The Firestone Chp. 1

Chapter 1 - The Diary


Walking through the garden filled with brightly colored flowers and tall oak trees, Valorie was oblivious to everything around her. Her golden hair was circled atop her head in braids with white ribbon entertwined in them and she wore a white gown with lace patterns over the sleeves nad neck. The gems that dotted the bottom of the dress were the same ocean green color as her eyes.
She turned back towards the path but it had disappeared and the garden was slowly melting away. It gave way to a foggy window and in place of sunshine was rain and stormy skies. She was trapped inside her dank room, looking out at the dead trees, the dull bushes and the flodded pebble paths. It was a wet and stormy winter.
Her daydreams were so often about that garden, down below her window. But the plants would not bloom for another two months. And she would never wear circled braids or a white dress. It was a custom in Arundor that a princess was not to wear any white gown until her coronation and/or wedding. Valorie was only thirteen and her older sister would be queen first. So it was moer than likely she would never wear that white dream dress. It was all for customs...
Bah! thought Valorie Hang the customs adn traditions! There'll all a lot of hooplah anyway. She sat her chin down defiantly on her folded hands and resumed her staring out the window.
But pondering of the 'stupid traditions' and things that might be won over would not leave her mind. If not for customs she could braid her hair on top of her head; she could wear a gorgeous white dress; she could learn about the world; she could go outside of the palace walls...
All of her life she had been a prisoner inside the palace walls. If even she could just glimpse the village and marketplace on the other side she would be somewhat satisfied. But with Pindeer in charge (and quite dtermined to keep her off the throne) none of this would come to pass. She had been born in the palace and she would no doubt die in the palace, perhaps even in this very room. Then she would be buried near the palace chapel and there she would lie - alone and having never left her own walls, with nothing for anyone to remember her by. As she sat there gloomily, she determined this would be like to her fate.
Unless this was somehow intervined by some great adventure or event key to her time, her life would be meaningless.
" VALORIE!"
Not to mention trying and difficult under the horrid rule of her sister Pristine, who was more than hated by everyone in the palace.
" VALORIE!!" came the nagging voice again.
" I'm coming!" she shouted back as she walked across the room and brushed out her golden hair and flattened out her dandilion yellow dress. Without futher delay, she hurried out the hall and down the stone steps.
At the bottom of the steps waited a girl some four years older than Valorie with golden red hair and the temper that matched shone in her angry brown eyes. Her lips were thin as Valorie's eyes evened with hers. " Yes?" Valorie asked stonily while holding her sister's gaze.
Pris glared and turned up her nose before saying, " Rixe needs you in the library."
" You know, it's difficult to believe we're related." said Valorie as civily as she could. Pris gave a little HMPH and turned on her heel to the throne hall.
Valorie blew a silent raspberry as her sister disappeared behind the door with a slam. She stared at it for a moment before she remembered that she was wanted in the library. Turning in one motion, she began to skip down the corridor towards her destination. She took several turns until she reached the double doors to the library.
Pushing them open revealed a huge high-ceilinged room lined with tall shelves that were filled to the top with every sort of book anyone could ever want to read. In fact, she had read a good lot of them.
Jula the maid was at a desk dusting. Oh no... I have to dust shelves again? groaned Valorie. She reluctantly walked over to the desk and, at Jula's instruction, took the duster over to the far corner - which, she noticed, was the historical section. This section had many different perspectives of the hisotry of the kings of Arundor. But Valorie found little use for them - most of the content used repeatedly in each book was in her text books she used for lessons. It had been interesting to read about - all of the legends and information about her forefathers and their traditions. But now that she had read the same thing for nearly seven years, it was very dull.
She started at 'the beginning' of the history shelves. They were arranged alphabetically and in order of the first king (and even that was not so long ago- perhaps 150 years more or less) to the most recent, the reign of her grandfather. She handled the first book, entitled, Arundor: A Brave Beginning, very carefully. The pages were yellowed and the cover dusty. She blew it off and dusted the shelf before moving on.
She repeated this process and was nearing the end of the shelf. She pulled out a blue book, dusted it off, but as she went to dust the shelf she noticed towards the back (the shelves were quite deep) a small, door-knob like handle. Setting the book down and the duster on top of it she cautiously reachedfor the little knob. It was rusty and stiff - evidence that it hadn't been opened for a while. As she turned the knob it squeaked and stuck until finally it pulled free, nearly causing her to lose her balance.
She peered inside - it was a cupboard, a small square cupboard. It was layered in dust and cobwebs. And in the midst of this was a tall, thin book, so dusty it was white. Valorie inhaled deeply and, as though it would burn her if she lingered too long she snatched the book and sat it in the empty space before her. There were indentions where letters had been engraved into it's green binding. She took the duster and brushed it off. There was only one word and it read DIARY.
Valorie carefully opened the pages, curious about what was inside. There was an inscription in the upper left hand corner that read in elegant handwriting:

To Larnedo Kri
Luck and Wisdom be with You
Much Love, Soldine

Valorie's heart skipped a beat and her mind buzzed. Larnedo Kri was the first king of Arundor - and by geneaology her great-great-great grandfather. It was a well known story in the palace and the village:
Larnedo Kri was a young man seventeen years old who was a servant in the service of an evil ruler who starved the people in the village and surrounding lands. After a certain incident, he took action and attempted to round up followers and conquer Ligeur, the evil king, who is recorded briefly as the founder, leader and later cruel dictator of that kingdom. With the help of his mother figure and enchanted friend, Soldine, the villagers and the Elven people from the neighboring forests, he conquered Ligeur and his minions throwing htem into the sea. After his kingship was secured Soldine ruled with him and that was the beginning of the Kri dynasty.
Valorie had learned all of this over the years and knew, in a dutiful way that she was the last of the Kri line. Valorie Lalage Kri - unless Pristine where to have a child after she was queen.
As she sat drifting in thought, Valorie almost forgot about the wonderful book she held in her hands. She turned the page until she reached the first entry by the old king. Skimming through it, she found that it only confirmed the other books that told his tale in short. But, coming from the heart and perspective of the very person, she could sense more emotions.
Valorie, realizing how valuable this could be, tucked the diary under her arm and, closing the compartment door, replaced the blue book back on the shelf.
Abandoning her task of dusting, she hurried out of the library and sprinted all the way to her room, where she slammed the door behind her as if to lock the whole world out. She set the diary on her desk with a thud and hurried to the window, throwing her curtains open.
Yet she stood there with a disappouinted expression. So many times she had done that and sunlight would come pouring into her room. But for many months it seemed as thought the sun had altogether disappeared from Arundor. It had been the gloomiest winter...
She pressed her nose against the glass mournfully. It had not changed for many weeks - had she really expected it to change in thirty minutes? Her moods now thoroughly dampened she sat at the desk. She stared into space, studying the cracked stone wall. In a half hour she would go to her lessons. She cast a glance at the old diary. If any information were to be had, now was the time... She picked it up reluctantly but at the same time thirsty to know it's secrets.
Flipping past the note from Soldine, she passed the first entry and came to the next one written several days later. And she read:

August 21, y- 1098
In the kitchen passageway

Im my previous entry I did not disclose much other than my conquest of Ligeur (the fool!) and the awe of ruling this small country. Now I am quite certain it is safe to write my thoughts. My name is Larnedo Byrad Kri. I am but seventeen years old - but these villagers have faith in me. I could never desert them now! I plan to have myself inducted as king and given power to make decisions. I will have a small council to assist me. But I write it so that I may be reminded: I vow myself to these people and to be true to their needs. If I become full of myself I give permission for sharp correction.
I must write quickly - my coronation is imminent. And after that, my wedding to my lovely bride, an Elven princess who with the help of her people has helped me greatly and cared for my wounds. I will have everything in this world am man could want after I rule the village I will call Arundor; and am married to the lovely Moreili Rocato the princess of the Hattani people.

Larnedo Kri

Valorie could not believe her eyes. Larendo Kri, her anscestor, had married an Elf? The Eles kept to themselves, their mystical powers hidden in their deep woods. Was it possible that she, supposedly of purest Kri descent was somewhat Elvish?
Sucha striking thought this was she had to sit back and remind herself to breathe. Although at one time Elves and Men were united maybe even as late as Larnedo's time, she had been brought up with those who called Elves dark and demon-like; mystical creatures who could be so easily mistaken for men that all had to be cautious. When someone said 'Elf' it was as though they had cursed. To read that Larnedo had married one and was happy about it moreover was astonishing. She was intrigued and read the next passage.
But it's contents only made her more alarmed and confused. This diary contradicted everything she had been taught. As she read farther though she discovered something that could have turned everything around. Moreili, the Elf woman, was pregnant with Larnedo's child. This could not be! Larnedo had never married an Elf! His first and only child had been Misha, the daughter of his first and only wife, Jaine Sol.
Before she could argue with herself any more, she heard footsteps in the hall. She glanced at her clock, tossed the Diary in a sliding compartment door and took out a literature book, pulling her bag out near the side of her desk. The knob on Valorie's door turned and in walked a tall man with moosey brown hair and intelligent grey eyes. His appearance aged him about 25. But those eyes - they contained the wisdom of fifty years. And although she had seen him every day for the past seven years, Johan Conton's eyes always amazedher. The eyes twinkled when he smiled nad said, " Are you ready for lessons, Miss Kri?"
She shouldered her bag with a smile and followed him out the door. " I am Mr. Conton."
She then hurried after him to the lesson room. But she knew she would not be able to work or pay attention. With all of the new mysteries swimming in her head she would be lucky if she could contain herself from asking questions about the matter.
But she could tell no one - she was probably the only living person who held this secret. And the book that contained all the answers she might ever need about Arundor was sitting inside her very room.

***LOOK FOR CHAPTER 2!***