Prologue

Prologue

"Make sure you follow closely behind me" Queen Sophia said to her maid. She was carrying her daughter tightly on her chest as they maneuvered their way around the passage, in an attempt to escape from the castle.

Everywhere was in complete chaos with flames on all sides. Her husband, King Leander, a wise and caring ruler, wouldn't leave his soldiers to face the battle alone. His commander kept begging him to leave and seek safety, but the king wouldn't listen. He would rather die along with his people than cowardly leave them to fight alone while he hides in his chambers.

However, the opposite forces were stronger and Astora kingdom was fast losing to the Eldorian soldiers. With so many dead and wounded, Queen Sophia knew the king and the people didn't have a chance. They were all going to die, but she couldn't watch her only child, the princess and future of the kingdom, suffer such a fate, so she decided to escape with her. She took her maid, Keah, along, and they both shielded Althea, the princess.

"Careful!" Sophia said to Keah, as they quickly ran into a corner before one of the Eldorian soldiers saw them. They remained silent till they were sure the soldiers had passed. Keah looked up then and saw it.

"My queen!" Keah said with a shaky voice while tears freely flowed down her face. She seemed to have seen something which saddened her.

"What is it, Keah?" Sophia asked as she and Althea followed her eyes' direction and saw she was actually staring at Sophia's belly.

"Mother!" Althea exclaimed, while Sophia immediately held her belly. She had been hit by one of the stray arrows, and she had no idea till Keah saw it now. She had been feeling uneasy and dizzy, but she thought it was due to running around.

"Let me help, my queen, I can do it." Keah urged, but Sophia stopped her. She pulled out the arrow gently, but it was too deep and blood gushed out.

"Promise me you'll protect her." She said to Keah, who was weeping profusely by now. Althea was so scared too and held on tightly to her mother.

"With my life, your grace," Keah promised.

Sophia tried to be brave, she took Althea's hand, kissed it and smiled at her.

"Promise me you'll live!" She said to her while Althea just kept nodding her head.

"The gods be with you!" Sophia let out and then breathed her last. Althea wanted to scream out in agony but Keah quickly covered her mouth with her hand. They would be caught if Althea screamed, and she wouldn't be able to save her then.

"May the gods grant you a safe passage home." Keah let out as she and Althea paid their last respect to the dead. Face wet with tears, Keah took Althea's hand and they continued their escape mission.

An hour later when they were finally outside the Kingdom walls, they heaved a sigh of relief.

"Can we rest now? I'm so tired." Althea said while breathing so fast and hard.

"No, we can't. Not now or here. I promised the queen I would protect you." Keah let out, fearfully looking around to check if danger was looming. When she saw none, she grabbed Althea's hand, and they continued running towards the woods.

Althea was so tired, she wasn't even looking up and was just going in any direction Keah pulled her in. Suddenly, they heard some loud noise, and they quickly halted, while Keah scanned quickly for a hideout. She found one and hurriedly pushed the princess under the fallen tree where she concealed her in a wrap to prevent danger from getting to her.

It was the Astorian soldiers guarding the woods. They had almost passed them when an insect bit Althea. She quickly dug her mouth into the sand to muffle her sound, but it wasn't enough, she cried out in pain after the second bite.

"Who is there? Come out right now! If you force us to look for you, you will be punished with a cruel death." One of the soldiers said, while both Althea and Keah looked at each other.

"What are you doing?" Althea asked when she saw Keah trying to go out.

"I promised the queen I would take care of you. Keep yours as well. Live!" She said and then got up.

"Please, Keah, don't leave me. I wouldn't know what to do all alone." Althea cried quietly as she heard the sword squash into Keah, after which the soldiers debated about taking her body back as a trophy before finally leaving with the body.

When she was sure it was safe, Althea went out of hiding. From the ruins all around her, she knew her kingdom had perished, along with her parents.

"I'm going to kill you all!!" She roared with anger.

"I will avenge every drop of blood that was shed today!! Astoria, prepare for your nemesis!!!" She yelled angrily again…

Althea was born to rule. If everything had gone well, she would have become the next ruler of the Astoria kingdom. She has royal blood running through her veins.

It was the famine that caused the war. As the rivers ran dry and crops withered in Astora, desperation clouded the hearts of its people. King Leander of Astora, a wise ruler known for his kindness, sought aid from his neighbors, imploring King Lucas of Eldoria to share their precious water sources. Lucas, known for his cruelty, wouldn't agree to share his kingdom's reserves, which he felt were already dwindling and sharing might jeopardize his kingdom's survival.

Despite the dwindling hope, King Leander didn't give up, and finally, his people were able to secure a secret reservoir deep in its border. They rejoiced and were happy, but it was a short-lived one. Rumors of the secret reservoir were soon revealed to King Lucas, and since their own source was barely remaining, the king planned on forcefully taking over Astora's own.

In the middle of the night, King Lucas and his soldiers took over the Astora kingdom forcefully without notice…