Aamae | To Crowns and Dreams | Book #1

Prologue: A Savior

Aamae wanted to marry him. 

The thought came to her suddenly as she tried her best not to sneak glances at him and tried to focus on the merchandise in front of her. She wasn't sure when, how, or if it was even possible, but she wanted it. Because he was everything. If there was such a thing as perfection, she knew it only existed because of him. He was a prince charming come to live, and she was his princess – both theoretically and literally.

"Your Highness," Macil said, his voice barely being heard over the crowd of people in the square. It was another busy day at the market, something that wasn't unusual, especially given the time. It was two days before her father's birthday, and the entire kingdom had to celebrate. After all, the birth of their king only happened once a year, though her father always called for a celebration that lasted a week. His birthday always marked the beginning, so the entire kingdom was getting ready, including Aamae.

She dropped the cloth she was looking at, completely ignoring the disappointed look on the merchant's face, and made her way over to the taller man, her personal guard, Ry, right behind her. The crowd parted like a sea around her, no one coming within a foot of her. She was royalty, and royalty must not be touched if they did not want the wrath of the king. Aamae paid no mind to it, having been used to it for most of her life, but she watched as Macil's lips curved slightly upward when she reached him, looping her arm through his without a second thought.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice as light as her steps felt. A small, glass figurine of a butterfly was placed in her line of vision, the light catching the tip of its wing and momentarily blinding her. It only lasted a second before Macil moved the small figurine in his hand again that she doubted anyone noticed. "It's pretty."

"Would you like it?" Macil mused, and she looked up at him, her mind immediately thinking of the sky. Whenever she looked at him, the sky always popped into her head. Not the cloud riddled or one when a rainstorm is about to begin. Instead, she thought of the clear, blue sky one sees after a long winter. Maybe it was because his eyes were blue, but she liked to think it was because it was him. He was as bright and clear as that sky, someone she wanted she wanted to bask in the light of.

"I thought we were here to look for gifts for my father, not me," she finally said, her thoughts finally changing from the sky to the task at hand.

Macil handed the figurine back to the merchant. "Please package it for me," he told the man, who just gave him a small smile before going to work. Macil handed him some bills, most likely more than actually needed, before taking the small package from the man. He handed it her.

"You should not have done that," Aamae told him, but she didn't protest anymore. She just smiled at him before handing the package to one of the maids that came with them.

They moved from stand-to-stand, her arm looped through his for the rest of the afternoon. She ended up buying several gifts for her father from some of the merchants, but she knew most of the gifts would be prepared by people in the castle. Her going out to buy gifts was just a way for her to go out with Macil at her side. He was a Lord's son and from a family that her father thought wasn't worth his time, but, ever since his family came to pay their respects a year ago, Aamae has been fond of him and her father allowed her this one friend. She just hoped, one day, her father would consider making it more, but she doubted it. Macil's family was not the type of wealthy her father wanted for a marriage.

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Later, not long after a quiet dinner with just her father and her eldest brother, her second brother being gone on another trip, Aamae retired to her room. Her maids prepared a bath for her while she read a bit in her study. Though she was happy to spend the afternoon with Macil, she wasn't able to read. It was odd to vary from her normal routine, but she knew Macil was worth it. He was her friend and her one love.

"Your Highness," one of her maids called, and Aamae placed her bookmark to mark her place before heading to the bathroom. The woman helped her out of her gown before leaving her to enjoy her bath. The water smelled like roses, fitting since she was a Le Rosa. When she was finished, the maids returned and helped her with her night garments before curtsying and leaving. She faintly heard the click of the large door, signally their departure.

Aamae heaved a sigh before heading into her room. She headed straight to her makeup stand, the mirror slightly foggy from the bath. She applied some lotion on to her skin, her eyes straining to read the pages of her book that she propped open. Small strands of her red hair kept falling in her face, much to her annoyance. She wanted to know the ending, and she was so close that she could almost touch it. Unfortunately, both her hair and the need for soft skin was getting in the way.

Because she was so focused on her reading, she didn't hear her door open or hear the click of it closing behind the person. Nor did she hear the footsteps of someone approaching or the slick sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath. It wasn't until she glanced up from her book to get another glob of lotion did she see the reflection of a sword swinging down towards her.

Her screams rang through the room and the hallway before being cut off as her body fell from her stool. She reached for her back, her arms aching as she did, and felt something sticky and wet. Tears began to cloud her vision as she tried to crawl. She heard the sword be raised again before she saw it, but what surprised her the most was the one who wielded it. It was Ry, the one man that was entrusted with her life.

"Ry," she whispered, and she swore she saw slight hesitation in his eyes before he swung his sword. A scream bellowed from her lips as her eyes shut, knowing that swing was most likely aimed for her head, but it never came. Instead, she heard the harsh clang of sword hitting sword, and her eyes flung open to see none other than Majin Le Rosa, her second brother, standing above her. This time, a different type of sob came from her. One of relief and panic. Majin was not a fighter, this much she knew. Their older brother, Han, was, but there was Majin, standing above her with only his sword being the one thing stopping Ry from slaughtering them both.

What came next she wasn't sure. Her eyes were heavy, and it was becoming harder and harder to keep them open. All she remembers was hearing the pounding of footsteps heading their way and something hitting the ground with a thud before everything went dark.