《The Bitter Taste of Ash and Revenge》
1. Flames
Yelena
Perched high up in a tree, Yelena took one more shaky step on a precariously outstretched branch and held her breath, praying to the Saints that this would not be the stupidest idea she''s had today. The thin branch miraculously still supported her weight and Yelena let out a small relieved sigh before turning her gaze back onto the prize.
Just a few inches in front of her hung 2 blue, gourd shaped fruits about the size of her fists. It was a Yuca,a fruit and delicacy natively grown only in the kingdom of Hesteria which only grew once every 2 years in the spring. Just thinking about the sweet juicy fruit had her mouth watering even though the slight bitter aftertaste of the fruit was not as much to her liking. Nevertheless, the initial sweetness was worth every bite. And hopefully worth a broken leg when she falls from this branch. Lunging from her perch, she seized the fruits with both hands and braced herself for the impact as gravity took its turn.
Yelena hit the ground with small thump, rolling with the impact just as a voice cried out loudly, "Saints! You actually did it Yen, are you hurt?! If your father knew about this he''ll have me cleaning the stables for a week."
"Relax Soren, I''m fine, you know how I''m good with these things. Here, catch!" Yelena replies, throwing Soren a yuca.
Soren was her appointed guard/companion plus unappointed best friend ever since she was 10, but he was always a worrywart.
As she took the first bite out of the literal fruits of her labor, she heard her mother''s voice in the distance, summoning them for dinner. Quickly gobbling up the rest of the fruit in an attempt to hide her evidence of mischief, she wiped her hands on her pants and rushes off towards the bridge where her mother awaits.
Hesteria was a small minor Kingdom, largely neutral in political stance despite the major ongoing territorial war between the Valken Empire and the Gordelia Kingdom. The people of Hesteria were mainly farmers as the lands of the kingdom were highly fertile. Trade lines and peace treaties with neighboring countries for food supplies especially during a warring period sustains Hesteria''s economy and maintains its neutral state.
Being a kingdom in peace, every year the king and queen take time off their royal duties to travel to the Queens hometown for the spring.
Queen Rosalind was but a simple farmers daughter before she and King Oscar met in this very town and fell in love. The people of Hesteria adored Queen Rosalind, not only because she used to be a commoner just like them but because she was always kind, fair and compassionate. The epitome of what a pure proper royal Queen should be.
Yelena was a far cry from a proper princess, what with her recent tree climbing antics and all, but the king and queen were content with her just being herself instead of conforming to royal etiquette since they hardly get any visitors from other kingdoms anyway. And so Yelena got to live the last 18 years of her life spirited, carefree and nothing like an actual princess.
Yelena loved it here, in a town so small it didn''t even have an official name, she felt more at home than at the palace. The palace was built smaller than most other kingdoms, but still Yelena couldn''t help but feel lonelier in the palace despite the many palace attendants. Probably why she usually ended up sneaking out to the nearest town center or market most of the time, much to Soren''s dismay.
Lying in bed after a hearty meal courtesy of the local innkeeper (and her mother''s best friend), Yelena tried to contain her excitement for tomorrow where her father had promised to bring her hunting. She had begged him for days on the way from the palace and he finally agreed just an hour ago. Granted the king had a belly full of ale and probably not the best judgment during the time, but a promise is a promise. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Usually in previous years her father would always go hunting for game and she would be stuck with her mother in town catching up with the latest boring gossips. But this time she would finally be able to put some of the skills her father taught her to actual use instead of throwing knives and shooting arrows at more wooden puppets. Tomorrow would be a good day, she just knew it.
The next day, Yelena found herself begrudgingly armed to the teeth in protective gear. Her father made good on the promise but Queen Rosalind would not hear of it. And being bundled up like a teddy bear turned out to be her only option if Yelena insisted on going.
"I know you don''t like it but I just want you to be safe honey. Listen to your father and try not to do anything reckless like I know you will, please?" Rosalind said while fastening one last knee guard on her body.
"Fineeee. Don''t know how I''ll even be a stealthy hunter anyway if I''m walking through the woods with all these things on, I''ll be as stealthy as a hippo." Yelena pouted.
"As a man the size of a hippo, I take great offense in that statement Yen." King Oscar quipped with a grin.
Laughing, Rosalind planted a quick kiss on both of their cheeks, "Be safe and come back earlier please. And also, bring back a deer or 2, we haven''t had those in a while." Winking, she shooed them on their way and waved them goodbye.
It soon became clear to Yelena that her statement was exactly right, as she awkwardly shuffled her bulky mass in place behind the thicket of bushes she was currently hiding. It had been 2 hours so far and her father had managed to shoot down a deer,a wild boar and 3 rabbits while here she was trying yet again to target the same rabbit she had been chasing for the last hour.
"Be very still and quiet he says, steady your breath he says, pull the drawstring harder he says..." Yelena muttered under her breath. Sure would be a heck of a lot easier if she could actually breathe and move her arms properly under the gazillion layers of clothing she was wearing. Never one to give up though, Yelena took aim and released her arrow, praying to the Saints that the arrow would find its mark this time. A loud screech told her that it had indeed found its mark and she jumped out of her hiding spot, shrieking with joy.
"Well done Yen! You''ll be an expert just like me in no time." King Oscar exclaimed while ruffling his daughter''s hair.
Swelling with pride, Yelena was about to notch another arrow before something in the horizon beyond the break in the trees caught her attention. Squinting, she drew her father''s attention in that direction. Isn''t that direction heading towards the town? And...was that...smoke?
"Hurry Yen, we have to go." Wasting no time King Oscar mounted his horse and rode towards the town. Yelena was hot on his heels, her heart hammering in her chest before plummeting to her gut at the sight before her.
In the distance, the once peaceful little town sitting in the midst of plentiful crop fields, was now covered in razing flames.
"No, no, no, please no!" Panic sinking and tears starting to blur her eyes now, Yelena rushed forward only to be stopped by her father. "Wait, Yen look there!"
Furiously scrubbing away her tears, Yelena finally saw what her father noticed. Valken soldiers armed to the teeth with weapons and torches surrounded the town, their silver and blue banner flying high in the wind.
Those bastards! How could they do this? There was a peace treaty established between Hesteria and the Valken Empire. A deliberate attack on Hesterian territory like this would breach the terms of the treaty and potentially plunge Hesteria into war. Being a kingdom of peace, Hesteria has little to no military defense and war would mean a guaranteed defeat.
What reason would the Valkens have to attack an insignificant town like this? Regardless, Yelena would make them pay. But thoughts of retribution were outweighed by the growing desperation to ensure her mother''s and Soren''s safety as well as the rest of the townfolk whom she treated as family.
"We have to save them father! We have to! We can''t just sit here and watch while-" Yelena was cut off by the sound of her name.
"Yelena!" Soren called out, panting while running towards them.
The briefest moment of relief washed over Yelena, and she almost wanted to cry again. "Oh Soren, thank the saints! What happened? What about my mother? And the others? Did they get out safely?"
"I-I don''t know, I was down by the river helping the innkeeper with the laundry, by the time we smelled the smoke the town was already in flames. Queen Rosalind... the few people I saw escaped said they saw her still in there helping to evacuate the town. I don''t know if she made it out but-"
"What of the Valken soldiers?" King Oscar interjected urgently.
"I heard that they claimed our people were housing Gordelian soldiers and hiding military weapons, sire."
"Preposterous! Soren, try and get as many people to safety as possible. Yen, find your mother. But please be careful. I will see to the Valkens myself." King Oscar declared before riding off towards the Valken soldiers.
2. Ashes
Yelena
Shrugging off the last piece of heavy protective gear she was wearing, Yelena covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve and stumbled past another row of burning houses towards the back of the town. The Valken troops had retreated and only the enemy commander and 2 other soldiers remained lingering behind. Likely to inspect the wreckage of military weaponry they expected to find in the rubble after the fire turned everything else into ash.
Soren and Yelena had tried their best efforts to put out the fire in some of the areas while those who could escaped but their efforts were futile as the roaring flames refuse to be tamed. There was nothing they could do except wait for the fire to die down on it''s own. Not once did Yelena catch a glimpse of her mother and every second that passed felt like an eternity of growing despair.
When the fire finally diminished enough so that Yelena and Soren could enter the town, Yelena feared it was already too late but she had to find her mother no matter what. She wasn''t the only one though, many other survivors had rushed in in hopes of finding their loved ones.
Smoke filled her lungs and the taste of ash was bitter in her mouth, threatening to choke her, but she plowed on through the charred town hoping to catch even just a glimpse of her mother''s platinum blonde hair or even the turquoise gown she had last seen her mother in this morning.
Soon she reached the location of Madam Marley''s house, the usual place where her mother and the other ladies of the town gather for tea and the latest gossip. Where she also would have been had she not gone out hunting with her father.
Soren helped Yelena dig through the ash, burnt corpses and wreckage of the collapsed building. The burnt pieces of wood singed their fingers but any such physical pain was nothing in comparison to the quickly growing emotional anguish.
"Y-Yen, l-look at this..." Soren stammered. In his trembling palm he held a soot covered gold ring embedded with a single sapphire gem. Her mother''s wedding ring.
No, no, no it can''t be. Her mother can''t be dead, it can''t be true. She didn''t even get to say goodbye. What was the last thing she even said to her mother? Some petty complaint abt wearing armour. If only she knew that would be the last time, she would have said so many other things instead. A loud anguished wail broke out from Yelena''s chest and she could do nothing but sob and clutch her mother''s ring tightly in her fists.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"I''m so sorry Yen. Queen Rosalind was a good person and an even better Queen and mother even to me, she didn''t deserve this. Nobody did. One day they will pay for this." silent tears rolling off his own face, Soren pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tightly.
Yes they would pay. Yelena would make sure of it. She would personally hunt down whoever was responsible for this meaningless death and destruction and give them a taste of their own medicine. She swore it over her mother''s dead body. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Valken commander searched the remnants of the town but found no signs of weaponry or evidence of harboring Gordelian soldiers. This proved that the Valkens had breached the peace treaty and hence the treaty was no longer in effect. King Oscar had captured and interrogated a left over Valken soldier in an attempt to find out who had ordered the assault and where the false intel came from but all that managed to escape his mouth was "Prince-" before he was shot in the head and silenced by the Valken commander who took off immediately after.
King Oscar, wanting to avoid the start of any war, negotiated a new treaty with new trade terms heavily favouring Hesteria as well as demanding compensation for damages caused to the town during the fire.
The King was devastated by the loss of Queen Rosalind, however the queen''s cause of death was kept a secret to the public except for the people in the town who knew of the queen''s presence during the incident who were sworn to secrecy. Princess Yelena''s presence at the town was also kept a secret from the Valkens. Upon return to the palace, the queen''s death was announced as due to illness. This was to prevent an uprising of the citizens within the kingdom whom all love Queen Rosalind dearly and who would demand her death be avenged by way of war against the Valkens even if they had to go to battle themselves despite only being merchants and farmers.
The war between Valken and Gordelian forces raged on with the balance of power slowly tilting in favour of the Valkens and their superior military strategies led by the young 2nd Prince.
Meanwhile in Hesteria, Yelena bidded her time and plotted her revenge on the Valkens. For the first part of her plan to work, she needed 2 more years to pass. And when she turned 20, her plan was to walk right in through the front gates of Valken as a bride to one of the Princes.
3. Birthday
Yelena
Yelena had always looked forward to her birthdays. When she was younger, her mother would prepare a whole mountain full of gifts next to her bed in the morning. The gifts would mostly be simple things like little cute trinkets or handmade mittens, nothing really too lavish but she loved opening the gifts all the same.
Today, there would be no mountain of gifts awaiting her but yet Yelena had a whole different reason to be excited about her birthday. She was turning 20 after all. Finally old enough to carry out the first step in her master revenge plot. In Hesteria, the legal marrying age was 18 however in Valken, young men and women debuted into society for marriage at 20. She had waited two long years for this day but she had not been sitting idle during that time. She spent most of her days studying whatever information she could get her hands on about the Valkens and their empire. And on other days she would practice her hunting skills with her father.
Yelena had already prepared her speech for when her father would ask her what she wanted for her birthday and was reciting it in her head when she heard Soren shouting from the other end of the corridor.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY YEN!! OUR LITTLE PRINCESS IS FINALLY A FULL FLEDGED MARRIAGEABLE ADULT IN EVERY PART OF THE LAND WOOHOO!"
"Saints Soren, hushhh could you get any louder? I bet even the people in Valken heard you. But thanks hehe." Yelena chided and then giggled like a 10 year old.
"I got you something. Close your eyes."
Yelena obliged and shut her eyes, "Better not be another slimy frog Soren or I swear-" Yelena''s sentence cut off as her breath hitched from the sudden brush of Soren''s fingers around her neck at the same time that a heavy metal object thudded between her breasts.
Opening her eyes, she saw her mother''s sapphire gold ring intricately attached to a delicate woven golden chain now dangling around her neck.
"What do you think? Made it myself and all!" Soren said, a proud grin on his face.
"I-" lost for words, Yelena only managed a soft "Thank you" as she bit back the sob that was threatening to well up in her throat.
"Awh nah not this! I was expecting joy and happiness and maybe some praise for my excellent handiwork but definitely not waterworks. Don''t cry Yelena, you know we''ll get even with them soon."
Half sniffling and half smiling, Yelena protested, "I''m not crying, who''s crying? Adults like me don''t cry."
"Haha it''s statements like that that prove exactly how immature you are." Soren replied before turning serious, "You''re really going to go to Valken huh?"
Yelena bit back her retort on the immature comment, Soren was only 3 years older than her, who was he to lecture her on maturity hmph. Instead she answered the question, "We''ve been over this, I''m going, there''s no stopping me."
"Then I''m coming with you. I''m sure your father will approve."
"I''m not even sure he would approve of ME going let alone you!"
"Well then good thing you''re planning to go with or without approval anyway and I get to just hitch hike on your bad decisions."
Rolling her eyes and ignoring him, Yelena marched down the hallway to the banquet hall where her father and his subjects were already waiting for her.
The birthday banquet held in her honour was grand for Hesteria standards. People from Hesteria far and wide were all invited to partake in the festivities. There was music and dancing and many people dressed up in their finest linens. Rows upon rows of steaming hot meals lined the tables, most of them hand made courtesy of the guests. Yelena had long requested the guests not to give her any gifts for her birthday for she knew not what to do with so many random objects and so declared on her 12th birthday that she would only receive gifts in the form of food made for the banquet table. The benefits of living in a kingdom blessed with bountiful harvests is that almost everyone was a good cook.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Stomach letting out a violent growl, Yelena greeted her father, "Father, thank you for hosting this banquet in my honour."
"Anything for my darling daughter''s birthday. Tell me, what is your wish this year?"
This was it, the moment she had been waiting for. Every year on her birthday, her father would grant one wish of hers as a birthday present. She had usually never asked for too much. Sometimes just something simple like asking to spend a night out in the town Square together, a new saddle for her horse Maddie, or maybe a limited edition book she really wanted, things like that.
But this time, there was no holding back, " I wish to attend the upcoming ball in Valken."
The King''s eyebrow raised in surprise. "The ball? You mean the ones held annually to find a suitable bride candidate for the Valken princes? Why ever would you want to go to that? You hate stuffy events."
Here goes nothing Yelena thought before replying, "I wish to marry one of the Valken Princes. Please father grant me this wish." She gives her father a meaningful look.
"....we will discuss this later tonight. For now, let the music and feasting begin! Music!" King Oscar clapped his hands twice signalling the musicians and dismissed the subject for later.
Knowing that she would get her wish one way or another Yelena was slightly disappointed by not discouraged.
She seated herself at the nearest table and started piling her plate full of her favourite food. Grilled chicken leg, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffed eggplants, saut¨¦ed mushrooms, beef stew and.... Was that yuca?? Wow, the people really went all out this time. Sharing pleasantries with the guests and receiving their well wishes at the table, Yelena enjoyed what would probably be her last banquet in Hesteria.
Later that night, the King summoned Yelena to his private study to discuss the matter of the ball.
"Yen, what is this nonsense about the ball? Are you really planning to marry into the Valkens? To what end?" the King asked warily.
"I wish to avenge mother''s death, father. I will find out who was responsible for the order of attack on mother''s hometown and I will get justice. Marrying into the royal family would prove a valuable stepping stone in infiltrating the Valkens and if nothing else, would also strengthen the ties between our kingdoms."
She paused and hesitated before continuing, "Father I know you miss mother everyday still. I see it in your eyes, the same pain i see in mine in the mirror everyday. But I also know as king, you have to put the kingdom first and cannot act selfishly to wage war on the Valkens. However I am not weighed down by such burdens, please please let me do this for mother." Yelena finished the speech she had memorized for days now and waited.
The King let out a heavy sigh. Wholly unhappy with the path of vengeance his daughter seemed to be determined to walk. It was true Rosalind''s death had affected the kingdom, him and Yelena most of all. But Rosalind would not have wanted Yelena to go down this twisted, spiralling path of revenge. However, King Oscar knew his daughter well. By hook or by crook, with or without his permission, she would find her way to that blasted ball. She had always been headstrong and stubborn like that, guess she got that from him.
He took a good look at his precious daughter. Her luscious scarlet locks that looked just like her mother''s, were pulled neatly into a messy little bun at the top of her head. The emerald velvety dress she was wearing clung to the curves of her now matured body. She was tall now, almost reaching his chin in height, and King Oscar was no midget of a man. Saints, wasnt it just yesterday that she was running circles around him below his waist? When did his little girl grow into this fine young woman? If only you could see her now Rosalind, she looks just like you, proud, strong and beautiful.
Decision finally made, the king declared, "I will grant you this wish Yen, however it comes with conditions you have to promise me to fulfil."
Almost not believing her ears and how easy it was to convince her father, Yen answered enthusiastically, "Yes father, what are the conditions? I''ll do anything at all!"
Holding up a first finger to count off the terms, the King replied, "First, you will not endanger your life or the safety of Hesteria in your conquest."
"Second, Soren will go with you as your personal guard and attendant."
"Third, you have one year to complete your quest, failing which you must come back to Hesteria immediately or I will come and get you and it will not end well for any of us."
"And lastly, if you do succeed in your quest, whichever prince you choose to marry, if you do not love him by the end, you must break off the marriage and return to Hesteria. Can you promise me all this?"
Gulping, Yelena considered the terms for a brief moment, decided they were not unreasonable and finally nodded, "I promise father. I will do you and mother proud."
"I know you will my daughter. Happy birthday again Yen."
King Oscar could only pray to the Saints now for his daughter''s safety and happiness. He had not wanted her to have a political marriage but instead marry for love just like Rosalind and him did. But Yelena was an adult now, she was free to make her own decisions. He only hoped that she would not come to regret this one. Sighing again, King Oscar whispered into the now empty room, " Rosalind, please, watch over our baby girl."
4. Valken
Yelena
The very next morning of her birthday, Yelena was already packed and ready to set off to Valken. The ball was in 5 days and they had a 2 day journey ahead of them. There were no carriages in Hesteria hence all the people were skilled in horseback riding. Yelena would be taking the bare minimum with her; a gown for the ball, a few basic everyday clothes, her hunting gear and weapons, a generous pouch of gold coins and enough leftover food from the banquet to make the journey.
Soren was with her, along with 2 of her best trained personal attendants, Jean and Tia. Yelena had hand picked them for their specific skill sets that would prove useful to her quest for revenge.
Tia''s family were originally Valken nobilities who were framed and exiled from Valken for tax fraud. Hence Tia knew the ins and outs of navigating the Valken social hierarchy. Yelena, who didn''t have an ounce of Princess behaviour training in her, needed all the help she could get from Tia.
Meanwhile, Jean had excellent information gathering skills due to her busybody personality and petite frame that allowed her to crawl and hide in the tiniest of places to eavesdrop on others. Nothing in the palace happened without Jean finding out about it. Jean even managed to find out about the true cause of Queen Rosalind''s death even though that knowledge is still considered a well kept secret from the public.
Giving her horse Maddie one last her brush, Yelena heard her father''s telltale heavy booted footsteps coming down the pavement of the palace entrance.
"Yen, I want you to have this. It was my father''s before me and I know you will put it to good use." In his hands, the King held a small gold handled dagger with a red jewel embedded in the hilt. The symbol of a stag rearing up on its hind legs was embossed on the sheath in gold - the crest of Hesteria.
Her father was giving her a family heirloom. Unsheathing the dagger, she found it to be lighter than she expected, the twisting blade sharp and polished. The perfect tool for an assassination, she thought. Strapping it to her waist before launching herself on her father for a hug, "Thank you father, I will cherish it and use it wisely."
"Be safe Yen, don''t forget to write your old man letters. I love you so much baby girl."
Slightly grimacing at the old baby girl endearment her father used to say, Yelena replied earnestly, "Love you too father."
The journey was largely uneventful. Just Soren nagging her about all the possible things that could go wrong when they reached.
The closer to Valken they got, the colder the air became as Valken was a mountainous region, making for an excellent natural terrain defense against external attacks. However it was also the reason that the kingdom is unable to produce enough food for their growing population and had to resort to relying on trades with Hesteria.
Soon, they reached the imposing outer fortress gates of the Valken Kingdom. Tall stone walls lined the natural mountainous borders. Large turrets peppered the tower walls and many soldiers were standing guard on the towers. One of them bellowed down towards Yelena and her entourage, "Halt! State your purpose and present your proof of identity."
"Princess Yelena Freyandria Hesta of Hesteria, here to attend the annual bride candidate ball." Yelena spoke confidently, holding up the Hesteria crest plate her father had given her as proof of identity.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The guards looked mildly surprised and suspicious before eventually opening the gates to let them in. Yelena didn''t blame them. This would be the first time any Hesterian princess attended the ball in a long time as all the recent previous decendants of Hesteria were either princes or princesses who married within the territory. This was just fine by Yelena though, since if she manages to play her part well, then the Valkens would never know what to expect from her and would never see what hit them until it was too late.
Yelena hated to admit it but she had severely underestimated the weather in Valken. The frigid cold air made her feel sluggish and soured her mood greatly. Hesteria was warm even in the winter and the clothes that she brought along with her but nowhere near thick enough for Valken weather. At this rate she would spend the whole ball with her teeth chattering and frostbites on her extremities.
Having suffered enough for 2 days, Yelena eventually decided she needed a walk and a shopping trip to warm up the day before the ball. She asked Tia and Soren to accompany her to the heart of the Valken city where there would be many merchants selling fine cloaks and plush woollen garments to solve her predicament.
Yelena had never been outside of Hesteria territory before, but even she could recognize the architectural marvel that was the Valken palace. Massive stone columns, expansive pristine marble floorings, giant carved statues at every corner and the big wide church windows that spanned the entire height of the walls everywhere, made Yelena feel especially small and even more cold and lonely in the palace despite its ethereal beauty. ''How could anyone ever feel at home here?'' she thought as she, Soren and Tia made their way across the royal gardens towards the exit to the heart of the city. Then again, she had never felt really at home in her own palace either. They had burnt her true home to the ground and her mother with it. That reminder banished any sense of sluggishness she ever had, and suddenly she felt warmer than before.
It was approaching the end of autumn now, and most of the foliage in the royal garden had already given way to the coming colder season. However, tucked in the middle section of the garden surrounding the fountain centerpiece was a vast display of blooming winter rose bushes in every array possible; darker plum shades, vibrant yellows, bright whites and a whole array of pinks peppered the area.
Feeling bold, Yelena snuck closer the one of the bushes and gently plucked a single white rose. She didn''t know if she had broken any Valken rules of not picking flowers from the royal garden but she simply didn''t care and proceeded to carefully stick the white rose into her hair. "How do I look?" She asked, turning to Soren and Tia.
"Very pretty, princess! It suits you w-" Tia was cut off by Soren''s exasperated remark, "Like a thief parading around with stolen jewelry."
Laughing cheerfully, Yelena smacked Soren on the arm lightly and, feeling more spirited already, skipped down the stone steps to the exit in a very un-princess like manner.
In the distance, shaded by a low hanging oak tree, a tall male figure sat in a secluded gazebo. He had seen the princess and her antics in the garden and the thought of confronting her for her trespasses briefly crossed his mind. That was the late Empress'' winter rose garden and yes there was indeed punishment for plucking said flowers.
However, he found himself rooted to the spot, hypnotised by the sight of princess. Her scarlet wavy locks of hair blew in the cold autumn wind and bounced every which way around her slightly tanned skinned face. The colour more vibrant than even the reddest rose in the garden. The white rose tucked in between her ears contrasted with the bright red of her hair, reminded him of blood on the snow in the battlefields he frequented. It was a morbid comparison for something so beautiful and he quickly shook the thought away.
He wasn''t close enough to really get a glimpse of her face but the pure sound of her unreserved laughter like the crisp chime of church bells made him almost want to crack the slightest smile. He didn''t though. He didn''t even know which kingdom''s princess she was.
Every year during this time, he was usually in a foul mood, dreading the tradition of the annual ball. He had no intention of taking a bride anytime soon and was tired of the many princess over the years vying for his attention just for political gains. And yet this time, watching the girl skip her way out of the palace, he felt himself looking forward to the ball tomorrow night just a little bit more than usual.
''The late Empress probably wouldn''t miss a rose or two.'' he thought with the ghost of a smile on his face, before rising from his seat and walking back into the palace.