Sky

Chapter 1

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." -Buddha

With a slight flourish of her hand Eleadora draped a new dress around her body. She looked almost divine with her flowing blonde ringlets and shimmering golden dress. The hem of the cloth swished by her feet and the straps were a little too tight for her large breasts. All the same, she looked like the beautiful royalty she was.

Eleadora stepped outside of her chambers followed by her maidens. They scurried along behind her as the princess followed the corridors to the front room which opened up to the terrace. She knew that there, in the open air, would be waiting the man she would soon call husband.

The princess of Oriana was terrified of what lay ahead of her; her marriage, the war, the almost tangible peace she had been craving for the last two years. Never had she trembled so much as when she set foot outside of her father's castle. Immediately she bowed her head. Out of fear or grace it is not known.

Eleadora heard her father's booming laughter. She silently approached the men that had been awaiting her arrival for a time. Finally, at this moment, she chose to look up at the man called Ayten. He couldn't have been older than 25, but most likely on the older side. His chiseled face had prominent cheek bones and stubble running across his jawline. His black hair fell in unkempt tresses that hung loosely to the bottom of his chin. Much taller than she, Ayten stood at least 6'7. His people were known for their stature and broad build. And a broad build did he have. His shoulders spanned a length not possibly imagined in the kingdom where Eleadora grew up. Most men in Oriana were shorter and slim to the bone.

Eleadora's petite frame was dwarfed by Ayten's which made him all the more intimidating. She would have burst out crying right there if it wasn't for her father standing close beside her. While she was disturbed and down right furious with Bast for trading her out with the Miakoda kingdom for an alliance, she knew it was for the greater good of her own people. For Eleadora, it was worth her happiness if it meant saving Oriana.

Finally she spoke with a soft, polite tone: "I am pleased to meet you, my Lord." She bowed her whole body this time towards the tall man who was not yet the king, but would be as soon as his predecessor passed away. The current king of Miakoda had no children of his own, so he had naturally picked the best warrior of the whole army, and possibly in the whole Drakony Lands. Ayten was known for being a cruel and harsh man that had eyes only for killing men and fucking women. His body was built for speed and agility, while still being one of immense power. It was rumored he could kill a man with his bare hands in numerous ways. Ayten was not a man to be trifled with.

He made no move to approach her, nor did he say a thing. Instead he grunted what seemed to be a hello, but could not be made out as a word. He did though look at her straight in the eyes. His black eyes met her stark blue ones and who's to say what went on in that short but heated, wordless conversation between their windows to the souls.

Eleadora was at a loss for words so she turned towards her father for help. He had a ghost of a smile playing across his lips, no doubt rethinking his plans to send off his only daughter to a barbarian. But instead he simply asked "Shall we feast?"

"We have a long journey ahead of us, I think a meal would be a great way to end this agreement." Ayten's voice rung with power and dripped with the slow moving warmth of lava from a volcano. His demeanor was that of a lazy bull, but anyone could tell that at any given moment this facade of his could snap and he would turn into a raging beast with blazing eyes and steam rolling from his nostrils.

"Right this way Lord Ayten." Bast gestured for them to follow and started walking off towards a different opening from which Eleadora had came. They made it to a large banquet hall with servants that were piling plates onto the tables' surfaces which were teeming with delectables. Bast was a fat man who became easily excited over the prospect of food, so he quickly made his way to the head of the long table.

The rest of the gathering followed suit; Eleadora, Ayten, Bast's sons and Eleadora's brothers, various prominent warriors and scholars, multitudes of Bast's friendly lords and lastly Ayten's party. His men were silent and remained still for long periods of time until they were forced to move. The same went for them as it did for their Lord: quiet until action aroused and then they would evolve into a monster made for battle. Their personalities have such highs and lows it is hard to keep up sometimes.

Ayten sat across from Eleadora. He stared at her but she seemed transfixed by her plate. If Ayten was nervous he didn't show it. He was the definition of calm and collected. Eleadora, on the other hand was red in the cheeks and when she went to pick up her utensils she dropped them twice. She was already a clumsy girl, but when she got nervous then she just comes across as plain stupid. But she isn't, for Eleadora is actually quite a smart girl who reads in her spare time and has deep discussions with her elders about things that range from the afterlife to magic. For this, others her age call her grandmother behind her back.

Dinner went rather quickly but it was also boring at the same time; Eleadora never spoke and Ayten only had conversation with her father. Neither fiancee seemed to have the need to speak to one another, so they both remained stoic as stone. The pair made the dinner awkward and the air felt heavy with remorse.

When the feast was over the drinks stop flowing (for their had been endless amounts of wine dancing into everybody's cups) and the rather dull festivities had come to an end. The king of Oriana stood and awaited the hush of quiet as everyone leaned an ear to listen to their superior. "I call congratulations for the new, young couple of both Oriana and Miakoda. May they bear many children! May they live long and prosperously! And please, may they unite our kingdoms and bring about peace to Drakony!"

And with that speech the crowd erupted into cheers and shouts. Laughter rung through the hall as anticipation flied about people's heads in anticipation for a new era. But before this new era came, there would have to be war. And this war would be like no other for it would be an all out massacre, or how the people of Miakoda would say it, Sarraskia.

And Sarraskia was their favorite word.

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Hi y'aaaaaaaaall :) so yeah here I go again starting something new when I don't even have the time to do it lol. but yeah this is a form of writing I've never done before so cut me some slack I'm still workin on it. YEAH there ya go. ily xx. MVA.