Episode 1.

Alvar

"We're in a war with the Demons, trading with our enemy's main and strongest ally is not a good idea." I can hear the King in the throne room, he's yelling at our nobles who seem to need something from the Purple Kingdom.

"People are dying! Please, your majesty! It could save countles-"

"Two women, one Purple and one Yellow, got married last year! And I will be damned if I let my country fall to that! Imagine if one of our men got married to a Black! I'd soon have them beheaded." A shiver ran down my spine. Men and women alike got killed for having children with the opposite kingdom. It was almost common here. "We will show our people that we will not fall to their level. No trading with the Purple Kingdom. End of discussion."

Whispers fell upon the room right before someone shouted in my direction, "Alvar!" My gaze flicked to Calhoun's smiling face. "Um, the Prince requested you. Again." He wiggled his eyebrows and winked at that, but he's been doing that a lot so I don't really think much of it.

"Got it." As I walked down the hall, leaving the post after informing another guard of my whereabouts, Calhoun looked as though he had something to say. But it's none of my business if he won't say it.

"You're so lucky, man." What in the world could he be talking about?

"Excuse me?"

"Finn, he's a cute one. And since he's not crowned, you know what that means." He winks again, which I assume means something that I wish I hadn't heard.

"Pardon me?" His green eyes snap to mine, seemingly inspecting me, for what, I don't know.

"He's totally in love with you." We quickly reach the Prince's room but I shoot my hand out, nearly clothes lining my best friend. "Please tell me you knew that already." He laughs but upon noticing my serious expression he quiets down, "Alvar."

"As flattering as that is, please stop spreading false rumors." He smiles again, I assume thinking I'm joking but it soon becomes obvious I am not.

"Dude, the way he looks at you, is always is aching fo-"

"He is simply being nice."

I then walk to the door and knock, and quickly a smiling Finn is opening it to greet me, "Alvar!" He's a young seventeen, only one year an adult, but short, about 5'8, which leaves me towering over him.

"Your majesty." I bow low, the act having the young man giggling. "You called for me?" His big, white eyes are almost as bright as my own, they say I had a genetic disorder which caused my eyes to go purer than pure, and my hair to go blacker than black.

"Yes, come in!" He's overly hyper, his smile wide and hair a slight mess.

He led me into the room and it was silent for a moment as I looked around. I had been here before but it always seemed to surprise me. There was no life, no love in the place that Finn spends most of his time. A large white bookshelf filled white books against the perfectly white wall. A painting was hung which was the only semblance of color in the room aside from the golden shadows from the window, it was a portrait of the royal family, each in white siks, furs and lace. It's beautiful but doesn't fit his personality. "Is everything alright, sir?"

He lets out another giggle before uttering a small, "Positive." He sits on the bed while I stand awkwardly by the door. "What are you doing? Sit down."

"I don't feel-" What Calhoun had said was getting to me, why invite a guard who is seemingly half enemy, then tell them to sit down on his bed? I'm being crazy, he couldn't have been serious.

"That's an order from your Prince." So I did as ordered, hesitantly sitting on a loveseat at the end of his bed. The plush cushion sunk under my weight, my sword's silver hilt contrasting with the white silk.

"What did you need, your majesty?" I turned to look at him, he almost looked like a school child, a soft face, small and thin stature with his wide eyes could trick just about anybody at first glance.

"I just wanted to talk." We've known each other for as long as I can remember, my father was a soldier, skilled beyond all others despite being completely blind, which had him and the Queen getting close and when he died she took me in and raised me as her own in the castle. I'm only two years his senior but due to my training and his studying we didn't spend too much time together. We have nothing to talk about.

"About?"

"Did you hear about the two women from Purple and Yellow?" I nod stiffly as he continues on, "Do you think that Black and White could be like that one day?"

"Not as long as I am alive." I will fight until the day I die against the Blacks, the Demons, Thordians, whatever you may call them, the day the two kingdoms come together will be the day I am run through with my own sword.

"But what about the stories?"

"Which ones?"

"The one about the half Black, half White warrior that will bring the country together through triumph rather than failure." I shiver, I had been insulted and ostracized because of my pure, Thordian black hair and royal white eyes, purer than even the King's. The people don't want the war to end. That would mean submitting to the impure, and that wasn't acceptable.

"I won't be that person." I refuse, and it's that simple.

"As you say," That's when I hear footsteps outside of the door, I go out to check it, telling Finn to stay put.

Outside there are several guards running to the east but none of them seem to notice me. They all run, some shouting orders to the rest as I try to hail some of them down. I had never seen this before, it was as if I was truly invisible.

From behind me, Akari taps my shoulder, startling me half to death. "Princess, what is going on?"

"Oh, father simply called the guards to him, but you don't need to go." She smiles sweetly, I've always liked her, she tends to stay by herself for the most part but that's probably because she stepped down from being heir to give it to her younger brother. She simply didn't see herself in that position for her whole life.

"Well then I better get back to your broth-"

"No." She stepped in front of the door, blocking me from entering the room. "I need to talk to you." She smiles again which is odd because this is the most I've seen her smile in a month, but I don't think anything of it, she's probably just happy today.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Well, Sir Alvar, I uh..." She looks around, as if stalling, "Well, I have a necklace at the top of my closet that I need to get but I'm too short." She is extremely small, only 5'1, shorter than both of her parents.

"Well I ca-" I was cut off by a scream from Finn's room which had Akari jumping slightly, "Excuse me, your majesty." I go around her, careful not to push her.

As I step into the room I see the window open and a man looking out of it, he knows I'm here as I can see him smile from the profile view I have.

He has pure white hair, and is short which had me at first glance thinking it was Finn but the man is too short and when he turns to face me I see his eyes are pure black and with his long lashes he resembles a bird. I immediately know who it is, I've heard stories of him, though he looks much younger than the stories say.

He smiles a toothy grin, sending a slight shiver down my spine. Despite my impulse to run him through with my sword, there is some terrifying beauty about him behind all the malice.

"Hello Alvar." He smiles, knowing my name which isn't too surprising, everyone seems to.

"Colburn." He smiles again before jumping out of the window and when I look down he was at the bottom with two other men pushing Finn along with him.

The whole experience lasted maybe two seconds but it felt like a year as I stood there, stunned.