Fireshrine

One: Davina

As I looked across the battlefield, all I saw was the stain of red covering the ground. The Terren Clan would be furious if they saw how defiled the land was. Yet the only thing I could think of was how ironic it was that the Cyan Kingdom's blood ran as red as the Crimsons'.

There had to be thousands of fallen soldiers, Crimson and Cyan alike.  I doubted they even knew what they were fighting about, but it didn't matter. They had been ordered by the royal and imperial families, and that was all that mattered.

I knelt next to a young man who couldn't have been any older that sixteen. I glanced at his uniform, which bore the Cyan crest; a silver, doubled headed fish.  I took a shaky breath and gently closed his eyes.

"Let the ocean mother's waves envelope you in the Glades." I whispered the final blessing of the Cyans and rose to move to the next fallen.

"You are not Cyan." A low male voice said behind me.

I turned around to find myself standing across from a Cyan soldier. He was tall, towering over me. A helmet hid his face and his hand rested on the hilt of his sheathed sword. I pulled my hood closer to my head.

"What does it matter?" I asked, attempting to quell the fear in my voice.

"You gave last blessings to your enemy," he said. "Seems quite odd to me."

"That boy was not my enemy," I said, "and neither are you."

"Who are you?" The soldier asked.

"I'm simply a healer," I lied. "They will burn this field, the Crimsons, but who will give these men the words they need to move on the the Glades?"

"You, I'm assuming." He looked me over. "What is your name?"

"Nothing worth saying," I answered quickly. "I must keep moving. I pray you don't kill me."

"You are not my enemy," he said. I could see a slight smirk on his face through his helmet.

Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew through the valley, as if from the Azure's themselves, blowing my hood off my head, sending my blazing hair flying.

I gripped the dagger I kept inside my cloak, but the man didn't move. It felt like we stood for an eternity before he turned away, his own long, pure white hair dancing in the breeze. 

"I would secure your hood more firmly, Princess," he said as he walked away. "Someone might recognize you."

Two Years Later

I shifted in my seat as the remainder of the war council filled into the room. I turned to my older brother who was used to attending these meetings.

"Why am I here, Henry," I said under my breath.

"I haven't the faintest clue," he said back, scratching behind his ear. That was his tell, a sure way to know when he was lying.

I was about to press him further when suddenly , the doors burst open. I jerked my head in surprise to see a girl ornately dressed in Cyan colors walking in. Her dark hair was piled on her head and ordained with mother of pearl combs that glittered in the light. One look was all I needed to know exactly who she was.

"What is the Cyan princess doing here?" I hissed to Henry.

"Again," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "I haven't the faintest clue."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You are a terrible liar, Henry."

He simply shrugged and stood, offering a stiff bow to the Cyan princess. "Your Highness, I am Henry Vermillion, first prince of the Crimson Empire," he turned to me. "And this is my sister, Davina Vermillion, first Princess of the Crimson Empire. Forgive her rudeness, she didn't know you would be here."

I scowled, shooting daggers out of my eyes at Henry. He was only a few years older than me, but he always acted far more mature and royal than I ever could, and it bothered me.

"All is forgiven," she said, offering a slight curtsy.  "I am Noella Asturias, first Princess of the Cyan Kingdom. On behalf of my entire family, I thank you for granting me an audience."

I shot up out of my chair and smacked my hands on the table. "Enough with the formalities," I snapped. "Do tell us, princess, why exactly you're here."

She frowned. "Your brother didn't tell you? He and I made all the arrangements."

"Arrangements?" I turned to my brother. "What is she going on about? What exactly did you, 'arrange'?"

"My brother sends his regrets, as he could not be here to extend this offer himself," Noella said, taking a seat at the table.

"As I recall," Henry said, sitting back down. "Part of the agreement we made was that the Prince would come himself."

I was tired of being ignored. Anger bubbled up inside and before I knew it, my fingertips began to spark.

"Quite impressive, Princess!" Noella said, clapping.

I looked down to see I had burned a hole right through the table. I could hear the war council members mutter in disapproval. I felt my cheeks grow hot in embarrassment.

I gritted my teeth in frustration. "Would one of you care to enlighten me as to the arrangement you've made?"

Noella smiled. "My brother, the future king of the Cyan Kingdom, wishes for this war to come to an end. He doesn't like the fighting very much."

I was now seething with anger. "The Blood Prince doesn't like the fighting?" I scoffed.

"Hmm yes he doesn't like that name much either."

"Your brother led a battle that killed thousands of our men, not to mention thousands of his own, just two years ago! Yet you'd lead me to believe that he prefers pacifism?" I scoffed.

"The man my brother has been painted out to be is far from who he really is," Noella said, standing. "That's why he's decided to ask for your hand."

I blinked, and then burst out laughing. However, to Henry, this was anything but a joke.

"That was not part of the agreement," he said angrily.

I looked at him. "You didn't know about this?"

"Of course not!" He exclaimed. "Like I would marry my sister off to some monster."

"My brother is not a monster," Noella said, anger filling her voice.

"Tell me then," Henry said, "what would you call someone who leads his own troops to the slaughter?"

"How dare you! My brother is the future King of the Cyan Kingdom and the most powerful man in the entire continent! You would be so lucky as to-"

I cut her off. "This would end the war?"

She froze, clearly caught off guard. "Ye-Yes," she stammered.

"Alright."

"Alright?!" She and Henry both exclaimed at the same time.

I took a deep breath and turned to Henry. "I always thought the war would go on for as long as I lived, and continue on long after even my children died. I had never even hoped to see the end. If something as small as this can end it, then I will do it. For all of the Empire, for all of Achaia." I tired to speak the words with confidence, but my hands were visibly shaking. I then turned to Princess Noella. "Let your brother know that I accept his terms, on one condition."

She still seemed surprised at my answer, but recovered quickly. "I'm sure that will not be a problem, what is it?"

"Henry and my father, Emperor Maxim, will meet with the first Prince of the Cyan Kingdom to draw up a treaty before I marry anyone."

She nodded. "Very well." She turned to leave, her advisors scurrying after her. "Oh, one more thing!"

I raised my brow.

"We expect you at the Cyan Palace in a fortnight."

My stomach dropped. So soon?

She smiled as she walked out of the room. "Sylver will be pleased to hear. We shall see you soon, Princess."

And with that, she left, and my entire life changed.