April 609 - Danik age 13

A young boy with pale hair sat at his desk copying lines and lines of text from an old tome near his right elbow. His left hand wrote with precision, the curve of each letter smooth and even. There were no smudges of ink on paper or hand, no lines on the paper to act as a guide, yet all words ran in horizontal perfection across the page.

He could detect the smell of vanilla in the room and he smiled. His mother always wore that scent and it had a calming effect on him.

"Your tutor left you hours ago, Danik," his mother said. "You don't have to keep working."

"Father is sending me away to the monastery. I figured I should be as well versed as possible before then."

Her hand came to rest on his shoulder. "It's only for a few years while he establishes Patrik as his heir. You won't be banished forever. I won't let him and you know he listens to me."

Danik's mouth pulled into a straight line. His mother may have been the king's favorite mistress, but she was still just that. The queen had the king's ear, although not enough that he would agree to banish her competition. Only her competition's son. "Mother-"

"No, Danik," she said, interrupting him. "Alexander wants you present. Your brother's betrothed is arriving today. You should be there."

"No one knows who I am to even know if I'm there at all." He pushed away from his chair and dropped his pen on the parchment, smearing the ink. "How could he agree to wed our prince to some wealthy no-one of the Central Kingdom?"

"You know not to question your father," she chastised him.

"Yes," he said, "I live to obey."

He followed his mother to the throne room where they stood in the aisle towards the front. Never directly in the front row, that would be too disrespectful to the queen.

The crowd around them murmured the same thoughts that he had voiced earlier. How does a girl from an inferior kingdom become queen of theirs? She would no doubt be spoiled and expect great overindulgences. What a surprise she would be in for.

King Alexander entered the room from the side, the queen and her son walking just behind him. He took his seat under the adoring, and sometimes fearful, glances of the gathered crowd. The queen and prince standing behind his throne.

Danik noticed that the youngest prince was missing. It was no secret the boy was sickly. He was probably in bed with his nursemaid. Another disappointment to the proud king. While it was cruel to even think it, he wondered why the king allowed the boy to live at all. The people of the North relished strength and would never accept a sickly boy as any type of ruler.

The doors to the far end opened to reveal a young girl who bravely walked the length of the room on her own. Danik guessed she was probably ten or so. Too young to actually get married, but old enough that promises could be made. As if by chance, her eyes caught his, their dark depths causing him to pause. Her long raven locks shown nearly purple in the lights of the room.

When she made it to the steps of the dais, she dropped into a low curtsey, arms fully extended as she was crouched nearly to the ground. As she rose to her feet, the king signaled for his son Patrik to stand next to the girl.

Patrik was nearly ten years her senior, his lighter features a contrast to her darker ones. He took her smaller hand in hers as protocol required.

"My people," King Alexander said from behind the young couple, his hands on their shoulders. "I welcome you all on this momentous day. Your beloved prince, Prince Patrik, future king of the north, has chosen his consort. She will stand beside him in all that is to come. Welcome her as I do. Lady Rei van Anders."

July 611 - Danik age 15

Rei ran through the halls of the old castle, her skirts gripped tightly in her hands as she tried to keep herself from tripping over the silken edges. Red streaks stained her cheeks from the trails of tears. Her breath came out in light gasps as she forced herself to keep running as fast as she could.

As she reached the doors to the chapel she stopped and fought to catch her breath. Down the long aisle she could see Danik kneeling in front of rows of candles, his hands clasped and head down. She rushed down the aisle and dropped to her knees besides him.

"He's dead," she said.

"I know," Danik responded, his tone empty.

"I don't understand why they killed him. What happened to him, Danik? Why did they do this?"

He knew the pain in her voice was real, but he couldn't see past his own grief in that moment. It had been her people that killed his brother. Didn't she understand that she would find no friends here? "There's a war coming, Rei, no one is safe."

"What will happen now?"

"Your parents will renegotiate and they will see to it that you and my youngest brother will wed instead. You'll be closer in age."

"I loved Patrik," she whispered.

"Patrik loved his crown." Regret filled him as the words left his mouth. He had learned to like this girl from the enemy kingdom. "I will avenge his death."

"How will you do that?"

"I will fight in their war and find the men responsible. I don't care who it is, they will be punished."

October 612 - Danik age 16

Danik had perhaps fooled himself into thinking that he would do any good with his return home. He had snuck back into the kingdom, only using his name when cornered. His hope had been to say goodbye to his mother and perhaps convince her to leave with him.

He had been wrong though. She refused to leave Saintus Melenachas. She refused to leave Alexander. Even worse, she had her maid send for the king without him noticing.

Alexander arrived in her suite in his usual fury. Since this was his mistresses room, he at least lacked the normal fanfare.

Danik stood with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes forward, face expressionless. He wore a uniform foreign to his own homeland, the emblazoned emblem on his leather chest plate indicative of the Central Kingdom. His hair brushed just past his shoulders - something that he knew annoyed his father to no end.

"You cannot join our rivals' army," King Alexander spat. "What of your own kingdom and your own people? Are they not worthy?"

"Some causes are bigger than others," Danik responded, voice smooth and without emotion.

"And what happens when you are killed in this ridiculous crusade of a mad king?"

"I will not bow to death, father, you have taught me better than that. Is it not our family's motto that we obey none that are not our own?" Danik's father reached out and struck his cheek with the back of his hand. His mother gasped and moved to step forward to intervene between the two but was stopped by her Alexander's arm blocking her way.

"That is enough, Danik!" the King spat. "You will remove that armor and denounce your intentions. My son will not partake in their war. My heir will not partake in their war."

"Have you already written off your youngest son for dead then?"

"We both know he will never ascend to the throne," came the gravelly response. "He was born sickly and will be lucky to see his eighth birthday. There is no use spending the time on something that has already been decided."

"Then perhaps you should begin to look for better doctors as I will not be inheriting your legacy, father. I am a bastard as you frequently reminded me when you had Patrik to dangle in front of us."

The King reached out and wrapped his fingers around the top of Danik's leather chest covering, drawing their faces together. "I have worked to salvage what I could for your future. Will you do this to your mother?"

"I have always been obedient to you. I have done everything that was asked of me. If you won't avenge Patrik, then I will."

"Their prince is a weak boy and the king is detested. When he is overthrown we will take over their kingdom and that is how our revenge will be served. Now remove your armor and rescind your decision."

"No."

The king raised his hand in a fist and Danik's mother threw her body against his arm, not wanting to watch her son struck again. "Please, Danik," she begged grasping Danik's hands into her own, "do as your father the king asks."

"Our paths are chosen for us. This one is not mine."

King Alexander pulled back on Danik's mother, pushing her behind him, not caring when she nearly fell as she stumbled to catch her footing. "If you leave now, you will never be welcomed back into this kingdom. Your life will be forfeit."

"Then I suppose we should both pray that I do not survive this war."