Chapter 1

Eries paced frantically across her room without stopping for minutes on end. What could her father be thinking? All she could think about was him. Folken: the man she had once known as a boy. Gone was his shyer demeanor and his innocent little smile from before. In other words gone was Folken Fanel. There seemed to be nothing but the Strategos of the Zaibach left. She had been shocked and disappointed when she saw him for the first time in 10 years. He was still handsome to be sure, but he was no longer the same boy she knew. What had happened? It felt like just yesterday they were laughing at some silly joke. It seemed like moments ago he held her when she felt so plain and awkward compared to her lovely sisters. But it also seemed like centuries.

She finally sat down and looked out her window to comprehend what her father's intentions were. There was little to be gained by having a private audience with Folken. The king of Asturia and the king of Fanelia had already decided since Folken and Eries birth that they would one day marry. They could change that no more than they could move the sun. But something in her heart told her something was wrong. And she was right. Something was very wrong indeed.

Inside of the King's hall Folken for the first time in years felt vulnerable and defeated. He knew what he had agreed to but he still could not believe he had agreed to it. He had hoped to have concurred the world before he would have to. He had thought he would have seen and done so much more with his life before this moment. But it appeared he had been mistaken. The last thing he wanted to do at that exact moment in time was marry HER. Maybe 10 years ago he had wanted to. But he had been foolish and naive. He knew she was different now. But then again so was he.

The girl he remembered was an awkwardly shaped girl, lanky and quite flat. But he remembered that her personality was the brightest of all he had ever met. She was full of laughter and life, once you got past her shy exterior. Her laugh could brighten the darkest of days and easily fill every corner of every room. And even though to some she was the least appealing of the sisters, to him she was by far the most beautiful of them. She was intelligent and beautiful; suave and gentile. Her social graces made up for her other two sisters' outbursts and rude comments. And their refusal to obey their father in the matter of marriage.

But the woman he met yesterday could not have been his Eries. She was by far more exquisite than her sisters combined. Her hair was a light flaxen color; her skin smooth and white as if it were meant to be on a porcelain doll. Her grace was astonishing for a girl who had once basically tripped over her own two feet. But there was now a coldness about her that showed only in her eyes. She was cold hearted. And possibly lonely. But as soon as he saw her he knew she had no affection left for him. It seemed like her soul was burning with cold, liquid anger towards him. From the moment she saw him she was not only confused but hurt. Of course Folken had no way of knowing that. To him she was a completely different woman.

He had meekly agreed to the King's insistence that they be married within the month. He didn't have any desire to marry a shrew who would be incredibly cold and cruel to him. But on the other hand she could have developed another form of her shyness. After all he had learned to put up a defensive and foreboding barrier in order to protect himself. Perhaps she was trying to do the same thing.

The only request he had made was to tell the princess himself. He wanted to spare her an argument with her father or any kind of public embarrassment. He knew this would be somewhat of a shock to her. But of course she too had to have known this would come about someday. Even if she didn't want to accept it. So he slowly paraded his way up to her room, feeling as though he were a war criminal stepping up to the noose. He slowly knocked on her door. She bade quietly for him to come in. He saw her sitting pensively on the bed. She turned her golden head to look in his eyes and said slowly, "It's nice to finally see you again Folken. It's been what... 10 years now?" He sighed. He looked into her eyes and saw tears swimming just beneath the surface. He looked at her with a pained look and said, "You must know why I'm here."

"Oh yes Lord Folken. You are here because my father wants us to marry. But I agreed to marry Prince Folken Fanel. All I see is the Strategos of the Zaibach. So a wedding is not going to take place. Sorry if that disappoints you in anyway." Her face lit with a condescending grin.