1 The Beginning (ch1; part 1)

Strange things, strange dreams, and strange times! All culminating into an existence called life. Nobody has the same experiences. Nobody can say that they truly have been there and done that. Especially when magic and unbelievable creatures are concerned. Trolls, fairies, werewolves, vampires, or witches, amongst other things. These things don't exist in my world! So why then do I find myself in these predicaments. Life here in Garulf is unpredictable. Never in my life would I believe I would be part of a story with everything I thought fantasy or movie material. But here I am!

Okay, it is time to think. What is my name? What is my name? The fog in my brain had shadowed every thought. Getting my brain in gear was actually painful to a point. Lifting my arm to put it to my head felt like lifting a lead weight. My name is, wait, what is my name? That's right, my name is Joy Phoenix. Okay, step one, question one answered. What is step two? Where am I? Joy opened up her eyes to assess and look around the room. This room is not my own! Joy's heart started racing. Nothing looked familiar! Okay, Joy, let's take a moment and breathe (deep inhale in). Oh my gosh! Breathing hurts! I feel like I have a brain freeze! Calm thoughts, Joy, calm thoughts. Joy tried breathing through her nose. The room smelled strongly of lavender. Everything, including the bedding she was laying in, smelled strongly of it. My sense of smell must be getting better because I am about to change. Joy tried to sit up in the bed. But it took a couple of tries. When she made it into a sitting position, she was amazed!

The first thing she noticed was the bed she was in. It was huge! It had a gorgeous handmade blanket with big red bunches of embroidered roses on it. There was a night stand on either side of the bed. It was polished to perfection in cherry wood. Next to that was a huge wardrobe closet. Then there was a set of sliding glass doors that she could only assume led out onto a balcony. The room in itself was big. It was tall enough that a ten-foot-tall man would have no issue walking straight and still have to reach to touch the ceiling.

Joy's thought went back to, "Why did they put me into a new room?" Maybe it has some­thing to do with all the construction they had been doing for the girls and my apartment. The walls were different too. I was in a rounded room, and the walls looked like they were made of brick.

When Joy started trying to get up, a voice came out of virtually nowhere! It was a woman's smooth and sickly-sweet voice. "Sweet pretty princesses should stay in their bed, that is while you can at least. This will be your last chance to get to sleep on your own you know." As the woman was talking, Joy was looking around the room. When she finally found the woman, it was like she had materialized out of nowhere! It was a beautiful woman sitting in a rocking chair. The rocking chair was facing the bed on the right-hand side. The woman looked very young. Maybe in her thirties?! She had white, smooth hair that flowed down her back like cascading water. She had a beautiful face with almond eyes and cream-colored skin. She was skinny but not skin and bone. She had long nails that stretched about two inches past her fingers. She was filing them into sharp points and painting them a pretty wet-looking red. Her eyes were the hardest part to concentrate on, being that they looked like blacked out shiny orbs.

Joy breathed out, "Who are you?"

The woman let out a breath of discuss before answering, "I am your new mother-in-law, or am about to be." The woman shook her head, letting out a slight giggle.

Joy smiled sweetly before answering. "Sorry, but that does not tell me who you are. I have met many people since being in Garulf. I am afraid somehow maybe I have missed meeting you, or maybe this fog in my brain today has caused me to forget."

The woman started to look agitated. She stood up, smiling. "I am the King's step-mother. Your soon-to-be husband's mother. Now your soon-to-be mother-in-law. My name is Celestreea (Cell-es-tree-a), dear. I will be your confidant, Guardian, and best friend, until your marriage of course. Then your new husband will be everything for you."

Trying to keep her calm, Joy tried to keep eye contact and not lose her composure. "That is nice to know. Really! But whom do you think, or who am I supposed to be marrying, ma'am?"

Celestreea walked to the end of the bed and leaned against the bed post acting board. "Why, my cub, Prince Albert of course" She breathed out dejectedly. "Sorry about his name, my dear, but his father insisted on it. Old family ties and all. What can you do when you are married to royalty?"

All Joy could do was shake her head. "My head hurts so bad! You could not have said what I think you said! If you did, the answer is no!"

Celestreea perked up like a cat with a new toy. "Sorry dear?"

Joy made sure to look her in the eyes, not wavering in the slightest. "If Albert is your cub, you need to know a few things. Like this cub of yours has not only kidnapped me before but has physically hurt me. He sent the palace Zeta on Prince Abel and myself, and he constantly does not listen to me. Do you really think that a man that acts like that deserves my attention?"

Celestreea twirled and went back to her rocking chair. She completely ignored my appraisal of Albert. She started filing her nails again and acting as giddy as a school girl. "Oh, my dear! We are going to have so much fun. I have already been sending out the invitations. It will be so much fun torturing, oh, sorry, excuse me, inflicting family bonds on you. How could you possibly resist?"

In shock all Joy could do was stare. "I am sorry, but did you hear anything I said?"

Celestreea stood up and started pacing at the end of my bed. "Oh, so you cannot take a hint. Let me put it bluntly. I am not very patient. I do not have what most would call a filter. So I take my aggression out on whatever or whoever is annoying me. Right now, that would be you. I was giving you a warning. I do not do that." She walked towards the door. "For your information, yes! I know I do not have to tell you! Albert has already told me everything. He did not mean to break your arm or have the Zeta chase you. But I praised him for fine work anyway. You would have never been allowed to consider him for your hus­band, let alone to be the King. He had to go to great extremes to get time alone with you. It was not that way when I was in the palace. So I have been helping him. I bet you did not even know that he was following you around since the day you came here. He knows practically every word you have ever said. He thinks you are highly honorable, courageous, kind, and loving. You, on the other hand, would not even give him the time of day! I don't like that!" For a second, her eyes looked like they had fire burning inside of them when she looked at me. "But you are here now, with all the time in the world. No more of their silly rules about your courting. I know he wants to honor you and your contract, and that means no howling at the moon under your sheets." She started laughing loudly. "We shall see how long that lasts here. But anyway I hope I have made myself very clear!"

Joy sat there with her mouth a gape. When Celestreea froze and looked at her for some kind of reply, Joy spit out, "Scary lady says do not talk smack about her son. So I won't! I have no wish to have a fight with you. I do think maybe you have not heard the entire story though." Celestreea turned around slowly, cocking her head to the side, looking at Joy like a bird of prey does its next meal. Joy wanted to crawl back under the blankets and pretend like she never existed.

In a very deep and scary, calm voice Celestreea gave warning. "Oh dear, maybe I should have warned you! I am a witch." She pointed her index finger at Joy. "Witches are always right!"

Joy heard thunder as Celestreea shot electricity at her! Joy was barely able to dodge, falling off the bed, taking most of the bedding with her. While feathers and smoke filled the room, Joy yelled out, "Hey, crazy lady, you almost hit me!"

Celestreea had begun to walk towards the door. She was back to being perky, and her voice was smooth and sweet as she spoke again. "If I had been aiming, you would be dead, pretty little Princess. I will pretend this did not happen. I will leave for now. When I come back, we will become such good friends. I must inform Albert you are awake. He has been so worried!"

When Celestreea opened the door, a man ran into the room. He was a very good-looking man. The best description of him would be well dressed emo. He was wearing a business suit and tie and looked very professional. Then there was the gauge piercing in his ears, barbells in the corner of each eyebrow, and small septum nose piercing. He was maybe five-foot ten inches tall. He was skinny, but you could see he was muscular. He had hair that came down to his ears but neatly cut. It was a beautiful black to the point of having a natural neon purple highlight. His eyes were a catching green with red irises. He had eyes only for Joy.

Celestreea called to him, "Albert, you should have waited." She giggled, shaking her head a little. "Awe, young love!" She turned to the side, making gagging noises, sticking a finger in her mouth.

Albert pushed past Celestreea and ran straight to Joy. Joy always had a thing about eyes, and his eyes caught her and would not let go. When he got to Joy, he reached out a hand to help her up. Joy could not help but notice that his fingers seemed really long, but his grip was gentle.

Albert quickly spoke worriedly, out of breath, while helping Joy to her feet. "Mother! I heard the thunder." Then in a gentler voice full of concern, looking at Joy, "Are you all right, my love?"

Celestreea looked on in disgust. She very sarcastically said, "What? She is still alive. A little on the crispy side of the sheets." She giggled faintly. Waving her hand at the bed, magically repairing the damage. Albert angrily turned and stepped towards Celestreea.

He talked in a very commanding voice, "Mother! She is my future Queen. Show a little re­spect! I do not care if you do not like her. You will learn to be around her." He turned to Joy with great sympathy in his eyes. "Princess, I am so sorry! Are you all right?"

Celestreea nervously smiled and took a couple of steps towards them. "She is fine, dear. Let the poor feeble thing get up on her own. We had a little misunderstanding." She looked daggers at Joy, so as to say agree with me. "Right, my dear?"