Chapter 1

Rhiannon Aries Grace Heraldry: daughter in a rich snobby family. Bartholomew Taurus James Heraldry: eldest in the same rich snobby family. Aries and Taurus, as they were called, were twins in the same hell hole known as life, forever trying to find an escape from reality and never wanting to go back.

The alarm clock droned on with it’s infinite buzzing somewhere in the background of Aries’ darkened room, waking her from the blissful escape of her life. She wiped the sleep out of her dull chestnut eyes, the light seeping through the curtains and blinding her without mercy, trying to rouse her from her exhaustion after another night of rubbish sleep followed by the dreading of having to be escorted back to boarding school.

Rolling off her bed with the gracefulness of a drunken donkey, Aries cursed her two left feet and crawled towards the thing hated by many known as a mirror. Immediately, the sight of untameable mousy brown frizzy hair, clouded her face in a tangled mess. Prying apart the curly hair, she was graced with the next sight of freckled skin with angry pimples dotted around her face randomly, contrasting horribly with her pale white skin.

Within 10 minutes, she was packed and washed, ready for the next day at school. Aries walked down the corridor of the large mansion, decorated with no taste at all resulting in the walls all being plastered with pink floral designs. Turning left at the end of the corridor, she opened the white door leading to Taurus’ room.

Lord of the Rings posters covered the floral wallpaper in Taurus’ room. He was the ultimate Tolkien Purist. Sure, Aries had watched the movies and the read the book but had never reached the level of obsession that Taurus had got himself firmly wedged into. She liked Tolkien but didn’t have the energy to get herself involved.

Aries made her way through the junk scattered over the floor, pitying the maid who would always clean it up when they were away. Predictably, her two left feet tripped over the figurine of Legolas that was lying on the floor with no responsibility and landed ungracefully on Taurus’ bed. Aries crashed into the unfortunate Taurus, winding them both.

“You and your two left feet, Raye!” Taurus moaned with his head still spinning from the impact made, using Aries’ nickname. “You almost pushed me into Sting.” He indicated the replica of the weapon beside.

“Our mother told you not to get it,” Aries retorted with spite pouring from her words like rain. “If you weren’t such a lazy git, I wouldn’t have to wake you.” She pushed herself off the bed and turned towards the doorway. Taurus perked up slightly.

“What time is it Aries?” Taurus asked her gently. A cruel smile crept across her chapped lips.

“10:15.”

Within seconds, Taurus was in the random chaos that always ensued the waking on Sunday. Aries stood in the doorway with the satisfaction of getting Taurus into the impenetrable ball of stress.

“Why does mum always make us go at 10:30?” Taurus asked through gritted teeth as he struggled into his clothes. Aries was still in the doorway with the entertainment of Taurus’ struggle.

“Because she hates us. We were an accident, apparently. Come on Taurus, it’s 10:20 now.”

* * *

“She is such a boy.”

“Look at her passing to the boys in football. Thinks she’s so cool.”

Aries was back at school. It was Monday morning, meaning nothing else than football. As if it couldn’t get any worse, they were forced into mixed teams. Aries could here the tarts of her class moaning about have to play on the mud in the rain. She furrowed her brow and brought her left foot forward, the ball slicing through the air and straight past the goalie.

“Oh look, she’s scored another goal. The boys don’t even like her.”

Aries stopped the ball with the side of her foot. The boys don’t like her because she’s more of a boy than any of them could be. She was proud of that. Just to annoy them, she kicked the ball towards the group of gossiping girls. They squealed and ran away from the mud encrusted football.

Taurus was on the opposite team and stole the ball, bounding up the field easily. Aries tackled him, splattering the rest of the girls with mud.

She was being thrown dirty looks in the changing rooms. She dressed away from the other groups, pulling her blazer around her. Jessica gave a threw a smug look across at Aries. She was the most popular girl in the year. She acted as though the world was hers just because she had a bigger bra size that could be envied by fully grown women.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the boys changing rooms, Rhainnon?” Jessica sneered. Her army of drones sniggered stupidly. Aries didn’t answer. “Well, it’s still great that you and your twin brother do everything together and how you’re so much alike. Two nerds.”

Aries made a rather rude hand gesture across the room.

“Now, now. No need for that. I’m just saying that you and him get along so well but does it really mean you have to look as ugly as each other.”

“Still better than being a tart, Jessica,” Aries ended up retorting.

Jessica frowned. “Oh, so you do respond. Better not get you angry, the heat would probably make your hair more frizzy,” she said, commenting on Aries’ frizzy ringlets. She wriggled into her trousers and left the room. “I also recommend a decent face wash!” Jessica called after her.

* * *

Aries was in a stress and bounded through the school grounds despite the rain. Taurus was following her in a vain effort to calm her fiery temper. She was outside school grounds and heading for the plains, ignoring the flashes of lightning and thunder.

“Raye, we’re gonna get in deep trouble if you don’t get back here!”

“I’m in enough trouble already!”

He ran up to her. They were on the plains, electricity pylons standing on the flat ground. Aries could hear the buzzing of the electricity running through the cables. Taurus ran up to her and placed an affectionate arms around her. Her frizzy hair was growing rebellious in the moisture.

“What’s up?” Aries shuffled her feet nervously.

“I- I punched Jessica in the face during History,” she blurted out.

“You didn’t?”

Aries nodded sadly. Taurus had half his mouth open in shock that his sister could do anything like that.

“Did you have to do it right under the headmaster’s nose? You’ll get expelled for sure.”

“Who cares if I’m expelled? I won’t fit in anywhere when I’m an adult anyway,” she sighed. “I don’t belong here.”

“Aries-”

“-Don’t even try reasoning with me, Bart. I am too smart for my own good-” she started to tick off her problems on her fingers. “- I am the least popular girl in school, I’m ugly and don’t even try saying I am not, okay, so just live with it.”

“Aries, please-”

“- Come on. I don’t belong! Why don’t I just find a hole and die!”

“Raye, MOVE!” Taurus dived onto her. Lightning struck an electricity pylon. It toppled over and trapped them both within a circle of crackling blue electricity.

“Looks like you got your death wish Raye,” Taurus said at the worst possible time.

“It’s not the time,” she panicked. “I can jump over the wire. Follow me.”

The electricity crackled, jumped, and travelled up Aries’ arm. It was pain beyond pain. Everything went black immediately but the pain lingered, burning her internally. She slipped away into darkness, falling deeper and deeper into unending doom.

* * *

“Am I dead?”

“No,” a voice echoed through her head. Her eyes fluttered open. A dark haired man was crouched over her. His hair was long and braids ran across his elegant head. He was gorgeous! Her eyes traced his ears. They were pointed.

“Jesus!” She exclaimed. She jumped out of her skin, excruciating pain running through her side. Aries gasped unexpectedly at the agony.

“Sit still,” he laughed slightly, at her jumpy nature.

“What . . . Where . . . Who-”

“-Be still. You will reopen your wounds.”

“Huh?” She didn’t have time to ask. He pushed her back into a laying position. Aries relaxed a little bit. Slowly, she was able to take in her surroundings. They were on the banks of a fast flowing river, the waters grey and swirling with elegance, forever flowing to it’s unknown end. Before she could open her mouth, her questions were answered.

“You and your companion were ambushed by bandits,” he told her.

“Companion? Bandits?” Aries lay back on the rock she rested her weight on. I thought I was struck by lightning. “Oh no . . .” She spotted Taurus being tended to. Trying to ignore the shooting agony travelling up her arm, she tried to move towards Taurus. Aries stumbled over the rocks in a vain effort to meet her twin brother. With the least grace that could possibly be possessed, Aries collapsed on top of the Elf tending Taurus.

He was exactly identical to the other Elf. They were twins.

“Forgive me for not introducing myself and my twin brother,” one of them said, trying to keep a straight face while looking at her gob smacked expression. “I am Elrohir and this is my twin brother Elladan and our other brother-” A figure came crashing through the bushes, landing on top of Taurus and waking him.

“-Has just decided to grace us with his presence,” Elladan finished for Elrohir. “This is Estel.”

“O-o-oh,” Aries stuttered. “Oh god you’re Aragorn! This isn’t happening. How did I get in Middle-Earth? How did I survive? What . . . How . . . Oh . . .” Aries fainted backwards onto her little bedspread in disbelief.

“She didn’t take that as well as we thought,” Elrohir frowned.

“She’s just stunned,” Taurus piped up, removing himself from his bedspread. “I was when you awoke me.” He winced at the arrow still embedded in his shoulder.

“Forgive us but we still do not know your name,” Elladan said, crouching down.

“Bartholomew,” he answered. “Most call me Taurus though.” The company all looked at Aries. “And that’s Rhiannon, otherwise known as Aries.”

“Well, what brings you here?” Aragorn asked.

“To be totally honest, we don’t know,” Taurus said, sheepishly.

The company gave curious looks, Taurus changed the subject.

“How long will this take to heal?” Taurus asked, ponting at the arrow.

“We should take that out soon,” Aragorn said, touching the end of the arrow. Taurus drew away. “It’s getting infected.”

“You’re not going anywhere near it,” Taurus objected. The twins split two identical evil grins. “Oh no . . .” Elladan and Elrohir held him down while Aragorn ripped out the arrow with one swift movement. Taurus’ yell echoed down the plains. It awoke Aries. Aragorn turned round with the arrow still in his hand.

“Do you feel any pain?” Aragorn asked her gently, not noticing he still had the blood tipped arrow point in his hand. Aries looked at with uneasy eyes then turned to her brother, fresh blood staining his clothes.

“Is that . . . That . . . Blood-” she fell back again onto her bedspread, after fainting for the second time.