The Crumbling Brick - Book 1 of the Land of Neo Trilogy
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that was why she had been given such fine clothes. The Princess should not have to listen to someone who looked as dowdy as Ella did in her old clothes.
Finally, Ella was summoned and led to a great room at the inside of the castle. As she neared the door, she heard a trumpet blast and her introduction:
"Princess Onyma, I present to you Ella, from another world."
The announcement would have caused Ella to giggle if she had time to think about it, but all other thoughts flew from her mind when she entered the room and saw Princess Onyma.
The Princess was truly the loveliest creature Ella had ever set eyes upon. She was tall and regal - her very carriage suggesting her position. Her long, thick hair tumbled in great waves all the way to her knees. Her eyes were large and bright with lots of light and twinkle in them, like a star shining in the dark night sky. Her dress was stunning white, so pure looking that one had trouble gazing at her for very long. The many jewels sewn about it added to its striking appearance.
Ella stood with her mouth open, unable to say a word. After a long silence, she began to feel awkward but still could think of nothing to speak. Suddenly the Princess broke into a lovely smile that almost melted Ella's heart.
"So you are from another world," she stated in a velvety voice, so calm that Ella regained her ability to speak.
"Yes, I am. I believe I have been brought here by Kosmeo. One of your loyal subjects, Sequor, the bear of the glade in the woods, has been my tutor since I arrived in Neo. He is certain that I have come to help Neo through a terrible trouble coming to the land."
The smile now left the Princess’ lovely face and she wore a concerned frown. The change in her expression made Ella feel as if the sun had just set and that night was fast approaching. "Trouble, you say? What kind of trouble?"
"I don't know. That is why I have come to you. Perhaps I can serve you here keeping my eyes open as to any danger which may be approaching."
The Princess' face brightened just a bit at Ella's suggestion. "Sequor sent you, you say."
'Yes, Your Majesty." Ella nodded and lowered her head, hesitant to look her in the eye.
"I know of him. He is truly a friend of Kosmeo." The Princess now moved closer to Ella, pulling up her chin and looking her directly in the eyes. She stared at her thus for a few minutes then said, "I must give this matter some thought. For the time being you may remain in this castle and do as you please. I will let you know as soon as I have made my decision. As for now, I have been told that the unicorn that arrived with you has offered to give me a ride. I have never had the privilege of riding on the back of a unicorn. I intend to accept this offer immediately." With these words, the Princess turned to leave the great room. Ella stopped her, feeling an urgency to add, "Please, Your Highness. I think you should know that there are some strangers in your land who are bothering your subjects. They are called Obs and have taken over the home of Torqueo. According to him, there are many more in your land.”
The Princess now looked shocked. "Nothing of this sort has ever happened in Neo." She turned to address one of her aides. "Mitto! Gather all of my wise men together for counsel on this subject. We will meet in the Chamber Room directly after my ride with the unicorn."
She now turned with a rustle of her fabulous skirts and flitted out of the room. Ella stood watching her, remaining even after she was gone, unwilling to break the spell that Onyma had placed on her. At last someone came to lead her away to her room at the top of the stairs.
As Ella settled down to tea and cookies, Onyma's counselor, Mitto, was gathering all the wise men of the kingdom. Among their numbers was a new man in Neo by the name of Paschein. Although he was a man of much knowledge, no one knew the evil found in his heart, or understood the consequences of the counsel he would give.
EIGHT
THE PRINCESS AND WARD
Ward lifted his head in pride as Princess Onyma approached him, but bowed lowly when she stood directly before him. He had seen the Princess on one other occasion but only from a distance. Her gentle manner now impressed him as much as her beauty. It was a moment he would never forget; one that would be told to his children and to their children.
“My, you are a handsome creature!" exclaimed the Princess. "Thank you for allowing me to observe you so closely. I know that is not an easy thing to do for a unicorn," she said with a sympathetic smile.
She was right. Nothing about this was easy for Ward but it was turning out to be very meaningful. Such praise from the Princess was more reward than he ever hoped for in life. “Would you like a ride?" Ward asked in his usual direct manner.
"It would be a very great pleasure, indeed."
The Princess hopped lightly onto his back as Ward sprang from the stall. They were off in a flash, prancing around the fields surrounding the castle. All cares flew from Princess Onyma's mind. Truly, it was the most she had relaxed in days. After they had been gone for quite a while, the Princess finally requested that they stop for a rest at a mountain stream. She could have ridden forever but she was considerate of Ward, knowing he was doing all the work. It was so comfortable on his back that one never grew sore or tired.
As they sat by the stream watching the waters tumble down the mountain, the Princess questioned Ward on the matters of which Ella had spoken. "What do you think of these Obs, Ward?"
“I believe they are harmful only to the foolhardy. Still, if there are enough silly creatures in Neo, it would greatly affect us all.”
"This is true,” replied the princess as she rubbed her forehead. "And as ruler of Neo, it is my responsibility to protect my subjects, even the foolhardy ones."
"It is certainly a matter that should be looked into," Ward added in affirmation.
"To be sure," the Princess nodded. "I will suggest that to my wise men when I return to the castle. I would like to look into it myself, but I am sure everyone will object. I often feel I should be with my subjects more."
Ward detected a note of sorrow in the voice of the Princess. He longed to help her forget her weighty troubles once more. "Perhaps it is time for another ride, Your Majesty. I need the exercise after being in the barn so long.”
The Princess gave Ward a wonderful smile, all concern vanishing from her face. They continued their ride together, heading back to the castle and the Council.
NINE
THE TAPESTRY ROOM
As the Princess was relaxing with Ward, Ella began a tour of the castle. She was now free to go where she desired, so she decided to explore.
The castle was a wondrous place, truly fit for one such as the Princess Onyma. Ella found each room unique, set aside for a special purpose. One room was full of beautiful paintings; another, exotic plants; a third, musical instruments, many of which Ella had never seen before and she wondered about the sounds they made. There seemed to be hundreds of rooms to discover. Ella began to wonder if she would ever get to see them all.
Her favorite room was filled with fabulous tapestries. Each one was done in vivid colors and such detail that she could have spent hours studying each one.
When she had lingered in there longer than she could tell, she noticed a humming sound coming from the far corner of the room. She followed the melody and discovered a woman busily weaving the beautiful works of art. The woman took such care and emanated such love for her work that Ella became fascinated with watching her. The woman smiled to acknowledge her but never said a word, just continued with her work.
Ella observed the woman's work a long time before she began to notice the woman herself. It occurred to her that for such beauty to come to the tapestry there must be even greater beauty in the woman's mind. This realization caused Ella to break the silence with a question. "How did you learn to do this?" she asked. Her voice cracked at being silent so long.
The woman smiled, never ceasing from her work. "The great masters taught me the technique. The designs are given to me by one greater than they."
"Have you always lived in the castle?"
&n
bsp; "No, I came when Princess Onyma was born. The first tapestry you saw as you came in was done in celebration of her birth. If you look at it closely, you will see the story of that great event told in the design. Each of my tapestries tells a story, but they tell it more beautifully than words could."
"Yes, they do", Ella agreed, nodding her head up and down.
Ella now stared at this woman, examining her appearance. She was probably forty years old. There was a hint of gray in her hair and soft wrinkles about her eyes. Her dress was as plain as the sky on a cloudy day and she wore no adornment whatsoever. Still, when Ella looked at her, she felt her beauty to be as great as that of Princess Onyma. This woman’s beauty shone from within, causing one to look past her physical features right into her heart. Ella wanted to know her much better.
”What is your name?” she asked suddenly.
"Philos is my name and I will be your friend," she said, certain of Ella's desire to share her companionship. It was as if Philos knew she had a lot to offer Ella and was unashamedly bestowing her graces upon her.
Ella was delighted with this and felt certain their friendship would prove invaluable in the future. “Do you only weave what has happened, or are you able to weave future events as well?" inquired Ella on impulse.
"Only what is past," replied Philos, without surprise at her question. "But from the past I have learned much about circumstances that will