Queen Carlisiann (BWBM)

PROLOGUE

T H I R D P E R S O N

Prince Amanté stared outside as the cold breeze of winter brushed past the leaves on the many trees in an alluring manner that had them moving in its direction, matching the pace so effortlessly. The snow that was once falling from the foggy sky laid against the soft grass that would soon be trampled by the feet of children who dared to play in the cold season.

"Now!"

A frown immediately sat on his brows as his body tensed at the sound that bounced off the palace walls to greet the ears of anyone near the room it escaped from. The sound not only brought displeasure to the young prince but curiosity since he was seconds away from leaving his office in search of the reason behind it to satisfy his growing interest, though before he could even stand, the door to his office was pushed open, revealing his bodyguard, Essam.

"What happened? Why is father yelling?" The young prince asked Essam, who was busy closing the door behind him.

"Queen Carlisiann's carriage was ambushed on her journey here."

This information failed to relieve his brows from the weight of his frown and his body from the tension that steeped into his muscles to course through his veins because it brought more questions to his clueless mind.

"Is she alright?"

Essam shrugged since he barely had much information regarding the matter besides what he was told by the king's guards.

"I'm not sure as yet. Your father just received the news so he is sending soldiers to investigate and hopefully retrieve her." He informed Amanté, though his words didn't seem to answer all the questions that stood at the surface of his mind.

"Who attacked her carriage?"

"Most likely assassins."

Amanté and Queen Carlisiann weren't acquainted since their only meetings consisted of formal bows and hellos that were required at any social gathering the two attended—and if he remembered correctly the last time he saw her was eleven years ago since she had stopped coming to events, but he had heard many stories about her.

Everyone had.

Carlisiann was the queen who lost her family at the tender age of ten to assassins that were from an organisation called Tishlan—they were, and still are a group of people who are opposed to the thought of her bloodline ruling the lands for years to come, so when they killed her family it didn't come as much of a shock to anyone.

Obviously, Carlisiann survived the attack.

Many say her magic protected her before they could harm her, but no one knows for sure what truly transpired that night.

"The same ones who killed her parents?"

"We don't know for sure."

"Why was she headed for Lvaiekia? My parents didn't inform me of a meeting." Amanté questioned him, clearly not realising that Essam was just as clueless about everything.

"My prince, the answers you seek cannot be given by me but your parents."

This response pulled Amanté to his feet, showing his friend that he was taking his advice as he soon made his way towards the door that Essam opened to allow him passage through.

It didn't take more than two minutes for him to enter the throne room where his parents sat, speaking to their advisor.

"Amanté." His mother, Kesis, greeted him, but it was also a silent way of telling her companions to halt the conversation they were currently having before her son heard anything of value.

"Good morning, may I ask what's going on?" Amanté asked them, and this gained a slight reaction from his father, Marin, who furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Marin inquired, voicing his puzzlement.

"I heard about Queen Carlisiann, and I am at a loss as to why she would come here in the first place."

"Ghalen, her royal advisor, had recently informed me about her desire to form a union between our two kingdoms. Your father and I couldn't pass up this opportunity," Kesis answered, pulling a frown back onto her son's brows.

Amanté didn't like her response at all since it went against everything he had requested of them, and everything they had promised. He wanted to marry for love, but he was now sure that want would never be fulfilled, especially when he knew this marriage would only be about power, the power she held, and the power her kingdom had.

"You both told me I'd get to choose my bride."

"I know we did but you have to understand where we're coming from, Queen Carlisiann has power like no other though we suspect that magic is spiralling due to the fact that she hasn't married a Lvaiekian yet, which means she's desperate and that is good for us because her kingdom is powerful, so when you marry not only will you be king of Lvaiekia, you'll also be the king of Sejlky," Marin replied, confirming Amanté's assumptions about the arrangement.

"But it states in our laws that arranged marriage is forbidden, and the council would never stand for it, so I have a right to—"

"You have a right to do nothing. No one is to find out about how this marriage occurred, do I make myself clear?" Marin told him firmly, which had Amanté nodding almost instantly in submission.

Kesis released a sigh into the air as she gave her husband a glare that had him regretting his tone in an instant. The queen's gaze didn't stay on him for much longer as she directed her eyes upon her son.

"Amanté, I know this may be hard for you to understand now, but we are doing this for you and our people. If Carlisiann loses her element, our element will slowly cease to exist and we cannot allow that to occur."

Although he understood where they were coming from it did not make the situation any easier on him as he had an entirely different life mapped out for himself—a life that harboured someone else, the woman he wanted to marry, the woman he loved, but he was in no position to say that now, so instead he released these words to appease his parents demands,

"I apologise, I shall prepare for her arrival."

-