Prologue

     A gentle breeze blew through my hair as I pointed up at the sky.

     "That cloud looks like a daisy, Daddy!" I said excitedly. My father, Coltin laughed heartily next to me. He's tall with black hair that hangs in front of his red ruby eyes. 

     "Does it? You know, that one over there looks like...a watermelon!"

     "No it doesn't," I giggled. We were laying in our backyard behind the Royal Palace on a wonderful spring day. It had been a long time since we were able to talk to each other, due to all of those countless battles with the rebels. "I think it looks like more of a...bunny!"

     "If you say so, pumpkin," he whispered, and kissed my forehead.

     "Your Highness!"

     We both looked up to see a guard running up to us. He stopped abruptly, and bowed really low to pay his respects.  

     "It is time," he said breathlessly. He looked like he wanted to say more, but his eyes drifted over to me and then back to Coltin. My father sighed and laid back down, staring up at the sky. Sadness struck my heart, which brought tears to my eyes. I already knew what the guard was there for. They were about to go into battle again. 

     "I understand. Tell my generals that I'll be right there."

     The guard bowed once more before walking away.

     "Daddy, don't go," I sobbed, the tears falling down my cheeks. He hugged me to him.

     "I have to, pumpkin."

     "B-b-but is going to battle with the Rebels the only way?"

     "I'm only trying to achieve peace. If they want to fight, then so be it."

     "All you have to do is sit and have a reasonable conversation. Like we do."

     I could feel his laughter through his chest.

     "Wow! Even a seven-year old like you gets it," he chuckled and tightened his arms around me. "If only it could be that simple," he said grimly. 

     "I don't want you to die," I whispered, clutching his shirt in my small hands, "First it was Mommy, and if you..."

     "I won't die!" He suddenly yelled, anger flashing across his face. It scared me. He saw this and softened up, "I won't die," he repeated softly, while he wiped the tears from my face. "I won't leave you alone to suffer."

     Words. All people ever gave me were nothing but words. I needed something more tangible. I looked around us and pulled a flower. It was a bright yellow and was huge. I put it in his hand and looked up at his face.

     "Then swear you'll come back. On this daisy, swear you'll come back!"

     "Pumpkin, I-"

     "Put your hand on your heart and swear!" I yelled. If he swore to come back, then I knew he would not let anything happen to him. He would not do anything reckless.

     "Fine fine fine," he said quickly and put his hand on his heart, "I swear that I'll come back to you pumpkin."

     He smiled widely down at me, and held his arms out. I threw myself in his arms and he hugged me for all his worth. He would come back for sure now.

     "You know," he said while setting me in front of him, "You look so much like your mother. You have her long silver hair, sharp blue eyes...I don't see anything of me," he pouted like a little kid. 

     "No, that's not true. I am like you!" I insisted, "When I grow up, I want to be a great ruler and warrior. Just like you," I laughed. He smiled and stood up.

     "Then, when I get back, I'll train you myself. How does that sound?"

     I hugged his legs, him being so tall and all. He ruffled my hair before leaving the palace grounds.

     From the ramparts of the Main Kingdom, I watched as he led his army off into the forest on his horse. Right before he entered the foliage, he looked up, directly at me and waved his shining sword. I waved with all of my might. With that, they disappeared from sight. He would come back. He has too.

     I waited by the door of the Palace with my mat and blanket. One day. Two days. Weeks and weeks rolled by, and there still wasn't any sign of him returning. I mean, battles are not won in a few minutes, after all. Besides, he swore to me that he would come back. He promised that he would come back. He...He just had to.

     The yelling of a guard woke me up one stormy afternoon.

     "They're here! They're here! They've finally returned!"

     I sprung from my mat and bolted out the door. They were finally here! Daddy had kept his promise. I pushed my way through the cheering crowd until I could see the weary soldiers come through the gates of the Kingdom. Despite the cheering, none of them had smiles on their faces. Most were critically injured, holding on to fellow brothers. I searched among them eagerly. Daddy had come home after all those months. Finally, the Royal Guard came in, but they were carrying a stretcher between the ten of them. I actually recognized one of them. My uncle, Michael. I ran up to him, tugging on the bottom of his cloak. He looked down at me, his red eyes dark.

     "Uncle! Where's Daddy?"

     He signaled to the rest of the guard, and they laid the stretcher down on the ground. Just then, I  had noticed that the crowd had stopped cheering. It was dead silent. Michael turned and his face was grim. Lightening lit up the sky. 

     "Snow," he whispered, getting down on his knees and putting his hand on my shoulder. "Coltin...He's-"

     I pushed passed him, and what I saw stopped me from breathing. Daddy...He laid in the stretcher, his body...charred to a crisp. My legs gave out beneath me. I crawled over to him and took his large hand in my small ones. His face looked perfectly fine. Maybe...He was just unconscious. Yes! That must be it!

     "Daddy," I called out, but it came out a strangled sob. Why? Why was his hand so cold? His body so...still. A clap of thunder caused me to scream. Scream out my sorrow and pain. I put my head on his chest and cried when I felt something under my cheek. Almost tucked away inside his clothes, I spotted the yellow daisy I gave him. Very carefully, I took it out and cradled it in my hands. It crumbled, turning into ashes and blew away with the wind. This made me cry even harder. He promised. He promised he would come back! Michael placed his hand on my shoulder again as I cried. "Who? Who could have done this?" I wailed.

     "I'm sorry, Snow," Michael whispered, "A Forbidden One with fire powers got to him before we could."

     A Forbidden One. Those rebels! Anger flew through me, clouding my vision. So those were the ones who killed my father. If they would have left our Kingdom alone, none of this would have happened. I looked up at Daddy's face one more time. He looked as if he would open his eyes any minute. As if his body was not burnt. But...the Rebels took that chance away from him. I let out another sob as one of the Royal Guard threw a blanket over him, hiding him from sight. Forever.

     At the funeral, a week later, I stood next to the casket, my head bowed and hands clasped as everyone came and said their last goodbyes. Michael walked up and stood there, saying nothing. They were brothers. Now...He turned away and stood next to me, watching as the kingdom paid their respects. My father was such a great king, even the poor loved him.

     "The Council of the Kingdom has decided that I shall take the throne for the time being," he said. I kept my head bowed under my cloak. "Look, Snow. There's no more need to cry anymore. I'll-"

     He pulled back my hood and gasped. I glared up at him, no single tear in my eye. That morning, I took my father's sword and ruefully cut my hair short. I threw the same sword at his feet then and there and fell to my hands and knees.

     "Teach me," I growled. Flashes of my mother's death and my father's goes across my mind. I looked up at him. "Teach me how to fight so they can't take anything away from me anymore!" I yelled.

     I open my eyes to the flashes of lightening across the clouded sky. I let those gruesome horrible memories from ten years ago fuel my rage. The soldiers from my Kingdom rally behind me, eager to press forward. We are about to go into battle against the rebels once again. Those...Forbidden Ones. My five generals pull up next to me on their horses. 

     "Have you gone over the plans with your squad?" I ask, pulling out my spectacle to scan the forest.

     "Yes your Highness," Travis says. He is new to being one of my generals, but he has been my personal guard since I was ten. "Just give the command and we shall go."

     Another one of my generals, X, pulls up next to me.

     "Remember, your Highness. This can be the last battle. Give it your all."

     "You don't have to tell me twice."

     Ever since I took command of the army two years ago, with my strategies and their strength, we have not only pushed them to the edge of the known forests, but we have limited their numbers. There is now more of us than them. After this, we will take the survivors captive, and they will pay for their sins.

     I turn around to look at my army. Men and women alike look back at me, all armed to the teeth. They all look up at me, waiting for my command. I let out a shaky breath, excited. I....I've come so far. I remember knowing absolutely nothing about fighting, but now, I am so close to fulfilling my dream. Getting rid of the Forbidden Ones!

     "We have all waited for this day. To eradicate the Forbidden Ones!" I yell and everyone cheers. I hold up my hand and everyone falls silent. "Every last one of them has taken someone away from us. Friends, brothers, sisters, mothers....Fathers," I let the cruel silence settle in. I see some quickly wipe away tears. Others gritting their teeth in anger. Others emotionless. "Let that rage drive you. We will win this war." Everyone picks up their weapons and shields and stands at attention. Shoulders down, chin up, chest out. But what stands out is their eyes. They are all full anger. I smile. Just perfect. "Today is not a day for war. It is a day... For vengeance!" I yell and everyone shouts our battle cry.

     "Avenge the Fallen!"

     I turn back to the edge of the cliff and scan the edge of the forest. Suddenly, people with cloaks emerge, running directly into the valley. The Forbidden Ones! And they are doing just as I have planned.

     "Charge!" I yell from the top of my lungs.

     My army pours from the top of the mountain and into the valley where the rebels are waiting. We clash with a bang. Swords hit shields, arrows fly, and bodies fall. I slash out with my sword, stopping a rebel from hurting my horse Winter. We are a war machine together, plowing everything in front of us to clear a path for my army to press through. Once in the center, we'll fight from within while the other half of my army surrounds them and fights from the outside. Right now, all they see is a full frontal assault. Little do the fools really know! I will give them no chances. Like they gave my father.

     "Look out!" A soldier yells, "A Forbidden One!"

     I look to the sky to see a girl in a gray cloak floating above everyone. So high, the arrows cannot reach her. She smiles as she holds her hands out above us. Suddenly, the wind stirs up, violently and the sky darkens. One of my generals pulls up next to me.

     "What power is th-"

     A bolt of lightning strikes where he is. Blood splatters my face, blinding me. I quickly wipe it away to look back at him, but there is nothing left of him but ashes. I sit there shocked....He is dead. And that could have been me. The girl in the sky laughs, such a cruel laugh and begins pointing at the rest of my soldiers, vaporizing them on the spot.

     "Stop it!" I yell and aim my bow at her. "You think that's funny? Huh?" I shout and pull back on the string, hard. So much that it cuts into my fingers. Then, I let it fly. She turns at the last second and it grazes her cheek. She gasps and cups her cheek and stares at her bloody fingers. As if she could not believe someone actually touched her. Hurt her. She turns to us, her hood falling down from the wind. Her eyes are a white light, her face furious. Guess I got her attention away from the rest of my soldiers.  She lashes her arm out and the ground in front of us blows up, from where the lightning struck. I drop my bow to cover my face from the debris. Now that she is mad, her aim is off, but it if it hits me, even by accident, its all over for me.

     "Eeeeeeeeeeigh!" Winter screeches and rears up onto her hind legs. I grab hold of her mane, clinging on for dear life. The girl swings her arm again. Winter falls down onto her hooves just in time as a lightning bolt passes right over my head, splitting a tree in two. The splitting sound of timber causes Winter to take off into the forest.

     "Princess!" Somebody yells, but it drowned out as Winter thunders on. It sounded a lot like Travis. She starts to buck while running, making me loose my grip. My hand is still hurting from that one shot. 

     "Winter! Stop! Listen to meee!" I screech, but apparently it falls on deaf ears. She bucks again and my fingers slide away from her mane and sends me flying over her head and through the air. I land on my back on top of a thick branch, sending pain shooting through my body. I groan and stumble to my feet. I can not abandon my men. My people. I have to.....

                   *crack!*   *crack!*  *crack*

     I whirl around to see a rebel, sword already drawn. I immediately pull my father's sword from its scabbard. It is a double hilt and double edged blade. The pummel is made of fine copper and silver. The blade is a mix of steel and crystal. It is the best sword in the whole Kingdom, forged by the first king himself. I get into my fighting stance. I place one foot behind me, placing my weight on the balls of my feet. I hold my sword diagonally across the front of my body and lock my gaze with his.

     "Well well well. The princess is all alone," he jaunts, starting to circle me. He shoots forward and I block, but the force is so great, it sends me flying into the trunk of a tree. I wince. He laughs. "And she's injured? Why, I must be the luckiest guy right about now." He charges me again. He's so fast....Too fast. All I'm able to do is block his onslaught of attacks. I jump back a few feet to avoid a slash to my neck.

      "So your power is super speed. Which makes you a Forbidden One."

     He glares at me.

     "We aren't forbidden!" He yells and throws his sword at me. I dive to my left, but suddenly he is there. He jabs me in the stomach, mid-air, but with such force it lifts me. Then he slams his elbow into my back, driving me a few feet into the dirt. I try to gasp for air, but he kicks me, sending me flying into a tree. I cry out in pain before falling to the ground. That all happened before I even realized he moved towards me. Monsters like him should never exist in the first place.With such speed....can I even survive? My soldiers flash through my mind and my father's burnt body. I must! I fight back to my feet. Then I gasp. My sword! It's gone!

I look up to see him walking towards me with it. "Now you die!" He runs at me, slashing down. I side step his attack in time and deliver two quick punches to his shoulder. He gasps, dropping the sword.

Seeing that it is out of his grasp, I dive for it. I have to kill him if I want to walk out of this forest alive. He dives for it as well..... and he's closer.

I gasp as he drives the sword through my abdomen and I immediately cough up blood. He smiles as he drives it further in and I fall backward. N....no.....He looks down at me and kicks me, causing me to give out a gurgled gasp. The pain is insurmountable. I try to grab at the sword but my sight is failing me and I grab nothing but air.

     "N-n-not now....I.....my father....my people...."

     He laughs.

     "Rest with your dead father."

     Then he walks away. Is this the end? After all this work to make them pay.....I end up a victim as well.....I feel my eyes getting heavy, and fearfully feel myself fading away from life.