Elizabeth Fairchild frowned as she looked upon herself in the mirror checking her hair as she brushed a few stray locks of her red hair from her face before looking at the dress she wore and frowned. It was a lovely dress fitting of a proper lady but a proper lady was not a word that most of the people who knew her would use to describe Liz.

Elizabeth had never much cared for the title of princess. It was more of an honorary title then anything as she was step daughter of the high Queen Freya and a companion of the real princess Astrid. Liz had never been very comfortable with playing the part of princess but she knew that she was expected to at least put on a show since she would be representing the Nordic Kingdom.

She gave herself one last look over frowning as she tried to wiggle around a little in the corset underneath which she hated even more then the dress. How women breathed in these things was anyone's guess. The things women do to impress men she thought. She swore she would love to see a man try to wear one but quickly shook her head before the image of it could formulate in her head and get stuck there.

She walked over to the window of the airship and looked out at the ground below as the scenery which told her how far away from home she really was since there was not a single mountain insight. It felt strange to her now that it had been days since they had passed through the Whitewall Mountains. She saw endless farms and small villages scattered about the flat terrain below. The trees which would soon change color were small compared to the evergreen forest she was used to.

Liz sighed and scratched her arm where the royal physician had given her an immunization shot. The mark had mostly healed but it still aggravated her. She had no idea what it was suppose to immunize her from but knowing the queen it was probably everything and anything known to man. She turned as she heard a familiar knock at the door.

“Come In Paige.” Liz smiled. The door opened as the mechanical automata entered closing the door behind her. Paige was a construct built by the greatest artificers of this age, Liz's father. He had always considered Paige to be his second greatest accomplishment in his life with Liz being his first. Their was not a man or woman within the the commonwealth, nor the empire for that matter, who did not know his name or skill with machines.

He was celebrated as a hero who built the automata golems. Protectors of the Commonwealth during the continental war. They had fought against the Imperial hordes of half human beast known as the Chimera and drove them back. As Liz got older she began to understand her father did not see himself as a hero but as a man forced to fight in a war the only way he knew how. He never wanted to be remembered as a war hero or his inventions used in such a way.

“We will be arriving shortly my lady.” Paige said in a chipper voice. Paige like most dolls could not show expressions in her face which made her look like she was wearing a mask that had an always slight smile. Paige however unlike most dolls could reflect it in her tone of voice and body language how she felt. Paige had went to make sure their cargo was ready to be off loaded in the cargo hold and hadn't been damaged any in flight.

“Do you think I will like living in the city Paige.” Liz said as she turned from the window. Liz grew up in Castle Storm Hold in the mountains overlooking the city of Winter Vale. Astrid and Liz would sometimes sneak off on horseback and visit the city but it could hardly compare to the city of Lumieres. The very heart of the commonwealth.

“I cannot speculate on matters to which I have no bases my lady.” Paige answered.

“Is that your way of saying you don't know?” Liz smiled. Paige just gave a little coy shrug.

“More or less. You will have the chance to meet people who share similar interest as yourself. Maybe even make friends and who knows maybe you will even meet a nice guy.” Paige added.

“Have been talking to my mother again?” Liz smirked. Being a princess if even by name Liz was expected to marry into a noble family but Liz did not want to marry someone for the purpose of a political alliance.

“No not since we left.” Paige shook her head in response as she move across the room. “Your first mother and your father meet at the University so there is always the chance for history to repeat itself.”

“Yes, because that turned out so well.” Liz took a deep breath as she touched her locket. Liz could not remember her mothers face aside for the picture she had inside. Her parents had meet at Ravencraft university and fell in love. Liz's father had given up his birthright and title for the woman he loved. A commoner. When they found out they could not have children they adopted Liz and for a time they where happy but Liz only knew the fairy tales her father had told her.

“I am sorry I did not mean to upset you my lady. I will not bring up the subject again.” Paige said touching Liz shoulder.

“No it is okay. I suppose I should at least put on the illusion that I am looking to be courted.” Liz shook her head and gave a smirk.

“As long as they don't mind you playing hard to get I assume?” Paige said jokingly knowing Liz all to well. Liz gave a small smile in acknowledgment. Even if she found a man who could interest her, that was a long shot, she had no intention of making it easy for him.

A knock came at the door and Paige moved to open it and Captain Jensen stepped through.

“Your highness, the city will be in view shortly.” The captain said as he put his fist to his heart. He did not bow or bend before royalty but stood strong as warrior as was expected of him in the north. “I was wondering if you would like to bring her into dock for old times sake?”

“Sadly no Captain. But thank you.” Liz smiled. He had given Liz more then a few lessons in Liz's younger days and peeked her interest into airships. Of course that was back when Liz needed to stand on a box to see over the helm so she could steer. She had considered follow her step mother and enroll in the academy but had decided against it knowing many would resent her and see any promotion she would earn as royal privilege. “I have enough trouble breathing in this dress let alone moving about. Plus I will have people expecting me once we dock so it is best to not keep them waiting.” Liz said realizing how much she sounded like her adoptive mother, the High Queen.

“Very well your highness. Maybe next time. You should at least come above deck to see the spire as we make or approach. She is quit a site to behold your first time to the city.” The captain smiled. Liz nodded and her and Paige followed. “I will have your bags off loaded right away and sent to your residence.”

“Thank you captain.” Liz smiled. It would take Liz awhile to get used to calling the place her home. Liz's dad had lived there during the war but it had been left abandoned for many years now. Liz had never been allowed to visit him as her father felt Liz was safer in the north.

Captain Jensen lead them up to the deck where Liz felt her breath leave her as she caught site of the spire. The giant metal tower loomed over the city of Lumieres as airships from ever nation moved about it. More then she had ever seen together.

“She is a sight to behold isn't she.” The Captain said as he stepped aside for Liz.

“Very much so.” Liz walked to the edge looking overboard. What had been farmland now gave way to the city of Lumieres. Liz's new home for the next four years as she studied at the university to become an artificer like her father before her. Paige joined her as they spent a few minutes enjoying the view and pointing out sights they wanted to visit.

The Spire grew larger as they approached. It sat on an island in the mouth of a river where it meet the bay. Vehicles coming and going across the bridges on the northern side of the island while a train sat on the tracks that ran underneath the center of the spire. On the southern end several ships where docked where they where offloading cargo from Antillia and Elysium in the south to be carried by train or air to the other nations.

The spire was called the heart of the Commonwealth of Kingdoms and Liz could see why as she wondered at the logistics required to manage something so large. The airship turned slightly as it made its approach toward the large cradle that jetted out from the spire. The frame made of metal but the inside where the ship would rest was made of wood and rubber. The ship slipped and slowly descended until it touched down smoothly.

Liz could see the small procession of people awaiting her arrival. Thankfully nowhere near as large as if her mother or sister had accompanied them. A few workers on the other side moved the gangway into place between the ship and the spire while the deckhands went about securing it on this end.

Liz smiled as she saw her Uncle James, or at least the closets thing she had to an uncle awaiting her. He was her fathers logistics officer during the war who handled deployment of the golems to the front line. The grizzled old man was a war veteran who had the scars to prove it. She was a little afraid of him when she was younger because of the burns on his face as well as the metal plate and mechanical eye on the left side of his face but had grown used to once she got to know him.

“My lady.” The deckhands said as they moved aside. Liz nodded and headed out onto the gangway making her way across as she smiled at Uncle James. The gruff old man smiling back. Suddenly there was a loud noise and the gangway cracked beneath her as if about to give.

“Lady Fairchild.” Paige went to come after her.

“Paige Stop.” Liz ordered as she threw up her hand. The gangway couldn't take the added weight of Paige's metal body. She turned to see her uncle at the other end with his hand out who had stopped as well. Any motion from Liz would most likely cause it to crack further and send it falling but if she stayed here she would die when it eventually broke.

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