Princess of the Phrost (the miniseries): Creation

Escaping Darkness

Safri trained relentlessly to vent her frustrations after hearing from Kwi that the young prince of Zelaria bore gods' eyes. Anger fueled her but she still could not hate him. In his home the prince was feared but respected, even loved for bearing the mark of the first dark king while her people cowered, called her evil and wished her away. The Phrostlings feared the day Safri took her father's place. Princess Safri sighed heavily, knowing nothing more than the love of her mother and Kwi; her father never paid her much attention. He'd gone as far as to openly express that he hated her on more than one occasion, just for being a girl. Safri was to one day rule but was clueless as to how, they never made her study. Outside of what she had learned from Oni long ago she knew nothing about what made a good ruler and there weren't many books in the Phrost. Her father kept the few he did have locked away in his study and always refused to let her read them. Safri wished she could cross realms once again, wished there were a library of any kind or that she could paint without consequence.

"I believe you can cross realms" Kwi whispered to Safri while preparing her for dinner one night. Old stories suggested that unlike Zelaria, the doorway wasn't as direct, creatures of the Phrost crossed over to the Seekers Realm where the seekers shadow guard patrolled. The seekers realm was neutral ground, and it was decreed by King Cyran long ago that creatures of the Phrost were forbidden to travel to the Lesserworld, and trying it could mean death.

"You are to be queen one day Princess Safri, surely a break from the darkness is well within your capabilities. The seekers are said to be just" Kwi whispered softly after finishing her hair. Kwi told her of a second rift in the warding she'd found years ago not far from the castle; she'd thought of crossing the wards and suffering the wrath of the shadow guards, but she stayed. She stayed for Safri.

"This mark on the back of your neck is not a flaw, it is a sign that times are changing. That you are the change" Kwi offered as she left. Safri twisted her neck sweeping her hair to the side trying to get a good look at the mark that had seared its way onto her skin the night of her 100th birthday. She had never seen anything like it. Safri couldn't hide it from Kwi who was at a loss as well and she couldn't bring herself to ask her parents; it felt like something she needed to hide. At times Safri wished she could hide her entire being.

Dinner as usual was silent and tense. With the Meeting of Kings approaching, the news of King Mytho's youngest son also bearing god's eyes had King LuVon on edge. Safri sat quietly fidgeting under the table while processing Kwi's words, her parents could grant her this one request before she was forever doomed to darkness.

"I want to visit the Lesserworld" she slipped out quickly. Covering her mouth in disbelief that she had actually let it slip. Her parents were silent and Safri refused to meet her father's gaze though she could feel the weight of his stare.

"Why would you want to visit the Lesserworld, it's not safe? '' Ratha asked genuinely curious. Safri couldn't explain where the sudden urge to leave came from but not immediately following it was by far the hardest thing she'd ever done. The nagging need to leave grew stronger every day and she'd ignored it as long as she could.

"I forbid it" King LuVon fumed.

"I have no qualms with beating that childish, irrational fantasy out of you Safri! You are the daughter of a king, gallivanting in the Lesserworld like a commoner will not be tolerated" LuVon scoffed, further angering his daughter.

"So instead, you'd rather damn me to darkness and death!" Safri screamed back, fed up with being weighed down by her father's fear.

"Let me go and when I return, I'll never ask again" she bartered.

"I'll marry and murder every king in the Overworld if you wish it but deny me this one request and the second I get the chance, I'll renounce our claim on the land to King Mytho"

"Over my dead body!" LuVon snapped with his eyes flickering like out-of-control flames.

"Your dead body would make a nice parting gift if it meant living in the light" Safri snapped back, causing Queen Ratha to come between them. Ratha was in disbelief at the scene before her as she quickly realized that both had just crossed a point of no return. She had to pick a side and now. Once she reached her room Safri angrily paced its length trying to stifle her rage. She felt like she was burning alive as she shed her dinner wear and dressed in her armor. How dare the insufferable fool deny her this one request, his judgements were clouded by fear, and he didn't care to see reason. The need to leave was strong now, her mind had been made up and if Kwi was wrong, she was wrong. Being damned to rule as queen of the Phrost was in that moment a fate worse than death. Safri stood in front of her mirror taking in her appearance, her warm skin, long ears, and white hair. She felt in her heart that she didn't belong though it was the place she was forced to call home. Still lost in thought, Safri never heard the knock at the door until her mother entered, wrapping her up in a comforting hug.

"If I have to choose, I choose you. I will always choose you" Ratha whispered, thrusting a small bottle in her daughter's hands.

"I had it made to run away but I became pregnant with a child, with you. It should still work and if not follow the instructions" Ratha rambled. Throwing a letter into a small sack then thrusting it into her daughter's hand and pushing her to the balcony.

"Amin mela lle, my daughter" she called as Safri jumped, silently landing on her feet.

"I love you too mother" she smiled, turning and sprinting through the forest. Safri took deep calming breaths after locating the new rift in the wards that Kwi had told her about though it took a while. This break in the wards was slightly bigger but she saw nothing but darkness on the other side, no sign of life at all but she trusted her handmaiden's words. The princess was a bundle of nerves, hoping this time it worked. Safri had long ago stopped trying to pass through the wards, but Kwi was sure this would work, that somehow the mark at the nape of her neck would allow her to reach the Lesserworld though she was banned from ever returning to Zelaria. Taking deep breaths, Safri closed her eyes and thought of the Lesserworld, of the books and artifacts she'd studied as a child with Oni allowing the darkness to devour her. The mark began to blaze as Safri felt herself being pulled further into the black until she stepped out into the sun for the first time in a long time.