The Masked General

Brontide

   Avira walked casually into the palace at Harwen's capital. She made eye contact with a knight, and they immediately ran towards the throne room. They were probably going to alert the king that she had returned. It had taken her a little longer than expected. She had taken one of Hiroshi's horses, but she had managed to twist her ankle slightly when jumping out the window. Of course, not many people come out unscathed when blindly jumping from a window.

She followed after the knights, knowing she would find her siblings gathered there. When she walked in, she was not greeted in the way she expected.

"Princess Avira! You managed to get yourself kidnapped. You are the general, a general can't get kidnapped!" Prince Marc's deep voice rumbled throughout the throne room.

Avira bowed slightly, "I am sorry, I let down my guard. It was entirely my fault."

"We are just happy that you are safe, and have returned so quickly. Don't be so hard on her Marc," King Samuel waved his hands, dismissing the knight who alerted him of Avira's return. He stood up and walked towards Avira placing a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome home."

The throne room's doors opened once more, a young girl ran in. Her chestnut hair resembled Avira's, though it was a bit closer to Marc's brown curls rather than Avira's golden brown glow.

"Avira, oh you had us so worried! You're not hurt are you? You look thin, did the kidnappers even feed you? You left me alone with these two boys for almost a whole four days." The girl rambled as she hugged Avira.

"Ivelle, I missed you too. I assure you, sister, I am fine. It was only Prince Hiroshi. He thinks he wants a war." Avira let go of her sister and faced Samuel.

"If I was general, or king for that matter, none of this would have happened!" Marc spoke up angrily.

Samuel shot him a look and began to speak, "Why does he want a war? You two were supposed to be married, how did it come to this?"

"Your Highness, you say that as if it was my fault," Avira frowned sarcastically.

"Well, I certainly hope you don't expect her to be marrying him anymore, Your Highness," Ivelle latched herself onto her younger sister's arm.

"He used our arranged marriage as an excuse. I know we don't get along very well, but that is no reason for a war. I think there's more to it," Avira looked back and forth between her siblings.

"I know how much you despise him, but it would have been quite a feat if we managed to finally unite our two kingdoms. We have been at each other's throats for generations. Still, you know him best, do you know any other reasons he might want to go to war?" King Samuel walked back to the throne, resting his chin in his hand.

Avira stood for a moment, there could be a couple reasons, but... "I think he wants revenge for his father's death. He said his counsel would not allow making a declaration of war though. I don't understand why they wouldn't when their king was killed, but it's not like I want a war either. Their kingdom was weakened because of King Luther's death. I will admit, Crown Prince Hiroshi can be smart, but he was not prepared for his father's death, no one is really ever prepared for that though."

Harwen and Wayollen had been rivals for a long time. They had tried several attempts at peace, but something always came in-between them. This time, Avira and Hiroshi caused the division.

She paced around the room, thinking hard. She looked at Marc, he had been there during the king of Wayollen's death.

"Don't look at me like that. It wasn't my fault he died, someone else killed him," Marc began to defend himself.