Learning The Legend

"Once, many eons ago, Quadros was a place where peace was plentiful and hostility was scarce. Each soul was full of faith and hope. Each face was warm and inviting. There was only mourning when a relative or companion fell ill and passed on to The Land Of The Loved. Everyone was content. There was no rivalry or murder. There was only love and tranquility.

"Then one day Quadros shook. The planet shook so fiercely that the land split apart, into four continents. The people of Quadros had never known such tragedy. There was mass death and destruction. And, just as the land was spread, so was their knowledge.

"The understanding of animals went with the people of Faunarious. The understanding of plants went with Florania. The understanding of space went with the continent of Spazio. The understanding of time went with Ama.

"It is said that there was one prideful and selfish soul that caused the dividing and that there is only one brave and caring soul that can bring the lands and the knowledge together once more. The search is still on for that single great and mighty spirit.

"Blah blah blah..."

"Pansy! You need to take this seriously!" Mother yelled at me for the fifth time.

"The legend is so drab and boring! Why do I have to learn it?" I whined.

"Because you are of age. This is the legend of our people! All noble children must learn the legend," my mother told me. Oh, how I wish I wasn't a noble child! If I was a servant child I wouldn't have to learn it. Even if I was of a royal family I still wouldn't have to learn it!

"Why do Nobles have to learn the legend? Royals don't even have to learn it and they are higher in status than we!" I complained, hoping to get out of learning but knowing that my wish will never come true.

"Don't you want to be chosen at the Choosing? I am almost finished with the gown you will be presented in! All you have to do is learn the legend!" my mother was beginning her speech yet again, about how she is doing all the work and how she only wants me to have a bright future.

My stubbornness overwhelmed me and I crumpled up and threw the papers I had been holding, the papers that the legend was so carefully written on. Avoiding my mother's scolding screams I stuck my nose in the air and walked quickly from the room. I had just began to walk down the stairs when I heard my mother call for my older brother, Barley, to go after me. When I was just a tyke my mother chased me herself, but my mother was bearing a child. She was four months into her pregnancy and could barely walk. The doctor suspects that she will be having twins or maybe even three of the nasty devils.

I ran quickly down the carpeted spiral staircase that lead from the third floor to the second. I then slowed my pace as I passed my father's study and as soon as I was out of ear shot I continued to run. I went down another staircase to the bottom floor. I was so out of breath at that moment that I failed to see the tall, scrawny figure sneak up behind me.

"And where do you think you're going?" Barley's voice boomed as he grabbed my arm.

"Barley if you have any respect for me you will let me go!" I said quickly.

Barley stared at me for a moment then tugged at my wrist as he started to ascend the staircase.

"Seriously, Barley! I need your help!" I said while tugging on his arm as well, ensuring that we were going nowhere.

"With what?" Barley turned and glared.

Barley was a teen but looked like an adult because of his great height. Barley was one of the smartest people I had ever met and I had met a lot of very educated adults. Barley had long, skinny arms and legs and had the fairest hair and eyes you could imagine. Sadly his beautiful eyes were almost always hidden by his large bifocals.

"Just let go of me!" I pleaded.

"I will release you if you give me back my journal!" Barley said, of course all he wanted was a silly little book! I had always wondered what he wrote in that thing. I guess I always assumed it was just notes.

"It's hidden in my closet inside of a box," As soon as these words left my lips Barley was running up the stairs and I had my arm back. He was up the stairs so quickly that I didn't have time to tell him that the box was locked.

I turned and bolted down the hall that led to glass doubled doors. Those doors lead to the garden. Our garden is about five acres and is almost like a forest. Though the large trees made our garden very dark it was difficult to get lost because of the narrow brick path. I ran and ran until I was sure that I was far away from our mansion.

I began to remember why I had ran all that way in the first place. The Choosing. The Choosing, in my opinion, was not fair at all! One of the Prince's in our continent was of age and was searching for a wife. The Prince that would be choosing was not the first born, of course, the first born son marries a princess. Any other son is forced to choose a noble girl to marry. At The Choosing we were supposed to wear a homemade dress and recite our version of the legend of our people. The ceremony could take hours, there were many noble girls who were participating, and plus the Prince had to have time to choose his bride.

I thought about running away many times, I had known about the ceremony for almost a year, but the idea of running away was absurd. There was a very slim chance that the Prince would choose me. I knew that because there would definitely be many unfortunate girls forced to participate and there was little desire for a red head who was covered in freckles, like I. That was why I was so jealous of Barely. He was blessed with my mother's hair and skin tone, he didn't get freckles, he tanned.

I heard soft footsteps running down the path toward me. I knew it was either Barley or our favorite servant boy, Branch. I waited for the intruder to arrive. A tall figure approached me, but his limbs weren't as long as Barley's. It was Branch. I admired Branch. He was handsome, for a servant, and very polite. He was tall, not as tall as Barley, but much taller than I. He was the same age as Barley with brown hair and piercing green eyes. I also found it interesting that his name was Branch and he had brown hair, like the bark on a tree branch, and green eyes, like the leaves on a branch.