prologue: in the palace
Shards of light cascaded down from the incandescent domes of the Damalian cathedral as the glass ceiling caught the rising sun. The artistic mosaics in the stained glass revealed just enough light to see the dust in the air flying towards the sky. People bowed their heads in age-old piety along the massive pews, and sang a low, rumbling hymn to the Gods. The music echoed in the dome, a holy sound, pure and resounding.
In the front pew sat a young girl, singing softly. Her wavy black hair lay on her shoulders and gleamed in the crystalline light, and her dark eyes were cast down in reverence. She wore a pale blue dress, simple yet finely made. On her arms and hands was a pair of black, jewel-encrusted gloves that belied her nobility. She had a circlet on her head that twinkled as if it were on fire.
As the mass ended, she was the first to stand, and as she passed along the pews to the arch-shaped door, the people bowed or curtsied and murmured, "Your highness." She gave them a shy smile, and inclined her head slightly as she walked pass. Her two attendants followed in her wake.
With the doors opened before her, the princess marched out into the streets of Damali, her capital. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at what she saw. "What in the world....?"
Myriads of men and women in armour were riding into the city. The people were scrambling around trying to get all the horses watered, and servants were passing around food. More men and women were walking in on foot, carrying everything they owned on their backs. They were all slowly moving towards the palace in the centre of the city. Some of the people were obviously hardened warriors, carrying their swords and frowning at the world. They gulped down their water, wiped the sweat off their dirty brows and yelled back and forth. Others were barely out of childhood and wearing nothing but scant rags on their bodies. Their eyes, darting about and twitching nervously, watched the older folks go about their business.
The sudden rush of people and noise startled the princess into stepping back a pace, into her attendants. One of them spoke, with a worried frown on her wrinkled face, "Your highness, please get back inside until they bring out your carriage."
She ignored the plea and continued to stare at the bustle. I've never seen so many people in all my life, she thought, where are they all coming from? I'd heard... something... but... hm? She heard a small cough behind her, and turned around. A man stood there, fidgeting nervously and stared at her. She stared back. He kept staring. She sighed, and spoke. "Yes good sir?"
The man stuttered, "Begging your utmost pardon...Your highness, but we can't get your carriage through the crowd. Dreadfully sorry, but you'll have to wait until the streets are less filled...Your highness."
The princess sighed again, and replied, "Thank you." She then turned back around and briskly stepped down the stairs of the cathedral. To the cries of protest she heard behind her, she waved and yelled, "I've got legs and feet. They're as good as anybody's. Better even, if all those 'your highnesses' have anything to say about it!" Laughing gaily, she flew down the street.
Moments later, she arrived at the palace. Her home. The ivory towers rose in splendour among the palace's many domes. It was a beautiful building full of ancient artifacts and heirlooms as befit a royal castle. Royal gardens bloomed everywhere, full of roses and lilies in all different shades. Servants bustled about and it smelled like old cloth mixed with freshly baked bread. I love this place, she thought. It smothers me until I can't breathe with formalities and rules, but I'd be lost without it.
She walked in, and the servants bowed. She turned to the nearest one, and quietly said, "Tea in my dressing room, please."
The servant, a young woman, nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
The princess continued on into her room, closed the door and sat down on her four-poster bed. She held out her right hand at the vanity and frowned in concentration. Her hand twinkled, and so did the brush on the vanity as it slowly floated towards her. The princess took her brush out of the air, and began to run it through her hair. And, as always when she did this, memories came flooding back...
A little girl ran through the hallway, terrified and screaming, into her mother's study. With a cry she flung herself into her mother's arms. "Mama, mama..."
Queen Aaralyn hushed her child and said quietly, in a concerned voice, "What's wrong, my love, my Ria?"
The girl looked up with frightened eyes, "Oh mama it was terrible! I set Nanny Lucy on fire! I didn't mean to, honest..."
The queen frowned, "Kyriadra, how many times have your father and I told you that you are not to play with fire? Did you go to near the fireplace? Did you have matches? I told you-"
"No mama!" Kyriadra wept, "It came from me! From my hand...the fire came from my hand! I got cross with Nanny because she didn't let me stay up to watch the fireworks. Oh I swear, I'll never get mad again...I'm sorry... I'm sorry...I'm-"
A knock sounded on the door and threw Kyriadra out of her thoughts. It was just the maid. With tea. Breathing a sigh, Kyriadra smiled, took the tea and thanked her. Sipping the warm, bittersweet liquid, she heard voices in the adjoining living room. She silently crept to the nearby velvet sofa, sat down and put her head to the door.
The voices on the other side were tense and worried.
"...I didn't think it was that bad." Mother...
"We have no choice. We must send for more help." The king. Kyriadra listened more closely, with her ear leaning in upon the door.
"As long as we keep down the raids-"
"It's not just raids anymore, my love. It's war. And Achryn can't hold out much longer. That's why I've ordered the mercenaries here...and of course… the people of the city. The guilds, the lower town-"
"You want mercenaries and thieves to defend our country? Are you mad? This is-"
"Crazy, I know. But we've got no choice. The soldiers...the army… it's not enough. First, however, I need to discuss something with you. We must send our children away. Irenie I can trust underfoot to an extent, but Ria's only sixteen-"
Kyriadra raised her head away from the door and frowned. So, she thought. At least now I know why all these people are here. I wonder why I didn't know. I listen, I pay attention...this… war business must've been deliberately kept from me. They made me go to mass...and of course. They delayed carriage. They didn't expect me back so soon. Gods...I'm not that naive.
Clenching her fist, she drew herself her and stuck out her chin. Only sixteen...mama married when she was sixteen...father, you became king. It's my turn. Eyes flashing, Princess Kyriadra turned the doorknob with her other hand, and opened the door.
In the front pew sat a young girl, singing softly. Her wavy black hair lay on her shoulders and gleamed in the crystalline light, and her dark eyes were cast down in reverence. She wore a pale blue dress, simple yet finely made. On her arms and hands was a pair of black, jewel-encrusted gloves that belied her nobility. She had a circlet on her head that twinkled as if it were on fire.
As the mass ended, she was the first to stand, and as she passed along the pews to the arch-shaped door, the people bowed or curtsied and murmured, "Your highness." She gave them a shy smile, and inclined her head slightly as she walked pass. Her two attendants followed in her wake.
With the doors opened before her, the princess marched out into the streets of Damali, her capital. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at what she saw. "What in the world....?"
Myriads of men and women in armour were riding into the city. The people were scrambling around trying to get all the horses watered, and servants were passing around food. More men and women were walking in on foot, carrying everything they owned on their backs. They were all slowly moving towards the palace in the centre of the city. Some of the people were obviously hardened warriors, carrying their swords and frowning at the world. They gulped down their water, wiped the sweat off their dirty brows and yelled back and forth. Others were barely out of childhood and wearing nothing but scant rags on their bodies. Their eyes, darting about and twitching nervously, watched the older folks go about their business.
The sudden rush of people and noise startled the princess into stepping back a pace, into her attendants. One of them spoke, with a worried frown on her wrinkled face, "Your highness, please get back inside until they bring out your carriage."
She ignored the plea and continued to stare at the bustle. I've never seen so many people in all my life, she thought, where are they all coming from? I'd heard... something... but... hm? She heard a small cough behind her, and turned around. A man stood there, fidgeting nervously and stared at her. She stared back. He kept staring. She sighed, and spoke. "Yes good sir?"
The man stuttered, "Begging your utmost pardon...Your highness, but we can't get your carriage through the crowd. Dreadfully sorry, but you'll have to wait until the streets are less filled...Your highness."
The princess sighed again, and replied, "Thank you." She then turned back around and briskly stepped down the stairs of the cathedral. To the cries of protest she heard behind her, she waved and yelled, "I've got legs and feet. They're as good as anybody's. Better even, if all those 'your highnesses' have anything to say about it!" Laughing gaily, she flew down the street.
Moments later, she arrived at the palace. Her home. The ivory towers rose in splendour among the palace's many domes. It was a beautiful building full of ancient artifacts and heirlooms as befit a royal castle. Royal gardens bloomed everywhere, full of roses and lilies in all different shades. Servants bustled about and it smelled like old cloth mixed with freshly baked bread. I love this place, she thought. It smothers me until I can't breathe with formalities and rules, but I'd be lost without it.
She walked in, and the servants bowed. She turned to the nearest one, and quietly said, "Tea in my dressing room, please."
The servant, a young woman, nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
The princess continued on into her room, closed the door and sat down on her four-poster bed. She held out her right hand at the vanity and frowned in concentration. Her hand twinkled, and so did the brush on the vanity as it slowly floated towards her. The princess took her brush out of the air, and began to run it through her hair. And, as always when she did this, memories came flooding back...
A little girl ran through the hallway, terrified and screaming, into her mother's study. With a cry she flung herself into her mother's arms. "Mama, mama..."
Queen Aaralyn hushed her child and said quietly, in a concerned voice, "What's wrong, my love, my Ria?"
The girl looked up with frightened eyes, "Oh mama it was terrible! I set Nanny Lucy on fire! I didn't mean to, honest..."
The queen frowned, "Kyriadra, how many times have your father and I told you that you are not to play with fire? Did you go to near the fireplace? Did you have matches? I told you-"
"No mama!" Kyriadra wept, "It came from me! From my hand...the fire came from my hand! I got cross with Nanny because she didn't let me stay up to watch the fireworks. Oh I swear, I'll never get mad again...I'm sorry... I'm sorry...I'm-"
A knock sounded on the door and threw Kyriadra out of her thoughts. It was just the maid. With tea. Breathing a sigh, Kyriadra smiled, took the tea and thanked her. Sipping the warm, bittersweet liquid, she heard voices in the adjoining living room. She silently crept to the nearby velvet sofa, sat down and put her head to the door.
The voices on the other side were tense and worried.
"...I didn't think it was that bad." Mother...
"We have no choice. We must send for more help." The king. Kyriadra listened more closely, with her ear leaning in upon the door.
"As long as we keep down the raids-"
"It's not just raids anymore, my love. It's war. And Achryn can't hold out much longer. That's why I've ordered the mercenaries here...and of course… the people of the city. The guilds, the lower town-"
"You want mercenaries and thieves to defend our country? Are you mad? This is-"
"Crazy, I know. But we've got no choice. The soldiers...the army… it's not enough. First, however, I need to discuss something with you. We must send our children away. Irenie I can trust underfoot to an extent, but Ria's only sixteen-"
Kyriadra raised her head away from the door and frowned. So, she thought. At least now I know why all these people are here. I wonder why I didn't know. I listen, I pay attention...this… war business must've been deliberately kept from me. They made me go to mass...and of course. They delayed carriage. They didn't expect me back so soon. Gods...I'm not that naive.
Clenching her fist, she drew herself her and stuck out her chin. Only sixteen...mama married when she was sixteen...father, you became king. It's my turn. Eyes flashing, Princess Kyriadra turned the doorknob with her other hand, and opened the door.