Four young men paced a large and circular room, a round table was located in the center where many older men clutched their heads or clenched their fists.

A heavy decision weighed upon all of their shoulders.

"Are you sure, father?"

"Yes, Takenaga."

The young man crossed his arms and glared at the screen hovering above the war room's table. A face smirked at them from within the pixels, daring them to make a move.

"Soldiers from Stulte Kingdom were detained while in the process of attempting to sell our secrets. Their mission had the king's signature clear as day at the bottom," another young man with red hair, the king's most trusted general's son, explained.

A blond young man sighed sorrowfully, he rubbed his temple.

The king eyed him warily, "Kyouhei, perhaps you should sit this one out…it is, after all, where I found you-"

"Enough, father. I'm fine…what I really want to know is your decision," the young prince stated.

The king nodded, proud of his adopted son's loyalty. He looked at his councilmen, his most trusted generals, and his allies. His eyes were determined, angry:

"We attack."

…

It didn't take long for the walls of Stulte to fall, their military had been comprised of illiterate low-lives for many years. The king didn't want soldiers who were smart enough to figure out that they were underpaid. In one day the capital had been taken. And by the second night only the palace had yet to be controlled. By the third morning, the king's head was on a platter and his family had yet to be found.

"What do we know about the king's family?" Ranmaru asked.

Takenaga paced Stulte's thrown room, "His first wife died just two years after giving birth to his eldest daughter, Tamao. Being a king, he quickly found a replacement. But, she also met her end four years after the birth of his second daughter, Noi."

Yuki, the king's nephew and adopted prince, spoke up: "I've also heard rumors of an elder sister of the two. Apparently, after Uncle adopted Kyouhei and me in the same year, the king of Stulte felt that his people didn't love him. Seeing the response of Omorfia's citizens once we entered society, he decided to adopt a 13-year old orphan girl. But his people weren't fooled. Their reaction to the adoption was extremely negative, for thousands of other children were still starving and dying. The king, angry, locked her away and denied her everything except the title: princess," he explained.

Takenaga nodded, "I've also heard that she's an extremely skilled warrior who immigrated from the northern tribes of Stulte as a young girl. People say that her purple eyes tell of the lands from which she descended."

Kyouhei felt a lump in his throat.

Purple eyes, great warrior, adopted? That sounds like-

"Sunako."

Kyouhei's head whipped around to Ranmaru. He had read the name aloud from a piece of paper. Kyouhei nearly ran over to him, a cold sweat forming on his brow as he snatched the document and his eyes drank in the words:

CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION

NAME: Nakahara, Sunako

DATE OF BIRTH: 10-11-2095

REGISTRATION NUMBER: 77765847

NEW ADDRESS: The Royal Palace

ORIGIN: Northern Tribes of Stulte

ADOPTER: King Darius II

At the bottom was the director of the orphanage's signature and the king's. Kyouhei gulped. He crumpled up the parchment and stuffed it into his pocket. Takenaga quirked an eyebrow, Yuki scratched the back of his neck, and Ranmaru smirked.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" The red-head asked.

But Kyouhei was in no mood for jokes. Memories of laughter, playful wrestling, screams, love, and acceptance swarmed his mind. His head began to hurt as they all replayed themselves at once. His eyes stung and his heart pounded so hard he found it difficult to breathe.

Sunako…

The others sensed the turmoil, the tense air. Takenaga looked worried as he walked towards his adopted brother, his hand gently gripped Kyouhei's shoulder: "Kyouhei…what is it about this girl that's got you so worked up?"

Kyouhei gulped again. He turned around before scanning every nook and cranny of Stulte's now empty royal court. He motioned with his head towards Stulte's war room, hidden by a fake wall just behind the golden throne. The four young men cautiously entered.

"Has this room been washed?" Kyouhei asked quietly. Every room they had taken was rid of all its cameras, microphones, computers, telephones, you name it. They couldn't be too careful. The poor citizens of Stulte may have despised King Darius, but the rich loved how much he had pampered them. If they weren't careful, they could give away secrets and the upper class-with their endless resources-could keep the fight going for months.

Takenaga and Ranmaru nodded, crossing their arms: "What is it that you can't say out there?"

Kyouhei rubbed his clammy hands against the front of his uniform: "I know Sunako."

Their eyes widened. Kyouhei had never mentioned anything about his old life. They had a clue as to why: something horrible had taken place and left deep and unforgettable scars. Only the King of Omorfia knows his whole story.

"It was just two years before your father, Takenaga, visited Stulte and took me home with him. I met a native girl…named Sunako. We hated each other at first. Native cultures, as you know, are very superstitious. The first words she said were: 'Why are you down here?' She thought that I was a 'creature of the light' as she put it who had fallen from heaven. My good looks always seemed to get in the way no matter where I was or who I met. But, there was something different about her. Almost as if she didn't like how I looked. That enticed me…never before had someone disliked my face."

Kyouhei paused before continuing, "Anyway, to put it simply, I fell for her. She was the first girl that didn't disgust me. But it was one-sided. Her strange way of thinking kept her just out of my reach. And after two years of torture, your father visited and took me away…"

The others could sense that there was much more to the story, but they were lucky to learn anything about his past. Because Kyouhei was the kind of guy who always kept moving forward.

Kyouhei sighed, "I've also heard a few things about the princesses. They're extremely beautiful, and so is Sunako…what will happen to them, Takenaga?" Kyouhei asked his brother, turning to look at him with weary and worried eyes. He knew what happened to the women from fallen countries. He had seen it many times.

Takenaga closed his eyes, "Mother died five years ago, father might try to take Sunako or the others for himself."

Kyouhei sucked in his breath.

"But, he's also been talking a lot with the king of our ally, Shin. I think that he intends to marry the king's sister, a widow."

Kyouhei sighed, relief comforting him like a lover's arms.

"But the king is no fool, Takenaga. The people of Stulte may have hated Darius, but they adore their princesses. If they aren't bound to us in some way, the people just might rebel under their leadership someday…" Ranmaru interjected.

Yuki sighed, "Ranmaru's right. Even if uncle doesn't take any of the princesses of Stulte, he might give them to someone else. Someone from Omorfia with money or military status."

"What should we do?" Kyouhei almost pleaded.

Takenaga opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a swift knocking on the door. He gave Kyouhei an apologetic look before answering:

"Come in."

A young soldier opened the door, he looked directly at Takenaga, "Sire, the King's family has been located in a cabin close to the capital's edge."

Ranmaru and Yuki ran out of the room immediately, Takenaga began to run too before an arm stopped him: "Promise me." Kyouhei whispered.

Takenaga turned around, "Promise what?"

"That I'll decide what happens to those girls."

Takenaga nodded and the two princes made for the military vehicles.