The Lost Kingdom

Chapter 11 Part 1 - The Negotiation and the Burning Prince

Exhaustion was not the right word to describe Ivory by the time they reached Gariahn. No, she was far beyond that. But, she mused, Azeria had it worse. Once they reached land, Azeria fell to the ground and the earth bridge she had been holding up crumbled into the dark sea.

Gariahn was not what Ivory has expected it to be. She had imagined a hot island with gruff warriors fishing in the ocean. But instead, Gariahn was like a giant Winter wonderland. Snow covered the ground, a giant icy blanket. Her shoes were instantly soaked. The beach water was slightly frozen, and what boats that were settled in the ports looked abandoned. Ivory could see a village nestled in the side of a mountain. On top of that mountain, there was a giant castle made entirely of wood.

"What now?" Someone asked, followed by a weary "I'm freezing," from Cinder.

Everyone looked to Prince Makon, who had Azeria in his arms. Swan was peering up at the castle on the mountain and said, "The king knows we're supposed to arrive soon..."

Ivory pulled her hood over her head, suddenly feeling very cold and vulnerable. Usually, there were shadows for her to blend into. Now she was a giant black dot on white paper. At least her hair was silver....

"Look!" Cried Cordelia, who had managed to convince Swan to let her to come. "Men on horses!"

Looking up with everyone else, Ivory saw a band of horsemen riding towards them through the deep snow. The men wore thick furs and horned helmets rather than real armor, and had braided beards and long hair. They stopped in front of the group, and a man with a large battle ax jumped down. With his hand, he signaled for the other riders to stay put.

Ivory could tell he was the king before he said it. Jewels, probably raided from the coasts of other countries, hung around his neck on his fingers. His held was head high, his hair neater than the other Gariahns's. Even his horse looked in better shape, and probably the biggest clue was the crown setting atop his auburn hair.

"King Ezemar?" The man boomed, staring at Prince Makon. "I thought you'd be a bit more gray haired... Who's that lass you're carrying? Is she ill?"

"I'm King Ezemar's eldest son, Prince Makon," the disgruntled Prince said, still holding Fox. "Our ship was destroyed by Morgalynna. The girl in my arms saved us from her."

"By the seas!" The king said. "We've brought extra horses for you lot. Come with us and we'll get you to the castle and the girl can be tended to."

Before anyone could move, Swan held up his hand. "You are King Agorious, are you not?" he questioned, suspicion cutting into his tired tone.

"I swear it on my brother's grave," said the gruff man, and that seemed to be enough for Swan.

Ivory was the last to saddle her horse. It was a white mare, with beautiful silver hair resembling Ivory's own. Ivory stroked it gently, whispering soft words into its hear so the horse wouldn't be afraid. The large creature was calm, though, and seemed to like her. As everyone got on the horses, King Agorious led them towards the village. The horses struggled to plow through the deep snow, which flew up behind their hooves.

Wind bit at Ivory's face, the cold air wrapping around her like a frozen blanket. She could see her breath in front of her face as she breathed, like fog from a cloud. They slowly approached the village, the ocean fading behind then.

The village was surrounded by a large wall made from dark wood, which pointed at the top, designed to protect the Gariahns from unwanted visitors. Two men stood at the top on platforms, and opened the gate once King Agorious ordered them to. As they entered, Ivory saw that the village was busy, with people mulling around, selling goods or buying them. They paused what they were doing and bowed to the king as he passed, but he raised his hand and they rose, going back to what they were doing. It was clear he commanded a good deal of respect.