The Avenging Angel

prologue

1814, Gloucestershire, England

"Star light, star bright,
The first star that I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Get the wish I wish tonight"

Two tiny little trembling legs of an almost five year old, stole away in the faint silvery moonlight diluted by the floating clouds. This was the farthest that little Sophie had ever made in her lifetime, all alone. But she had to do it. She had to bury her wish written in that crumpled paper under the cherry tree, as her best friend Alex had assured her, will pass her message to Their Father. She had to, for her dear papa. Her papa who, her Nanny had explained, is on his way to meet Their Father, up there in the Heavens, a place just a little above the clouds.

She could not let her papa go away from her. There will be nobody to practise her rhymes with, nobody to tell her stories of the brave princesses and their strong and handsome princes who save them from dragons (for Sophie dragons quite resembled her mama) or nobody to kiss her goodnight. No, her mother always preferred her little sister Bettina, who at the age of three, looked so much like her doll with golden hair and blue eyes, unlike Sophie's dark blue eyes and red hair, very much like her father's.

"Sophia, Sophia wake up. Drat this child. Nanny, wake this girl up. It is time for the funeral." barked Lady Lilith, the widow of Lord Maximilian Shelbourne, Marquis of Westmoreland.

<to be continued....>
Author: Maitri Tolia