short story, story promptRavena finds herself in a castle where princesses and ladies of high standing wait for their Knight to rescue them. Not one to wait around for her Prince Charming, Ravena tries to escape.


 

“What are you doing?” Cecilia asked. She clasped her hands demurely in front of her, resting them on the rich fabric of her dress and stood in Ravena’s way.

“I’m escaping,” Ravena replied, trying to dodge to one side of the other girl.

Cecilia frowned, blocking her attempts to get past. “Why would you be trying to escape? There will be a knight to rescue you some day.”

“I don’t want to be rescued. It’s a stupid idea! I am not a damsel in distress and I can look after myself.”

“But you have been chosen to be one of us. You can’t leave.”

Ravena sighed, frustrated. “I don’t care if I was supposedly ‘chosen’. Whatever strange magicks brought me here made a mistake – I’m not one of you pampered princesses or ladies. I don’t belong here.”

Cecilia smiled. “Of course you do. The magick never makes a mistake. You’re supposed to be here. It’s impossible for you to leave until your Knight rescues you.”

“I’m not wasting my time waiting for a stupid knight to swoop in. I don’t care what you say, I’m getting out of here.”

“Calm down, Ravena. You’re being dramatic. You do belong here. You are a lady of standing. I know your family, you’ve been connected to the royals for generations!” Cecilia patted her arm. “You’ll get used to it here and before you know it, your Knight will come.”

“Seriously, Cecilia? If you know my family, then you know of the circumstances that have befallen us in the past year. There is no way a knight is going to risk his life to ‘save’ me from this place. Why would he save a cursed lady? Why would he doom his own family line to live in fear and darkness?” Ravena shook her head. “There is no Knight coming for me, even if I wanted him to. I’m getting myself out of here, then I’m starting anew, somewhere far away.”

“Not everyone believes in that poppycock about the curse,” Cecilia said dismissively.

“The curse is real,” Ravena said, her voice low and strained. Cecilia gave her a skeptical look. “It exists and it has ruined the lives of my family. It’s all my fault.” She sat heavily on a wooden chair.

Cecilia put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “Come now, Ravena. I’m sure you’re simply being dramatic again. How could the curse be your fault?”

“I’m the one who angered the wizard who cast the spell. He cursed my whole family because I said no to him. I said I wouldn’t marry him.”

Cecilia’s brows shot up. “A wizard asked you to marry him and you said no? That’s a better catch than a Knight! What were you thinking?”

Ravena shot her a dark look. “No one wants to marry this wizard. You’d have said no, too.”

Cecilia snorted at that. “Not likely! There’s only one wizard I’d say no to, and that’s the Wizard of Malevolence himself!”

Ravena just looked at her. Cecilia’s eyebrows crept even higher. “Wait… you’re telling me that the Wizard of Malevolence proposed to you?!”


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