The Prince's Rose

Prologue:

The land of Isendur was at peace after years of blood shed led by the greedy kings of men. Blood tainted the lands and corpses of men,elves and dwarves filled the ground. The constant smell of burning flesh embedded in the memories of those who lived through the war.

 King Theosie of Hofniel saw his armies grow smaller with each battle. He called on the other kings, the Elvish royalty and the dwarf lords and they formed a covenant and divided the remaining lands amongst themselves.

The seven kingdom of men, Rothen where magic is taught and mastered, Bathin the home of hunters and horse lords, and in Imamiah where the sea faring folks live, Cahethal where crops grow in abundance. Jahoel where the healers dwell and Mitatron the land of academics and the study of the stars. And Hofniel where the best warriors train.

The mountains were allocated to the five tribes of dwarves, Mount Phaleg to the Astanphaeus dwarves, Mount Andras to the Kalaziel dwarves, Mount Eligor to the dwarves of Pamyel, the dwarves of Tubiel were given the mountain of Orias and The mount Solas to the Zophiel dwarves.

And the forest were given back to the elves, the astute immortals. The elves were proud creatures, never wanting to spoil their pure blood. Until one day the Elves Queen Laylah saw in the waters of a young girl who will yield both the Sword of Iofiel and the army of men. She saw the face of her heir, one that has been kept hidden from her for seventeen years.

Her time was nearing and she needed to find the girl in the water, the half blood heir to the throne of Elyon and the forests of Cassiel. Sitting down in her garden, Laylah wrote two letters to request the best hunters to search for the lost heir.

In three days time, six riders set out to the seven kingdoms of men to find her.

“Her hair as dark as night and her skin as smooth as ivory. Her eyes which hold true to her heritage, her left eye the color of earth and her right eye the color of newly blossomed violets. And her face will be marred by the stones thrown at her by fear. Find and protect your kin, she is in dire need” Laylah said to the six hunters, she watched as they galloped into the forest.

Meanwhile in the village of Peliel, Rosaline Araton buried her other just shy of Rose’s eighteenth birthday. No one was there except for the two guards who helped bury her mother.

She didn’t expect anyone to come, they all treated her like filth. The witch daughter they called her. The eyes of doom the children yelled at her. She was utterly and truly alone.

Rose sat next to her mothers grave for hours, when the tears finally stopped she picked herself up and walked home. As she drew nearer to her cottage she saw it was on fire. Rosaline screamed for help only to be greeted by leers and laughter.

“Begone daughter of doom”

“Leave us alone”

“You shall die if you stay”

Running and never looking back, Rose had only the clothes on her back without food or a horse. She finally settled outside of the Forest of Gadriel, her sobs reached the ears of the forest creatures, slowly one by one deers, rabbits and stags formed a circle to protect her.

Her heart heavy with grief, her body exhausted by the run, Rosaline drifted off to sleep, while the trees whispered of the lost heir and her return.