A soft snore emitted from the small girl in the empty room, echoing off the stone walls. Outside, thunder boomed and a bright flash temporarily lit up the sky. The sudden rumble caused the girl to stir, and slowly open her eyes. Rarely were there storms so loud in Corona, the home of the young princess. Propping herself up on her forearms and flipping her messy brown hair from her face, Arabella soon realized why the weather seemed so foreign. She was not in her bedroom, and likely not even in Corona.
Naturally, her first instinct was to panic. Ara flew from the stiff bed she had been laying in, and only after she turned in a complete circle did she realize she was completely alone. This caused her to pause, evaluate the situation. She thought back to the night before. She and her parents had dinner in their dining hall... she took a bath... she climbed into bed...
It had been a normal night in her peaceful castle. How, then, had she managed to wake in such a strange and unfamiliar place?
Must have been kidnapped, she realized, eyes widening at the thought. Just like her mother had been. Granted, she didn't have magical hair like her mother did when the same thing happened to her. But, there were other advantages to abducting a princess.
Arabella was just about to panic again when something on the small table caught her eye. It was a folded sheet of paper, with her name written in fancy lettering. Slowly, she approached the wooden table and took the paper within her small hands. She unfolded it carefully, revealing a simple note:
Good morning, Child.
Do not be afraid, you are in no danger here.
My name is Endora, you are a welcomed guest in my home.
Breakfast has been prepared, come meet us in the dining room on the ground floor.
I am positive you have many questions, but rest assured that all shall be answered soon enough.
Furrowing her eyebrows, Arabella folded up the letter and placed it back on the table. With just a moment of hesitance, she walked to the door and pulled it open. Truth be told, she had been expecting someone to be standing outside her door waiting for her. It was almost pleasantly surprising to see that no one was there, she was being trusted to follow orders.
She found the stairwell at the left end of the hall, and she tried to make it down the stairs as quietly as possible. She walked down two flights of stairs before reaching the ground floor, telling her that the room she woke up in was three stories high.
At the bottom of the stairs Arabella realized she had no idea where the dining room was. She looked to her right, seeing several hallways and a door which looked like it would lead outside. To her left was only one hallway.
If I try this way first I'll waste less time if it's wrong, because it's shorter, she internally reasoned. Biting her lip, Arabella made her way down the short corridor, and placed her hand on the golden handle of the door at the very end.
Inhaling deeply, Arabella took a moment to gather her bravery. "
I'm not in danger," she told herself, trying to convince herself to believe the letter. Finally, she pulled open the doors to reveal a room with a very long table. At the opposite end of the table was a gorgeous blonde female, though Arabella did find the orange of her eyes a little unsettling.
"
Welcome, Arabella," The blonde spoke, her voice cutting through the air. She held out a hand. "
I am Endora. Come, sit with me while we wait for the others."
"
The... others?" Arabella asked, slowly stepping forward.
"
Oh, yes dear,"
Endora replied, smiling brightly. "
You will be happy to know you are not in this alone."
"
In what alone?"
Shaking her head,
Endora waved Arabella over. "
I shall explain that to you all at once, no sense in repeating myself multiple times. Now come, sit. And leave the door open, will you. I'm sure it will help the others to find their way here."
Arabella glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she could escape easily. The thought was pushed from her mind as soon as it came, however. So far
Endora had not been threatening at all, she saw no reason not to at last join her for a meal. After swallowing hard, Arabella walked over and took a seat right beside
Endora, sitting to the stranger's left.