Blades and Blue

"Do you take Altan, Fire Mage, and Duke of Kiziljer to be your husband?"

The question rang through my head and made my bones ache with fear. Was there really any way I could get out of this? My eyes darted around the wedding hall and I saw no route of escape.

I breathed out a slow sigh. And with it, let my hopes for escape go as well. If I was going to marry him, there would be no escape.

"Do you?" Altan asked, and his question surprised me. Not just because it seemed out of place during our wedding ceremony, but also because he sounded.... angry.

I met his gaze and saw the same flaming eyes that I had seen on the streets of Kiziljer.

He was angry.

"No." Altan shook his head, "Enough with these questions." then in the next second a sword was to my throat and my entire body went rigid.

"You WILL take me as your husband." he said through gritted teeth and my body began to sweat. "You WILL marry me, woman. I tire of your insolence."

"I- I will." I muttered through fear of the blade at my throat. I wasn't ready to die again.

"Good," Altan smirked, "Now, wake up."

"What?"

"Wake up." A voice that was not Altan's sounded in my head. "Wake up, or I'll finish you off now."

My eyes flew open, and I gasped to find a person crouched over top of me on my bed. It was still nighttime and barely anything was visible in my chambers, including the man who stood over me. In fact, the only thing that was visible was his glowing blue eyes shimmering and moving behind his pupils like the ocean of the Caribbean.

Eyes that were just like my own.

A Water Mage.

"You're finally awake." He assessed when my eyes opened, "And the rumors are true: you're a Water Mage."

"What?" I mustered, and when I spoke I felt the same blade at my throat that I had felt in my dream. Only this man, this Water Mage, with his long dark hair and black cloak that draped over my body and bed was holding it to my throat.

"I'm sorry." the man grimaced, "But I've been ordered to take your life."

~Take my life?~

My eyes widened, and my mind rushed like water flowing from a dam.

~What should I do? Scream? No, he would have my throat slit before anyone got here. I could try to kick him off of me... but, I'm sure, especially because he somehow broke into the palace on his own, that his fighting skills are way better than mine. I have to talk my way out of this.~

"Wait." I said and my voice came out a whisper.

His blade softened at my protest, and I hoped that meant he didn't actually want to kill me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Because you will marry a Fire Mage." he whispered, "and you will allow Victory for Ot Ulut in the War of Old." he gritted his teeth and seemed angry even considering the idea, although his voice stayed low and calm.

~Am I really doing all of that when I only got to this world a few days ago?~

"No." I answered immediately, "I plan to escape before the wedding."

His blade moved an inch from my throat. "You do?" confusion flickered behind his eyes. "So the marriage is not consensual?"

I considered shaking my head but thought better of it with a blade so close to my throat, "It's not."

"Ha!" he laughed, loud enough that I thought people might hear him. As he did, his eyes changed color. The color of the sea in them raged as if a storm were about to take over. "That stupid duke thought he could get away with it, didn't he?"

I wasn't sure how I ought to answer, so I only stared at him as he laughed more and a glimmer of moonlight from my balcony shined into the room and gave view to his pale skin and black hair. He was gorgeous, in a threatening kind of way. Every aspect of him seemed as dangerous and sharp as the knife he held to my throat.

"Good." he spoke. Then in one quick movement he was off my bed and the knife he held was sheathed at his calf. "I wasn't looking forward to killing one of my own kind, anyway."

He turned and began toward the balcony doors as if our business was finished. "Wait." I sat up in my bed and the blankets fell off of me. When his head turned back to mine, his eyes skimmed over the black and red gown that I wore. The colors of Ot Ulut. "C- can you help me escape?"

His eyes drifted to mine and in that moment I understood that he did that because he thought I was of lower rank than him and I averted my gaze. "I cannot."

"Why not?" Confusion spurred through me. Surely if he didn't want me to marry the duke, and he didn't want to kill me, helping me escape would be the next best option.

"I don't wish to be found guilty as the person who helped the duke's fiancé escape." he answered.

I blew air passed my lips, annoyed by such an excuse. "But you don't mind being found guilty of my murder?"

"I would not be found guilty of such a thing." he answered coolly, as cool as the blue in his eyes. "Because I would not be found... However, if you were to follow behind me, you would slow us down and make it easier for us to be caught. And considering all the reasons I am wanted for in Ot Ulut, my punishment would not be small. "

"Who are you?"

The man blinked, "What Kind of Water Mage are you that you don't recognize your own prince?"

~My own prince? He's the prince of the Water Mages? then why is he here to kill me?~

"I- I-"

~How should I answer this question?~

"Here." he ignored my stuttering and pulled a blue handkerchief from his upper arm. It hadn't been visible beneath his black cloak, but it was a teal blue color just like his eyes. "Where this," he said, "Your entire country may forsake you, but at least Jala should not." The handkerchief fell in a pile at the foot of my bed and I leaned over to scoop it from the floor.

"Escape before the wedding." he said and met my eyes again from the balcony doors. "Or I will be back to finish what I could not tonight."