Chapter 1

Narrator's perspective (Author)

          Once upon a time there was a village girl named Alyssa Smoke. She was only 15 years old. She was the prettiest girl in the village. Even though she was the prettiest girl in the village, she was made fun of because of her blonde hair and blue eyes when her parents had brown hair and brown eyes. Alyssa was always sad because of the teasing. She thought, so what if I am different? Arn't I still a girl? Alyssa did not want her parents finding out about the teasing, so anytime she came home with red eyes from crying she would lie saying a bug or dirt got in her eyes. Alyssa's parents still found out and we're worried about her, but if Alyssa wanted to, they would stay out of it and she could solve it herself.

          Alyssa was glad her parents were okay with her working it out on her own. One day Alyssa was walking down the road when she heard a scream. She ran over to see what was going on and there she saw a little girl being chased by a wolf. So Alyssa picked up a stick and threw it at the wolf. The stick hit the wolf on the head and the wolf whimpered and ran away. After Alyssa made sure the wolf was gone, she ran over to check on the girl who was hurt by the wolf. When Alyssa reached the girl and asked how she was, the girl yelled at Alyssa to go away. The yell was heard by the village people and they ran over to see the wounded girl with Alyssa standing over her. The village people thought Alyssa was the one who hurt the little girl, so they threw rocks and sticks at her. Alyssa ran home crying and covered in wounds. Her parents were worried about Alyssa. Alyssa's parents asked her what had happened and she told them that the village people never liked her because she was different and a freak when she said that her parents looked at each other and sighed and said it was time she knew.

Narrator's perspective (Author)

        When Alyssa heard that, she asked knew what? Her parents told her to sit down and to brace herself for the truth about her birth. After Alyssa sat down, her parents started the story of her birth. They said that Alyssa’s mother actually gave birth to a boy that looked just like them, but when they brought the boy home there was a lady sitting on the porch with a baby in her hands. That baby was Alyssa. Alyssa’s parents asked the lady who she was. She said she was the king's concubine. The parents asked why she was there. The lady said that she was pregnant but gave birth a few days ago without the king knowing, because the child was born with blond hair and blue eyes and only the children with these features can compete for the right to be entitled to the throne. The lady said that her child was the only one with these features born so far and if the queen found out she would be furious and send people to harm the baby, so the lady asked if they would mind raising her until she was eighteen and she would take their son and tell him the truth when he was eighteen. 

          When Alyssa’s parents finished the story, Alyssa said it was okay to keep the truth from her and that she did not blame or hate anyone for it. Alyssa said she was glad to be brought up by such good parents and that she would stay with them until she was forced to leave them. It has been three years since then and she is nearing her eighteenth birthday. On Alyssa’s eighteenth birthday she spent the day doing her chores, but on her way home from the apple orchard she could not see where she was going and ran into a carriage. The apples went everywhere. A guard started to yell at her until he saw her blonde hair and blue eyes and gasped. The guard ran to the carriage window and whispered something to the person in the carriage. When he was done, the person in the carriage said to Alyssa to take him to her house. Alyssa did not know why but she did as she was told. When she got to her house, she asked if he would wait for a minute and he said yes. Alyssa went to get her parents. When they came out of the house, they saw the symbol of a lion on the carriage and bowed and said welcome your majesty.