"Resurrection"
Prologue:
Today was her naming day. Her grandfather the King was throwing an immense festival to celebrate it. All throughout the Capital of Alesia flowers were strung, musicians tuned up their instruments and bakers laid out their treats. In the Grand Arena, the Gladiators were just arriving for the day’s sport. She stood upon her balcony in the morning sun and breathed in deep, she felt like a woman reborn. She had awoken at midnight, without breath. Panic stricken she had rolled out of bed and onto the floor coming down hard on all fours. When she was able to draw in a breath her mouth opened wide filling her lungs to capacity. Her eyes rolled white and her head snapped backwards before she exhaled with a cough. Panting, sweat dripping from her brow, she smiled a sideways smile that was uncharacteristic for the demure 14 year old girl who had laid her head upon the pillow some hours ago.
Standing now upon the balcony she looked at her hands and flexed them into fists several times. She felt stronger after her midnight run through the wood. She had donned her boots and ran and ran and ran as if she had been a prisoner her entire life. Looking above her at the doorway she lept up to grab a hold of the stone arch and pulled herself up to stand upon it. Turning, she laughed aloud and lept up for the next closest window ledge and then the roofline. In a matter of seconds she was running along the crest of the roof like a squirrel, never having parkour’d in her life. A would-be princess has no business doing such things!
She felt amazing and jumped down 10 feet to the balcony below. Entering the dining area her grandfather looked up from his meal.
“Hello dear I hadn’t seen you come in, Happy Naming Day, I hope you slept well?”
“I feel wonderful Grandfather.” She said, leaning in to give him a kiss upon the cheek before sitting next to him. Her Grandfather doted upon her as she was his only family and only living heir.
The servants plated her a meal. Looking at her clothes the King said, “Going riding are you? Please don’t be late for your own ceremony, you know I don’t like to wait.”
“I won’t Grandfather.” The King was a decent Mann, a just-ruler, but he certainly liked to keep to a schedule and today that schedule was full.
On her way to the stables she grabbed a hunting bow and quiver. Her mother had taught her to shoot but never to hunt as that was not proper for a Princess. They had both been very good Archers and the King frequently shamed his own menn by having them compete against the women of his house. He loved to brag about their talents and claimed them as a Xeilian trait. Donning a cloak, she left without an escort. Something the King would be angry over, she made haste and once out of the city gates rode full gallop into the wood.
Standing tall in the stirrups she loosed arrow after arrow at the trees and signposts along the road. Not hitting her mark as often as she liked she went back and collected the arrows for another run; this time hitting many more and three squirrels! Eventually she knew it was time to head to the celebration. As she came out of the woods she donned the hood and trotted in through the city gates. The road was crowded from all the citizenry coming in for the festival. Seeing a poor child and his mother begging alongside the road, she leaned down to give them the squirrels she had kilt. When she did some of her red hair spilled out from under the hood. When the child saw the hair he looked into her eyes, his smile went wide and he whispered “Happy Naming Day!” With a wink and a smile she rode off to the castle.
Once back in her room she looked at herself in the looking glass. She looked just like her Mum with Amber red waves of hair and green eyes. Her body too was becoming like a woman’s and often she turned the heads of the stable boys. She wished her mother was here, especially today with how different she felt. Her mother had been an amazing woman, having raised her alone after the death of her father. Beautiful and fierce she never had backed down from a challenge, or challenger. Her strength and defiance toward the King had only been explained two years ago just before her mother’s death.
On her deathbed her mother had shared her most intimate secret and made the child swear to never speak of it to anyone lest her own daughter when the time comes;
“We are children of the Wind my love. Your grandmother, the Queen, once loved a man before her hand was given to the King. I am the child of that mann, and you are his granddaughter.”
Her mother had passed away that same day, the knowledge she left her daughter tormented her day and night. Everyone attributed despondence to the death of her Mum but it was the secret that kept her awake at night, pouring over old maps. The secret of her true name …Langrisser.
She had met the Langrissers but once when she was very young. All she remembered was an old man named Jonas who, when meeting her mother, had dropped his glass. For a moment he looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes darting from mother to daughter before he regained himself and bowed in reverence. Her grandfather had dismissed him as an old fool.
The Naming ceremony was Grand! Jugglers and performers, actors and actresses, and the FOOD! The food was divine. The Gladiators never failed to impress as did the Trison Matadors. She was showered with gifts from all across Alesia. Some were thoughtful, others grandiose in an effort to impress the King. Her favorite gift was a headband adorned with the ears of a Foxcelot, it was adorable and kind of fierce! She wore them the entirety of the day.
Just before the Grand Feast the ceremony was held for her to choose her new name. Although she liked her birth name she now strongly felt that it was her time to become the woman she was meant to be. When, in front of the crowd of people, the King asked her to choose a name, she did. Kayile.
When next he asked “What is it my Granddaughter? What is it that you want most in this world as a gift from me?”
Without hesitation she spoke just two words: “Zephyr County”
“So be it!” The King exclaimed, and the crowd roared in applause. As she hugged the King a sly sideways smile crossed her face .