wandering story (a story anyone can participate in!)

Everyone can participate in this story!
This is a "wandering" story where the writing goes from forum member to forum member. You can write whatever you want, but please keep it serious.

Rules:
* You can move inside these genres: fantasy, science fiction, drama, action, romance, fairytale.

* Please write more than a few sentences. You can write as much as you want but writing two or three sentences is not participating in a story.

* Please keep this serious. Don't write something ridiculous just to piss off the story's readers and writers. Don't troll.

* This story is not fanfiction of any kind.

* Be free to bring in new characters into the story but don't forget about the old ones.

Here it starts:

The night fell over Nimorina Valley as 16 year old Alya went through the dark Forest of Sly on her way home. Her half-length raven hair was blowing hardly against her pointy ears as she was fighting against the storm, on her way out of the forest. Alya didn't know this night was going to be stormy. The cold wind was beating harshly against her forest green cloak and sometimes Alya felt like she was being dragged backwards by the storm. What will father say when I come home? , Alya worried. I am late and my clothes are full of leaves. I am sure father will be angry!!!. Alya was angry in herself. Why did she always have to break the rules and norms? Why did always have to do things her own way? Why did she always have to follow her heart?



"Where have you been girl?", a tall elven man shouted by the entrance door to his manor. His long pale blonde hair was blowing behind him and he looked both tired and pissed off at the same time. Alya hurried inside the huge, carved stone door and thought about what her father's reaction would be. She was about to walk straight across the candle-lit corridor and into the kitchen to get a glass of water, but her father stoppen her by the open door to the ball room. "GET IN! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU, GIRL!", her father shouted angrily. The ball room was Alya's least favourite room. She hated this room so deeply. Everytime there was a ball she tried to make up an excuse not to attend. Alya hated being introduced in every ball as the daughter of Vidar, the elven lord from Calycca, Nimorina Valley. She hated acting formally. She just wanted to be known as her true self. She did love her father but she often thought her father was way too strict and close minded. Why couldn't her father relax more and act more like himself? Why couldn't he act like the loving, fun dad he was when she was a chld?
The ball room was the biggest room in the manor. It was actually a very nice room full of exclusive paintings made by the greatest artists of the elven world. The huge room had four big windows with dark blue satin curtains. The reason why Alya didn't like this room was because of all the endless bad memories from balls being held. Alya often had to dance the Dance of the Valley or sing old elvish songs for all of the guests. One time she even had to dance with the bastard Migeto from Zaanak.
"Alya, sit down", her father said more quietly, but in an irritated tone. Alya sat down on a blue satin sofa which was matching the curtains of the same colour. Her father did not sit down. It was typical of Vidar to stand when he wanted to express his authority. With his broad shoulders and navy blue robe he looked exactly like the man he was: the strict, serious ruler of the small Calycca region. His glance and his long hair showed authority. So did his face, even if it was still young looking.
"Alya, what did you do in the forest?", her father asked sharply, his pitching blue eyes looking right into Alya's brown eyes.
"I.....I-i", Alya started nervously without ending her sentence. If only her father could calm down a bit......
"Have you been out practising your stupid archery again?", her father asked with crossed arms and a shouting glance. Alya took a deep breath before answering. "I like archery!", she said trying to defend herself. "YOU do archery! Why don't you owe me to do the same thing?".
Vidar looked a bit uneasy, like it was hard for him to answer. He finally opened his mouth and pointed a correcting finger at his daughter:"I am a man. Are you one?". Alya thought it was the most illogical answer ever but she could see what her father was thinking. Rich elven girls should not do archery. It was the task of their knight in shining armor. Alya really envied the normal girls who had done archery for generations now. Among them it was considered totally normal.
"I have seen many girls practising archery, haven't you Dad?", Alya asked trying to get her father come to his senses.
"I have only seen average, normal girls do it, and I don't want to be confused with poor people", Vidar said calmly.
"But Callisto the archery champion from town has got rich parents!", Alya complained. "Her parents own the sweets factory for Simis' sake".
"Yes, her parents own the sweets factory, but they are not the rulers of Calycca, are they? They don't have to show a certain style to the people, do they?", her father said desperately trying to get his daughter to get the point.
"I don't see any reason why I can't do archery", Alya said and stood up from the sofa, facing her father. "And what do you have against normal people, Dad? There are no poor people here in Nimorina Valley. You even helped with eradicating the poverty!".
"I have nothing against them. I am just trying to tell you that we are not anyone, Alya. We are from an ancient family. But you act like you are just another girl! You need to show some dignity!", her father said strictly, even though it looked like he felt for his daughter deep down.
"I don't want to be ridiculed!", her father said sounding very secure. "Go to bed now! And please wear some finer clothes tomorrow".

Alya went out of the room angrily without even saying goodnight to her father. She headed up to her bedroom. Why did she have to be rich? Why her?

I really like this idea. It'll fun to see where the story goes.

The warm glow of the yellow sun snuck in through the partially open curtain of Alya’s bedroom. The light reached out across the rich wooden floor before climbing the intricately woven silk sheets and finally landing gently on Alya’s cheek.

The groggy princess did her best to hang on to her dreams as long as possible, even as the warm light pulled her into the waking world. Her late night in forest and her father’s lecture made her unwilling to face the new day.

The hinges of her bedroom door groaned as the door was opened, Alya braced herself for what was coming. With a sudden whoosh of rushing air the curtains were flown wide open, allowing the full force of the morning light to fill the room.

“Nessiel!” the eleven princess complained as she pulled the sheets over her head in a vain attempt to block the light.

Nessiel had been Alya’s maidservant for as long as Alya could remember but it wasn’t until Alya’s mother Gaduriel died seven years ago that the two had become very close. Since then Nessiel became a mother figure to Alya, helping her through the darkest times of her life as her father pulled away becoming more engrossed in the business of ruling the kingdom.

“I’m sorry to disturb you so early mistress. I know you don’t like to rise before the red sun,” to anyone else Nessiel’s tone would’ve sounded perfectly cordial but Alya could hear the hint of sarcasm as she spoke, “but your father has requested your presence this morning.”

The mention of Vidar only caused Alya to wrap herself even tighter in her sheets. After last night she wouldn’t care if a full cycle of the moons past before she saw him again.

The hinges groaned as the door clicked shut. Shortly after Alya felt the bed give way as Nessiel sat near her.

“I heard about last night," Nessiel's voice was soft as she spoke, "You know your father only wants what is best for you?”

Alya pulled the sheets off her head and glared at the maidservant's green eyes.

“I know. But cut him some slack, he is under a lot of pressure.”

Alya maintained her glare.

“Besides I have it on good authority that while you might not enjoy the company you will enjoy the subject of the meeting.”

Alya’s glare broke. The aging maidservant always seemed to know how to peek Alya’s curiosity.

A meeting, Alya thought and wondered what kind of meeting it was. She had imagined that her father had requested her presence because he would shout at her for being so impolite last night. Her father had never called her into a meeting in the early mornings, not as far as she could remember.
Alya looked at Nessiel. She was so beautiful, Alya thought. Nessiel looked a lot like Alya's mother, with her olive skin and dark hair. Nessiel was from the same kingdom as her own mother, Gaduriel. The kingdom of Zorinor was a desert elven kingdom far away from the cold, green Nimorina Valley. Alya had never been to Zorinor but she really wanted to go there one day. Zorinor was a lot bigger than her father's kingdom, Calycca. Calycca was just a small part of Nimorina Vally.

"What are you daydreaming about, Alya?", Nessiel asked in a calm voice. She smiled lightly, looking at Alya with warm green eyes. Alya hesitated for a moment before she said: "I wonder what it is like in Zorinor".
Nessiel took a deep breath and tried her best to answer. Alya could see that Nessiel found it difficult. "Alya my girl, you will get to visit Zorinor one day. Your father has promised that. But you have to go to the meeting now".
Alya saw that Nessiel tried to distract her from thinking about Zorinor. Nessiel opened Alya's closet and tried to find a nice gown. Nessiel had sewn and designed most of Alya's gowns and Alya loved most of them. But some few of them were very ridiculous, she thought.
"Put on this one", Nessiel said and showed her the dark purple silk gown with silver embroideries. This gown was one of Alya's favourites. Alya smiled as Nessiel reached her the gown. "I chose this one because I knew you loved it!", Nessiel smirked.


Alya walked down the huge, luxurious stairs looking better than she usually did in the early mornings. She saw her father stand in the great hall beneath the stairs together with two elves she had never seen before. "Ah, this is my daughter Alya coming there!", Vidar said cheerfully to the two other elves. The two elves were an older, prosperous man with curly gray hair and light blue robe and a tall, slim woman with brown hair in a beehive and a very marked nosetip. The woman looked like she was around Vidar's age and she wore a black velvet dress and a matching cloak. "Alya, this is Rundel", Vidar said and introduced the old man to her. Rundel put on a sharp smile and said: "Nice to meet you Alya".
"And this is Delona", Vidar said as he introduced the tall lady in black clothes. Delona reached out a tall arm to Alya. Alya could see her long nails which looked a bit like claws. Delona smirked.

Vidar led them to a round table in a small circular room at the edge of the manor. "Please sit down", he said. They all sat down by the round table. The table was extremely old. Vidar had told Alya that it was something his great-great grandfather had got from a place far away. The table was made of stone and some sign she could not read were carved in.

Alya waited for the people to say anything to her. They were just talking about everything else. Alya didn't know why she were there. Why did they need her in the room with them? Alya was bored when Delona talked about her daughter's new gown. Why did rich people talk about such meaningless things?
"So Alya, are you a bit bored?", Delona asked smirkingly.
"Let's get to the point!", Rundel said a bit irritated. "There is a reason why we called in the girl, isn't there?".
"Can't we wait? Why is it that dangerous right now?", Vidar complained.
"We need to tell her the truth, don't we", Rundel said even more irritated. "Vidar, you asked me to keep the thing and I have kept it for seven years now. It is time that Alya gets the damn thing in her own hands".
"What thing are you talking about?", Alya interrupted curiously.
Vidar looked very uneasy as Rundel put his left hand in his pocket.
He took his hands out of the pocket and showed Alya the bluest, most ethereal sapphire necklace ever...........