The night was dark, the only light coming from the stars and the torches of the looming castle, Castle de Lux. Fiare boasted many beautiful ancient castles, but de Lux was the most impressive structure due to the Greek and Moorish influences that dictated its design over 400 years ago. For the past century it has served as the primary residence for the Fiare royal family. Many important historical events occured in this castle, but none as bone chilling as what happened that night of the new moon.
During the royal dinner, the young and beautiful Queen fell out of her chair and onto the floor, breathing heavily and clutching her chest. She kept repeating only a string of words, "Poison...husband...my children..." The Queen was taken to her chambers where the court physicians crowded into her sleeping chamber in vain attempts to save the dying monarch. Also present in the room was the Queens husband, the consort Felipe, and the crown prince, Kazil. Unfortunately, the physicians failed to save the Queen in the end.
The death of Queen Marianne was quickly spread throughout the castle, and none faster than to three specific individuals. To those three souls they knew what the Queen's passing meant, and they were not going to stick around to find out. But circumstances were cruel to one of the poor souls, but that did not stop the one being left behind to help the remaining two get to safety.
The castle was in havoc. The guards that were usually stationed at the castle wall were away, caught up in the whirlwind surrounding the young Queen's death. Rumors were already flying around: it was the king consort and the heir to the throne that did the deed. Why wouldn't they if it meant that the throne was theirs? But no one would dare to say them aloud, not now when the men under scrutiny had the throne of Fiare. In all the chaos, no one noticed the side door of the castle wall opening, how two figures slipped out into the surrounding forest. The figures were cloaked in black, the national color of the kingdom with the silver moon crest of Fiare embroidered in silver on the back. Their hoods were up, masking the identity of the two people as they dashed into the tree line and into the darkness.
They ran for ten minutes, heading north, deeper into the forest. Every so often the smaller figure would look behind itself and scan the trees, making sure that they were not being followed. The taller figure ahead pointed to a small clearing, picking up its pace as the other followed at the same easier pace, careful not to burst out sprinting. The trees opened up to reveal a tiny meadow, the flowers just beginning to bloom. At one edge was two horses tied to the trees, one had a sleek black coat, the other a silvery white coat. They were hunting horses, bred to be horses of speed, endurance, and reliability. The saddlebags were already packed, large leather bags hung on each side of the creatures.
The taller figure turned to the shorter. "The coast is clear, sister. I think it's alright to take the hoods down." The voice was smooth, a baritone voice that was comforting to human ears, the voice of young man on the brink of manhood. He took down his hood. The boy was handsome for his age. His face still had some baby softness, but the angles of his face were sharp and promised a man of rare beauty. His skin was a light mocha and went well with the dark hair that waved over his ears and down to the collar of his shirt. His deep brown eyes were almond shaped and fringed by long thick eyelashes that gave him an exotic look. He grinned as he spoke to his sister. "I'm serious, we're alone. It's okay to remove your hood."
The girl chuckled. "Can never be to careful in the coming dangerous times." Her voice was clear like a bell, and had an enchanting lyrical quality. She removed her hood, long raven black waves tumbling down her back. She looked like her twin brother right down to the black lash rimmed eyes the same shade of chocolate brown, the same full lips, and the same radiant grin. But unlike the young man, her face was less angular, softer and had the qualities of an innocent child yet had an exotic appeal that translated into sultriness. Her nose was small and straight, balancing out her features, even the similar brown eyes the siblings shared were a bit different, her being more almond shaped. But the defining difference between the two was the lighter skin tone of the sister, hers more subtle only by less hours spent outside and more time in the castle.
She looked up at her brother, reaching only his chest on his 5'10 frame. "Thomas kept his word. It looks like enough provisions to ride past the border town of Galia." Her brother smiled, obviously proud of the young squire that had risked his honor, and in consequence his life to smuggle the horses and equipment out of the castle. "I hope and pray that Kazil won't discover what he has been doing since the...announcement." They both shuddered. It was too soon to bring up the painful topic, and inappropriate at the present time. The two would have the open road to swim in their thoughts. "So how is he?" the boy asked after a moment of awkward silence. The girl gave a small smile and unwrapped her cloak from her thin frame.
Strapped across her chest was a sleeping infant, his little mouth open in a silent snore. The babe was tiny, barely three months old, and was pale and on the top of his little head was a tuft of hair so golden that it shined with the dim light of the stars. "We have to get out of Fiare in less than three days or else Elric won't make it." The girl had good reason to be concerned about the babe; the provisions only had enough goats milk for exactly three days, basically meaning baby Elric's food supply was dangerously limited. They needed to find a place to settle down and find a wet nurse for Elric in a few days.
After tucking her cloak around her the girl was helped into the saddle of the white horse by her brother, being careful not to jostle her and the babe strapped to her. The boy jumped into his saddle and nudged the horse forward, his sister following suite.
The brother looked at his sister and asked in a voice almost a whisper, "Are you sure you want to do this, Ana?" Her eyes flickered over to her brother and answered in the same hushed voice, her eyes connecting with her brother soul. "Yes, Pheo, I'm sure."
That day we left not only Fiare, but our childhood, our past, our existence. My mother's death drove Pheo, Elric, and myself into hiding, covering up our identities in obscure villages in the neighboring kingdoms. Every year we would just disappear from these villages, leaving behind new friends and kind elders who had helped the three of us settle into our new homes. We never risked sending letters back to the boy and young lady who made this limited freedom possible for fear of Kazil discovering us. However that never stopped a letter or two from reaching us when we arrived and a letter that arrived as a warning to get to the next safe location. We thought that we would be safe for the time being until Elric got a little older, waning the king's need to find us. But then we made a fatal mistake.
In the village by the lake Pheo and I had not received the yearly warning letter that instructed to move on to another village. At first it struck us as odd, but after a few more days of anxious waiting we thought no more of it, thinking we could stay in that village for a number of years. But that initial fear was realized five months later when in the middle of the night our neighbor woke Pheo and I to give us the shattering news: black riders had been spotted on the road heading to the village. We packed whatever we could and grabbed Elric and the horses. Into the forest we went, the black riders hot on our heels. In those tense moments my mind connected the dots: Kazil hired mercenaries to kill us, and had the gull to dress them in Firaian knights tunics. My brother, my other half, stopped galloping and turned around and drew his sword. I stopped and looked at him screaming, "No! Pheo we have to go!" He looked at me, his face sad and defeated, and yet he wore a smile. Then he spoke his last order to me, from elder brother to younger sister, "Ana, take Elric and go to Camelot. Mother made alliances with Uther that have held up despite Kazil. Go, and there you will claim your birthright. Now go!" With that he galloped back to make his final stand against Kazil's reign. I wept as I fled to the next kingdom over, Elric in my arms and limited clothes and provisions, weeping for the loss of my dear brother, my dear twin, and also for the precious item that Pheo had lost when he went to fight against the mercenaries.
It has been five years since Pheo, Elric, and I left Fiare after the Queen died, and only two of us live. Watch over me twin, for now I have plunged Elric, and in consequence myself, back into danger. We are in Camelot and the alliance mother made did not hold.