Star Crossed: The Ladies' Of War

Prologue

Mari of Lorraine's POV

"Mari, what are you reading?"

It's Louis!

Sitting on her desk chair, Mari lifts her head in order to look at him in the eyes. His commanding voice startled her, but she continues to keep a stoic expression on her face.

"Older Brother, I was reading a book..."

Compared to other families, her family was distant from one another, explaining why she referred to her brother Louis, with politeness.

"And?"

He knew exactly what Mari was doing. He didn't mind of course. However, the problem that he found with her reading books are the titles of it, afraid that she might be influenced by them. Her admiration with her brother is quite obvious and so that caused a problem for him.

"The book is called 'The Art of War' Older Brother..."

In a hesitant manner, she mumbles, making him grit his teeth. Her brother- having a high status as a general in the military, caused her to idolize him, wanting to follow in his footsteps even though she was supposed to marry a duke in another bloodline.

Back when they were young, they were always so close. Time had passed and relationships drifted apart. They grew older and began to have different lives.

A loud thump rings in Mari's ears as her brother angrily closes the book. She flinches, knowing that she made him angry.

"I don't want you reading these books. Stop trying to copy me."

Glaring at her with his dark purple eyes, he intimidates her, trying to force her to stop.

"Older brother! I do not wish to marry him. Please, I simply want to fight like you."

With a distressed look on her face, she begs, grabbing his hands.

He slaps her hand away.

Mari's face turned shocked.

Even though her brother became cold to her these days, he had never once hurt her. The pain lingered as she stared at her red hand. She lost hope in that family. She knew her parents were always so cold to the both of them, but her brother was the only one who was gentle to her back then. Now, their parent's attitude rubbed off on him.

"Who told you that you could express your emotions so actively. Fix your face this instant."

In a quick second, Mari's face turns from fear to an expressionless face. Her family is known to be serious and untalkative. They believed that would show elegance and high status.

"Anyways, women aren't supposed to fight. I don't care if you read and sword fight as a hobby, just simply don't bring this in your future."

What? I can't believe you'd say this to me!

"But!"

Before she could even protest, her brother cuts her off.

"I'm done arguing with you."

He slams the door closed, leaving Mari in her room alone. Tears fall down her expressionless face. She's sad, but she cannot show it. Showing your emotions would be deemed weak.

After a while, she stands up, wiping her tears. Moving the blinds from her window, she looks outside the colourless day to see her brother practicing with his sword out in their court yard.

"I have no reason to be here anymore."

_________

Reina of Devonshire's POV

I have to do this... for my brother!

She takes a deep breath and positions her sword to attack. In a swift but amateurish move, Reina
repeatedly slashes the dull-well worn out silver sword across the old, torn dummy.

Pebbles of sweat ran down her forehead as the sun shone brightly on her. In her opinion, she would describe the day as colorful and bright. Her optimism-clear as day.

After slashing the dummy for a quite amount of time, she drops the sword after training to exhaustion.  A worried expression flashes on her face as she leans on the dummy with her head. With a serious intention, she tries to gain motivation to carry her sword once again.

Hours passed as the sun begins to set. She finished training, resulting in her pale hands covered in sores and small blisters. A thump echoes from above as she noticed Henry's window being closed.

That's when she notices that he's been watching her.

Henry watched her from the window and observed her every move. Her foot stance, her position, the way she held her weapon, he watched every second of it. He wanted to get back with the sword, but the fact that he couldn't, the fact that his fears stopped him had hurt him. Not just him, but his sister, Reina too.

Reina wanted to be a writer, she made many novels after being inspired by her two older brothers going to war. But her passion for writing was halted after the tragedy of her household had fallen.

"Henry!"

She calls out to him with no response from him.

Louder, she shouts his name.

"Henry, I know you were watching me!"

A bright smile fills her face as she waits for Henry to reopen his window. To her satisfaction, the window opens, revealing Henry's expressionless face.

"How was my sword fighting skills? It was good, wasn't it?

With a cheeky smile, she says as sweat drips down her face.

"It was... good."

Hesitantly, he responds as he disappears back into his room.

Reina's smile quickly turns into a worried expression after his presence faded. She didn't want to worry him as her parents gave her a chance to have succession over the family. Compared to other nobles, her family was rare to find. They were accepting, no matter if she was born as a girl or not. If it were other families, they'd either force the other males in their family to enlist or the child with a disability.

She sighs and drops to the grassy ground taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She thinks about the possibility of the eldest brother being alive. Her other brother would've been fine and could have continued to fight with the sword.

She realized that their family could've been happy.

She stands up, looking over to the distance and sees the prestigious castle of England along with the city just below.

After taking a long gaze at the castle, she decided to end her day.