The Prince's Sacrifice

Prologue: Stranger Lurking

 The tree's seemed to close in around the stranger, this was strong magic. If it weren't for his own magic, he would have been lost long ago, these woods were protecting something. Fog rolled in making the woods more ominous. A shriek sounded, making the stranger more on edge. "Good," thought the girl spying, her uncle perched nearby in the darkest part of the wood. This was her first mission with her uncle and she was determined not to mess things up. She looked over where her uncle was, he seemed on edge. Was it the sight of this stranger or was something else on her uncle's mind? He was a very secretive fairy. She shook her head, no time to worry about that, they had a mission to complete, their contact was counting on them to help this fairy man who had stumbled into their woods.

***

He was looking for the missing princess. Knowing that time was of the essence to find her. Unsure of all of the reasons the Seer had for the sudden time limit, still he carried on with his mission. Did the princess even want to be found? Was she really alive? He knew the Seer wouldn't lie to him, since they were good friends but this would be his future bride, something he was unsure of his feelings towards the idea. He walked a little more cautiously, feeling followed. He had asked the woods for protection when he had first walked into the forest. He felt the wariness of the woods and the animals, these woods were hiding something and he did not know if it was friend or foe.

***

Ryder found himself looking down from his perch in the trees. He hoped that it was only a matter of time before the prince would notice him. His niece looked determined, a trait she got from her mother. She looked younger than her sixteen years but the determination made her seem closer to her age. Had they really been together for sixteen years watching over the Princess?

He let out a shaky breath, he envied this prince, who was still accepted in the fairy court, unlike himself. Ryder knew that he would never be accepted in the fairy world again. He had too much to atone for, besides that all of his scars would give him away as the traitor his King had marked him as. He pulled his shrouds closer to him, half hiding his scars, suddenly uncomfortable with the fairy prince's beauty. Ryder had been beautiful like that once, though it had been many years since that time. He had been carefree and naïve, thinking only of the good that he could accomplish. "I'm going brother," he had told Roland in a firm voice. Riven spoke up, "Me too. We are doing this to help our kingdom," he said reservedly. Roland had tried to stop them, arguing that their place had been in the palace. Little did Roland know how much Riven and himself would do for their kingdom. Last of which was saving their niece, Roland's oldest daughter, from the hand of the Brotherhood of Fire, a cult that had world domination as their goal. Even now she was with a human family in a safe place, protected by magic, far from the reach of Victor Adams the leader of the Brotherhood of Fire.

Ryder's perch rustled as an owl landed near him, reminding him of his mission. A squeak came from Tanis, she had dropped one of her arrows. The prince turned suddenly, bringing Ryder to full attention. "Who goes there," the prince asked in the common tongue, a language that Ryder had almost forgotten. The owl answered with a hoot. The prince almost relaxed until Ryder spoke. "A friend," he answered back in the ancient language that many had lost over years. He was surprised when the prince stopped his approach, the prince must know some of the ancient language. "The only people that speak that language are members of the royal family. Who are you," the prince asked incredulously. The owl hooted again, but this time it was ignored by both parties. The Prince had his sword drawn standing in a ready stance. "Put the sword away, young one. I am a friend. Mags sent me to help you find the princess," Ryder replied calmly as he stepped out of the shadows. Tydus relaxed as he heard the Seer's name, but gasped as he saw the shrouds and scars that could not be hidden. "Y-you are a traitor. You are no friend. Mags couldn't have sent you," the prince said his voice cracking.

"Listen, you Imp. I have done more for the kingdom of Ithuania than you could ever dream," Ryder said, holding the prince by the shirt against a tree. The prince dropped his sword, fear showing in his eyes. Ryder dropped the prince to his knees. Tanis looked at her uncle, but kept still, watching. She was not to be known about to anyone. Ryder very rarely lost his temper, so seeing that now surprised Tanis. This stranger might be dangerous how Ryder had been acting, even the forest seemed wary of him.

The prince looked up from where he was kneeling. "What have you done that is so important," the prince gasped. "I saved your princess and have watched over her for you all these years," Ryder replied softly, his anger leaving when he saw how pitiful and scared the prince looked. Sadness filled his eyes as he looked at the prince. "I am nothing to be afraid of. I am merely a broken man, a scary looking fairy that has been through too much in his lifetime," Ryder said sadly. Tanis looked as she seen a truly broken fairy, her uncle had never been this vulnerable. The prince showed pity but held caution in his stance. "Where is Anisa," the prince simply asked.