The Promised Prince

Prologue

Arturia gazed blankly at the man standing in front of her, his words weaving a narrative so whimsical it seemed plucked from the pages of fables and folklore, a realm far removed from the harshness of reality.

"How long?" Her voice cracked, the question hanging heavy in the air.

The dark-haired man let out a soft exhale, sorrow etched in his eyes. "More than a century."

Arturia's eyes fluttered shut at the revelation, a span of time that had seen her loved ones fade into memory, her family dispersed like whispers in the wind. "My wife, my daughters , where have they gone?" Her piercing gaze bore into Merlin. "Tell me, Merlin, what fate befell my family?"

Merlin sighed, despite his youthful visage belying his true age of nearly one hundred and seventy years. "Arturia, you must understand that the events unfolded beyond anyone's foresight, a tide that swept us away before we could react."

Tears welled in her sapphire eyes, her voice trembling. "What... what?"

Merlin slumped in his chair, clutching his staff as vivid memories of chaos flooded his mind. "They swarmed in, Aegon and his ilk," he muttered bitterly. His emerald eyes blazed with anger. "The city fell first, the cries of innocents haunting the air. The castle was still reeling from the sudden wave..." he hesitated, "the castle was still shaken from the unexpected turn of events..."

Arturia fought to contain her sorrow, tears silently streaming down her face as she mourned for her lost loved ones. "And the guards? And our dragons?" she whispered.

Merlin shook his head grimly. "Aside from your wife, only two dragon-riders remained. Your daughters stood little chance against their ruthless assault. Saber soared into battle, defending valiantly, but Aemon and Daemon were relentless adversaries. Saber fell, taking down Daemon and Caraxes in his final stand. Yet, it was not enough. The princess entrusted me to protect you and your daughters," he confessed, his expression haunted. "I failed."

Arturia remained silent, processing the grim news. Finally, with a trembling voice, she broke the heavy silence. "Rhaenyra fought, didn't she? She fought, and she perished?"

"She did, she ascended on Syrax, she engaged in combat with regal prowess, embodying the queen she was destined to be," Merlin murmured softly. "She possessed strength, yet even in that moment, she was not invisible. She fell, and in a whirlwind of events, the castle was engulfed in flames, suffocating smoke billowing within the walls. My magic could not shield your daughters, they died in your holding you," he revealed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I had no choice... I had to leave them behind as Camelot crumbled, our people vanished. However, I had to ensure your escape, to prevent another failure. There was a glimmer of hope for your recovery and retribution," he asserted, his jaw clenched in determination.

Arturia surveyed their surroundings, a modest wooden abode that Merlin had likely used for their concealment. Gazing at her hands, she whispered, "Yet, I did not awaken as hoped, but over a century later." Her voice echoed with emptiness, having been robbed of everything she held dear. What purpose remained in a life stripped of all that she cherished, unknowingly torn from her grasp?

Were the Gods so merciless as to awaken her to a world where all she cherished lay in ashes, lifeless and entombed? "The Gods have abandoned me," she uttered softly, a resigned realization dawning upon her.

Merlin rose to his feet, desperately countering, "No, you are here, you are conscious—a miraculous occurrence."

Arturia's laughter resounded, escalating into sobs as she questioned, tear-streaked, "A miracle? Waking to a realm where my daughters are deceased—a miracle? The demise of the beloved wife—a miracle?" She scoffed bitterly, fists clenched, "This is not a miracle, but a punishment, a profoundly cruel sentence. I am bereft of purpose, with my family extinguished, my castle razed, Camelot destroyed, and my dragon gone. I am nothing," she seethed, "Nothing!"

Watching his dearest and longest-standing companion crumble before his eyes, Merlin was unable to fathom the depth of her despair.

While he had not experienced the loss of children or a spouse, the pain of losing his brothers in arms and the comrades he had fought alongside in his youth paled in comparison to the unfathomable losses that Arturia had endured unknowingly. Without hesitation, he dropped his staff and knelt beside her, embracing the shattered prince as she wept.

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