The prince laid quietly in his bed staring at the stars out the window across from him. Embers from his fireplace burned dimly in the dark room.
He had an exciting evening of sparring with father —regrettably his shoulder dislocated again. He was becoming very used to the pain his shoulder caused.
The shoulder was better now, yet he laid there in bed wide awake. He could see part of the sunflower silhouetted. The flower had been lying in the window seal for years now.
The prince carefully pulled open his covers and moved his legs to the floor — his feet curled as he touched the cold stones. He leaned over, grabbed a small bedside stool, and quickly tiptoed to the window. He placed the stool quietly on the floor beneath the window, and stepped up on it. The window seal met him at the bottom of his rib cage.
Pale moonlight lit the tiny space. He admired the sunflower's nuances with hands held behind his back.
The prince’s eyes refocused as he looked out at the empty courtyard below covered in snow — he could see one of the cairns. He watched tiny snowflakes, shining like glass, sparkle and fall in the air. His gaze shifted upwards to admire the third piece of his window-side triptych: he marveled at the moon rising over the northern mountains, and a sky filled with stars and clouds.
He couldn't help but smile as he remembered the girl at the sunflower stand so many years ago. Father told him a year following their brief interaction that the girl and her mother disappeared from the kingdom. He wondered if they were still alive, and what she might look like now.
The prince’s thoughts turned to his own mother —he often thought of her, and wished he knew her as well as others. He hoped that he would be able to find a queen as noble and beautiful as her.
Everyone thought highly of the queen; when her name was uttered a peaceful and reverent silence often fell upon the room, as minds and hearts rushed with feelings of fondness.
The prince then saw a shooting star — he closed his eyes and traveled to the purest corner of his heart to quickly form a wish. Shoulders fell, eyebrows inclined, and arms folded gently across a heart offering its wish upon a star.
ONE LATE EVENING AFTER conversing at father's feet, the king explained that after winter passed, he wished for his son to journey to one of the other six kingdoms, a place that had been named Acroama. The Prince’s heart leapt and his stomach flinched — he had longed so sincerely to see what his elder brother Vivere, and father had seen.
The king explained that the rulers of the seven kingdoms had unanimously decided to lock themselves together by allowing the next generation of rulers to wed one another; they planned to eventually elect a single ruler. The king was clearly excited by such unprecedented unity!
They talked together as the father explained an exciting festival filled with dancing, games, and feasts. The kingdom of Acroama that he would be traveling to was known for its skills in the arts and entertainment. The kings of the seven kingdoms felt that this would be the best place for the festival to take place. The next generation of rulers would have plenty of opportunities to become adequately acquainted with each other, in a safe and fun environment.
“Son, I want you to find a queen,” the king clearly stated; the full implication of that statement was not lost on the prince; he glanced towards the sunflower. The king continued, “... listen to your heart, that's how you'll know she's right.”
The prince expressed his sincere gratitude and told his father reverently of the wish he had made at his window seal. Tears welled in his father's eyes as he listened to the prince. The father loved his son — and overwhelming feelings of fondness and yearning for his wife also swelled within his breast — a sad, yet joyful and sacred memory.
THE SPRING CAME AND the prince bid farewell to his friends, the cooks, and the tailor; at last he embraced his father and set off.
It was very early and the moon still ruled the sky as he traveled down the river with two of the king’s finest guards. As they sat together gliding swiftly down stream, exchanging stories, passing familiar settlements along the way — the prince appeared more like his father than ever.
One of the guards was a humorous and large man named Ancora. Ancora had accompanied the prince in almost every circumstance over the past few years. He was younger than most of the guards, but rose very quickly nonetheless. Ancora was highly trusted by the king, and the prince as well. Ancora was a humble man and often joked about his status and success simply being due to his large muscles. Even though everyone knew he rose so quickly because of his rare loyalty, bravery, and intelligence.
The prince was watching the banks of the river and was listening to the royal flags on their small raft whipping quietly through the air – when Ancora got his attention and pointed out an undone clasp on his leather armor. He quickly remarked, “You better fasten that down. Heaven knows your swordsmanship won’t save you.” The prince laughed, and unsuccessfully tried to think of an equally quick retort. Ancora, noticing the prince’s stupor, again quickly commented, “yeah … the tailor should’ve dressed you in steel.” The prince and his father appreciated Ancora’s honesty and humor. They liked that he didn’t mince his words.
After hours of floating down the river they arrived at the bottom of the kingdom.
THE PRINCE WAS TAKEN to a trailhead at the southernmost reach of the small settlement. There at the bottom of the small town, two replica cairn’s were positioned on both sides of the trailhead. Each cairn bore the name of their founding brother etched on the top.
This trailhead was the beginning of paths that led to two different kingdoms that both lie south of their kingdom. About half way down this trail, it divided. The trail that turned west led to the kingdom of Mitis-Medisors; the trail that continued south led to the kingdom of Acroama. The prince felt a cold and warm mix of excitement and fear flow across his skin as he thought of the foreign kingdoms at the distant end of their respective paths.
The southwestern kingdom of Mitis-Medisors was a kingdom about which they knew very little. Of the different relations his father had with the different kingdoms, Mitis-Medisors was one of the most dangerous and mysterious. Though he did not fear them, the king was grateful to have these people as his allies — instead of his enemies.
The prince was met by a protected horse drawn carriage that would lead him to the kingdom of Acroama many more miles south.
The roads between the seven kingdoms were relatively new. They were not heavily guarded and monitored like their own kingdom’s paths heading north along the river bank. One required special permission to travel these roads — however, many still traveled them unauthorized.
A hooded figure sat at the helm of the carriage. To his surprise Ancora explained to him that he would not be joining him on this journey, nor any other guard. He offered no explanation and the prince felt not to inquire further.
This was farther than he had ever traveled. The prince had never had so much trust placed in him; he wondered if a mistake had been made. Nevertheless, he bid farewell to the guards and sat in the back of the carriage.
The prince was curious who his escort was and his mind raced with the possible dangers ahead; within these forests still lurked beasts and bandits. The escort cracked the reins and they began their journey to Acroama.
THE PRINCE SAT QUIETLY in his seat. Unsure what to do he watched the forest carefully, intrigued by its beauty — wary of danger.
He wished to speak to the escort — unsure how to start a conversation he again turned his attention to the passing forest. The prince's mind drifted and he thought of his elder brother Vivere, traveling through the perilous woods alone so many years ago.
The escort then removed their hood. He saw the escort had long and free hair. Unable to hold back any longer, he maneuvered himself outside of the moving cart and positioned himself next to the escort on the front of the carriage.
To his great surprise he saw the escort was a young woman! She was startled by his sudden movement, let out a yelp, and exclaimed without a thought, “What are you doing!?” Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with both hands — dropping the reins. She quickly picked them up again and looked forward. The prince smiled, and she couldn't help but giggle also.
The prince began to question her and she explained that she came from the kingdom of Acroama, and that it was her assignment to escort him to the festival. He was absolutely stunned that father would allow him to go on such a perilous journey with a servant girl as his escort.
The rest of their journey was spent in pleasant conversation. Captivated by what the other had to say about the various topics they discussed, they seemed to forego their dangerous reality. Gentle rain began to fall —time flew swiftly by.
It was a few days' journey by carriage, and every day with her was fun. They felt safe with each other. They arrived at the kingdom of Acroama at the end of the week as evening fell.
Instead of being dropped off at the front of the kingdom the prince requested to help the escort girl put the horses away. She obliged, and as they put the horses away the prince stepped in a mess by the gate. Though it was nice to speak with her longer, he felt uncomfortable and knew he had made a mistake. He soiled the tailor's shoes and knew the cooks would be disappointed in him for being so casual with his status as a prince. He left the girl without saying much.
THE FOLLOWING WEEKS WERE filled with exciting events, and the prince took advantage of every opportunity to meet new people and survey their character; he quickly made many close friends. The prince had a natural and sincere charisma that drew others to him, he enjoyed the other young royals' company and often made them laugh.
They held many games, challenges, and competitions; the prince wasn't the strongest, but he was very fast and tenacious. He was marked by the other royals for his generous sportsmanship. He was graceful in losing and in winning.
Many of his peers would insult their parents or tell embarrassing stories about them. The prince however, quickly became marked by his unwavering loyalty to his father and respect for his leadership over the years. Either to annoyance or admiration, it was clear to everyone that it was the prince's aim to become just like his father.
ONE NIGHT WHILE WALKING in one of the kingdom’s most beautiful gardens, the prince saw lights peering through the trees and heard beautiful singing. As he approached the lights he observed an outdoor theater.
Large trees acted as a proscenium, and their leaves sported beautiful white flowers in full bloom. The stage was not elevated above the crowd but was instead formed by large stones set in beautiful swirling patterns on the garden floor. Gold and blue curtains hung from the trees.
Standing on the cobblestone stage, at the front of a small crowd of young royals enjoying themselves, was the young girl who escorted him to the kingdom. She was the one who’s singing had drawn him near.
The young woman wore a simple yet elegant yellow dress that fit her beautiful figure nicely — and a simple diadem that bore seven gems. The crown glistened like stars in the warm light that filled the intimate space. Her hair draped elegantly around her slender neck and shoulders. She saw him enter the space and let a smile spread across her face — she did not hide that she was happy to see him and began singing to him.
The prince was surprised to see her, yet he unabashedly watched her as she confidently sang the enchanting melody. He leaned on a nearby aspen willow, and applauded her loudly when she finished her song.
Noticing the prince’s rapture, a young royal named Scurra sitting on a stone next to the standing prince, loudly declared, “This prince here can sing, I’ve heard him myself. What do you say he sings a song with this young maiden?!” The crowd cheered loudly and shuffled the prince to the front of the stage next to the young woman in yellow.
The prince knew the royal, Scurra. Scurra was staying in the same quarters as the prince, and made the prince laugh most constantly. He had learned that Scurra came from the kingdom of Mitis-Medisors. Scurra didn’t speak much of Mitis-Medisors, but the prince knew he did not like it there. Scurra made it clear one night that he wished to stay in Acroama for as long as they would have him.
Having been rushed to the stage the young prince grabbed the young maiden’s hand. She held the prince’s hand for a time but then subtly pulled her hand away at the first natural opportunity. The prince felt a feeling he had never felt before.
The prince and the young maiden sang a song they both knew from an ancient play called Electio. It chronicled the love story of the second oldest of the ancient seven sons and his companion, who settled Acroama centuries ago.
After they completed their song the crowd cheered respectfully; they all felt that something sacred had happened before their eyes.
The young prince resumed his place after the song and enjoyed the rest of the performance sitting with Scurra.
After the performance, he approached the young maiden and asked what her name was. He had realized that he didn’t know what to call her. She simply stated, “Helianna. My name is Helianna.”
Helianna invited him to come to the garden the next night to watch a play with her. The prince was hesitant given that she was a servant, but yearned deeply to be with her – the prince said he would try. That was good enough for Helianna.
One night turned into every night. They were often seen walking barefoot through the beautiful courts and gardens of the kingdom. And though everyone around them could clearly see the love they had for each other — it was not as clear to the prince and Helianna. They tried to think of nothing other than each other’s company. They knew if they thought more than that, they would likely stop seeing each other.
The conversations they had every night always seemed to steadily flow away from the people they knew — to ideas that they shared, wishes they had, stories, and places that they loved. The prince appreciated her goodness; she never said anything bad about anyone. He would often tell jokes just to see her glisten.
The prince was cordial in all the feasts and balls, participative in every game, and pleasant in every conversation — yet his heart looked forward to moments when he would be able to talk with his friend again. He anticipated and enjoyed every moment he shared with her — they admired one another's honesty, kindness, and maturity.
BY THE END OF the festival, the prince felt he had not found anyone he could tell father he truly loved — and that could also be the kingdom’s next queen. He wondered what he had done wrong. He wanted so badly to fulfill father's command; he was sure that he would have been able to find her. To the prince’s great sorrow he knew that Helianna would not be able to satisfy the needs of the caste — given that she was simply a servant.
Traveling back from the festival, the prince sat in the back of the carriage. Helianna was again tasked with returning the prince to his home. They seldom spoke to one another. Many things weighed heavily on the prince’s mind and he wanted to be able to think.
The roads had become more dangerous over the passing weeks — and a guard was ordered to join them on their journey back to the other kingdom.
Though the trail was rough, the prince closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
THE PRINCE AWOKE TO Helianna calling out his name! He quickly started and observed the scene — standing further down the road was a small group of bandits. The prince was filled with dread.
Helianna stopped the two horses and tried to turn in the road — the road was positioned on a steep hill and wasn't wide enough. The cart now stood angled awkwardly on the path. The guard drew his sword and leapt out of the carriage to face the bandits.
The prince watched as one of the bandits lifted his longbow — the prince cried out a caution. In response the guard maneuvered under the carriage and came out the other side.
The bandit fired his arrow into one of the horse's necks. The horse fell and the other horse startled and moved the cart backwards. The carriage slammed into a tree as it rolled off the road. The tree kept the carriage from cascading downhill.
The young woman and the prince, startled from the crash, leapt off the carriage and ducked behind as another arrow flew into its side.
The guard standing told them to run into the forest — suddenly an arrow lodged into the man, and he fell lifeless to the dirt road.
Helianna screamed! The prince quickly removed his adorned cloak, grabbed the guard’s sword, and took her by the arm. They leapt off the road and began to move swiftly downhill. Immediately the bandits began chasing after them.
As they descended quickly down the steep hill they couldn’t control their dangerous speed. In an attempt to slow down, the prince threw his sword forward, tightened his grip on her arm, and grasped a passing tree branch. They violently jerked to a stop, and the prince felt an intense pain surge through his right shoulder.
Helianna fell and rolled forward a small distance, hitting into roots, dirt, and stones — she was not badly hurt. She rose up as the prince slumped down behind a large tree, holding his shoulder. She could see the bandits further up the hill.
Helianna retrieved the fallen sword, and began moving towards the prince to take cover behind the tree — suddenly an arrow flew down the hill and glanced off the side of her calf — she winced and fell. The prince moved quickly to her — he surged with fear, anger, and energy.
Her leg was bleeding, but it wasn't going to be fatal — she could still walk. The prince told her to leave him and to start moving north across the hill — to break small branches along the way so he would be able to find her. She refused outright; the prince sobered — “If you love me, leave. You can't die.” Helianna was startled by his comment — yet understanding filled their eyes.
As heavy sobs began to roll from her, she cried, “You won't survive!”
The prince picked up the sword; “Please, go!” He turned to the bandits.
Helianna turned and began moving as fast as she could away from the scene, breaking small twigs along the way so that he could find her.
THE PRINCE KNEW HIS shoulder had dislocated again. It was excruciating to move his arm, yet despite the pain he used his other arm to raise the limb high above his head — he felt his shoulder lock into place, and let out a grunt. With fire surging through his veins and sword in hand, he ran south across the hill — drawing the attention of the five bandits away from his wounded friend.
Another arrow flew past him as he ducked behind a large tree. Hidden from his pursuers, he traveled quickly and quietly to hide behind a smaller tree further down the hill.
Behind the smaller tree he listened carefully as the bandits drew nearer unsure of his location.
The prince had become a powerful swordsman — he calmed his nerves and focused his strength.
When some of the men were parallel to him he surged out behind the tree and quickly cut one of the bandits deeply across his thigh. The man fell down the hill and his head collided sharply with a tree — he lay still on the forest floor bleeding profusely from his head and leg.
The prince quickly disarmed another man and landed a heavy blow on the nape of his neck — killing him instantly. An arrow flew past, barely missing his shoulder. The bowman was standing further up the hill.
The prince furiously fought the two remaining men. One of the bandits, with sword in hand, smashed his fist into the prince's face. The prince jerked backwards realing — tears immediately filled his eyes, and an intense pressure consumed his head. Throbbing pain spread across his face.
He staggered back to avoid a fatal swing to his abdomen; the sword, missing his core, nicked his left forearm. The bowman, panicking, released another arrow into the fray — the prince seeing this quickly fell to the forest floor, and the arrow lodged into his opponent's chest. The pierced bandit fell coughing blood.
The prince, head still spinning, arms searing with pain, quickly rolled backwards down the hill to avoid another would-be fatal blow from his opponent. He stopped himself and threw his sword at the last swordsman. The sword flew wildly and cut deep into the man's side. The bandit fell to the floor, grasping a gaping wound.
Despite his vision being blurred, the prince grabbed one of the dead bandit’s swords and sprinted uphill as fast as he could, delivering a fatal blow to the man clutching his side along the way.
HE CONTINUED HIS CHARGE towards the bowman, who quickly fired another arrow. The arrow pierced the prince's right hand — his hand went numb —his charge was stopped and he dropped his sword.
He quickly removed the arrow, and picked up the sword with his left hand; he shoved horror out of his mind.
The prince felt that he was going to die — this feeling gave him more power.
The prince swiftly bridged the gap between them. The terrified bowman turned and started scrambling up the hill — he simultaneously struggled to grab another arrow from his quiver and fell over a large root.
The bowman with shaking hands quickly drew a large dagger and rolled onto his back. The prince knocked the knife from his hand by swiftly swinging his sword at the man's grasping hand — and finally lodged the sword through the bowman's chest.
The bandit, grimacing, stared into the prince's eyes. “We’ll be back!” the bandit spat at the young prince.
For a moment great fear and pain flashed across the bandit’s disposition, before the light in his eyes faded.
THE PRINCE CAST HIMSELF onto the forest floor next to the man — he clutched his bleeding hand tightly, it burned as though a hot coal was being pressed through his palm.
His left forearm was still severely cut, and the joint of his shoulder throbbed with pain; it felt as if both arms were consumed in fire.
Tears from his eyes mixed with the blood flowing from his nose and mouth — he had to spit to keep from drowning.
The prince sat heaving in this bleeding crucible — horror flooded into his heart and mind — an anguished cry boiled in his stomach about to burst from him.
The prince’s mind caught as he noticed a stag walking peacefully across his view further downhill. Following closely behind the stag were two does. The doe in the back paused to look at him, and the other two froze.
The prince thought of Helianna, he thought of his father, his eldest brother Vivere.
He took courage and moved to find her and return home. The deer scattered.
CLUTCHING HIS HAND, HE stood and began to stumble up the hill towards the road.
The prince was feeling very lightheaded, and the sun had begun to set; he knew they would not be able to survive the night.
The prince got to the road. The carriage was still suspended and the living horse began to panic. The horse was tangled in reins and trapped under its yoke. He knew as soon as he freed the horse it would bolt; this was their only chance of survival. He didn't free the animal.
The prince could barely see, little light remained as the sun continued to set. He was losing a lot of blood and seemed to fade in and out of consciousness. Afraid he would attract unwanted attention, he refrained from shouting out Helianna’s name. Trees became blurry and he fell to the path unconscious.
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