Lissette roamed the brick maze; the flower beds were over grown almost to the top of the wall and vines crawled up the walls. The moon shone brightly making the Moonblazers soft petals glow. Though the beauty here was unmistakable, there was harshness to it. Every shadow seemed to be stretching their long hands trying to grab her, to pull her in. She held her dress in her hands so she wouldn’t trip over it.

Her long hair fell down her back glowing gold just as the Moonblasers had. The flowing curls bounced as Lissette walked. Wiping off her makeup as she went along.

After pausing at an intersection she quickly turned right and hurried along. She needed to get away from the castle, she couldn’t take the dresses and the makeup and the servants bowing to her. It was all too much; she needed to get away, at least, for a little while. Half way down the path she stopped, having tripped over her ruffled pink dress.

“Curse this dress!” she muttered, and started to rip the dress to size

Now the dress was up to her knees and she didn’t need to hold it any longer. Taking a piece of the cloth she headed toward the sound of trickling water.Soon after she reached the fountain, it’s cold grey stone, dulled the area. But this was her favorite place. Sitting on the edge she dipped the fabric into the cool clear water. Then putting it to her eyelids and wiping off the eye shadow.

The clearing was a dead end, a square of bricks and over grown vines and bushes. The fountain stood in the center, enticing everyone to come and sit down. The stone dragon heads in the center sprouted water that trickled endlessly. When she was little she had found that even in a drought it would always be filled with water.

Now she leaned against the stone and looked at the stars, and waited. Minutes crept by, and she became unsure they would be out tonight. But soon she heard the sound of tiny bells. She looked at the flower beds to find lights were being turned on. Tiny lights, the size of her pinky finger.

The lights twinkled like stars as they drifted out of the bushes. When they got close enough she could see them clearly. Fairies, their slender bodies were fair and proportional, their humming bird wings flapped rapidly, and their pointed ears cured behind their heads, and their fair pale skin glowed white.

A few brave souls fluttered elegantly up to her, tugging at her golden curls. She heard their tinkling laughter and the singing voices. Fairies couldn’t talk like humans; they sang notes and laughed like bells. They sing until dawn and then sleep during the day.

Lissette held a hand out to a beautiful female, her long hair whipped around her face like she was under water. She landed on Lissette’s palm and sat down. Enjoying the eyes of her admirer, the fairy sang up to the moon and braided her chocolate brown hair.

More came and perched on her hands, arms, shoulders, and hair. Clutching to her tightly they sang to the moon, their music sweet and soft. Calming her insides until she reached deep, blissful peace.
Soon the fairies drifted off into their Moonblaser houses, and closed the petals. Pale grey light reached above to tall stone walls, she had to get back soon, or they would search for her.

As she stood, she was suddenly aware of eyes following her. But they didn’t feel like the warm, kind eyes of the fairies. They felt dark, and cruel. She saw a flames flicker from the dark bushes but it didn’t look like they were on fire. Backing away from the fountain she ran. She heard the bushes shudder as something ran after her, keeping out of sight.
Turning left at the junction she ran toward the palace, her hair flying behind her. Taking a right, she ran straight into the over grown thorn bushes. Their needle sharp thorns pricked and scratched at her delicate skin. Scrambling through the roses she startled to run again.

Lissette dared a quick glance behind her, the thorns were quivering and she heard a low, frustrated growl. Turning back to the path, she didn’t see the boulder until it was too late. She ran into it with such force that her breath was knocked out of her.

She laid on the overgrown grass, gasping for breath, hearing an approved growl nearing her. This is it. I’m going to die… she thought to herself. Her eyes swam as the black slowly enclosed her.






***

Groggily she woke up; she felt the warm smooth skin and the bumpy walking of someone carrying her. He was carrying her gingerly like she was explosive. She looked up into his face. The boy had dark angular features with hair so red that it looked like fire. His crystal blue eyes flickered down to her. He wore only breeches, so his muscular chest was bare. He was very handsome in a dark way.

“you should be more careful princess, someone might try to hurt you when your all by yourself.” His voice was rich as chocolate but bitter too

“ someone was chasing me, no…not someone but something! And I heard growling and I saw fire in the bushes but it wasn’t catching. And I ran but I… I ran into a boulder!” as she talked she started to get light headed and her head started to pound

“Hush princess, you have a minor concussion. I think you hit your head pretty hard. I found you in my father’s corn field.”

“ I’m not hallucinating! I was in the maze beside the castle! Something was trying to kill me!”

“Princess, please, I’m just trying to help. I’m telling you that you were lying in my father’s cornfield and you were bleeding because of that gash on your head.” He was getting frustrated now, but he didn’t seem like he was telling the truth

But she nodded anyway “Are you taking me to the castle?”

He raised an eyebrow “Where else would I take you?”

Lissette shrugged, but the movement jarred her head, making it ache. She moaned and felt her head. The boy laughed “ your too soft, princess.”

“Would you stop calling me princess? My name is Lissette.”

“Whatever you say, princess.” He smirked down at her

She glared up at him and sighed and let him carry her in silence. They passed by a large number of fields until they came to the steep hill were you had to climb to get to the palace.

“I can walk.” She offered, but he just snorted

“I’ll be fine princess, carried three brags of corn up this hill at once, you’re much lighter.”

It was true he carried her like he was carrying a feather; he never tired or stopped to rest. After a while she became bored. “Can I walk now?”

“no.” he scolded

Sighing she said “Can I at least know your name?”

He glanced down deciding weather to tell her or not “My name is Faine.”

“Well Faine, are we almost to the castle?”

“Yes, princess and I’ll gladly drop you at their doorstep as to not hear you complaining anymore.” He smirked

“So much for living up to your name, “good natured one.””

He glared at her but said nothing. Up and up they went to the palace gate. The gate was made of pure iron, and gleamed in the bright sunlight. Two guards were placed in front of the gate and gave Faine a hard look, but when they say Lissette in his arms their eyes went wide.

“Princess! They’ve been looking everywhere for you!” one said as he ran up in his red suit and black fuzzy hat. “Where have you been?”

Faine set her down gently and held her up so she could balance on him. “ I, I don’t quiet remember.” She lied “This boy, Faine, found me in his father's corn field with a gash in my head.”

The guards eyes widened again “you don’t remember? Oh the king is going to be on a rampage when he hears about this. You’d best try and remember. And you boy, come with us we’ll make sure you get a reward.”

“There is no reward necessary sir.” Faine said shuffling his feet.
“But indeed it is! You will come with us anyway.” He ordered

Faine shrugged and picked Lissette up again and carried her inside the gate. When they approached the castle’s wooden door Lissette whispered “It would probably be best if I walked into the court hall.”

“Whatever you say princess.” And Faine set her gently on the ground. Resting her shoulder against his arm they walked into the main court room as the guard pushed open the door.

Lissette stumbled down the steps hanging onto Faine’s arm for support. She looked at the throne at the end of the hall. Her father was seated there, hands over his eyes and rubbed his temples.

“Father!” Lissette called

The king’s head snapped up and a smile spread across his face. He snapped his fingers and he appeared next to her. Taking her in a tight embrace, Faine let go and fell into the back ground.
The king pulled back, “where have you been Lissette? I’ve been so worried.” The king had a short salt and peppered beard with short hair. He was strong and athletic, and was in his late forties.

“That’s the thing da, I don’t know.” She hated to lie to her father, she knew she had been in the maze, she knew that something had chased her. But her story wouldn’t match Faine’s. As much as she disliked Faine, if she told a different story it could get him killed. And she wouldn’t want that.

“Is this who found you?” the king looked at Faine with suspicious eyes.

“yes da, this is Faine, he found me in his father’s cornfield this gash on my head.” She said evenly

The king walked up to the boy and clasped his shoulders “ thank you for bringing her home to us.”

Faine look uncomfortable “No thanks needed.”

“You must have a reward, Gold, A horse, Food? You name it boy and you and have it.”

“You see sir, I don’t want a reward. I already have everything I need. I couldn’t ask for more.” Faine glanced at Lissette with a strange look

“You’re a very modest young man, but if you’re sure you can leave. I thank you again for bringing my daughter home.” The king smiled gratefully at him.

Faine seemed relieved to be dismissed and walked out of the room to the doors in a hurry. He glanced back only once to see her staring after him, then walked out of the doors and left.

“A very kind young man.” The king muttered to himself

“Kind.” Lissette repeated “I’m sorry father, I don’t remember. I was in my bed last night and then I wake up to find Faine carrying me and a gash on my head.”

“Have you ever sleepwalked? That you might have gone for a wild ride in the town and tripped. But there aren’t any doors that you could get out of that aren’t guarded….” He pondered to himself

“Might want to rethink that, da.” She thought to herself. The servants door was always unlocked in case of an emergency, she uses that door to get to the maze. Her servant friend Mishka helped her find it when she was little.

“I think I’m going to go to bed, I’m awful tired.” She said suddenly tired
“yes, yes of course. I’ll send the healer up in a little while. Sleep well my darling.” The king called after her

Out of sight of her father she ran up the stairs, past servants and went into her room, locking the door behind her. She hurried into her bathroom and filled the tub. Striping her dirt stained clothes she lowered herself into the hot bubbling water. Taking out soap she scrubbed herself clean. Then gingerly ran warm water over the gash in on the side of her forehead. It stung at first but it slowly felt better.

After washing her hair to get the dirt out she stepped out of the tub and into the enchanted towel that wrapped around her. Taking her brush the swept it through her knotty hair until it shone its usual golden color. Putting on breeches and loose cotton shirt she climbed into her king sized bed and crawled under the covers. She was asleep within minutes.

In her dream she was racing through the maze, it wasn’t over grown or dull, it was like it had been before her mother died. But she could hear the sound of breathing close behind her, but she couldn’t look back. She heard snaps of a mouth trying to bite. Then Faine was there, he reached for her hand and pulled her into another part of the maze.

Still running they went deeper into the maze. She could tell that they had almost made it, but then a shriek sounded from behind them, and saw the fear in Faine’s eyes- knock, knock, knock.

Blinking her eyes open she heard it again, knock knock, knock.
“come in!” she called after her voice steadied

The door opened and she saw the healer. The little old lady had two grey and white pig tails in, wearing a healers robe. “lady Lissette, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!” she said in her old crackly voice

“ oh just a bad dream…”

“ well king Andrew said I was to check on that gash of yours.” She waddled over and took out a medicine purse “ hmm…. Uhuh…. Huh….”

She inspected lissette’s gash then put ointment that stung on the cut. Knitting her eyebrow she tried not to cry out. But it slowly subsided and the healer let out a sigh of satisfaction. “It looked like you hit your head on a sharp rock. Or you were running and you hit a boulder.”

Her heart lurched as she remembered the breath being knocked out of her and the blackness swarming over her eyes. Why hadn’t she died? That creature that was chasing her had one soul mission, to kill.

“I’ll leave you to your rest m’lady.” The healer bowed and bustled out of the room.

Lying back down on her bed she laid awake for some time before falling asleep for the night.