Chapter One: Hate at First Sight
The City of the Cetra, capital of the Cetra Kingdom, glistened in the early morning sunlight as it rose from behind the mountains that surrounded the beautiful, ancient town.
Of all the buildings, however, the palace was the most outstanding. It's tall turrets could be seen for miles and it seemed as though it were made of crystals the way it shone so brightly.
In the gardens, a young girl of about four was sitting on the soft grass, her hands dipped in the cool water of a fountain. Her chestnut hair already reached past her waist and was tied in a high ponytail that was held by a pink ribbon. Her green eyes were full of contentment as the cool water soothed her warm body as it lay in the summer sun.
"Aeris"
Her father's voice directed the young Princess' attention from the fountain in the gardens to where he was exiting the palace.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked, looking her up and down. Aeris nodded obediently and followed her father. She did not want to go travelling across the world to meet with a Prince that her father had explained would be her husband someday.
She was totally against it and had no desire to ever fall in love with anyone other that who she wanted to, no matter if it pleased her father or not. In her storybooks, all the Princesses found true love by themselves and nobody stopped them. As far as Aeris could see, so long as she had to meet with Cloud every summer, she would never have the chance to find hers.
"Onto the boat then Aeris," her father ushered, gently pushing his daughter onto the boat.
As soon as she stepped on the wooden decking, she sighed and leaned her head on her arms as she stared out at the ocean and her disappearing homeland.
In the watchtower in the country of Nibelheim, a brunette man was drumming his fingers in a bored manner as he glanced around the Kingdom for a sign of Princess Aeris and King Gast. He immediately straightened as he saw Gast's horse approaching. He reached for the trumpet next to him, giving a harsh blow to alert Queen Molly and Prince Cloud of their presence.
Molly squealed as the trumpet sounded and Gast's horse came into view from the forest, Aeris sitting quietly in front of him. The Queen of Nibelheim bowed respectively as Gast dismounted, lifting Aeris off by her shoulders, and placing her on the ground.
"Welcome to our Kingdom King Gast," she smiled warmly. "And welcome to you young Princess"
"And this handsome young man must be young Cloud," Gast commented at the young Prince who was scowling at the ground. Molly laughed nervously and kneeled down next to her son.
"Cloud," she hissed dangerously, pushing him forwards. He looked up at her with wide eyes, silently begging her.
"Go!" she pointed as Gast urged Aeris forward.
"Hello Princess Aeris, I'm very pleased to meet you." Cloud muttered in monotone, not even looking at her. Aeris, however, was polite enough to curtsy.
"It's nice to meet you, Prince Cloud." she answered, watching Cloud walk back to his mother.
"Ah ah ah, aren't you forgetting something?" Molly asked teasingly. Cloud opened his mouth to argue but at the look in his mother's eyes, he turned and walked back to the Princess.
With a look of disgust he raised her hand and kissed the top of it, immediately letting go as soon as he had finished. Aeris jerked her hand away and wiped it on her dress, glaring at the Prince.
'I can't believe I'm stuck with her all summer!' Cloud thought in annoyance, folding his arms and sticking his tongue out at the Princess.
Aeris glanced up at her father, silently pleading for him to take her home. As far as she could tell, this summer was not going to be very fun. Cloud did not look like one of those boys who played with dolls.
"Well, come on in. I'm sure that Cloud and Aeris will get along perfectly." Molly grinned, leading them inside. At the words, the two looked at each other with hateful glares and immediately only one thought went through their minds. Their ambition was to make life hell for the other.
The war between them started almost instantly from the moment Aeris entered the palace. It had started as an accident when she had knocked her juice across the table and it had landed on Cloud. In payback, the Prince had tipped cream on her head. It was a fitting punishment in his eyes.
Not a day went by without the children fighting physically or verbally and neither looked ready to give up.
Gast and Molly were totally oblivious to the youngster's aggression towards each other and thought they were a match made in heaven. Molly had even commented on how well the children got along. Of course, behind her back Aeris was tripping Cloud up and letting him roll down the stairs with a loud thump.
The only feelings between the two as Aeris returned to her Kingdom was relief from getting away from each other at last, and the dread of the next summer.