Hey-oh! This book is for NaNoWriMo 2014, my first attempt at writing 50,000 words in one month. This is, in no way, a final draft and I'm sure I will edit it a lot once I'm done. Putting it here is just an easy way to count and keep track of my word count while sharing it with my friends. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! 

"Do you see this?" The shorter tugs at his sister's sleeve eagerly, pointing out the frost-framed window.

"Of course," the black feathered crown atop the girl's head bobs as she nods, "This'll be interesting."

The siblings descend the stone staircase, awaiting the stranger's arrival. "Irence- is she human?" The crowned eldest wonders, "Did you see?"

"I think so," The masked younger one replies, "Humans are the ones with the fleshy skin, correct?"

She giggles, "Just like us, brother."

A pounding knock on the door echoes off the rock floors, and Irence opens the door without hesitation.

The brown-haired human's eyes gleam with a mixture of terror and curiosity. The human makes the first move, introducing herself as Marcella Klara.

"Irence, what does she want me to do?" The queen whispers to her brother, the human Marcella looking a bit dumbfounded once overhearing this.

The boy hints, "Introduce yourself, your majesty. And ask her what her business is."

"The name's Queen Ebbe," The crowned girl speaks loud and clear, "What might your business be, human?"

Marcella raises an eyebrow at the title of 'Queen' given to a girl looking in her teens, but proceeds anyway, "I am the new owner of this land, I have the deed right here with me." She digs through her leather satchel, pulling out a rolled up paper.

The Queen snatches the document from the girl's hands, looking to view it's authenticity. "Irence, she's not joking!" She shows the paper to her brother.

"If you'll excuse us," the younger sibling shuts the door, his sister still holding the deed.

Marcella huffs, letting out a cloud of fog as she is left out in the cold. This peculiar pair don't seem terribly threatening, though she doesn't plan on letting her guard down just yet.

Just inside, the brother and sister access the situation- and not in the calmest manner, either. "How did this happen?" Ebbe scans over the deed again, "Our family has owned this land for decades, and they sell it out from under us! Why?"

"What does this mean for us?" Irence questions, looking back to the door.

"I'm not sure," Ebbe bites her lip, opening the door. She asks, "How much did you buy it all for?"

"A dollar," Marcella responds confidentially, "And if you could please explain who you are exactly? How long have you been here?"

Ebbe exhales, "Step inside, it must be cold for you." Marcella cautiously crosses the threshold, thankful to be out of the winter at least. The queen guides the girl to a parlor, the three sitting around a black marble coffee table. Marcella runs her hand over the dark leather of her chair before looking back at her hosts.

"I'm Queen Ebbe, as I said, and this is my brother, Irence. We've lived in these woods for... a while now. A lot has changed over the years."

"It can't be that long," The girl insists, "You look younger than me."

Irence lets out a small laugh, "Don't be arrogant and assume we're human."

"Well if you aren't human, what are you?"