The Crown's Path

The Past I

"When I was very young, my mother told me that the most noble woman in the world is the queen, and that the palace where she resides is called the Avalon Golden Hall. I asked my mother what the Golden Hall looked like."My mother said she didn't know."Sitting under the leaking roof of a country house, I thought how wonderful it would be if I could transform into a swan flying overhead, to soar to the bustling capital, to see the palace and discover what the Golden Hall looked like."The palace gates were secluded, with only a window on the left slightly ajar.The sky was overcast, the light dim.In the once bustling Avalon Golden Hall, not a single servant was to be seen now.Only Elinor de Clare remained, sitting tall in front of an intricately carved ivory white marble table, moving a queen chess piece across the black board with her slender, pale fingers. Her golden gown spread out long behind her, its complex patterns barely glimmering in the dim light."Later, I indeed reached t...