After the rain

Prologue

The rain was coming down fiercely, showing no mercy, washing away everything in its path. The sound of the wind was loud enough to scare any beast. It was the night of the winter solstice, and such a heavy rain storm was unusual for that time of year. It was on this very night that queen Lathvini gave birth to a little girl. The 6th in line to the throne of Kavialia, Princesses Amaya.

The infant was born 2 months early and the royal physician said the girl may not survive the night. But, against all odds, she did. Despite the thunderstorm, Amaya survived the night. She was a fighter since day one.
Her father and 5 elder brothers were ecstatic. Prince Arthur of Camelot had been born 6 months earlier and if they could bethrow Amaya to Arthur then Kavialia and Camelot could become allies. Both were such strong kingdoms, together they would be unstoppable. King Avsigth was about to send one of his messengers to Camelot when he received terrible news. The Gredsonians of the east were one day's journey away from the Kavialiaian Kingdom boundary wall. Quickly King Avsigth gathered his troops and his sons and headed off towards the eastern border of his kingdom. There he and his army fought valiantly in an effort to protect the motherland. They war between the Kavialiaians and the Gredsonians lasted 16 years. In those 16 years Amaya's mother took care of the kingdom.
Princess Amaya was like the water. She was powerful enough to move you, soft enough to cleanse you, and deep enough to drown you. She was a intelligent as any scholar and as fierce as any warrior. She shared an elemental bond, as old as time, with water. Her eyes though deep brown at birth, would occasionally turn blue, when she was harnessing this gift of the water she had been given by the gods. She was 16 years old and yet strong enough to run an entire kingdom.

At the beginning of the war Queen Lathvini sent her daughter away to Camelot to be educated. In Camelot, Amaya would be raised alongside Arthur. In Camelot she would be safe, just as Lathvini had intended. In the rolling hills of Camelot spend our young princess her days, alongside her best friend Arthur Pendragon. The Royal A's the townsfolk called them. The young Prince and Princess were inseparable, both mischievous and always swift enough to out run the palace guards as they skipped their daily lessons.

These were the happiest days of both of their lives, for many burdens and responsibilities lay ahead for both of them. Uther Pendragon was about to send message to Queen Lathvini, asking for her permission to bethrow Arthur and Amaya. As his messenger left the palace it started to rain, delaying his departure. Soon after a KavialiaIan messenger arrived. He brought word that Queen Lathvini had died and Princess Amaya was to return to her kingdom to be coronated.

As Amaya's handmaiden packed her belongings Arthur came to the princess's chambers. He had 2 necklaces in his hands, both of magical origin. He explained that Merlin had made them especially for the 2 of them. There were both identical green stones, very simple, but they seemed like the most extravagant thing to Amaya. She was about to leave the only place she had ever know to go to her so, called "home". Camelot was her home, but now as she was leaving it, she knew she would always have a part of its rolling hills in her charm. As mentioned before the necklaces her magical. They would let each other know what the other was feeling at any given moment.

Soon enough it was time for Amaya to leave and all throughout her entire journey back to Kavialia ,Arthur could sense her fear, so he did his best to himself be strong. For Amaya he thought, for my Amaya.

When she got back to Kalvialia, she was told of the death of her brothers and father. Their dead bodies were in her throne room. Amaya had no memory of her father's face, so the first time she saw him was before he was cremated. She never forgot his face though, it was like hers in so many ways, a yet it had something she lacked. Her etched deep into her father's face was silent determination, the will power to keep going. It was in that moment that Amaya had decided that she would be the best ruler Kalvialia had ever seen. For her father.

After her father's funeral Amaya's coronation took place. It was a simple affair, only one or 2 distant cousins was invited. Amaya was officially queen. Then, it was time for the inevitable, it was time for Amaya's marriage. She was to get married to the Gredsonian king's 2nd son, Yuvraj. It was all part of the peace treaty her father and her future husbands father had signed. The treaty was the last thing the king had signed, before he died for frostbite. He had lost all his sons and had hoped his daughter could rule better then he could. Amaya was determined to do so.
Yuvraj and Amaya got married with pomp and show. The only problem with their union was that while Yuvraj loved his queen with all his heart, while Amaya's heart was off in the hands of another prince far away in the rolling hills.

Yuvraj was as his name said, a prince. He would never become a more than a prince. Even after his marriage to Amaya he would be called Rajkumar (Prince) Yuvraj, not Samrat (King) Yuvraj. He was content with simply being a prince it was all he ever knew. He would be strong like his mother Sudha. His mother died while in battle, she died in the same battle Yuvraj was being told to end by marrying a Queen. The same Queen that had always had a fire burning in her heart, ice cold eyes, and a sharpened sword in her hand. it was love at first sight, no doubt about it, the sight of Amaya was like the calm in the storm of the sea that Yuvraj had simply regarded as life. He could not fall in love with her he told himself, her family was responsible for the end of his. He must never love her, never ever, at all, maybe later, NO, never, maybe. Too late, he loved her. Yuvraj was as his name said, a prince. He would never become a prince, even after his marriage to Amaya he would be called Rajkumar Yuvraj, not king Yuvraj. He was no longer content with simply being a prince. He wanted to rule something. He wanted to achive the highest position in a kingdom. He wanted to rule the heart of his queen. He wanted to teach it to loved, he wanted to heal it of all its pain, he wanted to be its other half.

Arthur's life had also changed a great deal after Amaya left. His father died and he was coronated as king of Camelot. He himself got married, not for love though. His childhood friend Merlin had given him advice to marry soon after Amaya left. If only it were that easy he thought.

"Arthur", exclaimed Merlin," I have found you a bride"!
"Thank the gods" Arthur replied in a voice that wasn't full of sarcasm at all
"Its with a noblemans' daughter" ,Merlin continued, "Her name is Gwenephywer and she is healthy and beautiful. She will bear you many children. She is also very intelligent and well traveled. She is strong and will help you rule properly."

"I reject her", Arthur said plainly.

"To bad because I have already spoken with her family and set your wedding one fortnight from now, on the night of the winter solstice. Your knights and all your advisers agree with me. And Arthur try and loose some weight for you wedding you've really become plump since your only friend left you"

"She was more than a friend", thought Arthur, but did what his friend told him for the kingdom of Camelot needed its king to pull him self the hell together.