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“Miranda? Miranda, are you there?”
Miranda slowly opened her eyes propping herself up on one arm. She looked around trying to figure out where the familiar voice was coming from.
“Miranda I hope you’re not still sleeping”The voice called again, coming from the window next to her bed.
She poked her head out the window “Well not any more” she said rubbing her eye as she looked down and saw another unicorn, slightly shorter then her with brown patches covering her right eye and several other spots of her otherwise white fur, her friend Tiffany, standing on the ground with an impatient look on her face.
“You do remember what today is don’t you?” asked Tiffany, putting her hands on her hips
“No, What?”
“I can’t believe you forgot that the Counselor’s son will be announcing who his bride is today” she said in a huff
Miranda rolled her eyes “You know I don’t care about what that spoiled brat does.” She replied with a disinterested tone.
“How can you not Care!” she shouted “he’s the son of the king’s Prime Counselor.”
“And your point is?” She asked getting slightly annoyed at her friend’s fanaticism
“My point is that whoever he chooses will get to live like a queen!”
Miranda Sighed heavily feeling kind of bad for her friend and how naive she is “You do know that whoever he does choose is basically going to be his play thing until he gets tired of her at which point he’ll turn her into a lowly house maid and find a new wife.”
“You really do over think everything don’t you” she teased “just come with me, It’ll be good for you to get out of the house for a while.”
“....Fine, if it will get you off my back then I’ll be right down.”
She slid her legs off the bed and slowly got up stretching out as she walked over to her closet, she picked a simple dress with a cloak that went down to her ankles, She looked over at the full size mirror near her closet; she was a white unicorn with blue eyes of about average height if not slightly above average. The work she did daily, maintaining her house, the temple and the path up the mountain her family was in charge of, kept her in good shape not overly muscular but well toned. She left her room and headed down the steps of her house, the echoing sound of her hooves on the wooden steps reminded her of how empty the house was, and how much she missed her family.
Miranda emerged from the front of her house taking a deep breath of the fresh forest air before walking towards her eager friend.
“Come on! Were gonna miss it if we don’t get going now!”
“All right all right” she replied as she hurried up a bit “don’t get your horn in a twist.”
The two started hurrying down the path into town, Miranda looking over at Tiffany, she was adorned in the fanciest dress and accessories she had in preparation for the event. They talked about the warm summer weather, any news from the capitol they had heard and other goings on to pass the time on the way into town. It was a quaint little village not run down but not bustling either, well not most of the time anyways, today was different, today there was a large crowd gathering near the one large mansion at the end of the street.
The two arrived at the main courtyard in front of the mansion with dozens of others crowding in around them. As Miranda observed the quickly growing crowd she was baffled by how many were there, the ones just crowding in now or watching from balconies looked to be locals, mostly unicorns like her with a few other mammals, avians and reptiles here and there. The ones at the front of the crowd looked to be mostly out-of-towners, they must have come from all over the kingdom just too see who this arrogant punk chooses to be his new plaything.
“Attention, Attention, You’re attention please”
She looked up at the mansions balcony, there was a tall older cream colored unicorn in a black suit addressing the crowd. His name was Herald, he was the keeper of the mansion, which itself was only here to house dignitaries that were passing through to somewhere more important. Her family was in roughly the same line of work as him so she had met him before, he always seemed to take pride in his work but today he seemed.......morose.
“I’m pleased to present the son of Counselor Raphael , his royal Majesties Prime Counselor, Roderick De Masion.” The crowd cheered as the keeper stepped to the side as a shorter, younger looking lion dressed in a grey suit with gold trimmings stepped out onto the balcony.
“Greetings kinds of Hyperious valley he said as he looked down over the crowd, “Some of you may be wondering why I've graced your....quaint village with my presence. As many of you may have suspected I have come to you today to reveal who I shall choose as my wife. And while there are many lovely young women in this world, this village especially, one in my position can only have one wife…..At a time anyways”
Miranda looked around the crowd as they cheered again. “I can’t believe their falling for this” she thought “He basically just said that he’s going to get a new wife after he’s done with this one.”
“I could give any one of you the honor of being wed to me” he said as the cheering to die down “however there is one among you who’s beauty rises above all others. One who’s fur is as pure as the first snow of winter”
“What!? No it couldn’t be.” Miranda thought as she looked at her hand, desperately trying to think of anyone else in the village who's has the same fur color as her.
“One whose body is so perfectly sculpted one would think that it was crafted by a master artisan, but also one who is humble enough to have such beauty but still dress in a commoner’s cloak in her day to day errands.”
Miranda looked down at her favorite cloak “No, it can’t be”
“One whose beauty is only matched by the importance of the duty she and her family have held as a temple caretakers.”
“NO! Please No.”
“The one I will allow to be my wife is Miranda Lummi!”
The crowd went silent. Miranda could hear murmurs among the crowd
“The temple keeper?”
“That little wall flower?”
“I didn’t even know we had a temple.”
“Miranda....Miranda!” Tiffany yelled
“What?” She said being startled back into reality
“What are you waiting for he chose you, go up there!”
She began to walk forward in a daze the crowd around her becoming a blur of random movement and chatter “What am I going to do?” she thought “Why would he pick me? I’m nothing special; I’ve never even met him.”
“HALT!” a loud voice boomed interrupting her train of thought “state your name.” Said one of the two large bulls in front of her, they were both wearing heavy armor and standing guard in front of the mansion door. She was surprised that she had already made it to the door
“Um….My name is Miranda Lummi” she said nervously
“Right this way” he said as he pushed the door open.
She looked backwards and was shocked to see that everyone in the crowd was now staring at her, some with looks of happiness; others with jealousy, Miranda looked forward and proceeded through the doors.
The door slammed behind her as she looked around, the room was large, poorly lit and there was a set of stairs that led up to a room with a light on in it. She took a deep breath and started walking forward, “O.k. it’s no big deal, all I have to do is say that I’m not interested” she thought “No, he might take that the wrong way, I’ll just tell him that I’m too busy taking care of the temple. He’ll understand, it’s my family’s duty, and there are plenty of other girls out there who are better looking than I am.” She finished her thought just as she reached the top of the stairs.
Herald was waiting there for her “Hello Miranda” he greeted her with a weary smile “I'm sorry I couldn't have given you any warning about this, I only found out about his intentions this morning and wasn't able to get a message to you in time”
“It.....it's okay Herald, it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway” She looked towards the door “It'll all work out”
He placed his hand on her shoulder “Still I wish there was more I could do, can I at least take your cloak?”
“Oh, of course” she removed the cloak and held it against her for a brief moment before handing it over
“This, is this the cloak your parents gave you?”
“Yes, it was the last thing they gave to me before.....”
“I see, I'll be sure to keep it safe until you return”
“Thank you Herald”
“Now then, this way please” he said as he pushed the doors open. “Miranda Lummi to see you sir” he stepped to the side as she walked past him.
She winced a little at the rapid change in lighting, as her eyes focused she saw the Counselor’s son standing and grinning at her in the middle of the room.
“Finally my bride to be has arrived” said Roderick as he began to walk forward “now hold still I want to have a good look at you.”
He began walking around her making her feel like she was being hunted, he ran his claws through her tail hair which made her jump a little and let out a quick “eep”
“Cute” he chuckled as he finished walking around her “If that's how you react to a little teasing then I can't wait to give you a proper welcome. Worry not though from this point on your life will be one of decadence, luxury and pleasure.”
“Um Mr. De Masion” she said nervously
“Please my dear, call me Sir Roderick” he said as he walked to the table at the other end of the room
“Big Difference” she thought sarcastically “Sir Roderick, if I may, why did you choose me? There are others out there who are far better looking than I am and you could have any of them.”
“True” he said, fixing himself a drink from the bottles on the table oblivious to how rude the statement he just made was “I could have any one of them as my wife with little to no challenge, and that’s the point”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand”
He took a swig of the drink he had just mixed “About a month ago I came to this village looking for the one who I would make my wife. I had been to many villages before and at every one I saw the same thing, countless women wearing their most expensive clothes and jewelry in an attempt to get my attention. Many of them were beautiful, others not so much, but when I came to this village I saw something I had rarely seen before. Beyond the large crowd of women, just out of the corner of my eye I saw a beautiful woman, dressed in common clothes, who wasn’t swooning over me, who didn't even pause on her way to give me a glance, I saw you. In my life women had always thrown themselves at my feet, and for the first time that I can remember I saw a commoner who didn’t care in the slightest about me. I knew right then and there that I had to make her, you, my wife.”
“So you want me to be your wife…because I didn’t want to be your wife.”
“More or less, now then the first thing we must do is discuss”
“Sir Roderick”
“the wedding it’s scheduled for this time”
“Sir Roderick”
“next year, would you prefer blue flowers or ye”
“Sir Roderick!” She yelled
“Yes my dear?”
“I appreciate the fact that you chose me very much but I’m afraid I have to decline.”
There was a long silence “E…excuse me” he said turning around to look at her with an expression of disbelief “my ears must be failing me because it sounds like you just refused my proposal which I know you couldn’t have done.”
“No Sir Roderick, your ears aren’t failing you, it’s just that I have my duties as a temple keeper. My family has taken care of the temple for generations and I couldn’t imagine leaving it. I wouldn’t make a good wife anyways, I’m not very pretty and like you said you could have any girl out there.”
“But I don’t want them!” he yelled slamming his glass down on the table “I want you!”
She took a deep breath and looked at him “I’m Sorry Sir Roderick but if I don’t want to be your wife you can’t make me.”
“Maybe not” he said with an unsettling calmness in his voice as he turned towards the table “But I have to say your reason is a little flimsy, from what I understand the temple at the base of the mountain is a relic of the past.”
“Wha...what do you mean” She said, rather shocked at his comment, true the temple was old but it was still a recognized holy sight.
“Nothing really, I was just wondering how hard it would be for me to convince the king to turn that old temple into a military outpost.”
“Wh-Why would you do such a thing!”
“It’s just progress” he said smugly as he began to turn around, slowly walking towards her “of course I suppose someone close to me could keep me from saying anything.”
Miranda looked down at the floor clenching her fists “So either I become your wife or you tear down my family's temple.”
“Precisely” he said as he walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders “Now I know this is going to be a big transition and we are going to be spending the next couple of years together so I’ll tell you what. The wedding won’t be for an entire year and I have other appointments I must keep throughout the kingdom, I will be returning to this village in six months, you can use that time to come to your sense and get your affairs in order.” He walked over to the open doors that led to the inner chambers “Until then I will be eagerly awaiting your answer. Herald, show our guest to the door” he closed the doors behind him.
She was speechless she was still trying to figure out what just happened when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked over to see Herald, holding her the cloak “I’m sorry things turned out this way Miranda” he said with sympathy in his words “I'll see if there's anything I can do to convince him to change his mind”
She looked down as she took her cloak, tears beginning to fill her eyes “Th...Thank you”
As soon as the large doors at the front of the house opened and she ran out of them, completely passing the eager group who hadn’t left with the rest of the crowd in the hopes of getting a story from anyone leaving the mansion. Tiffany was part of that group and was confused because she could have sworn that Miranda was crying when she passed her. As she watched her friend run back to the forest she saw a dark cloud begin to roll in
“Well” she said to herself “So much for the summer weather”
…….
Tiffany was on her way to the temple, having just checked Miranda’s house to see if everything was okay. After the way she ran out of the mansion earlier she had been worried, but the house was empty and the only other place she would is the temple. “When I said so much for the summer weather I was right” She thought “It’s been raining steadily for a few hours.”
As she approached the temple she took in the sight, it consisted of three large archways; the first had large buildings on either side of it and led to a path at the foot of the mountain. The second was a similar arch that was attached to a smaller structure on one side, it was at the end of the path that came from the first arch, behind that the path disappeared and the landscape became jagged and sloped. Finally the last arch was on a plateau on the side of the mountain with no structure attached it. She was going to check the building at the second arch but as she walked down the path she could just barely see a small figure sitting on top of the last arch.
“That must be her” She thought as she walked past the second arch the climb wasn’t much of a problem for her because her and Miranda had played on the mountain since they were children. When she reached the final gate and climbed up the tree next to it that they always used to get on top of it she saw that Miranda was just sitting there with her knees pulled up to her chest, starring at the mountain. “Miranda, Miranda are you alright? You just ran off without saying anything, what happened?”
“I turned down his offer” Miranda said in calmly continuing to look at the mountain. “Then he told me that if I didn’t marry him he would tear down the temple.”
“What!? He really said that? Maybe you misunderstood him.”
“He was very clear” She replied flatly
“That's..........he....he cant do that! Even if he is the son of the Prime Counselor he cant just destroy a religious site because he didn't get his way!”
“The temple rarely gets visitors anymore, it wouldn't be a stretch to say a military base would be more useful here”
“Dammit!” Tiffany shouted “Thats so.........and to think I wanted to marry that little shit, So what are we going to do?”
“...........Do you know why this temple is here?”
“It’s here so people can ask for the gods favor before they begin their climb isn’t it.”
“That’s right” Miranda said “and do you know why people want to climb this mountain?”
“Um…for fame and glory?”
“Partially. Mostly it’s because at the top of this mountain is a Dragons lair.”
“A Dragon!” Tiffany shouted “There’s a dragon living on this mountain!?”
“Yes, or at least there used to be. No one’s heard or seen anything from it in over a hundred years”
“That’s a relief, but what does that have to do with anything”
“There’s an old law, if anyone brings the head of a dragon to the king they may have one request within reason”
“And you’re going to ask for the deed to this land” Tiffany said excitedly
“Exactly”
“But wait, I thought you said the dragon was gone”
“I didn’t say it was gone I said no one had seen it, it’s likely that it died long ago. All I have to do is climb up to its lair and cut its head of the corpse. Even if its body was moved dragons are known for having large hordes of treasure, if I can find enough of it to sell I can just buy this land instead.”
“Even if its body is still up there this is mount Hyperious, no one has ever made it all the way to the top and returned”
“If anyone can do it it’s me” Miranda said with confidence as she stood up “Most who have tried it are covered in nearly full plate armor and have never climbed anything other than a flight of stairs. I’ve spent my whole life climbing up and down this mountain, if I pack light I should be able to do it.”
“And you're sure there's no other way?”
“Nothing I can think of, and any fate I'd meet up there is preferable to spending my life with Roderick”
“Well I suppose I better go pack, when are we leaving?”
“We aren't. Just me. I have to do this alone”
“Miranda, I can't let you climb an un-climbable mountain by yourself, its practically suicide!”
“I appreciate it Tiffany but we both know I'm the better climber, you've never even made it pass this gate. And if anything were to happen to you while I'm trying to save my own skin I'd never forgive myself”
Tiffany looked up the mountain, taking in how intimidating it was for a moment “I know I'd only slow you down, but there's gotta be something I can do, this isn't something you should have to do alone!”
Miranda wrapped Tiffany in a hug before pulling back and looking her kindly “You can make sure the temple and my house don't fall down while I'm gone. I promise I'll be back with a way to save this place.”
Tears welled up in Tiffany's eyes, mixing with the rain already streaming down her muzzle before pulling Miranda back into a hug “You better!” she stammered out between sniffles “Or I'll kick your ass you understand!?”
“I promise” Miranda said, trying to comfort her friend “I'll be back with what I need” She though “Or not at all”
The next few days seemed to pass like flashes, she prepared for the trip, begun the climb, got to the Manor, walked in, fell, and then darkness. “A dream” she though “More like a memory, I guess your life really does flash before your eyes just as you die. Sorry I couldn't keep my promise Tiff, I wonder what the afterlife is like.” She felt warmth all around her “Well at least it’s warm.....and soft?” she could begin to feel her body again and opened her eyes slightly “Am…Am I still alive?” she said as she sat up causing the thick sheet that was covering her to fall off. She looked down at her body; it was covered in bandages “I am still alive” she said in surprise as she began to look around. She was in a small bedroom with walls that looked like they were carved from stone and a large wood door to her left “but where am I.”
Miranda slowly opened her eyes propping herself up on one arm. She looked around trying to figure out where the familiar voice was coming from.
“Miranda I hope you’re not still sleeping”The voice called again, coming from the window next to her bed.
She poked her head out the window “Well not any more” she said rubbing her eye as she looked down and saw another unicorn, slightly shorter then her with brown patches covering her right eye and several other spots of her otherwise white fur, her friend Tiffany, standing on the ground with an impatient look on her face.
“You do remember what today is don’t you?” asked Tiffany, putting her hands on her hips
“No, What?”
“I can’t believe you forgot that the Counselor’s son will be announcing who his bride is today” she said in a huff
Miranda rolled her eyes “You know I don’t care about what that spoiled brat does.” She replied with a disinterested tone.
“How can you not Care!” she shouted “he’s the son of the king’s Prime Counselor.”
“And your point is?” She asked getting slightly annoyed at her friend’s fanaticism
“My point is that whoever he chooses will get to live like a queen!”
Miranda Sighed heavily feeling kind of bad for her friend and how naive she is “You do know that whoever he does choose is basically going to be his play thing until he gets tired of her at which point he’ll turn her into a lowly house maid and find a new wife.”
“You really do over think everything don’t you” she teased “just come with me, It’ll be good for you to get out of the house for a while.”
“....Fine, if it will get you off my back then I’ll be right down.”
She slid her legs off the bed and slowly got up stretching out as she walked over to her closet, she picked a simple dress with a cloak that went down to her ankles, She looked over at the full size mirror near her closet; she was a white unicorn with blue eyes of about average height if not slightly above average. The work she did daily, maintaining her house, the temple and the path up the mountain her family was in charge of, kept her in good shape not overly muscular but well toned. She left her room and headed down the steps of her house, the echoing sound of her hooves on the wooden steps reminded her of how empty the house was, and how much she missed her family.
Miranda emerged from the front of her house taking a deep breath of the fresh forest air before walking towards her eager friend.
“Come on! Were gonna miss it if we don’t get going now!”
“All right all right” she replied as she hurried up a bit “don’t get your horn in a twist.”
The two started hurrying down the path into town, Miranda looking over at Tiffany, she was adorned in the fanciest dress and accessories she had in preparation for the event. They talked about the warm summer weather, any news from the capitol they had heard and other goings on to pass the time on the way into town. It was a quaint little village not run down but not bustling either, well not most of the time anyways, today was different, today there was a large crowd gathering near the one large mansion at the end of the street.
The two arrived at the main courtyard in front of the mansion with dozens of others crowding in around them. As Miranda observed the quickly growing crowd she was baffled by how many were there, the ones just crowding in now or watching from balconies looked to be locals, mostly unicorns like her with a few other mammals, avians and reptiles here and there. The ones at the front of the crowd looked to be mostly out-of-towners, they must have come from all over the kingdom just too see who this arrogant punk chooses to be his new plaything.
“Attention, Attention, You’re attention please”
She looked up at the mansions balcony, there was a tall older cream colored unicorn in a black suit addressing the crowd. His name was Herald, he was the keeper of the mansion, which itself was only here to house dignitaries that were passing through to somewhere more important. Her family was in roughly the same line of work as him so she had met him before, he always seemed to take pride in his work but today he seemed.......morose.
“I’m pleased to present the son of Counselor Raphael , his royal Majesties Prime Counselor, Roderick De Masion.” The crowd cheered as the keeper stepped to the side as a shorter, younger looking lion dressed in a grey suit with gold trimmings stepped out onto the balcony.
“Greetings kinds of Hyperious valley he said as he looked down over the crowd, “Some of you may be wondering why I've graced your....quaint village with my presence. As many of you may have suspected I have come to you today to reveal who I shall choose as my wife. And while there are many lovely young women in this world, this village especially, one in my position can only have one wife…..At a time anyways”
Miranda looked around the crowd as they cheered again. “I can’t believe their falling for this” she thought “He basically just said that he’s going to get a new wife after he’s done with this one.”
“I could give any one of you the honor of being wed to me” he said as the cheering to die down “however there is one among you who’s beauty rises above all others. One who’s fur is as pure as the first snow of winter”
“What!? No it couldn’t be.” Miranda thought as she looked at her hand, desperately trying to think of anyone else in the village who's has the same fur color as her.
“One whose body is so perfectly sculpted one would think that it was crafted by a master artisan, but also one who is humble enough to have such beauty but still dress in a commoner’s cloak in her day to day errands.”
Miranda looked down at her favorite cloak “No, it can’t be”
“One whose beauty is only matched by the importance of the duty she and her family have held as a temple caretakers.”
“NO! Please No.”
“The one I will allow to be my wife is Miranda Lummi!”
The crowd went silent. Miranda could hear murmurs among the crowd
“The temple keeper?”
“That little wall flower?”
“I didn’t even know we had a temple.”
“Miranda....Miranda!” Tiffany yelled
“What?” She said being startled back into reality
“What are you waiting for he chose you, go up there!”
She began to walk forward in a daze the crowd around her becoming a blur of random movement and chatter “What am I going to do?” she thought “Why would he pick me? I’m nothing special; I’ve never even met him.”
“HALT!” a loud voice boomed interrupting her train of thought “state your name.” Said one of the two large bulls in front of her, they were both wearing heavy armor and standing guard in front of the mansion door. She was surprised that she had already made it to the door
“Um….My name is Miranda Lummi” she said nervously
“Right this way” he said as he pushed the door open.
She looked backwards and was shocked to see that everyone in the crowd was now staring at her, some with looks of happiness; others with jealousy, Miranda looked forward and proceeded through the doors.
The door slammed behind her as she looked around, the room was large, poorly lit and there was a set of stairs that led up to a room with a light on in it. She took a deep breath and started walking forward, “O.k. it’s no big deal, all I have to do is say that I’m not interested” she thought “No, he might take that the wrong way, I’ll just tell him that I’m too busy taking care of the temple. He’ll understand, it’s my family’s duty, and there are plenty of other girls out there who are better looking than I am.” She finished her thought just as she reached the top of the stairs.
Herald was waiting there for her “Hello Miranda” he greeted her with a weary smile “I'm sorry I couldn't have given you any warning about this, I only found out about his intentions this morning and wasn't able to get a message to you in time”
“It.....it's okay Herald, it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway” She looked towards the door “It'll all work out”
He placed his hand on her shoulder “Still I wish there was more I could do, can I at least take your cloak?”
“Oh, of course” she removed the cloak and held it against her for a brief moment before handing it over
“This, is this the cloak your parents gave you?”
“Yes, it was the last thing they gave to me before.....”
“I see, I'll be sure to keep it safe until you return”
“Thank you Herald”
“Now then, this way please” he said as he pushed the doors open. “Miranda Lummi to see you sir” he stepped to the side as she walked past him.
She winced a little at the rapid change in lighting, as her eyes focused she saw the Counselor’s son standing and grinning at her in the middle of the room.
“Finally my bride to be has arrived” said Roderick as he began to walk forward “now hold still I want to have a good look at you.”
He began walking around her making her feel like she was being hunted, he ran his claws through her tail hair which made her jump a little and let out a quick “eep”
“Cute” he chuckled as he finished walking around her “If that's how you react to a little teasing then I can't wait to give you a proper welcome. Worry not though from this point on your life will be one of decadence, luxury and pleasure.”
“Um Mr. De Masion” she said nervously
“Please my dear, call me Sir Roderick” he said as he walked to the table at the other end of the room
“Big Difference” she thought sarcastically “Sir Roderick, if I may, why did you choose me? There are others out there who are far better looking than I am and you could have any of them.”
“True” he said, fixing himself a drink from the bottles on the table oblivious to how rude the statement he just made was “I could have any one of them as my wife with little to no challenge, and that’s the point”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand”
He took a swig of the drink he had just mixed “About a month ago I came to this village looking for the one who I would make my wife. I had been to many villages before and at every one I saw the same thing, countless women wearing their most expensive clothes and jewelry in an attempt to get my attention. Many of them were beautiful, others not so much, but when I came to this village I saw something I had rarely seen before. Beyond the large crowd of women, just out of the corner of my eye I saw a beautiful woman, dressed in common clothes, who wasn’t swooning over me, who didn't even pause on her way to give me a glance, I saw you. In my life women had always thrown themselves at my feet, and for the first time that I can remember I saw a commoner who didn’t care in the slightest about me. I knew right then and there that I had to make her, you, my wife.”
“So you want me to be your wife…because I didn’t want to be your wife.”
“More or less, now then the first thing we must do is discuss”
“Sir Roderick”
“the wedding it’s scheduled for this time”
“Sir Roderick”
“next year, would you prefer blue flowers or ye”
“Sir Roderick!” She yelled
“Yes my dear?”
“I appreciate the fact that you chose me very much but I’m afraid I have to decline.”
There was a long silence “E…excuse me” he said turning around to look at her with an expression of disbelief “my ears must be failing me because it sounds like you just refused my proposal which I know you couldn’t have done.”
“No Sir Roderick, your ears aren’t failing you, it’s just that I have my duties as a temple keeper. My family has taken care of the temple for generations and I couldn’t imagine leaving it. I wouldn’t make a good wife anyways, I’m not very pretty and like you said you could have any girl out there.”
“But I don’t want them!” he yelled slamming his glass down on the table “I want you!”
She took a deep breath and looked at him “I’m Sorry Sir Roderick but if I don’t want to be your wife you can’t make me.”
“Maybe not” he said with an unsettling calmness in his voice as he turned towards the table “But I have to say your reason is a little flimsy, from what I understand the temple at the base of the mountain is a relic of the past.”
“Wha...what do you mean” She said, rather shocked at his comment, true the temple was old but it was still a recognized holy sight.
“Nothing really, I was just wondering how hard it would be for me to convince the king to turn that old temple into a military outpost.”
“Wh-Why would you do such a thing!”
“It’s just progress” he said smugly as he began to turn around, slowly walking towards her “of course I suppose someone close to me could keep me from saying anything.”
Miranda looked down at the floor clenching her fists “So either I become your wife or you tear down my family's temple.”
“Precisely” he said as he walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders “Now I know this is going to be a big transition and we are going to be spending the next couple of years together so I’ll tell you what. The wedding won’t be for an entire year and I have other appointments I must keep throughout the kingdom, I will be returning to this village in six months, you can use that time to come to your sense and get your affairs in order.” He walked over to the open doors that led to the inner chambers “Until then I will be eagerly awaiting your answer. Herald, show our guest to the door” he closed the doors behind him.
She was speechless she was still trying to figure out what just happened when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked over to see Herald, holding her the cloak “I’m sorry things turned out this way Miranda” he said with sympathy in his words “I'll see if there's anything I can do to convince him to change his mind”
She looked down as she took her cloak, tears beginning to fill her eyes “Th...Thank you”
As soon as the large doors at the front of the house opened and she ran out of them, completely passing the eager group who hadn’t left with the rest of the crowd in the hopes of getting a story from anyone leaving the mansion. Tiffany was part of that group and was confused because she could have sworn that Miranda was crying when she passed her. As she watched her friend run back to the forest she saw a dark cloud begin to roll in
“Well” she said to herself “So much for the summer weather”
…….
Tiffany was on her way to the temple, having just checked Miranda’s house to see if everything was okay. After the way she ran out of the mansion earlier she had been worried, but the house was empty and the only other place she would is the temple. “When I said so much for the summer weather I was right” She thought “It’s been raining steadily for a few hours.”
As she approached the temple she took in the sight, it consisted of three large archways; the first had large buildings on either side of it and led to a path at the foot of the mountain. The second was a similar arch that was attached to a smaller structure on one side, it was at the end of the path that came from the first arch, behind that the path disappeared and the landscape became jagged and sloped. Finally the last arch was on a plateau on the side of the mountain with no structure attached it. She was going to check the building at the second arch but as she walked down the path she could just barely see a small figure sitting on top of the last arch.
“That must be her” She thought as she walked past the second arch the climb wasn’t much of a problem for her because her and Miranda had played on the mountain since they were children. When she reached the final gate and climbed up the tree next to it that they always used to get on top of it she saw that Miranda was just sitting there with her knees pulled up to her chest, starring at the mountain. “Miranda, Miranda are you alright? You just ran off without saying anything, what happened?”
“I turned down his offer” Miranda said in calmly continuing to look at the mountain. “Then he told me that if I didn’t marry him he would tear down the temple.”
“What!? He really said that? Maybe you misunderstood him.”
“He was very clear” She replied flatly
“That's..........he....he cant do that! Even if he is the son of the Prime Counselor he cant just destroy a religious site because he didn't get his way!”
“The temple rarely gets visitors anymore, it wouldn't be a stretch to say a military base would be more useful here”
“Dammit!” Tiffany shouted “Thats so.........and to think I wanted to marry that little shit, So what are we going to do?”
“...........Do you know why this temple is here?”
“It’s here so people can ask for the gods favor before they begin their climb isn’t it.”
“That’s right” Miranda said “and do you know why people want to climb this mountain?”
“Um…for fame and glory?”
“Partially. Mostly it’s because at the top of this mountain is a Dragons lair.”
“A Dragon!” Tiffany shouted “There’s a dragon living on this mountain!?”
“Yes, or at least there used to be. No one’s heard or seen anything from it in over a hundred years”
“That’s a relief, but what does that have to do with anything”
“There’s an old law, if anyone brings the head of a dragon to the king they may have one request within reason”
“And you’re going to ask for the deed to this land” Tiffany said excitedly
“Exactly”
“But wait, I thought you said the dragon was gone”
“I didn’t say it was gone I said no one had seen it, it’s likely that it died long ago. All I have to do is climb up to its lair and cut its head of the corpse. Even if its body was moved dragons are known for having large hordes of treasure, if I can find enough of it to sell I can just buy this land instead.”
“Even if its body is still up there this is mount Hyperious, no one has ever made it all the way to the top and returned”
“If anyone can do it it’s me” Miranda said with confidence as she stood up “Most who have tried it are covered in nearly full plate armor and have never climbed anything other than a flight of stairs. I’ve spent my whole life climbing up and down this mountain, if I pack light I should be able to do it.”
“And you're sure there's no other way?”
“Nothing I can think of, and any fate I'd meet up there is preferable to spending my life with Roderick”
“Well I suppose I better go pack, when are we leaving?”
“We aren't. Just me. I have to do this alone”
“Miranda, I can't let you climb an un-climbable mountain by yourself, its practically suicide!”
“I appreciate it Tiffany but we both know I'm the better climber, you've never even made it pass this gate. And if anything were to happen to you while I'm trying to save my own skin I'd never forgive myself”
Tiffany looked up the mountain, taking in how intimidating it was for a moment “I know I'd only slow you down, but there's gotta be something I can do, this isn't something you should have to do alone!”
Miranda wrapped Tiffany in a hug before pulling back and looking her kindly “You can make sure the temple and my house don't fall down while I'm gone. I promise I'll be back with a way to save this place.”
Tears welled up in Tiffany's eyes, mixing with the rain already streaming down her muzzle before pulling Miranda back into a hug “You better!” she stammered out between sniffles “Or I'll kick your ass you understand!?”
“I promise” Miranda said, trying to comfort her friend “I'll be back with what I need” She though “Or not at all”
The next few days seemed to pass like flashes, she prepared for the trip, begun the climb, got to the Manor, walked in, fell, and then darkness. “A dream” she though “More like a memory, I guess your life really does flash before your eyes just as you die. Sorry I couldn't keep my promise Tiff, I wonder what the afterlife is like.” She felt warmth all around her “Well at least it’s warm.....and soft?” she could begin to feel her body again and opened her eyes slightly “Am…Am I still alive?” she said as she sat up causing the thick sheet that was covering her to fall off. She looked down at her body; it was covered in bandages “I am still alive” she said in surprise as she began to look around. She was in a small bedroom with walls that looked like they were carved from stone and a large wood door to her left “but where am I.”
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unicorn
Size 96 x 120px
File Size 53 kB
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