"Master of Light, Part 1" by Laura Beth Levinson

The pale dawn light filtered through the bedroom window highlighting the dust motes swirling through the air. After glancing out the window, Princess Auriana Winters went back to lacing her brown soft leather boots. Satisfied that they were tight enough, she walked over to the full-length mirror gracing the stone wall. Auriana picked up a leather belt and buckled it securely around her white tunic. Running her fingers through her long golden hair she looked at the silver crown encircling her head with disgust. She took it off and studied the finely wrought metal for a moment before flinging it angrily to the other side of the room. She walked back to the window and looked out frowning. The courtyard below was already bustling with servants moving into their daily routine. A few sleepy castle guards strolled importantly down the walkway occasionally pinching a busty serving wench’s buttocks. The sooner I get out of here the better. Her father wasn’t getting any better though. She toyed with the idea of leaving before he was well again. She had tried to heal him but even the powers of Light did nothing. She quickly dismissed the thought. After all, she was the reason he was sick.

She silently cursed Merdock and his damn obsession. She knew the only way to heal her father was to surrender herself to Merdock. She shivered at the thought of him. Prince Merdock, Master of Darkness and all things evil, had been obsessed with her for years now. All his previous attempts to wed her and convert her to a dark mage had failed. He had even followed her when she ran away from home a year ago. Then suddenly, one day he was gone. She thought he had given up, however, she was wrong. Instead of chasing her across the earth he devised a plan to lure her back home where he could reach her. Auriana, or Anya as she was called for short, clenched her fists with hate when she thought of him using his dark powers to make her father deathly ill. Merdock had admitted as much. He knew that as a healer and Master of Light, Auriana would come running back home if she heard that her father was dying. If she gave him her hand though, he would restore her father’s health. No, never. That would put me in an even worse prison than the royal one I am in now.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see it opening to admit her personal bodyguard, R’yin. "Are you ready, m’lady?" he asked his hand unconsciously resting on his sword hilt.

"R’yin, when are you ever going to heed me and stop calling me that? Call me Anya or Auriana. Just please, stop being so formal."

"As you wish…m’lady," was his reply. She sighed. Why does he insist on calling me that? The royal atmosphere was probably not helping that particular mindset which he had of her. The sooner we leave, the better.

R’yin looked at her tunic and dark blue pants and frowned, "Your brothers would not be happy to see you wearing that, especially without the crown."

Anya sighed even deeper, "I don’t care what my brothers or my father think," she kicked the crown to stress her point, "Now let’s get going before they wake and more of those damn suitors arrive." R’yin stepped aside to let her by then closed the door behind them. Anya hated her brothers for forcing her to see suitors. Do they not understand the fact that I am engaged? She smiled thinking of Aire. Airestorm Magiblade was a hard man to get to know and an even harder one to be engaged to, but she loved him and would till death.

The two quickly left the castle grounds avoiding notice and headed toward the thick virgin forest which surrounded her home. The peacefulness and serenity of the woods swept away all thoughts of Merdock and her father from Auriana’s mind. She smiled and started to hum some nameless tune. She glanced over at R’yin to see him frowning slightly. R’yin was a member of the guild she ran before she came back home. He and the other guild members insisted on him protecting her while she was away. She didn’t think she needed protection but she was glad for his company. It was a reminder that it was possible to leave again no matter how many barriers her father set and that she could once again take up the other life she had created for herself. She gave him a playful nudge, "Smile! You’re so serious all of the time! It’s beautiful out here!"

R’yin’s frown became deeper, "Something just doesn’t feel right."

"Relax and have fun! Now that’s a command." Auriana giggled as she stepped out of the woods and into a clearing, "Nothing is going to happen."

That’s when the fog hit.

She turned back to see R’yin enter the clearing when a thick, wet mist fell upon them, separating them. In a matter of moments Anya couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. She heard R’yin cry out for her and then his voice was suddenly choked off. Panicking, Auriana called out his name over and over again getting no reply. She was starting forward when she heard a laugh and the mist before her parted slightly as a dark figure approached. She froze and studied his features in shock, not expecting to see what she did. "Aire?" she asked hesitantly.

Aire smiled, "Yes, m’love?"

Anya took a step forward and then hesitated. Something felt wrong, but that sounded so much like his voice. "What…why?" she looked around at the fog, "What are you doing here? Where’s R’yin?"

This time it was Aire to take a step forward. "I missed you Auriana, need I say more? I wanted to surprise you and be alone with you for awhile. Don’t worry about R’yin. He’s safely following a trail I set which will lead him back to the castle."

That definitely was his voice. Maybe it was the mist fogging her mind or wishful thinking that made her step forward, but nevertheless, she did. She walked to him. "I’ve missed you so much," she said staring up at him with her dark blue eyes as they embraced.

"Shhh. We can talk later." He brushed some stray blond locks from her face and then kissed her passionately. Anya sank deep within his kiss closing her eyes and kissing him back just as passionately. She sensed something change, a tremor in the air, but gave it no thought until she heard a dark, oily voice speak instead of her beloved’s. "Well, well Princess. That was quite wonderful."

Anya’s eyes snapped open and she stared up into what now was Merdock’s face. She immediately tried to step back but his arms were still tightly around her. "You bastard!" she screamed and brought her knee into his stomach. He doubled over releasing her. She turned to run but he grabbed her wrist harshly. She raised up her free hand on which a silver and sapphire ring glistened. She called upon the Light, channelling the energy into the band and yelled out, "Ring of Hope!" The ring glowed brightly as lightening bolts struck the ground around Merdock forcing him to let go of her, engulfing him in blue flames of pure Light. As Auriana turned and ran she heard him howl in pain. She was running blindly through the fog when a black bolt of arcane energy hit her squarely in the back, knocking her to the ground.

Anya groaned in pain, she couldn’t abide the touch of darkness. Almost immediately Merdock was on top of her. He pulled her arms roughly behind her and tightly bound her wrists. She winced as the ropes dug into her skin and knew she was doomed. Being a hand mage she could only use her powers with her hands free, and giving a tug against the rough ropes told her that was not possible. Merdock flipped her over onto her back. "You’ve grown much stronger since we last met Highness," he smiled, "Apparently not strong enough." Auriana tested the ropes again and glared up at him, her eyes filled with hate. Merdock ran his finger over the curve of her cheek, "Don’t look at me that way, Princess. How about another kiss?"

"I’d rather die!" she yelled and spit into his face. Anger flared into Merdock’s eyes as he raised his arm. Auriana watched it come down and then everything went dark.