The Hearts that Bleed Black

Prologue

King Soleil

How many funerals must you hold before you endure your own? A lot, it seems. People continuously died no matter how you tried to stop it. All war did was take and take, never giving back. A fine thing, war is.

My attention was stolen by the young prince in front of me, glaring at me indignantly with the face I had given to him. My son, of course.

"This is so unfair" he huffed, stamping his feet in irritation, "Why can't I join in the battle?" His angular face was wrought with immature desperation, the kind that would be dangerous if it wasn't handled carefully.

"Cyrus, you are nineteen" I shook my head with a tsk, "You are not properly trained and not nearly strong enough. You are not ready to bear the Aether name like your brother."

"I can do it!" Cyrus pleaded, his eyes wide with a lack of understanding, "I beat Axel in a sword fight the other day! Just let me have a chance to prove myself! Isn't this what you've been preparing me my whole life for?"

"No, you are strong but no match for Masrira and Aivoca soldiers. They will rip you apart," I stated firmly, gripping his shoulder tightly, "I can't afford to lose you." As usual, my scathing words seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"It's not even war! As usual, Aivoca just enjoys stirring up trouble" Cyrus rolled his yellow eyes, curling his lip, "And as usual Masrira doesn't care and follows their lead because all they care about is how many pearls their necklaces have! People dying doesn't matter to them so long as they are comfortable."

"Prince Cyrus, don't make light of things you don't understand" I spat, my face reddening, "We are on the verge of- "

"Your majesty, a letter has come from Vraekya" My advisor suddenly appeared, holding out a scroll. My brow furrowing in concern, I took the not too carefully rolled letter. The paper was stained and a little crumpled at the edges, I guessed it had been sent in a hurry.

"Thank you, Oliver, you may go" I nodded at him. Oliver dipped his head and backed away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

I turned my attention back to the scroll. Opening it, I flinched in surprise as an object fell out of it. I frowned, reaching down to pick it up. My eyes widened as I realised what it was. It was the long silvery hair of the Vraekyn Queen, roughly cut and placed in a ponytail.

"Hair? What does that mean?" Cyrus peered at it curiously, raising a brow.

"It means that we're at war" I took a deep breath, calming myself, "Queen Iclyn wouldn't do this if the threat wasn't serious."

"Why did she send her hair?" Cyrus pressed. I ignored my son, turning to the scroll. The Vraekyn Queen's normally neat and precise handwriting was rushed and messy, making it difficult to decipher. She'd written this letter in a hurry; something had to be seriously wrong.

To King Soleil of Xuidel

Queen Mira has sent her troops inside my borders, alongside Aivoca. We're trying to hold them off, but they've already overwhelmed our outposts. I beg you to send us some troops to help fight them, we cannot do this alone. I have written to Kuya and Luris as well.

I would never usually ask for assistance of this magnitude, but I've been left with no other choice. We're already weak after the recent famine and I fear we will be wiped out if help doesn't arrive soon.

Sincerely, Queen Iclyn of Vraekya

I crumpled the letter in my fist with a growl. Masrira and Aivoca making the choice to attack Vraekya when they were weak and defenceless was a coward's move. Masrira had the nature of pirates, for that was all they were to us. Their vicious queen has started one too many conflicts over land and treasure to be considered honourable. As for Aivoca, they could hardly even be considered a kingdom. They were merely a colony of Luris, with a king who believes he's more powerful than he really is.