Hello, Everyone! I was recently realizing how terrible my old writing style was. I was so afraid of breaking canon, that I didn't really try very hard to fit Serian in properly. So, I've decided to rewrite the story completely. This is chapter one of the rewritten version of one of my favorite stories. I'll be leaving the original up for a bit in case you guys want to compare. In the meantime, enjoy the rewrites!

Chapter One

Surprise

The fading grass had long ago turned into a blur as the horse's hooves pounded over it. The strong legs, covered in silky white fur, churned beneath the powerful body as the beautiful creature moved swiftly over the Autumn grass. Her rider clung to her back without the assistance of a saddle or reigns. The two of them moved as one, tilting into turns without any hesitation.

The girl astride the horse leaned forward, her long, golden hair mingling with her horse's white mane as they lept over a small stream and then up the hill just beyond. As they reached the top, the horse reared majestically, the girl clinging to her mane as the hooves pawed the air, and a cheerful neigh split the air. When they landed back on all fours, the girl patted her horse's neck in congratulations, and they headed back to the stables at a more sedate pace.

Their arrival allowed them a view of the stable boy as he leapt over the fence and approached with a smile. "Lady Serian!" he called, jogging over as Serian swung one leg over her horse's neck.

"Aherin!" she replied warmly. He held his arms up and she slid off her horse's back, allowing him to steady her as she became accustomed to the ground again. "Swan was wonderful today. I do love this time of year."

"As do I, my Lady," he replied, shifting around her to pet Swan. "Sadly, I must be the bearer of bad news. A delegation from Fornost has arrived. Your mother instructed me to tell you that you should join them when you've cleaned up."

Serian groaned in exasperation. Her good mood from a moment ago having been completely squashed. "Thanks. I'll probably be back soon, then." With one final pat on Swan's neck, Serian turned and headed toward the castle.

Inside, she took a moment to check her appearance in the first available mirror. Her normal riding outfit consisted of a pair of worn trousers and a loose white tunic. Her oldest pair of boots were also a bit worn, but they were still sturdy and comfortable. Over-all, she deemed her outfit acceptable for meeting people she didn't care for. Her hair, however...

Serian couldn't help but be proud of her long, golden-blonde hair. It fell in long waves down her back that, when properly taken care of, gleamed all the way to her waist. At the moment, however, having been tossed about in the rushing wind as Swan galloped at top speed, her hair was a tangled mess. She hesitantly ran a hand over it, before deeming it far too tangled for even a preliminary finger-comb to do much good. Only a wire horse brush would make a dent in it in it's current state.

She sighed and pulled a leather string off her wrist. She then tied the mass of hair back from her face, so that it hung down her back in a bedraggled pony tail. A quick check that no grass had been kicked up onto her outfit, and she proceeded into the sitting room where her parents awaited with the delegation from Fornost.

Serian had to bite back a groan when she saw just what this delegation entailed. There were two older men who were speaking with her parents, and one younger man who was idly browsing the books on the shelves that stood on either side of the crackling fireplace.

The door had creaked lightly as she pushed it open, and the sound alerted her parents to her presence. Her father frowned in disapproval when he saw her lack of outfit change, but her mother gave her such a disappointed look, that Serian almost felt sorry that she hadn't at least changed into something a little nicer. Almost.

"Prince Eric," her father said, his voice clearly indicating that he'd much rather this not be happening right now. "Allow me to present my daughter, Princess Serian."

The young man turned from his perusal of the books to face her. He had light brown hair and blue eyes, and wore a richly embroidered velvet vest over a white tunic and dark brown trousers tucked into black boots that had been shined within an inch of their lives.

He smiled and approached, holding out his hand to take hers. "My Lady, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. You have long interested me, and I simply had to come and see if you were as beautiful as the stories say."

Serian this time had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. She recognized flattery when she heard it, and this was one of the most blatant forms she'd ever encountered. "I thank you for your compliments. A girl always likes to hear that she is well-known."

He laughed, such a practiced laugh, that Serian wondered if he'd ever really laughed before in his life. "My Lady, your beauty may be legend, but not so your wit. Come, sit with me." He walked across the room to the window seat, clearly wanting to put some distance between them and the grown-ups in the room. Serian glanced pleadingly at her mother, but the queen simply gestured for her to follow him. With a sigh, Serian obeyed.

Serian deliberately sat on the opposite side of the window seat from Eric, hoping to make it clear that she didn't want to be there. He didn't take the hint, and instead moved a bit closer, turning so he was facing her. "My Lady-"

"Serian," she said briskly, cutting him off before he could continue. "If you are going to address me from now on, please just call me Serian."

"Of course," he replied eagerly, making her regret her request almost instantly. "Serian. I did not speak in jest when I said that you have long interested me. Though your people remain within their borders and do not stray into the outside world, our two kingdoms have long been allied. There is, however, one step that we have never taken to solidify our accord."

Serian had never had much in the way of male companionship. Her only friends of the opposite sex were her cousin, Kemen, and the stable boy, Aherin. However, she was fairly well-read. She knew exactly what Eric was talking about, and she didn't like it. "What?" She had turned away from him when he finished speaking, but now he gently hooked a finger around her chin and turned her back toward him. He was so close now, a bit too close.

"I think you know what I want to ask." He'd dropped his voice down low, as though to make his words sound appealing. Instead, she pulled away from him, her face twisting with disbelief.

"Excuse me," she said, standing quickly and walking away from him. Her mother called her name, but she didn't stop until she was out of the room and had closed the door behind her. She leaned against it briefly, trying to regain her bearings. As the last few minutes settled themselves into her mind as being real, her face hardened with anger. Her parents were trying to marry her off! With that thought, she stormed off down the hallway toward the stairs that would take her to her bedroom. When she arrived and slammed the door behind her, she was unaware of the mirror outside that had cracked as she stormed past.