It was a warm summer morning. Beautiful birds fly around the cloudless sky singing songs of happiness and love. The little farm was calm as usual.

Uncle Franklin tapped a handkerchief on his sweaty forehead. He looked around his small home until he spotted Shana. “Hey! Girl! Go and feed those pigs!” he grumbled. Shana had been helping him with the farm for a little while now, but he preferred to have a male helping him out. Shana seemed to petite to do a tough man’s job. If it were up to him, he would have a boy doing ALL his work while he sat on his butt and drank his ale.

Franklin had lived alone for the last two years after his wife left him. People would say that incident is what made him bitter, but he was grouchy long before that. He went outside and began tending to his garden.

Shana had been working dutifully around the farm since before the sun rose. She was used to getting up early, and was quite used to hard work, since her father didn't bother to do anything. She was never like the other girls in her village, not even as a little girl. She didn't care about her appearance, she didn't care about breaking her fingernails, and she most certainly didn't dream about marrying some Prince Charming. She liked to climb trees, run, or, when she was younger play pretend knights and dragons with other children, whenever she had free time as a child. She was a tomboy who wasn't afraid to work.

She had found a hole in the fence and repaired it, and fed the chickens by the time Uncle Franklin told her to go feed the pigs. She answered him neutrally, not minding his grumpiness, "Yes sir,"

She didn't know why Franklin didn't even try to do the farm work himself, he seemed able, but she wasn't going to complain since this was a good opportunity for her to try and get enough money for that medicine. She remembered what it was like to lose her mother to illness, and she was sure as hell that she wasn't going to lose James to illness as well. She just hoped that Franklin doesn't go back on his promise of paying her.

She picked up the metal bucket full of pig feed and poured enough feed in the trough for all of the pigs. She carefully looked at the pen to make sure that no poisonous plants or fungi were growing in the pen. Thankfully, she didn't see any. After that, she muttered to herself "OK. Now to collect the chicken eggs,"
She was about to continue working when she stopped and thought she saw something in the distance.

The pigs and piglets snorted happily at Shana. They waddled to the new food and began to dig in.
~
Franklin raised his head from his work as he spotted two figures coming towards the farm. He stood up and straightened his back. After hearing a couple satisfying crunches from his spine, he went to investigate. As he got a little closer, panic filled his chest. "S**t...". It was two guards from the castle. He knew they were coming to harass him for money to pay for his land. He looked between his little garden and his house. He could try to make a run for it and hide in his house. Maybe the guards would go? No..of course that wouldn't work, they had already seen him. He kicked a rock at his bad luck.

The two guards approached the chunky man who stood with his arms crossed and a ticked off look on his face. "Franklin.", one of the guards started as he began pulling a long scroll from his side strap, "By the order of the King, you need to--"

"I know! I know! But look....It's been a slow growing season for me, and it's hard to--" Franklin attempted to argue but the smaller of the two guards raised a hand to quiet him.
"You keep giving us excuses, Franklin! Today we ARE going to receive payment or it will be the dungeon for you!"

Franklin lowered his head in defeat. There was no way he could pay. He looked out the corner of his eye and seen Shana looking at them. A smile crept across his dirty face. "I have an idea that might interest you boys! How about you take that girl over there as payment! She is a very pretty girl who works very very hard! She will do anything you guys want!"

The shorter armored guard looked defensive and began to speak, but the other guard shut him up, "The King was recently complaining how he needed more servants in the castle."

Franklin's smile grew larger.

"But! But--" the shorter guard protested. "We will take her." the other said. Everyone looked at Shana. The smaller guard had a great look of doubt in his eyes.

Shana watched as two knights from the castle approached Franklin, and she moved close enough so she could hear the discussion, but hoped that she was far enough away so that they wouldn't notice her. She listened to their discussion, and she made the mental connection. If the knights were harassing him for payment for the farmland, then it was clear that he didn't have money. Therefore, he lied to her about paying her for her help on the farm! She had been wasting her time here! She had been planning to leave and go find a different job, when suddenly he looked to her and said that she would be payment. She glared at him and the taller knight that agreed and she spoke up indignantly and with an offended tone, "Excuse me! I refuse to be payment for this geezer! He has no right to sell me!"

She then glared at Franklin and she snarled at him "You! You owe me three days worth of my salary! We had an agreement!" She was outraged that he would lie to her on something as serious as this. She was, as of now, controlling herself so she wouldn't go and deliver a nice right hook with his name on it, to him.

The guards looked at each other then at Franklin. "Take him away." the taller one said sternly. The short guard approached Franklin and took out a pair of chain handcuffs to be placed on the man. Franklin knew better than to run, but it was obvious he was panicking. "Her mother is dead! Her father doesn't even want her! I'm pretty much her guardian! I can sell her if I please!" he muttered.

"Silence!" the guard said as he chained him up.

The other guard put a hand on his sword in case things got a little out of control. He gave Shana a look over as he moved towards her. When he was about halfway between Franklin and her he said, "I'm sorry you had to be a part of this mess. I won't force you, but if you are looking for work, then you can come with me and work in the castle. They won't pay you much at first, but it is a steady and secure job. I will also make sure that you get compensation from your work here on the farm. We are in desperate need of help around there." He really hoped the girl would take his offer. In the Melrose Kingdom it was hard to find beautiful young women who were able to work. He knew the king had standards when it came to looks for his workers.

Franklin growled and shot Shana a very dirty look as if all this was her fault.

Shana glared at Franklin when he tried again, only to have the guard silence him. Her glare went away when the shorter guard spoke to her kindly. She considered his offer and she answered him calmly and politely, (her anger was only directed towards Franklin, not the knights), "Thank you. That is very kind of you. I'll take your offer,"
She was glad that this guard in front of her at least seemed kind. When Franklin growled and shot her a look, she looked at him and shot back a glare. She wanted to send a rude gesture to Franklin as well, but decided against it. She just hoped that the pay she'll receive will add up to enough for the medicine as soon as possible. She didn't know how much time James has left as long as he has that illness.

((I'm sorry it's so short. X_X))

"I will catch up with you later." The taller guard said to the other. They both nodded to each other then the other guard pushed Franklin onward with one hand while keeping the other hand on the cuffs. Franklin shouted, "I hope James falls under the same fate as your mother!" With that, the guard pushed him harder almost making him fall, but he kept moving forward and turned his face straight ahead. They headed onto the road, making their way to the jail.

The guard that was left with Shana shook his head at Franklin's remarks. He turned back to the girl and gave a kind smile. "My name is Luca. What's your name, Little Miss?" He put his foot on a large rock and rested his arm on his leg. Luca looked to be in his mid 30's. His toned, tan skin showed sparkles of sweat. It was easy to tell he was pleased Shana had decided on joining him to the castle. Luca felt the king would be very pleased.

After Franklin shouted his remark, the offended look on Shana's face appeared again before she cupped her hands around her mouth and she shouted back "AND I HOPE THEY LEAVE YOU TO ROT IN JAIL FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE!!!"
After she shouted at Franklin and he was gone, she sighed glad to have vented that anger out through that shout. She muttered to herself irritably, "Seriously! To wish such a fate on a child…! His nephew no less…!"

She looked to Luca and after he introduced himself, she smiled politely to him and she introduced herself, "I'm Shana. It's nice to meet you, Luca," She could see that he seemed happy that she was going to go with him to the castle.

Luca wanted to ask about this "James" character, but didn't want to upset Shana more than Franklin already had. "Shana." he repeated, "That's a nice name. Well Shana, once you start working at the castle, your living quarters will be there. So if there is anything you need to grab from home, or people you wish to notify, please do so now. I will be accompanying you. If you have any questions for me about your new life, feel free to ask. I'm sure that once we get there things will be explained in more detail too." He stood with a military straightness and glided a hand along in the air. "I will follow you. Let us be on our way." His purple cape with the image of a red rose with a thorny stem that stretches into the head of a dragon, gently brushed against the light breeze that was beginning to pick up.