wind and water

prologue

The king sat upon his spiked throne, one leg resting over the other, his arms crossed over his chest. His foot tapped impatiently against the stone floor, an irritable scowl on his face. He wore his crimson robes, and his glistening golden crown sat atop his head. Beside him in an almost identically regal seat, sat the queen, her dark, long hair pulled into a tight braid. She too wore her finest gown, made of lavish scarlet silk, her palms gripping the velvet armrests of her throne, as she and the king impatiently awaited the arrival of the guards.

From across the dungeon, the tall, dark double doors creaked open, and three figures slid into the room. A scrawny man with curly blonde hair sobbed between the two guards, who held him up from under his arms. The doors closed loudly, the sound reverberating around the large room, as the guards dropped the man unceremoniously on the carpet before the king and queen. The man slowly lifted his head to look up at the royal couple, who glared down at him in disgust. Once the guards had settled on either side of the large oak doors, and all was silent, the king spoke...

☩ ☩ ☩

In another part of the region, through a clump of trees and over a deep, blue lake, stood the other king and queen, their arms resting upon the rail of the stone bridge, as water slapped against the large supporting pillars beneath it. The king, who wore his bejeweled crown atop his dark, coarse head, tapped his fingers rhythmically against the surface, his free hand intertwined with his wife's. With their eyes locked on the crashing waves beneath them, they stood in serenity, their lips curled into small smiles.

Then, from one side of the bridge, came four men in long, dark yellow tunics, walking in unison. The king, sliding his hands into his pockets, nodded to the pack, and followed the men, the queen in their wake, to the other side of the bridge. This lead them into a series of intersecting hallways and corridors, and after climbing up many flights of spiraling stairs, the four escorts stopped them at two tall, double doors with brass knobs. The king and queen turned to each of the men in turn, nodded, and the doors were pushed open; the emperors took swift, graceful steps onto the stone platform. Down below, hundreds upon hundreds of people watched from the terrace as the king and queen took their places. Roars of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd, as their ruler cleared his throat. With the queen's hand in his, the king spoke...

☩ ☩ ☩

Down the long, winding river and over the tall, forested mountains, another king walked briskly through a maze of passageways, his long, thick fur robes dragging behind him on the cold marble. He had full, brown hair on his head, and a short, thick beard. His boots fell heavily against the floor, and with his hands in tight fists, he hurriedly made his way past a series of arches overlooking the colossal mountains below, as fog settled in the valley. The king turned a sharp right at the end of the hall and stopped in front of an archway. Inside, walls were filled with leather-bound books, lush, red furniture and decorative carpets; in one corner, sitting on a pink loveseat and with one leg crossed over the other, sat the queen in silence.

She looked up as her husband walked in, her eyes wandering. She wore a simple green gown, with her tiara placed in her long, golden hair. As the king took small, hesitant steps into the room, she began to twirl her hair between her fingers absentmindedly. As if trying to convey her thoughts, the queen placed one hand on her stomach, her eyes now darting from her husband to her feet. After another moment of reticence, the king spoke...

☩ ☩ ☩

Down the valley and through the woods, where another emperor and empress resided, a king sat on his throne silently, his legs stiff and his fingers grasping the hem of his cloak as he awaited his escorts. The large double doors opened only moments later, and four guards stepped through into the room, each wearing (?). The king rose from his seat and stomped toward them without a word, and all five men exited the room, shutting the doors behind them.

Their footsteps echoed loudly through the wide, tiled chamber as the group walked, silence between them, towards the end of the hallway. They stopped in front of the entryway to a spacious room, where men of varying ages sat at a large oak table. All heads turned towards the ruler as he entered. His eyes scanned the people occupying the space, who shrunk under his gaze. The king stepped up to the front of the room, where a large map was spread out on the wall opposite the door. Four areas were marked in black ink on the map, each labeled with one of four symbols. With all eyes on him, the king spoke...