Hey everyone, or anyone who actually steps on this story, hahahahaha. Now, I know this is the Resident Evil section, and I know it is difficult for this story to find it's place here, especially since it got no apparent couple, but let me do the explanations, ok?
This is a story I wrote in cooperation with Kit2000 and Anna, two writers here in fanfiction who are really into the Resident Evil universe, specially Leon and Claire's stories. This is not a Leon and Claire actually but that's why I'm explaining.
Kit2000 and Anna wrote a Leon for Claire story known as: "The Prince and Valkyrie", and once they finished it, and since I liked their story, I offered to write a prequel which some of you may have probably read, the story was "Necromancer Chronicles" and it was a Billy for Rebecca story which was prequel to "The Prince and the Valkyrie." Now, the Universe we so accidentally created, seems to be growing larger and larger, so this story was born, we even got an illustrator!
If you have read "Necromancer Chronicles" by me, and/or "The Prince and Valkyrie" by Kit2000 and Anna, then this story will make sense, if not, I'm afraid you are now reading a fantasy story, not very Resident Evil like I must add, which serves as prequel story for those two stories I'm mentioning.
This story is an original story, placed on medieval times, the year is 362 A.C. and there aren't zombies, or gun fire, but there will be in the sequels to this story already written. The story got only original characters as well, with the exception of Dr. Marcus, which plays a role in the sequels. I know it is confusing, but I encourage you to give this story a try.
This story was written under the petition of "Kit2000 and Anna" And the cover art was drawn by their artists: "LeonandClaireBSAA" you can find her art for this story and their prequels in Deviant art dot com. Now for further information, if you like this story, please give a try to the other two, they are read in this order:
1 – The Two Loves of Queen Iolanda (By FriendlyMushroom, Kit2000 and Anna)
2 – Necromancer Chronicles (By FriendlyMushroom)
3 – The Prince and Valkyrie (By Kit2000 and Anna)
Prologue:
Most fairy tales begin with a 'Once upon a time', and finish with an 'And they lived happily ever after'. This tale also begins with a 'Once upon a time', from a time before a greedy alchemist found the elixir of eternal youth and immortality, and way before his disciple became immortal himself and destroyed the land with an army of infected. This story is the beginning, of those legends from times before the times of darkness.
So, it is only natural that this story also gets its place in history, as the stepping stone which founded the lands of legend of brave men and women, and sealed the vows of friendship and love for the many generations that followed. And so it begins.
Once upon a time, there were four kingdoms, each divided by one of three rivers. On the farthest west corner, was the Kingdom of Raccoonheim, a peaceful land where knowledge was the greatest of all treasures, and militarism was nothing but a crude war game of the selfish. Raccoonheim meets the ocean by the west, and by the east finds its borders clashing with Marble River. Thanks to this river, Raccoonheim never grew too much militarily, but the intellect of the ones living inside this peaceful kingdom, is priceless. Many intellectual families, as House Cham, are found on these lands.
Next to Marble's River, stands proudly the biggest of the four kingdoms, Redfield Kingdom, the house of the Golden Wolf. While powerful in army, this kingdom only relies in the extension of its territory. Most of Arkay Forest belongs to Redfield Kingdom. But due to its extension, it is hard for the ruler, King Alan, to keep control over the borders. Mostly, he uses the rivers as reference for the extension of his kingdom, since on the eastern borders, a young and small river, easily crossed by horse, is found delimitating the territories between Redfield Kingdom, and the neutral nation of the Golden Eagle.
Valentine Kingdom is the home of the Golden Eagle. The river between Redfield and Valentine is known as Mendez River, in honor of King Mendez, ruler of Valentine Kingdom, who sealed peace with Redfield Kingdom. Since Valentine Kingdom, despite been powerful militarily as well, was more interested in peace, and prosperity. Arkay Forest ended where Mendez River began, revealing clear green fields. There were forests in Valentine Kingdom as well, but Valentine was the land of the eagles, and the horses. Valentine Kingdom could show off about having the fastest of all horses in their lands, and beautiful eagles claiming the skies.
And yet, there was a third river drawn in the maps of these four kingdoms, a river that once served as the dividing border between the extended Redfield Kingdom, and the powerful and aggressive Kennedy Kingdom, Ruled by King Daniel, the Clever King. This third river, connects Marble River, with Mendez River, and divides the land into the overwhelming extension of Redfield Kingdom, and a smallest, but more powerful Kennedy Kingdom, the house of the Golden Lion. The name of this river was Serene River, and despite still drawn on the maps, it dried long time ago, without the knowledge of either, Redfield or Kennedy Kingdom's rulers, since due to the uneasy relationship, no town was found near the now inexistent borders.
But soon, the knowledge of the border being inexistent would come to light, and war would once again erupt between Redfield Kingdom and Kennedy Kingdom. One land too big to manage its own extension, and the other one too narrow and surrounded by mountains, as to hold so many families, already seeking refuge on either Raccoonheim or Valentine Kingdom.
And yet, no one knows, but there is a fifth kingdom. Hidden from the hearts of the unworthy, existing inside of a sacred forest in the middle of the bigger Arkay Forest. There, a land covered by a magical veil of humid mist, houses a long though inexistent civilization, the Valkyries. Left behind by the old gods, to take care of the worthy combatants of war, the last of the once prosper Valkyrie Bloodline, still walk these sacred lands, surrounded by emerald colored trees, and of wood healthy and bright.
These hidden lands are ruled by the now recently crowned Queen Iolanda, after her mother, Queen Hlin, left for the lands of the old gods. Young and inexperienced, Queen Iolanda is not ready to face the upcoming war. Since today, two mortals are out on a hunt, two very powerful mortals, who are capable of ordering their respective kingdoms into a bloodbath. And even if it is the duty of a Valkyrie to lead the brave into the lands of the old gods, this newly crowned queen, may have claimed the crown at a younger age than what was wise.
So it is safe to start this tale from here. And as it is meant to happen, it all starts with a well-known phrase. Once upon a time, there was a King. His name was King Alan of Redfield Kingdom. Once upon a time, there was a King. His name was King Daniel of Kennedy Kingdom. Once upon a time, there was a young Valkyrie. Her name was Queen Iolanda of Celestial Forest. Once upon a time, the three of them met.
Resident Evil: The Two Loves of Queen Iolanda.
February 23, 362 A.C. Celestial Forest.
"Dear mother. Today I was crowned Queen of the Valkyries, as was always your wish." A melodious voice, coming from a fine and beautiful young maiden, escaped the prison of her pale lips, only to be received by a Rune Stone the girl was working at. "I admit I am nervous… leading the Valkyries, there is no way of knowing if I'm ready for this. But I respect your last will. It's harder on you than in anyone else." The young red headed woman, of long and wavy crimson colored hair, carved on the stone with a sharp obsidian dagger, scratching the stone, carving by force and continuous cuts the rune she was so carefully carving. It was one of the oldest traditions, of a civilization now gone. "You left some years ago, and only today I was able to claim your crown. Since today is my birthday, and I'm really happy, everyone has been really good with me!" And then the young queen lowered her head. "I guess what I am trying to say is… I'm sorry for not finishing your rune in time, dear mother…" She continued with a warm smile. "But you know… I'm really liking how it looks right now!"
The now Queen of the Valkyries then admired the beautiful carving, the stone now had the image of a woman, with long wavy hair, a lance at her right hand, and a shield on her left one. The woman was also wearing a necklace, but it wasn't finished, the carving was too far from being completed. Other than the necklace, the dress she wore only reached her left leg, Iolanda was still to carve the other part, but was determined to do it so, her Rune Stone had to be the best of them all, since all around the green fields of Celestial Forest, and being bathed gently by the warm light coming from out of the golden colored trees, there were several Rune Stones, which served as resting place for the fallen Valkyries, which weren't much, since Valkyries couldn't truly die.
"It is an impressive rune, my queen." A Valkyrie wearing a heavy silver armor mentioned. It was a surprise for Queen Iolanda, not because of her presence there, the Rune Forest was a public place after all, but because of the young Valkyrie wearing her armor, since these were peaceful times after all. The brunette haired woman then kneeled before her queen, and the young maiden couldn't help it but feel a little intimidated. This was, after all, her first day as a queen. "Pardon my intrusion. But a couple of hunters have approached the territories of Celestial Forest. They are too close to Misty Plains." The Valkyrie explained. "What are your orders, Queen Iolanda? Shall we drive them off, or do we kill them to prevent them from returning."
"Drive off or kill them? Jessica, aren't there any more options? Or are you giving me the options you feel more comfortable with?" The young queen asked, and by the reaction of her powerful-looking Valkyrie, Queen Iolanda understood it was the later. "I supposed so! Jessica, you are too rough!" Queen Iolanda mentioned with a sweet tone of voice. "Queen Hlin was the Valkyrie whose role was to protect men. A goddess of justice, and love for men… she was born under those runes, and governed the Valkyries for centuries, until the old gods claimed her." And Jessica nodded in agreement. "During her rule, she lifted Serene River to divide the lands between our kingdoms. She loved men enough to share her land. I say, we allow them to hunt. Two men aren't a menace."
"It is if it's them." Jessica mentioned, and Queen Iolanda kept her attention away from her Rune Stone, and faced the Valkyrie. "The hunters are King Alan and King Daniel." And Iolanda saw no problem at all on such revelation. "My queen… upon her transcending to the realm of the old gods, the blessings of Former Queen Hlin were gone with her. The river… dried four years ago when you mother transcended." And Queen Iolanda widened her eyes. "One of them is invading the other's territories, and they haven't realized it."
"I understand… I will handle this matter myself…" Queen Iolanda mentioned, and Valkyrie Jessica flinched out of surprise. "Years ago, when there was war, my mother personally ended the war when she lifted the river in front of the astonished eyes of the two armies from Redfield and Kennedy about to clash in mortal war." And Queen Iolanda touched the Rune Stone softly, and smiled for her mother. "Today there are no armies, only two confused kings, and a queen who studied diplomacy since I was a child! I'm sure men are kind hearted." And Valkyrie Jessica bit her lips in hatred. "Oh, and before you even think about it as an advised approach, it is actually an order, I will handle it, don't get involved!" She added cheerfully, and then faced the Rune Stone. "I will be back, dear mother." And with that last said, she left for the forest of shadowed colors, which were the territories outside of Celestial Forest.
Southern Arkay Forest. Kennedy Kingdom.
"This must be my lucky day… a white deer… I haven't seen a white deer in ages…" With an ax in hand, a royal-looking hunter, wearing a golden colored armor, and a ring with the Golden Wolf emblem carved on it, hid behind the trees while he faced his soon to be trophy. King Alan enjoyed a good hunt, although he was usually more interested in hunting boars or wolves, such was the reason of him carrying am ax since he liked to fight his prey head on. He never usually hunt for deer, but there were legends of the white deer's he was interested in, they were a very rare prey, and legend told they had magical powers. "You are mine… that wish is only mine…" He mentioned and then stepped out of his hiding spot, only to step on a branch and alert the deer. "Curse my heavy footing!" He yelled and then tried to run for the deer, only to find an arrow flying his way, an arrow he barely dodged.
"I missed? I never miss!" King Alan heard someone yell, and then saw a blonde haired royal coming out of the grass. He wore a black colored tunic, and ignored the king of Redfield Kingdom and readied an arrow. "Oh no you won't! That wish isn't escaping me!" He yelled, and then tensed his bow's string and prepared to launch and arrow after the already fleeing white deer, when he was tackled down by King Alan. "Uff! What in the dammed ones name?"
"That's sacrilege, but that's not important, that's my white deer!" King Alan mentioned, and began running after the deer, readied his ax, and launched it, only the deer jumped and escaped. "I'm going to get you!" King Alan yelled, and the stranger in black suit noticed the golden armored warrior carrying a quiver with many small axes which apparently he threw at distance. "Whoever kills a white deer gets his wish come true! And I'm going to hunt you!"
"With a heavy armor on? Good luck, tortoise!" The stranger in black suit added, ran to the king, and kicked his ankle, forcing the ruler to fall down. "When out on a hunt, you don't wear a heavy armor, you wear leather armor, and I'm not going to lose my deer over a noble too arrogant as to wear gold in his armor." And the blond man ran after the deer, launched some arrows to scare him out of the forest, and then chased him. "That's right! Run to the mountains! I will have a clearer aiming there."
"Wait up! That deer is mine!" King Alan yelled, and clumsily tried to stand up and run after the retreating hunter and his white deer. "Once I get that hunter, he will know to respect his king!" And Alan rushed after the two, moving fast despite his heavy armor, he then found the hunter, who had cornered the deer between the mountain and his aiming. "That deer is mine!" King Alan yelled, threw and ax, and cut the string of the hunter's bow.
"Hey! Mind your own business, faceless noble! What house are you from anyway?" The hunter added and took a dagger out, which he threw with skill, only the deer jumped and began running toward the forest. "You know how hard it is to hunt without a bow? Now I have to hunt him as a savage! Take offence, I was insulting you." The hunter added after drawing his sword and with a teasing smile before he began running, too fast that King Alan was left speechless. "A hunter corners his prey! But this may be the last time I see a white deer! I'm not missing it!"
"You damn farmer! You should be more respectful! Don't you know who you have been mocking?" But the hunter didn't care, and instead threw a rock toward one of the legs of the deer, forcing it to trip and fall down. "I admit that was impressive." The king added, and then took another ax out and ran after the hunter. "But I'm afraid that wish is mine!"
"Not if I kill it first!" And the hunter was about to kill the deer with his sword, only he found an ax in his way. "You move too fast for being wearing a heavy armor." And the king smiled with arrogance, and swung his ax, only to be blocked by the hunter with his sword. "But apparently, you know nothing about combats. For starters, you don't fight with an ax against a sword!" And the hunter swung his sword, which was far longer than King Alan's ax and forced him to back off. "Get out of my way!" And the king blocked with his heavy armor.
"Oh? Where did your confidence go? I wear heavy armor because I like blade to blade combat, and making fun of puny combatants like you." And the king swung his ax, and the hunter dodged skillfully. "Quit moving! We aren't dancing! We are fighting!"
"You call this a fight? I call it a laughable display of ego from a noble who believes himself too superior against the common folk! I would invite you to one of my many commoner visits, but I doubt you would even dare getting your hands dirty!" And the hunter swung back, and the two forgot entirely about the deer and began pushing one another away.
During the distraction, Queen Iolanda came out of her hiding spot, and walked in four toward the tired and scared white deer, not minding her emerald colored dress getting dirty because of the action. She then reached the deer, and rubbed its head a little.
"It's all right, they are too busy arguing." The girl added, and the deer began standing up weakly. "Now go… quietly, if you make a sound the blond one will find you." And the deer walked slowly deeper into the forest, while the two warriors continued their fight. Shortly after helping the deer flee though, she hid back into the forest, and observed the battle taking place. As a Valkyrie, it was her duty to lead the brave warriors to the promised land of the old gods, so she had witnessed many battles, even since young age.
Normally, the battles ended with the skilled and the strong defeating the weak. But this battle she was witnessing was far different. Both men were awfully skilled, one probably way more than the other, since the hunter kept on pushing the king back, overwhelming him, but the king just refused to give up. Queen Iolanda then began wondering, what was that wish the king had, to fight so hard against a rival who outclassed him so much? Anyone else would have surrendered and pledged for his life, maybe being a king forced him by honor not to do that, but she had seen even kings giving up to soldiers more skilled than them. And they were fighting over a legend, they didn't know if hunting that deer was worth the effort in the first place. But both believed, and King Alan's belief was enough to keep him fighting. In the end, however, the king found out he was outclassed. The hunter kicked King Alan, took a dagger out and stabbed it on the king's shoulder armor, not hitting his flesh, but trapping his heavy armor to a tree.
"I have had enough of your insubordination." The hunter mentioned, and pointed his sword at his throat. "Thanks to you, my white deer is gone, and so is my wish." And Alan faced the direction the deer was left at not long ago, and the disappointment in his face was more than evident. "What royal house are you from? The noble houses of my kingdom can't lack etiquette and mannerism, we are not Redfield savages, we are Kennedys! King Daniel will not tolerate nobles who disrespect commoners. Being a noble doesn't make you superior… only lucky."
"King Daniel?" The astonished king mentioned, and then got unstuck from the tree and pulled his ax out. He then faced the man's right hand, and found the ring of the Golden Lion there. "You are the king of Kennedy Kingdom?" King Alan added. "The last time I saw you, you were a prince!" King Alan mentioned, a smile on his face. King Daniel then seemed to recognize the noble in front of him, but couldn't exactly buy his identity yet. "It's me… King Alan Redfield." The proud king added.
"Alan…? Like in that fool of a prince who entered a bear's cave when our families were out on a picnic trying to seal a peace treaty? The same Alan Redfield who I had to save from that damn bear with only my hunting dagger so the negotiations between our kingdoms didn't go to waste? You almost got me killed! Not to mention you ruined the opportunity of peace between our kingdoms!" King Daniel mentioned, and the tension grew between them.
"I was only a child. And if I remember correctly, you were the one who dared me into the bear's cave to begin with." King Alan mentioned. Queen Iolanda observed it all from a safer hiding spot behind of a tree. She had originally thought about trying to reason with them, but now that she witnessed their aggressive behavior, she had second thoughts about it. "Our kingdoms have been at each other throats for too long… and perhaps not long enough, since you and your kind continue to break into Redfield territory." He sentenced.
"We are on Kennedy Kingdom." King Daniel mentioned, and pointed his finger to Alan's chest accusatively. "I haven't crossed the river, and in case you haven't noticed, we are by the mountains, there are no mountains close to Redfield Kingdom, we know, since our warriors scouted your lands when we were at war."
"Invaded our lands! Which was the reason of why war began to begin with!" And King Alan readied his ax, but he almost immediately hid it. "What happened to us… Daniel? We used to be good friends when our kingdoms were trying to sigh the peace treaty… why are we always at each other's throats? It's been five years since we last met." And King Daniel bit his lips in annoyance.
"I matured… you didn't, that's what happened…" And King Alan crossed his arms. "Leave my kingdom… before we go to war… now…" And King Alan kept his arrogant posture. "Next time I see you in my kingdom… Redfield… I'm going to kill you… stay on your side of the river." And King Daniel took a new string cord and began fixing his bow.
"I never crossed the river to begin with, Kennedy." King Alan added. "My kingdom is bigger than yours. Make sure you stay inside your castle walls next time. Or else, we will bring them down." And King Daniel faced him with hatred. "It's too bad we can't go to the good old times… when we were friends… those were fun times."
"It was fun before that bear ruined the peace treaty." And the two walked toward opposite directions, one looking for his way back to his kingdom after noticing the invader was him, the other one hunting a prey, but not just any prey, he wasn't interested in the white deer anymore, but on the girl who saved it. "You though I didn't notice you? I'm not as dense as that buffoon. I saw you helping the deer to escape." And the young queen gulped hard. Until finding out about how arrogant and rude men could be, she was ready to stand in front of both kings and try to arrange peace. But now it was different, she wasn't ready for this, not yet. And in her distraction, she found her mouth being covered softly by a caring hand who wasn't trying to scare her, but to meet her. "You are lucky I don't hurt women. But you made me lose my white deer, and I want an explanation. You can go once you give it to me, agreed?" The prince added, delivering a soft smile to her, a smile she couldn't ignore, and she ended nodding gently, despite being so rudely trapped. "Where are my manners? I apologize if I have scared you, my name is King Daniel. But everyone around these lands seems to know me as the Clever King. I wonder why." He added with his arrogant smile.
"Pe… perhaps it is because of your clever smile…" She smiled softly, the young queen was actually really nervous. This was her first contact with a man, and it was intimidating for her. The man then took her pale hand, and planted a soft kiss on it. At that very moment, a warm sensation ran though Queen Iolanda's spine, it was a pleasant feeling, but she couldn't help it but feel cornered and controlled, a feeling she disliked just as much as she felt joy over the man's caring behavior. "I'm sorry… this all, caught me off guarded… I don't really think I know about what to say to all this… mannerism…" Queen Iolanda mentioned, and King Daniel vowed his head in reverence. "I apologize if releasing the white deer was offensive to you in any way. I just though… arguing over a deer wasn't worth the effort of hurting a brother."
"He is no brother." King Daniel mentioned a little arrogantly, and Queen Iolanda couldn't help it but feel concerned about such reply. The man in front of her was both, a fine and caring gentleman, just as he was a despicable and arrogant person. "But I admit it was perhaps a childish behavior. There are legends surrounding the hunt of the white deer after all, they say whoever hunts it, gets his wishes come into a reality. But perhaps… mine had already come true…" And Queen Iolanda felt a little intimidated by such reply, and honored at the same time. She couldn't truly explain it, she sort of enjoyed man's company, but it was perhaps because it was the first time she met a man at all. "May I know your name?"
"Iolanda." The queen mentioned without a second thought, she was that overwhelmed by the man in front of her. Sadly, she was equally intimidated. There was something about King Kennedy that forced her to feel uneasy. He was too expressive, and the queen was slightly reserved. In a way, she felt attacked, in a pleasant way, but still attacked. "Young king… my hand…" She added. And just then King Daniel noticed he was still holding her hand and blushed madly when noticing he had just spaced out. "Hunting an innocent animal, only for the purpose of having your wishes granted… is not fair for the deer… is it…? They are not at fault for being the subject of a legend that I can assure you is fake." And King Daniel faced the young woman with fascination, and admiration. "King Daniel… is there a way I can convince you into quitting the senseless hunt over the white deer? I can't explain it, but that legend… is fake… there is no magical essence in that deer… it is only a deer." And the young king blinked twice at that last, and then he smiled softly.
"If such beautiful maiden says so with such sincerity… there is no reason to argue with her." And the young king made a reverence. "Lady Iolanda. I'm afraid I want to see you more." And the queen was caught off guarded. "My royal responsibilities are calling me back at Kennedy Kingdom. My advisors will lecture me for sure and probably forbid me from hunting if I am late for our daily meetings. But I am whiling to beg if needed be. Let me meet you again. Let me know you more. In exchange, I will never hunt for white deer ever again, since beautiful lady Iolanda seems to like them a lot." And he blinked his eye at her.
"Fine king, are you… courting me…?" And the king laughed a little at that comment, and Queen Iolanda's heart skipped a beat. "I'm honored… but… your cleverness is truly intimidating… I don't know if I could handle a second meeting in this very moment." But the king insisted, and took both of her hands carefully. "If it's only a meeting… I suppose it wouldn't be at all a bother…" She added in a whisper, as if knowing that if her mother could hear her, she would be mad at her, even if she was the queen. King Daniel then opened his mouth as to say more, but the queen silenced him. "Here… tomorrow at night… if I come then it means I'm accepting your courting… if I don't… please forget about me…" And King Daniel was impressed.
"You aren't used to being courted, are you?" And Queen Iolanda moved her head in negation several times. "Maybe I am too straight forward. But may I ask, why are you being this reserved?" And the queen faced away in embarrassment. "Lady Iolanda?"
"Because I'm being courted… and when a Valkyrie is courted, instead of being the one to court her beloved one, she needs to accept or decline, and don't back down on her decision. Our blood can't tolerate betrayal." And King Daniel blinked twice at that last. "I'm sorry… I can say no more… you just need to know, that once a Valkyrie choses her beloved one, that decision can't be changed, it is sacred." And once again King Daniel felt confusion surrounding his mind. "Please… if I don't come tomorrow by night… forget about me…" And the girl then let go of his hands and ran into the forest. "This same tree! Tomorrow by night!" And the girl then disappeared inside of the forest.
"Wait! Lady Iolanda!" King Daniel yelled. But instead of chasing her, he stayed there in deep thoughts. "What was that all about?" He wondered. "Valkyrie?" He asked. "It matters not at the moment. I fell victim of the circumstances. If King Alan was here, then his noble guard isn't that far away." King Daniel mentioned. "If the Redfields are thinking about expanding their already large territories, they will find out the hard way that we Kennedys aren't another stepping stone in their territorial expansion." And with that last said, King Daniel took out an arrow, and pressed it against the tree, before walking away.
Redfield Castle's Throne. Redfield Kingdom.
"If the Kennedys are thinking about sending their families to our territories to exploit our lands, they will find out the hard way that we Redfields aren't going to allow foreigners to cut our trees and hunt our animals!" King Alan yelled out of hatred toward his surprised steward, who just flinched out of surprise over his king's annoyance. "That dammed Golden Lion. If only he surrendered his army, we could seal peace."
"Surrendering his army is the same as being conquered, my king." His steward replied, and the young king sat by his throne. "It is the same advice I gave to your father the late king, and the same advice I'm giving to you, my king. The way of the arms is not the solution. Dying the grass of our lands in red will only lead to the damnation of both our kingdoms. I suggest we respect the non-aggression treatment, and each stay on their side of the river."
"What river, Marcusius? I searched the forest for the river, and it was nowhere to be found!" And the young steward rubbed his chin with interest. "Redfield Kingdom is too big a territory to be managed easily. The river played an important role. As long as no one crossed the river, everything was all right. But the river dried, now there is no borderline. Either we expand or allow them to expand. You know how they have population issues." And Steward Marcusius nodded in agreement. "They migrate to Raccoonheim and Valentine Kingdom, we in the other hand have a more strict regulation. Raccoonheim didn't have noble houses until the Cham migrated from Kennedy Kingdom to Raccoonheim, they were under our protection, and they went into independence. But we both know their loyalty is pledged to the Kennedys."
"My King Alan. You are probably as suspicious as was the late king. I believe I have educated you to be better than only a faceless war tactician." And the king rolled his eyes out of annoyance. "King… please… remember the day I crowned you… you were only 15 years old. Your father, King Brian, and King Sigurd of Kennedy Kingdom, both killed one another in the battlefield over a trivial discussion over a fishermen family from the Kennedys building their cottage at the wrong shore of the river. Two kings, dying over a cottage! Do you wish me to bury you as well? My king, use your brains more than you use your brawl."
"That would make me a Kennedy!" And Steward Marcusius lowered his head ashamed. "I'm sorry… I… I'm too young to be a king… my blood boils with the love for battle… war is in my veins… a part of me truly wants there to be war… I was forced to this position, Marcusius." And the steward nodded in agreement. "But what can I do? I'm young, and inexperienced. No one taught me the rules of the game. No one taught me to be fair… when am I being a tyrannical dictator… and when am I a fair ruler? I just don't see the difference."
"And that is the reason of why kings have stewards." Steward Marcusius replied. "You were too young to be crowned, I understand it. But my king, if you die in battle, and there is no one left in your place to rule, the only option you leave for your kingdom is surrendering." And King Alan nodded in agreement. "We can't go to war with the Kennedys… it would be a horrible blood bath which will end with you in a grave. I suggest maintaining the borders. Send our men to scout the river's shore and place a wall there. There will much likely be conflicts when the Kennedys discover the wall, but at least, your kingdom won't be the responsible of breaking into war. If the worst case scenario happens, we can always rely on King Mendez providing support. The Golden Eagle is neutral, but our kingdoms share a diplomatic peace."
"Politics are just too complex for me to understand!" King Alan mentioned, and grabbed his head out of annoyance. "Fine… we will build the wall…" And Steward Marcusius was pleased. "But I will supervise it personally." And that horrified the steward. "I understand your concern, Marcusius… I have no wife, I have no heir… but King Daniel called me something I hate the most… he called me faceless noble… and I need to prove him wrong. If a war erupts… I need to be the first one entering the battlefield… only to be the last one to leave… dead… or alive… the Golden Wolf protects his territories."
Celestial Forest.
"Courted? You were courted?" A young Valkyrie yelled, and Queen Iolanda immediately covered her mouth out of fear and surprise. "Muff mef leffiffy." The blonde haired young Valkyrie continued, and after taking a deep breathe, the red headed queen of the Valkyries let her go. "But my lady." She continued from where she was interrupted. "You know the rules of the Valkyries… we are a men free civilization… we can only court or be courted by one single male… if you accept his vow of love and he is being fake you know what will happen!"
"Elza, I know, the old gods wouldn't tolerate it and he would die. If King Daniel's vow is not sincere… I can't place a man into such predicament. King Daniel… is a very fine gentleman, and I assure you he has caught my heart in a way… yet, the risk is too high… if he isn't the right one… and his vow is only driven by the moment…"
"Ow but it is so unfair at the same time! I'm older than you but you got to experience these predicaments at such young age?" Elza complained, and Iolanda lowered her head as if feeling she was being scolded. "Some of us have lived millennia without finding the right person. And you, recently 318 years old, are thinking about finding your other half so early in life?" And Queen Iolanda nodded several times while feeling scolded. "Oh no… what am I doing? I'm lecturing my queen, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just sometimes I just forget you were just crowned our queen! Please don't cut my head off."
"Elza… I came to you as a friend, not as your queen. Remember you are my dearest friend after all. My new royalty status shouldn't get in your way." And Elza nodded in agreement. "And I'm not Jessica either, I don't cut heads off." And Elza laughed a little. "But returning to the main subject… what can I do? King Daniel courted me, and if I decline him, it needs to be the definitive reply. If he doubts… even once, then he will die… a Valkyrie isn't a common mortal… that's why we are isolated. Vowing out of greed or by the impulse of the moment, could be deadly… I can't do that to King Daniel." And Elza nodded in agreement.
"If you are certain King Daniel is your beloved one, you need to meet him tomorrow. If not, it is too dangerous to allow him to seal his vow." And Iolanda nodded in agreement. "Now… the forced question…" And Elza took her queen's hands. "Is he handsome?" She blinked an eye, and Queen Iolanda sweated hard at the change of attitude of her friend.
"I couldn't stop staring at him… so I suppose…" She added with a nervous smile, and Elza giggled a little. "He is like a prince cut off from the page of a fairytale, but at the same time he frightens me with the teasing and childish flames of his brave and arrogant heart! But he is handsome… very… and scary at the same time." And Elza began laughing hard at her queen's now more childish replies.
Kennedy Kingdom.
Once King Daniel arrived to his kingdom, he breathed out and in defeat once noticing he arrived in the worst of times. It was almost time for dinner, and the streets were full with women reaching the markets and arguing about the little supplies that were left. It was always like this on Kennedy Kingdom by the evening when women didn't wake up early to hit the markets as they opened. For the young king it was like seeing a stampede of people rushing all around the market place. He was sure even that if he wasn't careful moving around he would end trapped in the stampede. Also, he was the king, so keeping a low profile was needed, or else he would never reach the castle.
"I hate myself so much right now… I wasted too much time with that girl…" He added with concern. "Can't be helped, she was beautiful. You! Give me your armor!" He faced one of his guards, who faced his king with disbelief. "I will pay you for it. I just need to cross the road. Afterwards you can go to the barracks for a new one." And the guard nodded and began switching armors with the king, who in the end began walking by the market with the heavy orange armor of the house of the Golden Lion as disguise. "The things I do to get to my own castle… ack… this armor smells…" Eventually, the king reached his castle's walls, surrounded by an inner wall of grey brick, and black gates which revealed inside an immense grassy garden. It was a view King Daniel hated, his kingdom was running out of space but he had plenty. Many times he had been tempted to break his own walls and share this peace with the common folk, but he knew there would be an inner civil conflict for space if he did. "Home sweet home… noisy home…" The king added while taking his armor off.
"Where in the divine one's name were you?" Someone yelled, and King Daniel flinched. The voice came from a brown haired girl with long hair that reached her back and had a couple of banks of hair covering her also paint-dirtied face. She wore a white commoner-like dress which was equally dirty. "You promised! I was waiting for you." She complained. "And what's with the stinky armor?"
"Leave me alone for a day, Laura… I'm tired, and I need a bath, I don't feel like posing for your paintings at all today, find someone else." And the girl began tapping her foot at the grass out of annoyance, and that forced the king to back off in fear. "You got yelled by the elders in my place… didn't you?" And the girl nodded in agreement.
"I got yelled! You didn't reach the daily court meeting! And it's Steward Cham! I'm not your spouse!" She complained, and the king lowered his head ashamed. "Besides, there is no one else I want to paint anyway…" She spoke to herself, and King Daniel raised an eyebrow at her. The girl then calmed down, faced the king, and made a reverence. "I'm sorry… new to the steward role… I guess I should care more about my royal responsibilities than about my hobbies… it is good you are here, my king…" And she vowed.
"That's totally out of your character… Laura…" And the girl bit her lips in disappointment. "We can talk politics while you paint I guess, Steward Cham." And the girl delivered a soft smile to him. "And what happened to the dress I bought for you, wearing such unfeminine clothes like that, how cruel of you." King Daniel mentioned, and began taking his armor off and walking toward the working place of Steward Cham, who kept a half-way painted masterpiece there, with a lot of wooden bottles spilling paint all around the grass forcing that certain spot to look as if a giant had eaten a rainbow and had thrown out there. "And it was an expensive dress, I woke up early to get it for you, so cruel of you for not wearing it."
"I'm not going to get that dress dirty in paint. I will wear it when I'm not painting." And King Daniel delivered a cold stare to her. "I know… I'm always painting." And King Daniel began placing an orange tunic on as well as a red cape, his formal clothing, and then stood up in a place market with a red paint x. "Beside… that dress uncovers my shoulders…" She added while blushing madly when thinking about the ruby-colored dress the king bought for her.
"Of course it does! Women should look pretty, not like a farmer." He added while pointing at her clothes. "You are also my steward! You are supposed to look royal-like!" And the girl ignored him and began painting, and King Daniel got in pose. "How was the meeting?" He wondered.
"Not good… another royal family left for Raccooheim… we lost the Golden Ram seal entirely…" And King Daniel lowered his head. "The elders are calling you weak hearted. They are saying that if only you accepted their war plan, we could conquer Redfield Kingdom easily. We are running out of space, we are a cornered kingdom."
"Laura, are you even listening to yourself? We are not going to war over space." King Daniel mentioned. "I met King Alan today." He continued, and Steward Laura was surprised. "He crossed the river… but… I couldn't find any river either, something must have happened, I scouted the land. That was one of the reasons of why I was late." He explained.
"Oh? And which was the other one?" Steward Cham mentioned. "And don't call me Laura, childhood friends or not, I'm not your spouse…" And King Alan sweat dropped. "House Cham is a respectably royal family under the Raccoon golden emblem. Remember most of Raccoonheim is house Cham. King or not, you owe me respect." And King Daniel nodded in agreement. "So… what was your other distraction?"
"Umm… a woman…" And Laura's brush skipped her last brushing horribly, ruining the painting. "She was perhaps… the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." And Steward Cham began biting her lips hard. "Red hair, long to her waist, some strange grey colored eyes, pale skin, very dense, but… I don't know… she got a childish charm somehow…" And Steward Cham spaced out a little. "We agreed in meeting again tomorrow at night, I can't wait, I think she is the one, you know? The one who can be my queen… I haven't looked that hard I admit, but I just know it…" And Steward Cham stood up abruptly. "What? Tired of painting? We just began." He added.
"I got royal responsibilities!" She added out of annoyance, surprising the king. "I'm sorry… I guess I'm not in the right mood to paint at this very moment… the light isn't the appropriate one either…" And Steward Cham began picking her belongings up.
"Fine then, tomorrow I won't go hunting for there to be better light." King Daniel offered, and Steward Cham flinched a little. "Hey… I got this feeling I said something that angered you… maybe if you tell me what it is…" And the girl moved her head in negation. "It's not an order from king to steward, we are childhood friends. You can tell me anything." And she blushed madly when she heard that last.
"My king, please, don't insist… I wouldn't want to blind your judgment with my thoughts over your meeting with this woman you mentioned." And King Daniel raised an eyebrow at that last. "As seeing as there is no way I can reach you in a personal manner… I may at least keep it professional…" She whispered, but the king heard her.
"Laura? Could it be that you…?" King Daniel began. And in that very moment, Steward Cham began running her way back to the castle. "Wait a moment! Laura!" He yelled. "This is not right… if my suspicions are correct… then… what I just confessed to her…" And the king lowered his head ashamed. "I can't think about it… this is not the right moment… it is better if I avoid Laura for the time being… I made a decision… I'm meeting that girl tomorrow night…"
February 24, 362 A.C. Southern Arkay Forest. Kennedy Kingdom.
"Dear mother I'm so nervous! I can't believe I actually came!" Queen Iolanda added, and began walking from a side of the tree with the arrow to the other one impatiently. "I know we agreed on meeting… but he is a hunter… he will surely arrive earlier than expected…" She spoke to herself while fidgeting impatiently. "But then again, why did I arrive this early? I have never been courted before, I wasn't ready. Dear mother, what am I going to do? And if he isn't the right one? And if he is? Elza is right, I'm only 318 years old. My heart is going to explode." And she began breathing heavily out of fear.
"Is it here my lord? Are you certain?" Queen Iolanda suddenly heard, and she blushed madly when thinking it was probably King Daniel, but the voice was calmer, it couldn't be him. And so, she hid behind the tree, and faced the direction the voice came from. "If your directions are correct, then indeed we are in the heart of Kennedy Kingdom. King Daniel was right, you were trespassing." Steward Marcusius mentioned. "I suggest we go back now, our men are working on building the wall already. If we win enough attention, we will be surrounded by Kennedy Kingdom's soldiers." And Queen Iolanda faced the wild looking man the long haired noble was speaking to. It was the same man she saw fighting so valiantly against King Daniel.
"Let them come then. They will meet my sword. I don't back off against any rival, whether more powerful and skilled than me. You should know that already, Marcusius." And the queen was surprised when hearing such words. "If King Daniel truly thinks he had outclassed me, he may show off to his people about his momentary victory. But I swear, he will eventually meet my blade." And King Alan took his silver sword out. "Last time, I was hunting, this time I'm for real." And Queen Iolanda admired that calmness and determination, the man surely knew what to expect from a battle, even if it was against King Daniel. It would be a pleasant fight to witness for a Valkyrie, if she weren't consideration King Daniel as a potential love interest.
"Prudency, my king, do not allow your hot head to overcome your judgment. It's not wise at all! Why are all Redfields this… I don't know… brute?" And King Alan laughed at that last. "All you can think about is blood and chomping heads! Have you ever considered a more political approach? Have you ever listened to my advices to begin with? If it were for your pride, I'm sure you would invade Kennedy Kingdom on your own and see just how many heads you can chomp!" Steward Marcusius complained.
"How many you think I would chomp? How about 50? I can give it a try just to see your surprised face. It would be priceless, Marcusius." And Queen Iolanda giggled a little, and the sound of her beautiful laugher hit King Alan's ears. "You heard something?" And Queen Iolanda covered her mouth. "It was like a squirrel laughing." And the Queen of Valkyries felt insulted.
"Squirrels don't laugh." Steward Marcusius mentioned, and King Alan laughed hard at that last. "They don't have the proper vocal mechanism to laugh, and what would a squirrel laugh about anyway, my young king?" He wondered.
"Maybe squirrels don't laugh because they don't have sense of humor." King Alan mentioned, and then he flinched. "I sounded exactly like that dammed King Daniel! We better return to camp and aid in the construction of the wall. King or not, I am a man, and should work as my subjects do. To serve, and protect. I'm not as hot headed as you claim me to be." And the two left, and Queen Iolanda smiled at the simplicity King Alan's mind worked like. He was far different from the complex King Daniel, he was like a big kid, thinking as a hero, not as a ruler. Queen Iolanda suddenly felt relaxed, the thought of Alan thinking of himself as a hero was refreshing, like seeing the warriors of old in a battlefield, fighting, only for glory, and for the only purpose of living to fight yet another day. Primitive or not his behaviors, the truth was Queen Iolanda admired the art of war just as much as she admired peace, and for her, seeing men defend their pride, was admirable.
"If King Daniel and King Alan fought… who would win…?" She wondered. "Handsome and smart King Daniel? Or noble and brave King Alan? It would truly be a fight worth witnessing." She added, and then her thoughts went back to King Daniel, and her heart jolted. "Uweeeeeh! And just when I was relaxing! If only King Daniel was a little more easy-minded as King Alan!" She compared, trying to make the perfect combination between the two, and suddenly noticing that making her own perfect man was unfair. "Where is him anyway… and I came here to meet him and all… it's not gentleman-like to leave a girl waiting." She finished, and began rubbing her hair nervously.
"Darn it, darn it, darn it! That Laura, she had been ignoring me all day! I wasted precious time trying to find her!" Queen Iolanda suddenly heard, and when she did, her heart once again complained. That loud tone of voice, it was definitively King Daniel, he arrived, even if it was late, but he did. She didn't know if being happy or not about it, soon the king would be on her sight, and her heart was racing too fast. In the last second, however, she hid behind the tree with the arrow, trying to win more time to think, and once King Daniel made it out of the bushed, she heard the relaxing sound of his breathe coming out. "Blessed divine one, thanks a lot, I would hate myself if I had left a fine maiden waiting for me." King Daniel began, and Queen Iolanda gulped hard. She was sure even that if there was enough silence, King Daniel's hunting eras would surely hear her raging heart at her chest. "What am I going to say to her? I barely know her, it's true I came here to know her better, I'm so nervous." And Queen Iolanda blinked her eyes twice at such revelation. The Clever King wasn't that clever at all it seemed. "I can't ruin this, sharp tongue you better don't betray me this time, I already broke one heart, I don't feel like breaking another one." And Queen Iolanda heard King Daniel sitting down, with his back against the tree, she in the other hand was sitting with her back at the other end of the tree, so she felt really uncomfortable at the moment. "My beautiful Iolanda… if only you knew, that for you I broke the heart of the person that was closer to me… you must truly mean that much to me… I unintentionally sacrificed too much for you, and the worst part is, that even if wounded after this realization, I know I can overcome it…" And Queen Iolanda was surprised. "Laura… means the world to me… my mistake was probably always seeing her as my friend… I keep wondering if you are worth losing my friendship to her… and every time I reach the same conclusion. I won't know unless I try." And Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement. "Perhaps… it is too early to say that I love you… I am yet to get to know you… but the little I know, right now is enough… that innocence in you… that reserved personality that just calls me to want to protect you… it is worth the try… it is worth the pain in my heart…"
And Queen Iolanda smiled. King Daniel was too complex, she knew it, the little she knew him was enough for her to reach that conclusion. He wasn't going to vow just yet, so he was in no real danger, he was going to try, and reach an agreement. Perhaps the queen judged him wrong. She also thought that it was worth the try. In that very moment, the queen stood up, she would accept King Daniel's courting attempt, but she would be really careful. If King Daniel was whiling to try, so was her. She then opened her lips as to speak, only at that very moment she heard a branch being crushed under the heavy footing of a just arriving King Alan, and out of surprise, Queen Iolanda hid once again.
"You can say all you want… Marcusius… I'm sure I heard something…" King Alan added, and at that moment, King Daniel came out from behind the tree, and Queen Iolanda was left speechless, seeing the determined look drawn on King Daniel's eyes from her not so well hidden spot by the tall grass. His eyes, read hatred. "King Daniel!" And Alan's voice reflected the same emotion.
That very moment went in slow motion for Queen Iolanda, she was unnoticed, but she was a witness, as both took their swords out, and launched one another to the respective enemy. This was the battle she so longed to see. Only now after the realization of her feelings, she didn't want it happening.
"I told you not to enter my kingdom again, Redfield!" King Daniel yelled, and the clash of the swords hurt Iolanda's ears, who covered them not wanting to witness this. Even if her Valkyrian blood dances with the swings of the swords, her heart was restless, and nervous. And what if Kind Daniel lost? And what if King Alan was defeated? One was her current love interest, the other one a person she admired dearly for his kind heart, this battle, was wrong, and she was too scared to get in the middle of their blades.
"Believe it or not, King Daniel, this is not an invasion! I came here to make sure our kingdoms remained separated! But it seems circumstances brought this meeting? What are you doing on the forest this late at night?" And the clash continued. This was different than the first time. Back then, King Daniel was showing off his superiority, because he knew he could, and that time their meeting was accidental, this time, both were having their own conclusions. "So my suspicions were right! You were going to expand your territory!"
"Even if that was my intention, Redfield, it is none of your business! We are still in MY kingdom! Whatever I do in MY kingdom, it none of YOUR business!" And King Daniel began pressing the sword-fighting harder, overwhelming King Alan. "We are running out of space! My people live in poverty! The population is too high for my kingdom to be enough! And yet I tried the benevolent ruler route! I didn't invade your lands! I was trying to find a way! But your greed is unbearable! Your obsession with your territorial expansion is disgusting! If only you have allowed my people into your kingdom, but no! You had to expand even more! Don't you have enough land?"
"It's not the land! It's the diplomacy! Back to the day the bear attacked, the Redfield's knew the treaty was very one sided! Just face toward Raccoonheim's direction! It is basically owned by a lone royal house, the Golden Raccoon house! That city's name was Veronica before your migration began!" And King Alan tried to push back, but was unable to, King Daniel was better. "You call me expansionist, but you don't notice it yourself, it is your kingdom the one expanding! You even owe Raccoonheim, only you haven't noticed. House Cham is under your service!"
"You are accusing me of using such a low tactic as taking over a kingdom by sending whole families to live there?" And Queen Iolanda backed off, scared by the growing hatred in King Daniel's heart, this wasn't the King Daniel she knew. "You… are calling me a coward… you are calling me a thieve… you, and the elders… and Laura… no one understands… all I want is my people to have somewhere to live! If I need to invade your kingdom… only to give to them the land they have so longed… I will…" And King Alan bit his lips hard. "You want war… King Alan… you just got it… the Golden Lion! Declares war to Redfield Kingdom!" And in a fast move, King Daniel dodged King Alan's sword, and swung his sword deep though King Alan's chest. "Damn you Redfield… all I wanted… was for you to respect my territories… and accept my people… but you closed the borders… you… are at fault for this war." And King Daniel kicked King Alan off his sword, and saw his defeated rival by the grass. "There is no turning back… I killed King Alan… my life, is in pieces… now I have nothing else but to move forward… forget about Laura… forget about Iolanda… forget about a peaceful way of solving conflicts… I can't go back anymore, I crossed the line… we were friends, dammit! Now your kingdom will be mine… but rest in peace… my old friend… I will be fair… this, will not be a blood bath… without their king, they have no choice but surrendering to my army." And King Daniel then noticed Queen Iolanda, since at that very moment she sobbed uncontrollably. "Iolanda?" He began out of fear, and then saw Alan by the grass. "This is not… what I wanted…" He mentioned.
"I came here… for you…" And King Daniel faced the young woman with hopes, which sadly were crushed. "No… not like this… King Daniel…" And the king lowered his head, and nodded in agreement. "King Daniel… unless you return to your senses… I'm afraid there is nothing I can do… we are too different… this… madness… needs of someone more capable of dealing with it." Queen Iolanda admitted. "Your heart doesn't know what it wants… and even when right now I wish I could help ease your pain… I can't… forgive me… I decline your courting." And King Daniel accepted such reply.
"I understand… now… please go to your home… and lock yourself inside…" And Queen Iolanda felt her heart shattering. "I wouldn't like my soldiers to run into you when we march toward Redfield Kingdom… take care… and be well…" And King Daniel marched his way back to his castle, leaving behind a heart broken Queen Iolanda, who immediately ran her way toward the weak King Alan, who even after being fatally wounded, tried to reach his sword as if knowing reaching it meant staying alive.
"Wait… King Daniel… I'm not done yet…" King Alan added while reaching his sword, and once he did, he felt a soft hand hitting his own. King Alan then noticed the young Valkyrie, who moved her head in negation, asking him with her silence, and her eyes drowned in tears, not to continue with such nonsense. "I need to… protect… my kingdom…" And the girl mover her head in negation. "We were friends… we… could have found another way… but… I was blinded… by greed… if only I could fix this… I would do anything to fix this… unite our kingdoms… my people… his people… they all don't need to suffer over a damn personal affair between the Kennedys and the Redfields… my pride… only last until my love for my people begins…" And King Alan fainted, and Queen Iolanda was freaked out, and she quickly turned him around and rested his head at her lap. Even in defeat, King Alan was honorable, capable of ignoring his pride and think about the welfare of his kingdom. Queen Iolanda was pleased for that knowledge, but now feared it was too late. The young king was dying, it wasn't fair, he had a lot to live for, and was stripped from his life over a misunderstanding. The thought of King Alan dying, not only by the sword of her once love interest, shattered her heart. But she also knew, and felt, that King Alan was needed, the world needed more heroes at heart. But he was dying, and couldn't be saved.
"Unless…" Queen Iolanda mentioned, her heart in pain. "Unless I use the secret marriage ceremony by Valkyrie's law." And her heart then felt heavy. "But… in King Daniel's words… is it even worth it? This man, got no right to die… much less, because they wouldn't have met in these conditions, if I hadn't asked King Daniel here in the first place." And the queen of the Valkyries faced the glassy eyes of King Alan, who was crossing to the afterlife. "It's worth the try… he is a child at heart… such rage, can't exist in someone like him. It certainly can't, he is different than King Daniel, he is that easily read, he needs to live, I will do it!" She added, stood up, and then vowed. "Please forgive me for this, I don't know you, and you don't know me, but to save your life I need to marry you." She excused her behavior, and then began taking his chest protection off, until revealing his naked chest with the horrible wound on it. "A man's chest… is… frightening…" She admitted, and then waved her head hard, and began undressing clumsily, until she was left only wearing some golden colored panties, and covering her chest as if thinking the dying king could see her. She then rested on top of the defeated king, her soft chest hitting his firm one, and she blushed at the idea, but tried to concentrate. If she truly wanted to save the king, this needed to be done. She linked her hands together with his, and approached her face as close as she could to his. She then closed her eyes, and began with her sacred vows. "By Valkyrie law I pledge this vow, Queen Iolanda of Celestial Forest, swear my oath to love you eternally, King Alan of Redfield Kingdom, brave warrior of the Golden Wolf." Once saying such vow, she couldn't help her heart to feel a little heavy, but at the same time she felt at peace. "You are now my other half, you are now my only one, my beloved one." And her body began shining on a golden light. This ceremony was one that couldn't be possible if the heart wasn't being honest. It was in that very moment, that Queen Iolanda noticed that her heart, despite being divided, was pure on her feelings. She was in love with a complete stranger. In the end, King Alan breathed normally, but he couldn't wake up, and Queen Iolanda smiled softly, upon finding out her feelings reached him. Now they were married by Valkyrie's law. "And now I'm married… great job Iolanda… second day as queen and you are married to someone who doesn't know you, and at the age of 318 years… mom would be disappointed…" She mentioned, but then smiled. "So this is… how it feels to be in love…? King Daniel… I wish you can find someone to share this feeling with as well… since in a way… I think I loved you too…"
Kennedy Kingdom. Royal Chambers.
"I feel so naked wearing this!" Laura yelled at her reflex on the mirror, since she was inside her room and trying the beautiful ruby-colored dress King Daniel had bought for her. It had a long skirt, and the top only covered her chest barely and tied one of her shoulders, the other one was free. It was a mode that would surely look lustful if she wore this outside of her room, and she began wondering and fantasying about what King Daniel wanted to tell her when he bought for her such intrepid dress, surely he wasn't having healthy thoughts, or perhaps he was to oblivious as to notice what he just bought. "No… he is truly that much of a pervert… he surely only wants to see me this exposed…" She confessed with sadness evident in the tone of her voice. "He got no feelings for me, he made that one pretty clear to me a while back… umm… I can't wear this…" And she began stripping herself, and revealed her nightgown below the dress, only tied in rags, since she didn't feel like wearing anything so intrepid without the needed protection in case it fell. "Seriously, I hate him so much sometimes… how dare him imagining me wearing something like this? Whatever he might be thinking." And then she grew depressed. Even if she thought King Daniel was having perverted thoughts only because of her overflowed imagination, the truth was she wished it was more than just her imagination. "No! I'm not going to fantasy about him! Not anymore, he made it crystal clear!"
"Steward Cham?" Laura suddenly heard, and she flinched and began fixing her nightgown and opened the door gently. One of the maids was there and sweating hard at the girl's yelling. "If you are done… yelling at your reflex by the mirror… we think there is something that needs your immediate attention." She explained, and Laura blushed, and nodded in agreement. "It's the king… he… is muttering nonsenses about war and killing King Alan." And Laura flinched, and left the room in a rush. "Steward Cham! Your clothes!"
"He is my childhood friend! He has seen me in nightgown before!" And the maid blushed, and just saw the young steward running around the castle in search of her king. "My king!" She yelled upon finding him, walking aimlessly around the castle, with his sword surrounded by blood in his hand and hitting the floor, which was being scratched horribly as he walked. His eyes were in blank, his head lowered. It was obvious he was in shock. "My king?" She wondered. "Hey… speak to me… what happened…? My king?" And King Daniel barely reacted. "Daniel!" And he woke up, and saw the girl in front of him. "Snap out of it! I can't help you if you don't react. This is not the time to be spacing out, my king, you are in the middle of the hallway, with your sword covered in blood, think about your royal image a little." She mentioned.
"You are… my steward in her nightgown…" And the girl flinched and covered her body. "…And it's not the one I bought… will you ever… stop wounding me…?" He added with depression, and the girl reacted violently to those words and covered her body. "I am… the Clever King!" He added, and began swinging his sword, freaking out Laura a lot. "Clever King! Everything I do, is random! Everything I say, is said with a sharp tongue! Everything I think, is a mystery for everyone other than me! Long life Clever King! I order everyone to just shut up, and do whatever you all want! See if I care!" And the steward faced the many maids around, and moved her head in negation toward them. "And wear your damn nightgown I bought for you!"
"King! Have you been drinking?" Steward Cham asked, then forced him to face her and began sniffing him. "You have!" She concluded once noticing the odor to alcohol. "You know they call you Clever King because you can't tolerate alcohol! Don't tell me you killed King Alan under these inappropriate conditions."
"Inappropriate? I'm tired of doing what is pro-pro-propri-propriate!" He finally yelled, and the girl sweated hard at that last. "All I ever did was try to keep our kingdoms on their respective sides! But no! He had to cross! He had to invade our lands! He had to force me, to this!" He added, and showed his sword to her. "And I'm not drunk… woah… not that drunk…" He continued, and the girl grabbed his arm around her shoulders, helping him walk. "Take me out of here before Clever King goes for a stroll and Sadness King arrives."
"Yeah, yeah… I'm the only one who can see Sadness King, I know." She mentioned, and carried the king toward her room. "What are you all looking at? We are childhood friends, childhood!" And the maids began laughing. "Seriously, Clever King, this will surely be motive of gossips." She blushed, and finally helped the king inside of her room, and when she did, the king remained still on his own, and Steward Cham sat by her bed. "For the love of the divine one. How can someone so mature as you be so stupid when drinking?"
"I didn't drink." King Daniel admitted. And then Laura faced him in disbelief. "I took a wine bottle from my royal vinery and spilled it all around my body for the smell. It was the only way to speak to you, since apparently, after yesterday's painting session you have been ignoring me, Steward Laura." And Laura bit her lips with annoyance after being tricked like that. "But I don't need my steward right now…" And she flinched, thinking she was fired. But instead, she found King Daniel falling on his knees, and hitting his forehead softly against her lap. "I need my childhood friend." And Laura flinched at that last. "Remember how… when we were kids… you always used to rub my head, while I cried at your knees? How you always calmed me down?" And Laura nodded in agreement. "I'm an adult now… I don't cry… but… even adults need help calming down… I made something… horrible…" And Laura thought about it for a second. "I need you…" And the woman faced away momentarily. "Please… help me… hear me…" And the woman took a deep breathe.
"Are you even worth it?" She mentioned, and the king bit his lips in pain. "Of course you are." She concluded. "I'm here… I'm not going anywhere… what did you do wrong this time, Daniel? Tell your big sister." And Daniel laughed a little.
"That's funny because… I'm the elder here…" And the girl nodded in agreement. "And I never saw you as my sister… I don't buy such clothes for little sisters…" And Laura punched the back of his head hard. "Ouch!" He complained.
"Seriously, Sharp Tongue King! They don't call you clever for nothing!" And the king nodded, and faced up to see the girl there. "Tell me everything? Anything you say is all right… even if it hurts… that's what friends are for, to help you ease your burdens… did you really, kill King Alan? Are we at war?" And King Daniel nodded. "Do you… want war…?" And King Daniel moved his head in negation. "Then there won't be war… I will see to it…" And she leaned down and faced the king directly. "Everything is all right… I'm here… I will always… be here…" And the king faced Laura with a shocked expression, and the girl faced him back not understanding that last. "What?" She wondered.
"I never noticed… how beautiful your eyes were… like caramel…" And he rubbed her bangs of hair away from her face, and she blushed a little. The king then leaned closer, and she backed off, he tried again with the same result, but in the end he stole a kiss from his steward, which only lasted a couple of seconds, but was enough for the steward to freak out of surprise. "I'm an idiot." He admitted and lowered his head.
"Clever… I… was thinking just the same…" She admitted, and both remained in silence. It was an uncomfortable situation, but at the same time it was pleasant. King Daniel was depressed no more, his mind now clearer, he had recovered.
"I'm going to make peace with the Redfields." And his steward nodded in agreement. "There will be no war… no… I'm not a fool… I'm the Clever King… I will find a way… I swear I will…" And Laura nodded. "…You taste like paint…" He sentenced.
"Keep bothering me with your sharp tongue… and I will kick you out of my room, Clever King." She added, and the king nodded in agreement.
February 25, 362 A.C. Celestial Forest.
"Are you awake now?" King Alan heard a soft voice, and he began opening his eyes weakly. At first he saw a red blur, but slowly began fixing his eyesight, until finding a smiling Queen Iolanda, with her now emerald colored eyes staring directly at King Alan's face staring back at her. "Good… because… my legs were feeling sore…" She admitted, and King Alan noticed he was resting his head at the woman's lap, and that he was surrounded by golden colored leafs and Rune Stones. He immediately grabbed his chest, only to notice he was in good health. "It's all right… you are healed…" She mentioned, and the man searched for his wound. But there was none. "It's all right."
"You are a Valkyrie?" He asked, and Queen Iolanda widened her eyes in surprise. "I knew it… King Daniel killed me… and the most beautiful of all Valkyries came for me to lead me to the promised lands… grandfather… used to tell me that story…" And Iolanda blinked twice at that last. "You know… it's like a dream come true… I always wanted to die in battle… and be led by those beautiful angles, toward the promised lands of the old gods… I'm really happy right now." He added and closed his eyes briefly.
"Is that the reason for you risking your life so recklessly in battle? Against someone as skilled as King Daniel?" And the mention of such name forced King Alan to bit his lips hard. "It was a suicide to face him… you weren't ready… but you were brave… very…so you are alive… I cured your wound…" And King Alan faced her one more time. "It would be a pity to lose such a kind heart… I had to give my best to save you." She admitted.
"That's not something Valkyries do… I think…" And the young woman nodded in agreement. "So… are we inside the promised land?" He mentioned while facing the runes. "It's a lot calmer than I thought." He admitted.
"This is Celestial Forest… you being here… means your heart is that pure… otherwise, the mist of the forest would have hidden this place from your eyes." And King Alan admired the place, and Queen Iolanda was surprised about how carefree King Alan was, and she couldn't help comparing him to King Daniel, who always looked like he was in a rush. "How are you feeling?"
"I don't know… happy… I guess…" And she giggled. "What's your name?" He wondered, and the Queen noticed something. Different than when King Daniel asked that same question, her heart rushed, not knowing if it was safe to reveal her name to King Alan. "I'm King Alan by the way." He added, and Queen Iolanda smiled.
"This feels… pleasantly different than with him… less intimidating…" And King Alan blinked a couple of times, not understanding what was going on. "My name… is Queen Iolanda… daughter of Valkyrie Hlin, past Queen of the Valyries… and I have been watching you… for some time…" And King Alan nodded, not really knowing about how to react. "A pleasure to meet you… my king…" And she smiled, King Alan returned the smile. Even if they just met, there was already a bond between them, a warm sensation, like a golden light glowing in their hearts.
Kennedy Kingdom. Steward's Royal Chambers.
The first sunrays of a new morning began hitting King Daniel's face, and he tried to cover them with his naked arm placing it in front of his face. But the damage was done, King Daniel was now awake, and confused, not knowing what was going on, but feeling his nose being hit by the strong odor of oil, and his ears hearing softly the sound of a brush hitting a leather-made canvas. He then moved his hand trying to move the hair on his face away, but a soft voice prevented him from doing as he had planned.
"You shouldn't move when you are being painted, remember?" And King Daniel finally opened his eyes, and faced the direction toward the left of his bed, only this wasn't his bed, it was her bed, Steward Cham's bed. The girl was sitting behind a canvas, with her slender figure surrounded by King Daniel's royal tunic, which barely covered her feminine parts, and allowed her naked legs to move freely around the cold morning floor. "This will be my masterpiece… I will call it, the fall of the arrogant king."
"Clever… because I feel nowhere near defeated…" King Daniel mentioned, and Laura faced away from her canvas for a moment, and delivered a soft smile to King Daniel. Her face was once again, as usual, dirtied with paint from the many times she cleaned her sweat while painting, so where her feet which caught the drops of paint she refused to see hitting the floor. "I crossed the line… the most dangerous one… choosing a relationship over a childhood friendship… I was scared… I'm sorry for bringing you so many moments of pain."
"Romance is an art. You will screw up many times before your painting looks the way you wish it to look like. And even then, it's not what you saw in your mind's eye… it's different, but pleasant, very pleasant." Laura mentioned while continuing with her painting, and King Daniel faced her in disbelief. "Don't move!" She yelled, and King Daniel bit his lips in hatred. "The ending result is, however, a masterpiece, whether you like it or not, because it is the fruit of your effort. Or that's what I believe at least. This piece of art however, is not finished. It needs to dry by the sun, clear the mist of doubts if you wish to understand it that way. Afterward… we will paint again… and see if the painting is worth being called a masterpiece… or was only a failed attempt which will lead the artist, into finding his or her real masterpiece." She explained.
"I'm supposed to be the clever one." King Daniel complained, and Laura smiled a little at that last. "So, in other words, I disrespected you, and you are going to act as if nothing had happened?" And Laura nodded in agreement. "You really think me fool enough not to respect my own decision? We shared a bed." He explained.
"You, haven't declared." She added calmly, and continued her painting. "And I, haven't accepted." And King Daniel flinched at that last. "The only reason I had the courage to share a bed with you, is because you are king, and the king's words are respected. There will be gossips around the castle, they will call me things, some very bad things, I'm not your spouse, and I shared a bed with you, I'm dirty in the eyes of the maids. But it's all right, because you are the king, and it was you who approached me. Just help me saying you will cut their tongues off and feed them to the dogs, and I will pretend nothing happened." And she moved her hand toward the nearby dresser, where a fruit's basket was found. She took an apple, and began eating with one hand, while painting with the other one.
"Pretend?" King Daniel added, and Laura nodded in agreement. "Why pretend? Am I not good enough?" He wondered, and Laura took a deep breathe. "Laura, I…" But the girl took another apple from the basket, and launched it toward King Daniel rudely. "Woah! What's your problem?"
"You don't have the time to worry about me at this very moment, King Daniel." She explained and continued painting. "We will discuss this uneasy relationship, only after you have cleared the now fragile state of our borders." And King Daniel blinked twice at that last. "You, killed King Alan, remember? We are going to war, unless, you do what you have to do as king, and negotiate. And I assure you, the negotiations will not be easy, your cleverness will not save you this time. Your army is ready just in case there are troubles, we depend on your sharp tongue being kept under control, and your brain, which I know works perfectly fine without the influence of alcohol, cooperating for the welfare of our kingdom. If we go to war, we got the numbers to win, but what about Valentine Kingdom? If they join the Redfields… we still win… but after the deadliest blood bath this kingdom had ever seen. Only after you solve all this, will I behave any different than I usually behave, and slap your face hard for disrespecting me."
"You didn't complain!" And Laura took another apple. "Wait, wait, wait! Ok, I forced myself to you." And Laura nodded in agreement. "You never eat fruits, that's why you are short, I'm sure you brought the basket only to have a weapon." And Laura nodded. "Understood… I will march to Redfield Kingdom… and only after peace is sealed, will we… discuss this…" And Laura nodded once again, while the king stood up, and began getting dressed. "And if any maid dares disrespecting you with their gossips… I will fire them… cutting their tongues is just wrong." He added with a soft smile.
"Wouldn't be if you heard what they called me." And King Daniel lowered his head ashamed. "Now, go, before I kick you out of my room." And King Daniel nodded in agreement, and left the room. Only then did Laura take a deep breathe, she was apparently distressed. "I got myself into this, after that kiss everything just went out of control, and now I'm the king's… I can't even say it…" She blushed a little. "I don't even know what will happen now… steward or not… there are already gossips… and the king can't fight gossips…" And she lowered her head.
Redfield Kingdom, Steward's Study.
"My fine King Alan! We searched for you all around the forest! We were about to send the royal guard toward Kennedy Kingdom!" Steward Marcusius added with concern, and as reply he only got King Alan's odd smile. "What happened? You just disappeared from the construction site! Never place these burdens in your loyal Steward's shoulders! You are not immortal! No one is!" And Steward Marcusius then noticed some red hairs coming from the corner of the door the king entered from, and got suspicious. "Oh… so the king was behaving inappropriately yesterday! Young king! I care not about your short age! You shouldn't court a woman unless you marry her!"
"We didn't do anything wrong, you are the one making a fuss over anything." King Alan mentioned, and Steward Marcusius only crossed his arms out of annoyance. "It's all right, he is the one I told you about, my best friend, Steward Marcusius." And the steward calmed down a little, and the girl at the corner of the door faced the steward's direction. "I know you sensed many bad hearts when we arrived… not all men are good I admit, but my steward, I would place my life in the line for him. He is a good man." And Queen Iolanda ran her eyes up and down while seeing Steward Marcusius, and a soft smile was drawn on her cherry-colored lips. "Marcusius! This is Queen Iolanda, a Valkyrie." And the steward faced the girl with interest.
"…King Alan… have you been drinking…?" And King Alan felt a drop of sweat covering his forehead, and Steward Marcusius pulled him closer to him and began sniffing. "You have!" He complained, and Queen Iolanda only giggled a little.
"Well, we hit a tavern on our way her, I was thirsty… but I didn't drink that much." And Steward Marcusius felt his jaw dropping. "She drank too, and I don't see you scolding her." He mentioned, and Steward Marcusius began losing his temper.
"Who in the divine one's name takes a maiden he just met to a tavern?" And King Alan pointed at himself. "It was a rhetorical question! You don't answer rhetorical questions! For the love of the divine one!" And the steward finally calmed down. "My king, your actions, may have lead us to a very dangerous predicament. We have reports about soldiers from Kennedy Kingdom marching our way." Steward Marcusius mentioned, and both Alan and Iolanda got worried, mostly Iolanda who knew had some kind of feelings for King Daniel. Even if they weren't of love, she knew that she could have easily developed them for him, and that kept her in distress. "Kennedy's army is too numerous, I ordered our men to reunite at the capital, we will need all the united blades of our kingdom, and even all that strength is not enough!" Marcusius complained, and Alan took a deep breathe.
"And the wall seemed like a good idea to prevent war." King Alan added, and then faced Queen Iolanda. "I apologize… I invited you to my kingdom, just as you invited me to yours, but I should have cared more about the uneasy relationship between the Redfields and the Kennedys before showing my hospitality." And the queen nodded in agreement. "My mind works fairly simple sometimes, it takes a lot of effort to concentrate."
"I… I don't have problems concentrating at all." Queen Iolanda mentioned. "Perhaps… perhaps I can help you find a peaceful way of solving conflicts… if you are willing to sacrifice something, for peace." And King Alan rubbed his chin with interest, he only met this woman, but he had invited her to his kingdom, probably trying to court her in some way, not looking for her aid. Still, a warm feeling on his chest told him he wished for her aid, he wanted her by his side. She helped him keep his feet on the ground. "I'm afraid though… that I haven't learned the handwriting of the mortals… so I need someone to write my words in paper."
"Is she a farmer in fancy clothes?" Steward Marcusius asked in a whisper, and King Alan moved his head in negation. "King Alan knows how to write, but the divine one helps me, his grammar is horrible, I will write what needs to be written, but only if King Alan agrees in trusting a foreigner with the destiny of his kingdom, which I must say, it the stupidest thing I have ever heard. No offence fine maiden, but this kind of decisions, should be taken by the king himself, not by a woman he met only yesterday."
"Marcusius… you wound me with your words sometimes." King Alan added, and then took the woman's hand, whose heart skipped a beat in that very moment. "I trust her… I don't know how to explain it… the moment I saw her when I was dying after fighting King Daniel, I just knew it… she was my Valkyrie, my beautiful maiden, she who would lead me to promised lands of glory… I trust her." And Steward Marcusius was surprised. "Write what she wants to write." He finished, and Lord Marcusius slapped his forehead hard, took paper and ink, as well as a feather, and walked toward a table by his study. "Thanks for your help." And Queen Iolanda blushed a little, nodded in agreement, and walked toward the table, ready to seal a treaty.
The Castle Walls.
"No soldier draws a blade unless I say so! Archers on the back, lance knights on the front! Shields up, all the time, we are in front of a castle's walls! If they shower us in arrows, I want the strength of your arms keeping your shields steady! We are not an invading force! I will personally cut the head of whoever initiates an accidental war!" And the soldiers of Kennedy Kingdom faced one another with concern, their Clever King, once again, was leading them into a clever idea. And as usual, the soldiers were nervous, since even if his plans worked perfectly almost all the time, the danger of the situation was always present. "Elders of Redfield Kingdom! I demand audience! This does not need to explode into a blood bath! We come in peace! I surrender myself to you! But my soldiers are ordered to attack your walls, if I don't return to them before the moon adorns the sky!" King Daniel mentioned, then buried his sword by the ground, and took his shield off. "I'm waiting! Take me prisoner! But allow me to see the rulers of this kingdom to negotiate! Fail to accept my surrendering, and we will break your walls!" He added aggressively, he needed to, if he showed any weakness, he knew the elders, or whoever was ruling, would doubt his intentions, and the war could erupt.
This was one of the Clever King's tactics. He mobilized his whole army, to make a point: 'We have the power to bring you down! Hear me! Negotiate with me! Or we will bring you down!'. It was a tactic that was dangerous, since he was risking not only his life, but the life of many, but that if it worked, could save the lives of many as well. However, his tactic, met an unpredictable event that forced the king to lose his coolness and be invaded by shock. A ghost from his nearest past, was walking the white stone steps from his castle, and following the road toward the gates of his fortress. King Alan was going to meet personally with King Daniel.
"We will negotiate." King Alan added, and some soldiers left the gates and trapped King Daniel in chains. His soldiers readied their weapons, so did King Alan's ones, but with a fierce stare, both kings ordered their soldiers to shelter their blades. "Surprised to see me breathing, friend?"
"Just as surprised as the last time with the bear when I though you dead." King Daniel admitted with an arrogant smile on his face. "You are so damn hard to kill, Redfield, it is very pleasant to keep on trying, but this is not about ego, this is about you, and I, reaching an agreement and ending the uneasy relationship between our kingdoms. You being alive makes this easier."
"You sure, I could be a ghost." King Alan joked despite the situation, and King Daniel delivered a clever smile, making his point clear, he got everything under his control. "I will make sure the treaty we both sigh reads something about me punching your sorry face."
"Oh, I encourage you to try." And King Alan punched his face, and a string of blood fell from his lips. "You son of a… damn it!" And King Daniel's soldiers drew their weapons out. "No one moves!" King Daniel yelled, and King Alan grinned. "Very funny, Alan… but you are stepping on very thin sand."
"Push me again and I punch you again, Clever King. Never forget you are the one trespassing this time, and that as kings, we show no weakness." And King Daniel faced him with hatred. "By the way, that was for killing me." And King Daniel rolled his eyes out of annoyance. "But if the negotiations go according to an equal benefit, I will apologize." And both kings entered the Redfield Castle, and once inside, King Daniel's heart shattered a little.
"Oh in the name of the divine one, this is just not right!" He complained, and Queen Iolanda lowered her head ashamed. "You and this brainless jellyfish? Come on! I'm better looking and smarter!" And King Alan cleared his throat, and King Daniel decided to remain in silence. "Fine lady." He added and made a reverence.
"I'm sorry for the inconveniences this revelation brought onto your person… really…" Queen Iolanda added and vowed. "If it makes you feel better… I think you are better looking…" She whispered, and King Daniel smiled.
"Actually, it does, thank you." And the guards pushed the king. "Do that again and I break your sorry nose!" And Iolanda flinched when hearing that last and seeing King Daniel scaring the hell out of the guards. When he noticed such reaction, King Daniel faced her. "Don't tell me it was my aggressive self." And Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement. "Fine, I got my temper… at least Laura can tolerate it…" And Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement. "I'm not a womanizer!" He defended himself upon noticing what he just said.
"I understand, you don't have to explain anything to me, my fine king." Queen Iolanda added, and made a reverence toward him. "The chains are not needed, please release him." And the guards exchanged looks, and then faced King Alan and Steward Marcusius, and both nodded in agreement. "Thank you." She added, and the soldiers unchained King Daniel.
"King Alan, I need to say I don't agree with this treaty at all." Steward Marcusius added, and King Alan just smiled at his worries. "But if you are certain King Daniel will accept the terms, it will mean ending the conflict, but in the future, it will erupt, again. This is not a well thought plan, it's rushed, uncompleted." He explained.
"I trust Iolanda enough." King Alan added, and both kings sat down. "Iolanda is serving as intermediate here. She advised me into this treaty, and from what I have heard, you and her share some history together, so I suggest, that unless you want me to hurt you, you cooperate."
"King Alan!" Iolanda scolded, and Alan bit his lips in jealously. "I assure you, there is nothing for you to be jealous about, as for King Daniel, I can't say the same, I apologize." And King Daniel rolled his eyes out of annoyance, feeling defeated. "Clever King, please… don't make this more difficult than it got to be."
"Clever King, Clever King, I know I'm clever, but that's not my only trait." He complained childishly, and both king's faced away, Iolanda then felt her eyebrow tickling her, the patient Queen of the Valkyries was losing her coolness. "We want peace, we don't want war, but we can't live in these conditions, Alan. We need space, my kingdom is dying, and unless we reach an agreement, sooner or later, there will be a real war between our countries." And Alan was about to complain, but Iolanda delivered a fierce glare at him, and King Alan shut himself up.
"I will speak in the king's name." And King Daniel raised an eyebrow. "I will explain it to you later, but I got that power, even if he doesn't know it." And King Daniel was about to speak once again, but decided to trust the girl. "And I quote." She began. "I, King Alan of Redfield Kingdom, declare in this treaty, that to avoid war with the neighbor nation of Kennedy Kingdom, I surrender the lands of the south, until the territories of Arukas village are found, to King Daniel Kennedy." And King Daniel was surprised, and he faced King Alan, who said nothing, and just faced Iolanda. "In exchange, King Daniel of Kennedy Kingdom promises with the sealing of this treaty, to surrender half of his army in the name of Redfield Kingdom. King Alan will personally see the soldiers and their families, distribute around the royal houses of the Golden Wolf, providing safe asylum and prosper life-styles for the soldiers."
"Su-surrendering half of my army! That's half of my populace in Redfield Kingdom! You are asking me to send noble houses to the Golden Wolf in favor of land?" And Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement. "I will lose a lot of riches if I sign these papers."
"And I will lose a third part of my land, King Daniel." King Alan mentioned. "Let's face it. I need royal families, you need land. Our territories will both sacrifice a good portion of what we have plenty of, and will receive what we lack. Very smart, Queen Iolanda."
"Queen?" King Daniel wondered, and Iolanda nodded in agreement. "First you say you are a Valkyrie, and now you are a queen too? You are truly more than I can handle." And Queen Iolanda smiled. "There is nothing wrong with the treaty… it is a great sacrifice, but I feel defeated… I can't sign the treaty as it is… not unless, I have a conversation in private with this woman… there is a lot I need to know… my mind won't be clear to sign these papers, unless we talk." And Alan closed his hands into fists.
"If it is only talking… then it's alright…" She mentioned. "But no more courting… I can't accept it anyway…" She added with sincerity, and King Alan grew more and more annoyed, but stormed out of the room anyway, followed by his guards, and his steward. "Now we talk… I suppose you want to know about my relationship with King Alan." And King Daniel nodded, and Queen Iolanda lowered her head ashamed. "I married him yesterday after you left. By Valkyrie law… so he doesn't know I married him." And King Daniel was about to speak. "If you ask anything it will only be harder to explain, so let me finish." And King Daniel remained in silence. "You almost killed King Alan, and sadly, I couldn't allow that. Until meeting you, I never thought about romance, you opened that closed door, and I was going to allow you to cross it. But you were too pushy, too insistent, too straight forward, it was intimidating. I'm not saying it couldn't have worked, but your attitude… it was dangerous… since there is a curse in us Valkyries… if I accepted your courting, sooner or later you would have to vow for my love… and if your vowing, was driven by the anxiety of the moment, you would have died, the old gods wouldn't tolerate false love between a man and a Valkyrie… I was going to give you a chance… I was going to try… but when seeing how impulsive you were… I doubted… so I closed the door to you… and apparently it was for the best, since you mentioned someone… Laura." And King Daniel lowered his head. "I'm not calling you a womanizer." She freaked out.
"No… maybe I am… sort off… but until recently I didn't know I loved her…" And Queen Iolanda smiled. "Ah but I don't deny you piercing my heart. I'm wounded… very… I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found Alan there that night. But I'm surprised, about how fast you ditched me for another man."
"Sharp tongue King Daniel, your words are really like arrows sometimes." Queen Iolanda added, a little annoyed. "It wasn't ditching. We Valkyries believe in true love, with the door opened, I accepted the possibilities, and saw in King Alan what I wanted. I can't be blamed, and I can't be comprehended, we Valkyries are weak to romance. Once we decide, there is no turning back. In my heart, I know I have chosen correctly, that doesn't make you less a man. I was… just the wrong person… I'm sorry."
"And I'm the one with the sharp tongue?" He complained. "If my words are arrows yours are arrows in flames, you are calling him better than me." And queen Iolanda rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Sorry." He lowered his head ashamed, and Queen Iolanda giggled a little. "Fine, I'm hot headed, in that part Alan and I aren't that different. I love someone else as well, Queen Iolanda, but a part of me is broken."
"A part of me… is broken as well…" She mentioned, and there was silence. "But… the possibility exists, not with us, but with our heirs." And King Daniel blinked twice at that last. "King Daniel, you conquered my heart in some way, even if Alan was my decision in the end, I can't deny, that for a brief time, my thoughts were always centered in you. And I feel horrible for not accepting your courting." And King Daniel nodded. "Seal the treaty… and I swear, that our heirs at least will have a chance… I believe in my heart, that our bloodlines can be together, driven by pure love. Only not in this generation, my heart belongs to someone else."
"You are too confusing even for me." King Daniel complained, and Queen Iolanda got a little nervous. "You promise… that my family will have your beauty, and your wisdom, in the future?" And Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement. "Are you sure?" He asked again.
"If true love develops only… I can't selfishly make the promise, but I can encourage my bloodline to try, I can't promise more." And King Daniel thought about it for a second. "At least I can promise, that you will have the help of my kingdom, in times of great need." And Queen Iolanda began untying a thin chain from her neck, and took out from her dress a beautiful golden compass. "This will always lead you, and your blood line, to my lands, whether pure of heart or not. I'm sure though that you can enter my lands without this treasure, but this seal, will always lead you to me, or whoever stands in your throne when you are gone. Show this seal to any Valkyrie, and you will find a friend."
"Friends?" King Daniel wondered. And Queen Iolanda nodded. "You know… staying friends never works… but for you, my lady, I will give it a try… I will sign the treaty you suggested. But you need to marry King Alan for real, and not just in Valkyrie law." And Iolanda raised an eyebrow at that last. "At least… our dynasties will unite, in future generations." And King Daniel signed the treaty, and left the room, not even wanting to speak to King Alan, and just leaving.
"Is everything all right? Did that fool touch you with his filthy hands?" King Alan immediately entered the room, and Queen Iolanda blushed a little at King Alan's concern, she felt glad in some way. Her embarrassment when in the presence of King Alan was enough for the queen to hit both of her hands softly against her chest, as if in a prayer, and nod in agreement for her king, who didn't know they were married at all. "Good… I… was worried he was indecent to you…" And the queen nodded, and the king blushed. "Umm… Iolanda… if it isn't too much to ask… please stay in my kingdom." And the woman blinked twice at that last. "I can't explain, I truly can't… I'm not good with this kind of things, but you spared my kingdom from a war we might have lost, and I would like you by my side, to take this kind of decisions more often." And Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement.
"If it is my king's wish, then by all means, you can count with my presence in your kingdom. But I also need to return to mine often." She explained, and King Alan nodded. "King Alan… I… just want you to know that it is a pleasure to be of assistance… and am glad for your confidence in this complete stranger. For the time being, it is better if I return to my kingdom."
"Please spend the night here!" He yelled, and Queen Iolanda jolted out of surprise. "Umm… well… it is… dangerous at nights… no matter of how good you know the forest… and it is kind of late already… just… please stay…" And Queen Iolanda's heart froze at that very moment, she was feeling uneasy, as wishing to say something, explain to him that they were married, and that she could stay without him being this reserved, but the risk was too high, she needed to be careful. "Queen Iolanda… I think I…" And she freaked out.
"Don't say it!" She yelled, ran toward him, and pressed her hands softly at his chest. "I beg you my king… don't say something you will end regretting. It is not necessary, right now is not the right moment. We just met yesterday, I'm staying in the castle, but I beg you, do not, push your luck. I'm a Valkyrie… we have rules."
"And maybe I don't care about those rules, and care about the woman in front of me who didn't just save my life… but my kingdom…" And Queen Iolanda began fidgeting, not wanting this to continue, she couldn't bear it, it was too risky. "My queen… you have captured my heart!" And Queen Iolanda covered her mouth, and tears drowned her eyes, but she moved her face in negation several times. "I lo…" And she pushed him, and began running away. "My queen!"
"King Alan! Please… just… leave me alone for the time being…" And the woman walked toward Steward Marcusius, facing her with confusion. "Fine Steward, I'm afraid I'm a little tired and will be staying in the castle under King Alan's petition. Would you be so kind to escort me to my room?" And Lord Marcusius faced his king, who faced him back, and nodded in agreement. "Thanks for your hospitality, King Alan… I need time to assimilate everything that had happened… my heart… wouldn't bear a fake vow of love…" And the queen followed the confused steward to her momentary room back at the palace.
"Fake vow of love?" King Alan wondered. "What does she mean?" And Alan's eyes then widened. "The fairytales my grandfather used to tell me about." And King Alan then rushed all around the castle, until reaching his library. There were some alchemy instruments there, scrolls, and research tablets, but he ignored them all and began searching all around the bookshelves. Eventually, he found one book titled: 'The blood of the Valkyrie', and he began reading everything that was written on it. He took his time, this was his personal research, his only way to understand the beautiful maiden that had captured his heart. Alan wasn't that good at reading, despite being a noble, he was more brawl than brains, but he made an effort, and when he reached the part he was more interested in, and using the light of a candle to read it extremely careful, he understood the fear in Iolanda's heart. "He who declares his love for one of the maidens of the old gods, and doubts in his heart that his feelings are real, will have his heart crushed by the wrath of the old gods. A fast and painless dead, but still a dead prohibiting the unwanted love. The maidens of the old gods shall remain pure, so says so the father of the old gods." And Alan closed the book. "Well, there is only one way to find out if I'm honest or not." And Alan rushed out of his room, and toward the guest's rooms, determined to try his luck, and risk his life if needed be. "I was dead without her anyway, so it changes nothing."
Upon reaching Iolanda's room, King Alan knocked the door softly, at the other side of the door, Queen Iolanda was facing out of her balcony's window, with a deep concern in her face. But once hearing the knocking, she woke up to her senses, and lowered her head.
"You are not supposed to be here at this very moment." Queen Iolanda mentioned. "You don't understand… I don't want you to understand… not yet, it's too soon… everything had happened so fast… please Alan, don't do this." She begged, and for a moment there was silence, but her door was opened anyway. "It seems… like you are truly stubborn." She mentioned, and Alan admired the woman giving her back to him, and wearing some pink colored nightgown, that only forced Alan to close the door abruptly, making sure no one saw his loved one in such inappropriate clothing. "Alan."
"I know about the risks." He mentioned, and Iolanda widened her eyes in surprise. "I told you about my grandfather, didn't I? He was a king of northern lands, from where your people come from. I got the blood of a warrior after all." And Queen Iolanda was surprised when hearing such revelation. "He told me about these legends. Since I was a kid, it was my dream to marry one of those beautiful Valkyries that he mentioned in his books. So magical that they were desirable, so beautiful of body and heart, Queen Iolanda… I don't care if I lose my life for you. I believe my feelings are honest, and I would be buried several feet underground if it weren't for you anyway, so risking a life that was given to me, from you, is worth it, you are worth it."
"I wouldn't be able to tolerate it." She mentioned. "I'm scared, Alan. Feelings… are really volatile, and aren't clear at all. Until recently I never thought about these things, I was only a queen, nothing more… I never asked for this, I never wanted this, and now… I desire it… but… I'm scared… what if you die?" And Iolanda turned around, and faced her king. "I don't want you to die… I saved you once… didn't I?" And Alan nodded. "Don't do it… please… I'm all right… it is too soon… just… don't do it…"
"Even if you beg me… I can't deny my feelings… call me selfish if you want, but right now, in this very moment…" And Queen Iolanda widened her eyes, and moved her head in negation. "I love you more than my own life, Queen Iolanda! And I vow to always love you!" He yelled, and time froze for the Queen of the Valkyries. In that very moment, she felt a warm sensation hitting her chest, and another one hitting her left ring finger. A wedding band had appeared there, a golden ring, the old gods had accepted King Alan's feelings, and they had delivered queen Iolanda to him. Another ring appeared at King Alan's left hand, surprising the king who took his gauntlet off to admire the object. "What magic is this?" He yelled.
"Magic?" Queen Iolanda asked. "I haven't heard that word… in 300 years…" And Alan faced the queen in curiosity, as if the revelation of her age was only a joke. "King Alan… to save your life, I did something that is known as the secret marriage ceremony by Valkyrie law." She explained. "It means that I selfishly delivered my heart to you, and we are husband and wife by the laws of the old gods… you are alive, because my feelings for you were sincere… and right now… you are alive after delivering your vows to me, because your feelings were sincere…" And Queen Iolanda cried, and Alan faced her with his heart aching out of surprise, and concern. "Thank you…" She added. "Thank you for loving a complete stranger like me… thank you… and sorry… for forcing you into a marriage you never asked for…" She finished, and cried in the middle of the room with a cute sniffing that only drew a smile on Alan's lips.
"Queen Iolanda." He added, and rubbed her chin with his ungloved hand, and stared directly to her emerald colored eyes. "Marry me by Redfield law now." And she nodded. "Can I touch you?" And the queen lowered her head a little. "Am I being immoral?" And the queen thought about it for a moment.
"Not by Valkyrie law at least." She confessed, and Alan leaned closer and delivered a soft kiss to her, which the queen returned. King Alan then slowly and carefully placed the queen at her bed, and kept on kissing her none stopping. It was a sensation Queen Iolanda never thought she could feel, she was with a man, alone in her room, this man was her husband, her king. It was intimidating, love blooming so fast was truly magical, and Queen Iolanda didn't regret it one bit, and allowed King Alan to undress her, and care for her. This was their most sacred moment, married by Valkyrie law, something that was only possible if the deepest feeling of love existed between the parts. Right now, only a pair of golden panties represented the only dividing line that would unite them both forever, the consummation of their love. King Alan was mostly amazed by the golden colored panties, it was trilling, only admiring them forced his heart to run at an abnormal passé. Queen Iolanda was glad for his reaction, the panties were a present from her mother after all, sort of a tradition, but she couldn't help it but feel something was still missing, before Alan could strip her from her last line of protection for her purity, she had to make a confession. "King, I got a confession." Queen Iolanda mentioned. "I… also made a promise with King Daniel… aside from the treaty." And King Alan grew worried. "I promised… that in the future, the Redfields and the Kennedys would unite their dynasties, once a heir from Redfield dynasty… married a her from the Kennedy's." She confessed, and King Alan smiled at her. "I apologize for taking these decisions without your knowledge… first I marry you… then I plan the life of our heirs… I am a terrible woman… I don't deserve this treatment." She added with a tear rolling down her face.
"Queen Iolanda." King Alan mentioned, and the queen faced him in concern. "Let's make sure we can fulfill that promise. I wouldn't like King Daniel to think I'm a liar." And Queen Iolanda blushed. "Be with me forever… and give me the heirs that will unite our dynasties forever." And the woman nodded in agreement, and they sealed such promise with a kiss, before starting with an even deeper ceremony.
Kennedy Kingdom. Kennedy Castle.
"Home sweet home… Laura is going to kill me for sure when she finds out about the treaty I signed… how am I going to even direct this treaty to my people to begin with?" King Daniel complained upon his arrival to his palace, and once he arrived he began hearing the soft giggling of his maids, that were apparently having a not so pleasant gossiping sharing.
"Did you see her walking? She was obviously sore. I'm sure she got her steward position only because she is the king's night companion." And King Daniel was surprised when he heard such cold and cruel words. "She isn't sophisticated either. Noble or not, she looks like a farmer all the time. Have you seen her clothes? How can King Daniel even spend the nights with her? I wonder, maybe she seduced the king, she is smart after all, poor king must be suffering, he is being used." The maid mentioned.
"Doing such dirty things without being married, she is obviously using him for power, she is that greedy. Have you seen her wardrobe? She got many expensive clothes there but never wears them. And they are all very flashy and revealing, maybe she is a wore." The other maid mentioned.
"And maybe, I love that women enough as to try to help her out of her farmer clothing!" King Daniel finally yelled. "Both of you. If I hear any more gossips about Steward Laura, I will jail you both, understood?" And the maids flinched and nodded in agreement, they even vowed several times. "Still… I probably disrespected her… oh, Laura… what have I done to you…? My Dear Laura…" And the king then faced the maids with determination. "I'm bringing an ending to these damn gossiping! Where is Laura?" And the maids both pointed at the study, and King Daniel walked there. "And you, women, continue gossiping, and you will lose your job!" And both maids nodded in agreement. "Incredible, how can such cruel hearts even exist in this world?" And King Daniel reached the study, and found Laura at the second floor, alone, and painting. "Laura!" King Daniel yelled, and the steward missed her brushing and ruined her painting of the palace's second floor view. "My dear Laura, my heart blooms with joy whenever I see you brushing those paintings of yours."
"What in the dammed ones name? Why are you saying such embarrassing things, King Daniel?" She asked, and then placed her painting down, it was ruined anyway. "Seriously… calling me such embarrassing things when I'm mad at him… he makes it so hard to hate him."
"I heard you!" King Daniel complained and yelled from the second floor, and the maids and subjects from all around the palace faced their king and their steward. "It's a miracle, you are wearing a dress!" He yelled once again, and Steward Cham revealed her now more, feminine attire. "But it's not one I bought!" And Laura blushed.
"I don't have to wear the embarrassing things you buy for me all the time!" Steward Cham complained, but seeing the young woman wearing a dress was enough. After all, the girl was always wearing commoner farmer-girl clothing since she was always painting. For some reason, however, she decided to wear something more feminine. "How fare the negotiations anyway, my king." She mentioned while blushing a little, and closing her eyes trying not to face him directly.
"There is peace, but we still haven't decided how to deliver the news to our people." And Laura smiled at that last. "But let's forget about it for the time being! I need to tell you something!" He yelled, and Laura moved her shoulders up and down as indicating to shout it, since the king seemed to want their conversation being public, or else he would have called her to the meeting room. "I want to have heirs with you!" He yelled with a teasing smile.
"Uh?" She added in confusion, and there was silence all around the palace. "Whaaaaat?" She suddenly broke the silence abruptly. "My king! Have you being drinking again?" She yelled out of annoyance and hatred, she couldn't even concentrate in her painting anymore. "Why are you saying such embarrassing things so out of the sudden?"
"What? We already spent the night together! You are my beloved Steward!" He yelled, and Laura faced every direction and noticed the many maids and servants facing the girl. "Dear Laura, this is my confession to you. I can't live with the burden of knowing I have missed a great happiness over these many years! I want you by my side, as my queen!" He continued yelling.
"You are crazy, Clever King! You are totally out of your mind!" She yelled while blushing madly, and left her belongings by the second floor, and began walking away, only the king walked next to her from the second floor. "How dare you even expose me like this? This is madness!"
"It's not madness! I'm being clever! My heart beats over and over again at your sight! And if I don't approach you like this, you will keep on avoiding me, and not giving me a straight answer." He continued, and Laura speeded her walking. "I'm also ending the gossips! It was I who approached you! It was I who forced myself to you! It was I who was so stupid, as to not notice the deep love I felt for you! I beg you, I am a king on my knees."
"You are walking, not kneeling!" Laura yelled, and the king made a mockery, and then kneeled, and when he did, Laura began running away. "Why are you doing this?" She yelled while blushing madly.
"Hey! Laura!" King Daniel yelled and ran from the first floor after her. "I'm not forcing you to anything, but you still haven't declined me, have you?" He yelled and finally reached the stairs and began running toward the second floor, eventually catching up to Laura, trapping her in his arms, spinning her against a wall, and smiling teasingly for her. "Marry me." He added, and Laura flinched and blushed madly. "Be my wife… be always by my side… be the woman who I will see before sleeping every day, and who I will meet again upon waking up… be my queen… I love you… with all my heart…" He insisted.
"King… are you for real…? Or is this one of your damn clever jokes that will much likely end in me with a shattered heart." She cried, and the king noticed he probably pushed his luck too far. "You are so clever there is no way I can know when you are being honest, or you are only playing around with my feelings. I can't read you, maybe no one can for sure… your cleverness… is too much… how can I know you are being honest… and not just claiming me as your second price over a red headed woman that turned you down."
"Is that what's troubling you?" He wondered, and Laura nodded while facing her king. "I understand your fear. But Laura… when I found out about your feelings… it hit me deep… Iolanda is a fine woman, beautiful, but she is not my Laura… she is not the friend I know since childhood, the woman I want to exploit her feminine side, the woman I want to be the mother of my children… that's you and only you… she turning me down… was the best thing that could have happened in my life… because it lead me to you…" And Laura felt her eyes watering, and sobbed uncontrollably. "I will ask you again… will you be my wife…?" He wondered.
"Yes… I will be…" And King Daniel kissed her deeply, in the middle of his castle's second floor, with the many maids and servants as witnesses, who for once, couldn't start gossiping around, since this was mostly a fact, not a gossip. Daniel the Clever King had declared to his steward in front of many witnesses, and there was nothing else that could be said about it. After a few seconds, King Daniel broke the kiss, and faced Laura with a sincere smile. "But… I won't let you touch me again until you keep that promise." She added with a smile.
"What?" He complained. "But I want heirs now!" He mentioned childishly, and Laura delivered an evil smile to him. "Can we at least make a little exception for tonight? I truly want you so badly right now." He added in a whisper and while blushing madly, but Laura moved her head in negation.
"Until we get married, there is no more Laura at nights for you, my king." She added childishly, delivering back to her king some cleverness of her own. "It's payback for the embarrassment you made me suffer today!" She informed.
"Then marry me tomorrow! I'm not going to rest, until I can have you in my arms once again." He demanded, and Laura gulped. "This is not Clever King speaking. This is my sincere confession. I don't want to wait. Tomorrow, let's be husband and wife." And Laura smiled at that last, and nodded in agreement. "I love you… Laura…" And both shared yet another last kiss.
February 27, 362 A.C. Celestial Forest.
"Dear mother… I'm sorry it took me so long to finish your rune. But many things have happened recently, I don't know where to begin." Queen Iolanda mentioned, while finishing the last touches of the carving of her mother's rune. "Remember King Daniel? Well, he wasn't the right person for me, but I treasure him in my heart, just as I know he treasures me as well." Iolanda explained, and then modeled her wedding dress and her winged crown to the rune of her mother. "I'm not wearing this wedding dress for him, I'm wearing it for King Alan, you see, I met him perhaps only three days ago, the day we got married by Valkyrie Law, but he insisted we got married by Redfield law too, can you believe that?" She mentioned, even when knowing the rune couldn't reply to her. "Yesterday we got an invitation from King Daniel, for his wedding with Lady Laura. King Alan replied, and said we couldn't come, since yesterday was our wedding… and both kings entered a letter sending war… poor messengers and their horses got really, really tired!" She added with a soft smile on her face. "In the end, both forgot about their weddings because of their arguing, so Laura and I began writing one another, and we reached an agreement that apparently men are too dense to notice. We are having a double wedding, in the dividing border of the new extension of both Kingdoms, a wall will be built to separate both kingdoms, but the relationship between the Redfields and the Kennedys will withstand that wall." Ioland explained. "King Daniel prepared a speech, he will announce, with my help of course, that Redfields and Kennedys will one day be one dynasty, with the promised wedding of our heirs in the future generations. Perhaps it is selfish, to force our heirs to choose, but we needed to convince our people, I know you understand." Iolanda mentioned, and vowed toward her mother. "I won't visit you for a while, mother. It is my duty, to make sure Kennedys and Redfields get along. The two kings will travel the lands, and forge their friendship. It will be hard, Laura says King Daniel's sharp tongue and King Alan's denseness are going to clash so many times!" And suddenly, Iolanda's smile faded a little. "Mother… despite being happier than ever in my life right now… I also have fear…" She confessed. "After the announcement of my marriage to King Alan, his once good hearted and noble steward, Lord Marcusius, have been behaving strangely… his heart… is shadowed… I'm afraid, he will become a bad person… and I don't think I can change that fact."
"Hey, Queen Redfield, we are waiting for you." King Daniel suddenly interrupted, he had entered the sacred forest used his compass, which was something Queen Iolanda was pleased about. "So this is Celestial Forest, the so called land of the Valkyries?" He wondered, and Queen Iolanda nodded in agreement. "Is this your mother?" He wondered.
"Queen Hlin, this is King Daniel, my dear friend! We agreed in trusting one another with our lives, since our hearts couldn't unite, but our friendship did bloom!" She continued. "He is the only Kennedy allowed in our forest though, the power of the compass should not be abused, King Daniel, you are being really troublesome, men in Valkyries lands are rare, how do you think Laura will feel once she knows you have forced my Valkyries to feel enamored about you?" She mentioned, and then pointed at the trees, where many Valkyries were staring at the young King. "Is she wearing the dresses you bought for her now? I heard from her they are really… well… skin exposing…" She mentioned.
"Well… yeah… but only when we are alone, and I still can't touch her, that's why I'm here for, we are supposed to be getting married to our beloved ones, you know." And Queen Iolanda giggled. "Do you really think… that one day both our families will be united…?" He wondered.
"You doubt me? That's really rude of your part, and in front of my mother. Then you ask why I chose Alan over you." And King Daniel felt insulted somehow. "Until the right time comes… neither Redfield or Kennedy shall step on this forest again. The compass is a treasure, not an item for you to abuse about. Once we step out of the Rune Forest, we will never come back… not together at least, since my life, is far longer than yours."
"One day a Kennedy will walk these woods… how I envy that future heir of mine." King Daniel mentioned, and Queen Iolanda giggled a little. "Lady Hlin… I promise to keep an eye on your daughter whenever I can. After today, she will be a Redfield, and Daniel Kennedy and Iolanda Redfield, will be the first true friends, in this large dynasty we are going to create together, so even if our heirs never unite, our bond, will be tied since legend. King Daniel and Queen Iolanda, those who share a bond that will unite our dynasties. Until love creates a bigger and unbreakable bond that is."
"Clever King, it's time for us to go. Alan is waiting, and so is Laura. And I heard a not so pleasant rumor about you buying some very exposing looking panties for your wedding night." And King Daniel flinched. "Honestly, you got a not so healthy obsession with exposing poor Laura's feminine side… one day perhaps one of my heirs will give one of yours a very pleasant surprise, we Valkyries share a secret underwear secret." And King Daniel blinked twice, and Iolanda blushed a little. "King Daniel! I will tell your spouse!" And he flinched while seeing Iolanda covering her skirt.
"You are the one who brought the subject, woman!" He complained, and then both heard the sound of applauses, and were surrounded by many citizens from both kingdoms, cheering for their kings, as both were getting married today to their beloved ones in the middle of the forest. King Daniel then offered his arm for Queen Iolanda, who grabbed it gently. Since both kings were parentless, they agreed in King Daniel delivering Queen Iolanda to King Alan, and King Alan doing the same for him once they reached the altar, where both would seal their vows, as well as inform their respective kingdoms about the promise of marriage between Kennedys and Redfields.
Epilogue:
Peace was sealed after the marriage. King Daniel surrendered half of his army to the Redfields, who build homes for them, and normalized the populace of both Kingdoms, now able to care for their citizens as was needed.
King Daniel, the clever, continued to be called that way, since day after day, he would bring smiles to the faces of his citizens, with his clever ideas for him to divert his beloved Queen Laura, who was both, honored by his constant randomness, and embarrassed due to his strange taste on exotic dressing, which she only wore when they were alone at nights. Queen Laura loved her dear King deeply and sincerely, and she even decided to make little celebrations to him every now and then by wearing the strange dresses and nightgowns he had been buying to her fondly. She wanted him to feel pleased and relaxed after a day full of royal duties. That was why she always delighted his eyes with showing him that she cared for every gift he gave her. Even if she wore those revealing attires in the privacy of their chambers, King Daniel felt very special when he watched his beautiful wife in the exclusive feminine clothes. And to the queen it was a true happiness seeing that adoration and very promising sparkles in his azure eyes, before he utterly undressed her that is.
King Alan's rule wasn't very wise, but Iolanda managed to help Redfield Kingdom into times of prosperity. She educated her king, even if it was from scratch. She began with grammar, then with diplomacy and history, King Alan didn't accept the teachings very well though, but when their first born arrived, Iolanda made sure the future rulers of Redfield Kingdom, could surpass their father where the king was too dense. King Alan adored his queen, and she answered him the same feelings. Their love was real and it gained even more power with each passing year. He loved her so much, that he didn't let her touch the ground with the sincerity of his feelings.
Eventually, Queen Iolanda decided to give up on her immortality, and ask the higher gods to release her from her Valkyrie's blessings, and give her a life of a mere human. She wanted to spend her life with her dearly beloved husband, and her children, even if that life would last that short. But King Alan forbid her to do that, he admitted that he was getting old, while she was still as young and beautiful as the very day he had met her for the first time. But he didn't want her to make such great sacrifice. He said that he had a feeling that their descendants would need her wisdom and help in the future. And he hoped that she would be always near to give them her helping hand.
The promise of the sacred union between the two dynasties lasted, but sadly, both families gave birth to only males, and their dynasties could not be united. But with King Daniel Kennedy and Queen Iolanda Redfield, being so close friends due to their shared past, there were no times of war, only times of happiness, for as long as the life of King Daniel could suffice, since not giving away her immortal life, forced Queen Iolanda to see her loved ones continue to age.
King Daniel and King Alan became wise kings, usually competing for the length of their beards, until Queen Laura forced his king to shave, and he lost to Alan once again. Over the years, however, Iolanda noticed, that even when her husband had grown grey hair, his steward didn't. Steward Marcusius, now a Lord since Redfield Kingdom needed more royal houses, hadn't aged a single day since she met him, and that only grew suspicions on the queen's heart.
Eventually, Lord Marcusius disappeared entirely, and for years, Queen Iolanda didn't hear of him. But they met once again, under the strangest of all circumstance, since 50 years after her marriage, King Alan passed away. In company of King and Queen of Kennedy Kingdom, Queen Iolanda said her last goodbye to her husband, claiming that one day they would meet again in the afterlife, at the land of the old gods. That day, Queen Iolanda, as young as ever, though she noticed Lord Marcusius at the funeral. Just as her, the once steward had remained young.
After Alan's passing away, the Queen of the Valkyries left her kingdom to her capable children, and expressed her final farewell to King Daniel, they would not meet again, she wouldn't like to see him depart to the afterlife as she saw her husband go. She returned to her sacred forest, to stay there, and wait, for one day she would be needed again.
100 years after her marriage, she is still young, and proud, and watches over the world of men, and with a smile on her face. Finally, a Redfield woman was born, after many years of only male dependence, thanks to a Valkyrian curse that only allows Valkyries and their heirs to give birth to one gender for three generations. Claire Redfield was born, but she was born in the saddest of times. There were rumors, about a cannibal being free inside Arkay forest, she had seen that cannibalism taking place, and knew who was the responsible. Lord Marcusius. He became evil with greed, and discovered eternal life with the help of necromancy. He now roamed the lands, trying to create an army, and army of undead with his necromancy. Many times had she been tempted to lead her Valkyries against him, but she couldn't, she had to keep a secret that could turn Lord Marcusius into a real immortal, a secret hidden in her Valkyrian blood. Iolanda could do nothing, but wait, and witness. But hope, wasn't at all lost.
Today, 18 years after the birth of a Redfield Woman, currently promised for marriage to a Kennedy prince, a light of hope shines bright. It is year 480 A.C. And today, one of the descendants of a dear friend of her, walks around Arkay forest, with a golden dagger in her hands. Her name is Rebecca of House Cham. A noble from one of the branches of Queen Laura's royal family at House Cham, and while not a direct descendant to the queen, she shares a royal heritage with her, as a noble, and a scholar. Lady Cham, is destined to face a ghost from Iolanda's past.
Queen Iolanda, lived happily ever after, despite the hardships she faced in her life. Her story is not finished yet, but her time in the pages of history, or in the runes of her forest, is the role of an observer. She can only witness other heroes take the place of the valiant kings she met, and fight their own demons. Here ends the story of Queen Iolanda, the Queen of Valkyries who saved two Kingdoms, from entering a horrible bloodbath. But the story of the Redfields, the Chams, and the Kennedys, is long, from being finished.
To be continued in:
"Necromancer Chronicles"