close to it, he sat on her bed, all those years of torment from her entire family, he had planned to taken it out on her since it would effect everyone.


But he couldn't have been the only one to realise how awful she could be, her mother's nurse had raised the girl but the princess took after her family. Alaraz looked at the princess, she was sweet looking when she smiled, when she was asleep it was as if, the her you would see each day and night didn't exist. Peaceful and calm...'No I can't think like that, she is the cause of my suffering, they all are, I will not yeild' but then he began to wonder if it was truly worth it.

(Its alright. ^_^)

Hearing the slight knock Carina shifted her eyes fluttering softly in sleepy confusion before they drifted shut. She was imagining things, if anyone dared to knock on her door they at least had the nerve to knock loud enough to let her hear it. Therefore that sound she’d just heard hadn’t been a knock. It had been…the hushed footsteps of one of her father’s many guards. With that reassuring thought in mind she rolled over pressing her cheek into the soft material of her pillow a low sound of sleepy contentment escaping as she drifted back into that half state between wakefulness and sleep.

Feeling a movement near the lower region of her she jolted awake. Not that the intruder in her room would know this. The only way he’d know she was awake was if he noticed the slight tension of her slender figure under the thin sheet covering her. Why was there someone in her room?! Despite the alarm and fear coursing through her, Carina forced herself to continue to breathe peacefully her chest rising and falling slowly as she pretended to sleep. OK someone was in her room she didn’t know who it was and she couldn’t open her eyes. If she opened her eyes or made any sound then he’d strike. She had to find some other way of uncovering the intruder’s identity. Taking another slow deep breath a sweet scent permeated her already alert sense. Wait…she knew that scent. It had a slightly medicinal quality about it but it was sweet all the same and it usually clung to the bumbling fool who’d been ordered to bring her morning potion. What was his name, it started with an A. That much she was sure of…well what ever the case he didn’t belong in her room right now! It wasn’t morning; it was a few hours prior to that time to be honest. Still, he didn’t belong here.

She kept up her act for several long tense moments before she propelled herself into action grabbing the nearest object (one of her pillows) and started smacking the intruder with it. She doubted it was doing much harm but right now she had the element of surprise going for her. And usually if one was in doubt or without a weapon the element of surprise worked wonders. “What. Do. You. Think. You’re. Doing. In. My.Room?!” she demanded in a loud alarming screech as she continued to beat him with her pillow. She was in big trouble if he decided to fight back. He was after all several sizes bigger than her but right now the size of her opponent wasn’t a problem. The reason he was in her room how ever was another story. “Get out!” she ordered aiming a hard smack over his head as she tried to scare him out of her room.

Alaraz was a bit surprised being hit by a pillow, taking it he threw it across the large bed at the foot end and held the princess down "Princess it is I, Alaraz, the medicine mage" he wanted to say more but didn't he was trying to keep her held down until her eyes were focused enough to see his face. Hopefully she would at least recognize his voice. "Princess, please, let me speak" Alaraz wasn't sure if the princess would, so without further more saying anything he let go, stood up and back ed away. "The guards said you needed a sleeping remedy" he added bowing slightly from waist up.

Carina let out a soft scream of rage as her useless weapon was taken away. It wasn’t much but still! It had helped to some degree! She let out a soft grunt as she was held down her soft green eyes visibly spitting off sparks of rage as she glared up at him her slender figure trembling with anger. “Oh? And that somehow makes it better?” she demanded continuing to put up a mighty struggle as she tried to get out of his grasp! Oh! The nerve of him! He had no business touching her without her permission. She hadn’t even invited him into her room!

When he finally released her and moved away she sat up grabbing her second pillow and throwing it at him with obvious rage. She wasn’t buying his story one bit. True he was who he said he was but she wasn’t buying that bit about the sleeping remedy. No guard had looked into her room to see if she needed anything and even then they knew better than to send a male into her room! Her father had made it perfectly clear that if any of them even so much as looked at her in any way other than respect they’d soon be lacking on very important part that separated them from the women they admired from afar.

“I don’t believe you. If you were telling the truth several things would have gone down differently.” she explained her tone sharp as she glared at him thick brown hair standing up on end from her struggle with him. “First you would have knocked louder and if that didn’t work you would have found another way to announce your presence. And even then you wouldn’t have sat on the edge of my bed. You would have remained a respectful distance from me!” she snapped as she untangled herself from her sheet and got out of bed her slim hands smoothing out her night gown as she moved towards the door her intentions obvious.

Before she could get out of bed, Alaraz had moved to where he had the princess pinned down by her throat so that she couldn't scream for others to come and help her. "I've had just about enough of you little princess" Alaraz spoke, his tone showed he was clearly annoyed and this wasn't helping. "I really thought someone would've killed a selfish brat like you a long time ago" Alaraz had a backbone but it wasn't a good thing for others.

"Your medicine is next to your bed here on the stand, I'm going to go to sleep now. You arn't in danger, maybe you should think what would happen if this went bad" he spoke ignoring her in case she was trying to get him to let go. He wasn't choking her, just keeping her quiet. "By all means, tell the king and queen, and I'll tell them of the time you made out with one of the servants, behind their back 8 years ago" that was a fact, he had kept everything hidden in his memory in case it ever needed to be revealed.

Alaraz would result to blackmailing if needed to though he would rather just shut her up like anyone else would. The assasins probably thought it wasn't worth their time to kill one like her. Alaraz backed away, bowed as usual and left the room. One of the guards asked him "What happened?" "She couldn't sleep, had a nightmare someone was attacking her. I gave her the medicine, it should help though she might seem dilussional until she gets some sleep" Alaraz spoke and the guard nodded. Alaraz left to go to bed that alone could give him time to sleep some before being rudely awoken. His guard near his chambers he told "Don't let anyone, not even the royals come into my room for any means necessary, wake me immediately if you need anything"

(No offense but I kind of feel like you’re molding my character a bit. Like in one of our pms you mentioned the princess being a little mean. I can roll with that. But things like what happened in her past? Like the make out incident you mentioned, I’d really like it if you’d let me make the memories for my character. ^^’’ Sorry if I sound a little rude it just feels like you’re trying to take over…)

Carina never got a chance to call for help, heck she didn’t even get a chance to go and alert the guards before she was held down on her bed by a rough hand pressed to her throat easily silencing her. She hadn’t seen this coming, most servants shied away from her when she reprimanded them, then again she hadn’t exactly reprimanded Alazar, she’d verbally ripped him open and tore him to shreds. Her green eyes were still smoldering with utter dislike but underneath that intense dislike there was something else glimmer under the surface: fear. He was talking about killing her, only he hadn’t said he’d wanted to kill her but from her point of view he was in the perfect position right now to easily dispose of her.

When he mentioned she wasn’t in danger her eyes widened and she shook her head softly. Not in danger?! He was holding her to her bed by her throat! A servant she didn’t know, let alone like right now was threatening to expose her private business to her parents. How did he even know about that kiss? She hadn’t made out with the stable boy, it’d been one brief but sweet curious kiss. Her first kiss! What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t hit him, couldn’t fend him off, she couldn’t tell her parents who exactly was she supposed to turn to?! She’d never felt so helpless in her life. Even with the guards just outside her door in a sign of protection she still felt endangered and they were completely oblivious to that. Blinking softly her green eyes welled up with tears as the anger completely disappeared from her eyes to be replaced by fright. Of all the times for one particular servant to not be scared of her bluster why did it have to be now?!

Thankfully despite her fears he didn’t do anything more. After he’d explained what he would to keep her quiet he left. Swallowing she sat up gently wiping away the faint traces of tears on her face she slipped out of her and stealthily made her way to the door to hear what story he’d tell her guards. Pressing her ear to the door she heard a muffled version of his events. Shaking her head she stepped away from the door, gathered up her pillows and crawled back into her bed pulling the sheet tight around her as she tried to wipe away her fears of the previous event her gaze landing on the draught he’d brought her. That wasn’t a sleeping remedy, she’d been sleeping fine until he’d crept into her room and assaulted her! Exhaling slowly she pressed her cheek into the cool material of her pillow. Sleep…she just had to sleep. She’d get rid of that potion when Deidre (her maid) came into help her get ready for the day and then… well she didn’t know what she’d do after but she intended to get answers. When she’d finally managed to clear her mind she fell into a frightened fitful sleep expecting her unwanted visitor to arrive again.

It seemed like no time had passed before she heard a loud firm knock mixing with the soft undisturbed sounds of morning. It was morning. She was safe…or was she?

(wasn't trying to but didn't know what to write, I won't do that again I'll just wait awhile before posting again)

Alaraz had slept through the night and did leave medicine in the room for the princess. He woke mid morning and went to his duties like normal, making extra things of medicine just in case, he had plenty on hand and chose to go out into the city to explore a bit without a guard. Though he did leave a note, he didn't tell anyone.