CHAPTER 2: The Scarlet Broken Seal

Location: Winter Kingdom's Palace.

'LEN! Please open the god damn door!' – shouted an angry Lisa in front of a ornamented strong oak door in a long luxurious hallway, illuminated with the white gleaming light of an almost full moon. 'You can't be always angry and sad it is not healthy, and you are not a child, you are a fucking King, start acting like one! You have responsibilities Lenny!

Lisa waited for a few seconds but Len was giving her the silence treatment.

'Please Len don't shut me out of your life, I miss you, please … I don't know what to do, I… I can't keep living like this. The High Council is worried about the future of our land and people are dying. We need you Len…'

The door opened slowly and a low and hoarse voice spoke.

'Was it your idea or the Council's idea?'

'Mine.' Lisa answered knowing exactly what Len was talking about.

Len closed his eyes in pain. He was feeling betrayed and confused.

'Why the hell did you do that? You know how I feel Lisa...'

'Yes, it's been two years of mourning, of course I know how you feel, but do you know how I feel Lenny? I feel alone, forgotten, isolated in a frozen cage. I miss Mick too. You are not the only one grieving.'

'Why an arranged marriage Lisa? Really?'

"I am sorry… I thought it would be a good idea for us, for the Kingdom, especially for you, it's time to move on Len, Mick would have wanted that. He would be sad if he could see the sorry shadow of a King you have become."

Len furrowed his brow.

"Why don't you get married and arrange the mess your big brother created?"

Lisa felt an ache in her chest. "You know why…. So stop acting like this..."

Len saw the hurt reflected in his baby sister features. He was acting like a selfish bastard. The love of his live had died, it was indeed tragic, Mick left him so early, but since that night he has been hiding from reality, neglecting all of his responsibilities, thinking that nothing in his life was worth it anymore and thus he had made Lisa suffer as well as his subjects. He deserved all the anger his sister was unleashing.

After a moment of silence, Len finally spoke.

'I am sorry Lisa,' he said at last feeling repentance for his actions. 'All this time I've been hurting you so bad, the only person left in my life that I want to see smiling.'

'It's okay Lenny, I love you, you big idiot' – she said gently as she placed her hands on his cheeks and slowly lifted his face to meet hers. His deep blue eyes were full of agony and despair and she felt her world crush. She wanted to see him happy again, and full of strength and joy. She missed so bad the old mischievous and rogue Len. 'I promise you that this arranged marriage will be a good thing.'

Len smiled weakly. 'You can't possibly know that sis, but I do appreciate the thought.'

Lisa kissed Len's forehead affectionately. 'I promise, everything will get better.'

'Well it can't definitely get worse.'

She nodded miserably.

'By the way has anyone accepted the invitation to your senseless feast and birthday party?'

'You would be surprised.'

'Well now I am intrigued, names?'

'Sir Mason Bridge, Sir Kyle Nimbus, Sir Hartley Rathaway, Lord James Jesse'

Len chuckled. 'All of them are terrible choices Lisa… well except maybe Pied Piper, that kid has something.'

'I am glad that at least one caught your attention' she said relieved.

'The problem is that all of the suitors are mostly from the north, we need an alliance with another kingdom if you want your plan to succeed.'

'I know, but King Oliver Queen declined the proposal because he is recently engaged with Lady Smoak of Starling Kingdom, Sir Jay Garrick declined as well because… well he likes women as he told me bluntly, the Prince of Central Kingdom, Bartholomew Allen is probably too young and is currently at war with a monster of the South, they called it Zoom… so probably he is not currently concerned with marriage, Lord Eobard Thawne respectfully declined the offer but will be coming to the feast in your honor, by the way there are some weird rumors that Lord Eobard seems obsessed with Prince Bartholomew, unsettling stuff that I think explains why he declined… on the other hand Lady Snow from Central Kingdom is engaged also with Sir Ronald Raymond, and there is Lady Shawna Baez from the Fire Lands, not my favorite but at least an option, and there were other ladies that accepted the invitation but I can't recall their names… they didn't seem worthy of mentioning but they are also coming to the ball anyways if you want to meet them.'

Len sighed. 'So basically the best option so far is Hartley'

'At least his family has a lot of money.'

'That's true…and also the kid seems to be a genius. Maybe he can help us with some crazy inventions to help our people.'

Lisa nodded. 'That's a good idea, Lenny.'

Len nodded weakly.

'By the way dear brother, we should go downstairs and dine something, you are thinner and it worries me.'

Len agreed and closed the door of his room and the siblings started walking down the hall, when they were arriving to the kitchens General Mark Mardon approached them quickly and bowed.

'Your Highness, Princess Lisa, I have some urgent news from Central Kingdom.' – said the General handing a letter to the Princess. 'It is a letter from Sir Harrison Wells address to Lady Lisa.'

Len watched carefully as her sister broke the scarlet seal with the lighting bolt emblem and quickly began reading the contents of the letter, when she finished, a mischievous smile appeared in her face. 'Well, well, my dear brother, it seems you have a new suitor.'

Len arched his eyebrows.

'It seems Prince Bartholomew Henry Allen will be attending my senseless feast and party after all, it seems he wants to get to know you and pay a proper visit to the Winter Kingdom.'

'Wasn't him at war in the south with a powerful demon?'

'Pardon the intrusion your Majesty,' – General Mardon interrupted politely. 'I was talking with the messenger and it seems that the Central Kingdom army retreated form the southern boarder, they had a lot of casualties trying to defend that territory and the villages of the area, but to no avail and that took a toll on the morale of the militia, so the Prince decided to return to his realm to create new alliances with other Kingdoms to fight against Zoom.'

'So that's why he answered your letter Lisa. He needs our help to vanish his enemy.'

Lisa nodded.

'Indeed your Majesty, he needs a stronger army and he probably knows that the soldiers of the north are the strongest and fiercest of all the continent' – added the General feeling proud of his men.

'Well I don't care what his reasons are. This is a good opportunity Len, the gods may be on our side with this alliance' – said Lisa eagerly thinking of all the benefits that they could win if Len marries the young prince.

'Don't rush in to conclusions Lisa, I haven't decided anything yet, I want to get to know this kid first. Mark how old is he?'

'Twenty and six years old, your Majesty' – answered General Mardon. 'He seems to be a ruler loved by his subjects, a skilled warrior, a very attractive young man and the rumors of the court state that the prince is probably a speedster.'

'A speedster?' – asked Lisa surprised. 'I didn't know that'

'It isn't yet confirmed my Princess. It seems to be a rumor spreading within the walls of the Central City court. They say that at the last battle there was an armored scarlet knight fighting one on one with Zoom, but that he barely escaped with his life.'

'And why the hell they think that the Scarlet Knight was the prince?'

'There was a little coincidence that raised some suspicions in the army and later in the court. After that fight of Zoom and the Scarlet Knight, the Prince disappeared for a week.'

'So what?' – Lisa asked impatiently.

'Well some say that they are the same person, so that the Prince needed healing from the fight.'

'Well that makes sense, it is rather suspicious… But what the hell is that kid thinking?' – asked Lisa even more surprised.

Len watched his sister with amusement.

'A young speedster prince marrying an unknown King of a far away land, that has the power of channeling frost and ice? He must have a death wish... And if he is indeed the Scarlet Knight he must be insane to go alone against that demon.'

'No, he is smart and very cunning.' - stated the King plainly watching the dim glow of the moon on the tall windows of the hallway. 'If he is indeed a speedster he is risking his life to make me his ally. He wants to eliminate me from his list of possible foes with the marriage. And probably he fought against Zoom just to measure the power of his new enemy. He is planning something.'

'So he is insane and brave…'– said Lisa fascinated. 'I am starting to like him Len… I can't wait for the full moon and having a nice big party.'

'Hold your horses sis, and don't get too excited, I am still mad at this whole situation of the arranged marriage.'

'I know, I know…I am sorry…'

'And I may be willing to get married Lisa, but that doesn't mean that I am going to be a caring and loving husband, this would be just a negotiation for the sake of our Kingdom, nothing more… my heart froze two years ago with Mick's death and I have no intention of melting it for a sly kid who thinks he can solve everything with a marriage.'

'I understand Len, but please… just don't be an asshole…'

Len rolled his eyes. 'Mark, please go and tell the messenger that we are delighted with the news and that we will be expecting the young Prince and his delegation for the feast and my sister's birthday party.'

'Yes sir, you wish is my command.' – said General Mark Mardon feeling that the wheel of fate in the north was starting to turn, the problem is that he wasn't sure if it was for better or for worse.

End of second chapter! :D Thanks for reading!

Hope it's enjoyable so far! Please do correct any typos and such, I'd super appreciate it 3