The Forgotten Heir

Prologue

"My dear, we might not survive this, but she must live on." Alistair tells his wife Cajsa who is clutching their sleeping daughter, Asta. She has his bronze, wavy hair but that is where the resemblance stops, she looks very like her mother with her olive skin and chocolate colored eyes whereas he is very pale and has grey eyes. Her mother, with her long golden hair tousled from sleep, kisses her goodbye before handing her to Agda, the elderly nursemaid of our 5 year old daughter. Quietly sobbing, she whispers her last words to her child 

" You will do great things my love, you must live through this and come back to our people. You will be a great leader someday. We love you, Asta". Agda disappears with the sleeping princess through the servant's passage without a trace just as the former advisor bursts through the door with about a dozen men. 

"I do not wish to harm you or your family, Alistair" He said snarkily "Just crown me king and no harm shall befall you". 

" I will never give the crown to such a coward!" The king states.

Hagen slowly draws his dagger and looks around at the defiant pair " Where's that pretty little girl of yours?" 

 "Gone, where you shall never find her." Cajsa declared glaring at the man. 

" Well you may think that but you happen to be entirely wrong" He says as he holds the dagger to her throat whilst swiftly turning her to face her husband.

"What do you have to say about this, Alistair?" The king goes to draw his sword but Hagen is quick to stop him. "Settle down there 'Your Majesty' wouldn't want your lovely queen to get hurt, would you? We wouldn't want her perfect skin to be tarnished." He says as he presses the dagger into her throat drawing a single drop of ruby red blood.

"Don't you dare harm her! Let her go and no harm shall befall you" Alistair demands. 

" I really don't think you are in much of a position to make demands, my King. Now tell me, where is the girl?" He shouts back. 

" Sir, we found the nursemaid giving the child to the knight Ihsan. We are currently tracking his location" a soldier states from behind Hagen. 

"Good, then I have no further use of either of you" He says as he slits the throat of the Queen.

"Kill the former king" He directs that order to his five soldiers. 

"You monster!" the king screams as he draws his sword only to be hit in the chest with an arrow. 

" Find the girl and kill her. She is the only thing that will keep me from ruling." Hagen commands as the King lays dying on the floor reaching for his wife's hand.

 " I'm so sorry, my love," He whispers his last dying words to his fallen love.

"Just sleep, Asta. It will all be over soon." Ihsan whispers as he tries to calm the little girl. 

"But, you're bleeding!" Asta whispers back pointing out the arrow lodged in his shoulder. As blood stained his shirt and the snow behind him he quietly says 

" Asta, I need you to run as far away as possible. I will be fine." 

He gently touches her pointed ears, casting a glamor to allow her in the human kingdom leaving only a small point on the tip of her right ear. As he could hear the soldiers behind them he yelled "Asta, run now!"

The little princess ran as fast as her tiny feet could carry her. Through the forest and across the border to Alcantha, the human kingdom. She could hear the soldier trampling the brush behind her. She runs deep into the city of Lucent and finds a large mansion fit for a lord. She runs and collapses by the door as her tiny feet could carry her no further. 

She screams and bangs on the doors hoping that someone will take pity on a child. 

"What is that dreadful noise, Chesa?" The Queen of Assassins asked her friend and second in command, Chesa. 

" It's the door, ma'am. There seems to be a young girl outside yelling." 

"Well, why are you just standing there? Get the child out of the cold and bring them here!"  commands. 

"No" Chesa says.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I said no, Mara, it's to dangerous to bring in some random kid!" She replies, "We don't even know where she came from!"

"Chesa, I hate to do this to you since you are my oldest friend, but I am your leader and you will bring in that child,"

"Fine, but if you end up getting killed by the people this kid is spying for it's not my fault"

"Thank you, darling!" Samara beamed,

 "Come here, little one. You're safe now" Chesa softly whispers to the girl. 

"Don't worry, come get some food" Samara says to the girl Chesa brings in. 

"Who are you?" Asta asks the strange woman. "My name is Samara and this is my friend Chesa. What's your name?" 

"My name is Asta." she whimpered. 

"Well then, Asta. How old are you?" Samara comforted. 

"I'm five years old." She speaks a little louder, getting a bit more confident. 

"Where are your parents, Asta?" Samara whispers with pain present in her eyes for the abandoned girl. 

"I don't know." Asta softly speaks with tears in her eyes. 

"Come here, you're safe now, child" Samara soothed, holding the girl close to her chest.