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Falls Kingdom: Chapter 1
Auburn's opponent swung his sword to her side, but she blocked him with her dagger and kicked him in the abdomen. He swiveled around and scrambled to his feet and Auburn noticed he wasn't holding his sword, she looked down at her dagger and threw it on the ground. Auburn's opponent clenched his fists and threw the first punch, but Auburn caught his fist bent his arm as Auburn climbed up the wall swung around, and kicked her second opponent in the face. She still had her opponent caught as she fell on her back and lifted him and dropped him. Auburn stood up and kicked him in the ribs.
Auburn's opponent caught her wrist and she fell to the floor. She yelped as he tightened his hand on her wrist. He finally let go of her wrist and sighed. "Well, that was a waste of my time." He stood up and stretched out his hand.
Auburn slapped his hand away and got up herself. "Hey! I was doing great, it was you who was a waste of my time." Auburn said, as her second opponent got off the floor.
"She's right, Kayden. You've been doing the same moves for two months, and come on man she has got to learn how to use a bow and arrow." She asserted.
Kayden scoffed. "Lilibert, if Auburn learns how to use a bow and arrow, then she has to talk to Isabella. Isabella is the only woman who knows how to strike. Aim. And fire." Kayden said.
"Auburn you did great." Auburn turned around and saw her best friend whose a servant as she walked towards her side. Her pale skin, dark black hair that reached her neck, and pale brown eyes. She wore a white shirt that showed her muscles, brown breeches, and brown boots.
"Thanks, Alina." Auburn turned towards Kayden. "You see, Kay, Alina here admires what I've been doing. Unlike you."
Kayden rolled his eyes. "Wow, brother, Auburn dislikes you." Kayden's sister chortle.
"Shut up, Elliot." Kayden bellowed.
Auburn giggled and sighed, she looked around and saw a little boy who was no more than 10 as he went up to her and hugged her. "That was fantastic, Auburn, you beat my brother."
"She did not beat me, River, I let her win that's why we're training." He let out.
"Didn't feel like it." Auburn's cousin said.
"Yeah, you're just a sore loser." Lilibert's little sister said.
Kayden squawked. "Shut up, Xavier and Zoey." Auburn smiled and analyzed her friends. Kayden had glowing skin and brown eyes as they twinkled. Dark brown spikey hair as he ran his hand through it. He wore a magenta shirt which showed his muscles and dark brown leggings as he scraped over his brown leather boots. Lilibert had light dark skin with long dark curly red hair as it trimmed over her face. Light green eyes as it shone when the sun reflect on them. She wore a white dress that covered her entire skinny frail body and white flats. Kayden's 18-year-old sister Elliot had light skin, with pale brown eyes that looked severe. Ash-blonde hair that went down to her neck covered her round face, Elliot wore a pale blue blouse, long white skirt, and white flats. Kayden's 10-year-old adopted brother was a warlock. River had dark green skin with hair that was made out of leaves. Dark green eyes that sometimes change to light pale gray. River wore a gray/black shirt, black shorts, and black boots. Auburn's cousin Xavier had dark skin with wavy black hair that reached his cheeks and pale blue-green eyes that twinkled. Like Auburn, Xavier was a werewolf - whose inner wolf was a girl actually whose name is Isla. Xavier wore a black shirt and black leggings, that were wrapped around in a brown cloak and black boots. Lilibert's 8-year-old sister Zoey had dark skin, with burgundy hair that draped over her pale green eyes. Zoey wore white shorts and gray boots.
A loud knock came, Auburn went over to her door and opened it. A middle-aged woman stood by the door she had pale skin, jet black hair, and dark brown eyes. She looked down at the ground not meeting her different color eyes. "Princess Auburn" she bowed "you might not know me, but I'm the consul Lyla Afify and I'm-"
"Mom, she already knows who you are." Alina went to her mother and held his arm. She turned to her friends. "We're leaving I'm sorry I can't stay longer." The servant grinned.
"It's okay, Alina."
Alina nodded her has and left bringing her mother with her. Auburn closed the door and turned towards Kayden, Lillibert, Elliot, River, Xavier, and Zoey. She went over to the window and sough. Xavier reached up to her and rested his hands on his cousin's shoulder. "Auburn, are you okay?"
Auburn sobbed. "No, I'm not okay." Her eyes fixated on the Blood Forest. "It's just - I can't stop thinking about my mother, it's been 10 years and I just want her to come back."
Xavier hugged her as he smoothed her hair. "It's going to be okay." He murmured.
Auburn eliminated herself away from her cousin and looked into his eyes. "Xavier, nothing is ever okay - it might be for you, but it isn't for me." She looked down. "I need to be alone." She muttered.
Xavier nodded his head and turn to the others as they left the room. Auburn plummeted to her bed and sighed.
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Alina walked with her mother as she talked about Alina's future, but she wasn't listening all she could think about was how Auburn was doing since her mother's disappearance. Alina knew King Naveen had mourned over his wife, but it wasn't that she left her family. It was that she didn't give a proper reason. The only thing came to think is 'where did she go.'
"Alina! Are you daydreaming? Come on!" Lyla said as she stood by the stairs.
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"Hey, are you coming?" Elliot said as Kayden was facing Auburn's door. Elliot went up to her brother and rested his hands on his shoulder and turned him away from the door.
"She's gonna be okay, right?" Kayden raised a question as he and Elliot went over to their friends and sibling.
"Yes, Kayden, she is," Elliot said. "There's no need to worry."
Kayden knows he's very hard on Auburn, but it's only for her to be a great warrior, but also he cares for her and wants to protect her. "What are you talking about? We have to worry it's her mother she's worried about." River said.
Lilibert chuckled. "Guys, she's okay, besides she's a good fighter, and besides she has us."
They all walked out of the hallway and down the stairs where they saw King Naveen and Queen Tiana's throne. They went over to the kitchen as they saw servants and maids washing dishes and cleaning tables. They helped the servants and maids clean up.
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Bang bang bang! Auburn looked over toward the door as a loud knock came from the person behind the doot. "Auburn, are you okay?" Auburn rolled her eyes, great her 18-year-old sister is banging on her door. Auburn tried to ignore her every time she talks to her. She even tried to ignore her presence, but come on if she can't face the future, either can't she pass the past what is it that's gonna happen today. Bang bang bang! Auburn felt her sister was sad, she's always been happy, but after her mother's disappearance. Aaliyah doesn't know what happened to her. Auburn doesn't know what happened to her. Auburn doesn't know what happened to her. Father thinks she was cursed by a witch, but Auburn didn't believe him. She had to find out the truth about what happened to her mother.
But that was 10 years ago and everything changed after the funeral, father would weep in his chambers, saying 'how could this happen.' But Auburn couldn't blame him he didn't do anything wrong. Nowadays he barely talks and when he has one of those say-ins for the villagers - he came out drunk. She wanted to tell him to stop, but he barely listens.
Also, her sister would always lock herself in her room and doesn't wake up as usual anymore. Like Auburn said 'you can't forget about the past, it's too harsh, too dreadful, too forgettable with some things that are lost in your head, but never forgotten in your heart.' Sometimes, they would go to the Soul Forest to see if her soul was then there. But, it wasn't.
She groaned as she moved off her bed and went over to the warrior and stared at herself - her hair was in a ponytail, her brown shirt was wrinkled, her breeches can move lightly as her brown boots moved a step to step. She looked like a true warrior.
"Do you always look at yourself in the mirror?" Auburn turned around and saw Lilibert holding hands with Alina and Elliot who were holding hands with River and Kayden who were holding hands with Xavier and Zoey.
"I hate it when you do that." She said to Lilibert.
"Sorry."
Bang bang bang! The princess rolled her eyes. 'When is she gonna stop knocking?' Amara said. Auburn walked over to the door softly without making any noises and opened it. Aaliyah stood by the door facing her baby sister with the same expression as Auburn. Auburn looked at Aaliyah's face - she looks nothing like her. Aaliyah had beautiful thin black locks that
made the light bounce off her light brown skin, Auburn had short brown curly hair that was in a ponytail. She had green eyes matching the eyes of their mother, but Auburn had one green eye and one hazel.
Auburn looked at Aaliyah and clutched her hands tightly into a fist balling up her brown shirt that deepens into her palm.
'What the hell did she want?' Amara said. Auburn smirked she knew her inner wolf Amara was different from the princess. Amara is what makes her a good leader and makes her confident and sometimes gets in trouble. Aaliyah's inner wolf Mila and different too, Mila loves reading literature and history and gives Liya advice which boosts her self-esteem.
'What do you want, Aaliyah?'Amara asked.
Auburn felt Liya shiver below her skin. She looked deeply into her sister's eyes as they changed into ice blue. 'Father wants you immediately,' Mila said.
Auburn exclaimed. "Why?! Is there something wrong with him?" She said.
Mila cocked her head while she squinted her eyes. 'Just come!' She cried.
Auburn nodded to her sister as she went out the door seeing her friends right behind her. The princess and her friends followed the eldest child down the hall and to their fathers' chambers. Once, when was 7 she would see her father on his throne sobbing on the throne next to him. Other times, he's always in his chambers never wanting to get out.
Auburn wanted him to meet someone - someone other than his mother. But, he couldn't - he was too heartbroken, she didn't want him to lose anyone - not even his two children.
Auburn continued to walk along the hallways with Aaliyah and her friends. Passing doors, passing servants, and passing knights who guarded every path of Falls Kingdom.
They walked past the Trop Hall seeing a knight standing in front of a door which the princess didn't get why he was guarding it.
"Hey, Alex," Auburn said. Auburn would always call him by his first name, but when her father is with them she calls him Sir Liu.
Sir Liu took off his helmet showing his handsome Asian face "Ah, Miss Falls, how do you do?" He asked.
Auburn arched an eyebrow. Even Amara was suspicious. "Why did you pronounce me as Miss Falls?"
He blushed furiously, looking over the princess's shoulder she turned and saw Liya and her friends at the corner exit of the Trop Hall. Auburn turned towards Alex and groaned she forgot that Alex had a frightful crush on her sister - even if he's five years older than her.
"I'm sorry, Auburn, I just wanna impress her." He looked at the princess sheepishly.
"Impress her how?"
"Well, I-" Sir Liu froze for a second. "I don't know."
"Okay well good luck trying to impress her." Auburn left Sir Liu alone to guard his path. Her friends followed - seeing out of the corner of Aaliyah's eyes was Sir Liu was staring at her.
'What did her father want with her?' She thought. 'Was it an emergency or did he know about mother and where to find her?'
Aaliyah led her baby sister to a door where Naveen was in, probably there sitting on his bed looking out the window and watching the birds chirping. Aaliyah sighed, knocking on the door and asking their father if she could come in.
Auburn heard him say 'no.' "Is Auburn with you?" Father asked softly behind the door.
"Yes, she's here father." Liya looked at Auburn and told her to go in. She opened the door and closed it. She saw her father sitting on his bed which was soft with two white big pillows lined in the back and green small pillows lined in the front with light green sheets. His light brown skin shone brightly from the sun. Hazel's eyes with bags under them as if he didn't sleep for weeks and his brown hair touched the ends of his ears. He wore a white shirt which was covered by a red cloak with black leggings and boots. Auburn stood by the door. "Father you wanted to see me?"
He looked up from his hands and stared at his daughter. "Yes...... yes, I did. Sweetheart we need to talk." Auburn saw his eyes getting heavier and heavier and they concerned her for a second.
The Princess didn't know if it was serious. She looked at him, being so bizarre about what he had to say.
But, she didn't want to know.
© Breanna Holton