Azrya's Backstory

Azrya paced through the palace halls, her soft footsteps echoing against the cold stone floor. At just thirteen, she often snuck out of the castle without permission, concealing her silver-white curls beneath a black hooded cloak.

It was a late Sunday afternoon. Morning prayers had ended hours ago, and everyone believed she remained in the chapel. No one would come looking for her—not until evening. The timing was perfect.

Azryana of Toria, eldest daughter of Duke Boswell Griffin, often ventured beyond the castle walls to explore the kingdom and visit the orphanage. She brought food, played with the children, and offered them fleeting moments of joy. Her funds came from street performances, singing alongside a traveling minstrel in the market square. Her angelic voice drew large crowds, each unaware of the noble blood behind the hooded performer.

On this particular day, sixteen-year-old Akio passed through the market just as she was singing. Though he barely spared her a glance, her voice lingered in his mind even as he moved from stall to stall, searching for the items on the list he'd been given.

Later, Azrya collected her coins and used them to buy bread, fruit, ham—anything she could carry for the children. She even picked out a delicate crystal bracelet for her youngest sister.

She was the eldest of four sisters and lived in the castle with them, her father the Duke, and his cold-hearted wife. Her second sister, Urla, two years her junior, was quiet and pale with limp mousy hair. She moved through the palace like a ghost, unnoticed and unbothered. Elenea, the third sister, was four years younger and the Duke's favorite. With her angelic face and strawberry blonde curls, she fooled many—but Azrya knew her true nature. Sweet on the surface, Elenea thrived on tormenting her siblings.

Only Azrya and Elenea were legitimate daughters of the Duke, as he had married both their mothers. The others were bastards, protected not by the Duke's mercy, but by the Octa Rules—eight laws laid down by King Robbisius Ford, ruler of the Six Kingdoms. One rule stated that all noble-born children, regardless of legitimacy, must live within their house's castle. This law forced even the heartless Duke Boswell to keep his illegitimate daughters alive—if they made it to birth.

Most didn't. If he learned a mistress was pregnant, he arranged swift, fatal "accidents." Only those who hid their pregnancies had a chance. Azrya's youngest sister, Iris, was the daughter of one such woman—though the child survived, her mother did not.

Azrya weaved through the crowded market and ducked into a narrow alley—a shortcut to the orphanage, but one swarming with criminals and shady dealings. Here, Akio stood near a stall, negotiating a black-market weapons purchase for the rebel group he belonged to: the Brothers in Arms.

Azrya rushed through the alley, eager to escape its dangers, when she collided with someone and fell backward. Her hood slipped slightly, revealing strands of her unmistakable silver curls.

Looking up, she found herself staring into the cold, sharp gaze of a boy with dark, shaggy hair and eyes so deep they looked black. Despite his youth, he radiated an intense aura. Akio looked down at her, ready to scold her—until recognition flickered in his eyes, as she had the same build and cloak as the market girl whose song was stuck in his head.

She apologised frantically, scrambling to return his dropped belongings.

"I'm sorry! Truly! It was an accident," she stammered, then darted away before he could speak.

Akio stared after her, his brows furrowed.

Strange girl.

He resumed his shopping, but when he reached for his coin pouch, it was gone.

Realisation dawned. She hadn't bumped into him by accident.

She played me.

He set off in pursuit, tracking her into the nearby forest, unwilling to face the rebels empty-handed.

Meanwhile, Azrya laughed to herself as she sprinted away.

"Too easy." She planned to donate his coin to the orphanage. If her singing didnt generate enough coins, she would resort to targeting people in the black-market area. 

This is where shady dealings happened, and the only people who purchased items from there were criminals, therefore she felt less guilty taking from them, despite that making things more dangerous for her. 

But the forest, like the alley, held its own dangers.

Three burly men stood blocking the narrow path ahead. She turned to flee, but they'd already seen her.

"Hey! You there!"

She bolted off the path, weaving through trees, but they split up and quickly surrounded her.

Breathing heavily, she brandished a small pocketknife and took a defensive stance.

"Well, well, well" one sneered. "What's in the bag, girl?"

"Give it here, and no one gets hurt," said another.

The third cackled. "Is that a knife? Maybe I'll use it to pick my teeth."

Azrya didn't flinch. She couldn't win this fight, but she could act.

Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, "Please, sirs... it's food for my mother and sick little brother. If they don't eat—"

The men hesitated. Not out of sympathy, but because stealing from a child wouldn't exactly boost their reputations.

"Fine," one said. "But next time, no mercy."

She turned to leave, hiding a victorious grin.

"Works every time."

But as she walked away, she heard one of them say,

"Hold on... doesn't she look familiar?"

"The girl who robbed us last week?"

Damn it.

She sprinted again—only to crash into another figure.

Not again.

But to her surprise, she looked up and saw him—the dark-haired boy from earlier.

Akio.

"Oh, sir, thank the heavens!" she gasped.

"Glad to see the person you robbed?" he asked flatly, brow raised.

"It wasn't me!" she cried. "Three men forced me to! They said they'd kill my family!"

Akio remained silent. Then asked, "Where are they now? And why do you still have my pouch?"

"I—I felt guilty, so I ran away. I was trying to return it—honest!"

But Akio wasn't buying it.

One of the men suddenly appeared behind them, pointing at her.

"She's here!"

Azrya ducked behind Akio, hoping to use him as a distraction.

He sighed, unfazed. With a flick of the wrist, he threw a dagger—embedding it in the man's skull. The thug dropped instantly.

Two more emerged, weapons drawn.

"Let's run," Azrya whispered, tugging his sleeve.

Akio only smirked. "Look after my pouch a little longer."

He drew a sleek black sword that shimmered ominously in the dappled light.

Azrya barely saw what happened next. He deflected a sword swing with ease, stabbed one attacker in the gut, then decapitated him in a single motion. The third fell just as quickly, a blade lodged in his eye.

It was a blur of blood, steel, and death.

Azrya stared in awe and horror. He turned to face her. She stiffened.

But instead of advancing, he crouched and began collecting the items from her spilled bag—along with anything valuable from the men's corpses.

He found the crystal bracelet and examined it.

"Where are you taking this stuff?" he asked.

Azrya hesitated. Then, with quiet defiance, said, "The orphanage. The kids need it more than you do."

He raised an eyebrow at her boldness but said nothing. Wordlessly, he packed the bag and held it out to her.

Suspicious, she took it slowly.

He turned and began walking away.

"You're not taking your money back?" she called after him.

"Keep it. Just get out of here before you find more trouble."

Moved by something she couldn't quite explain, she rummaged through the bag, pulled out a bit of blue yarn, and cut a piece and looped it through the bracelt she had originally got for her youngest sisiter. 

"Wait!" she called.

He turned, and she opened her small fist.

"Take it. To say thank you."

He blinked. "What?"

"It's too small for you to wear on your wrist so I turned it into a necklace for you."

She motioned for him to crouch, and he reluctantly he obliged.

With surprising gentleness, she tied the makeshift necklace around his neck.

Azrya smiled up at him and outstretched her arm for him to shake her hand and said,

"Now were even."

Akio scoffed, smirking slightly. They weren't even remotely even, he had saved her life, given her his money and the belongings of the men who attacked her, meanwhile all he had gotten was a makeshift accessory.

But regardless he muttered,

"Fine." and shook her tiny hand.

She then made her way, collecting her belongings to head off, waving enthusiastically at him before she disappeared into the thicket of the forest. 

Akio gently touched the bracelet hanging around his neck stunned.

It was the first time he had ever received a gift.

He paused for a moment smiling and savouring the moment, looking back up in the direction she had left in hoping to see her again. However, she was long gone. 

At that, he headed off in the opposite direction disappearing among the forest trees.

As Azrya reached the orphanage, the children were ecstatic to see her, and all ran towards her clamouring around her as she approached. She handed the bag with the items to the matron of the orphanage and while she played with the kids, her mind kept flooding with thoughts of the generous and mysterious stranger she had encountered.

She wondered if she would ever meet him again, however every time she left the castle afterwards to come to the orphanage, she never once did.

She wouldn't see him again for another 6 years, when they would reunite to be wed...