Chapter One: The Battle of Two Mighty Houses

Nicholas Clarke

"Aim for the King's head." mother mumbled before I went to battlefield.

I never knew that I actually beheaded the King of Grumvor's head. My mother rejoiced as I triumphantly won the war. I went to Euthoria where she resided for an assurance of her safety. I traveled as soon as I knew that the battle of Essylt was finally over.

"I knew that you will bring back the glory and as well as the throne that was once ours." she commented.

"And ours again." I repeated the last words of my mother.

We celebrated the win while my loyalist warriors went to the House of Elgarion to search for the loopholes of my future reign, a legitimate male Elgarion. I was told that the late king had seven little fellas. Among the seven children, he had three sons, two of them died in illness and one surviving son. He also has three nephews.

Later that evening, I received a letter from Queen Dowager Annette of Zathuria , the late king's wife. She was giving me a hint to marry her eldest child among the princesses. I am lost in words at first but my adviser and mother agreed to Queen Annette's idea.

Their first reasoning is to solidify my reign and to be able to control the loyal Elgarionists, the late king's followers. Next, the merge of two houses meant a bigger opportunity for me to control the Elgarions where they would feel that I am no threat. Lastly, I will be able to consolidate my successor.

He will have Elgarion blood from her mother which basically means that he has the blood of a legendary and great warrior princes for hundreds of years. A direct descendant of the Kingdom of Zathuria who is known to be the greatest monarchy regime. He will have Euthorian blood from me, the strategists royal family who a lot of time outwit enemies.As well as the fallen Nolyrian bloodline, who are known for wits and great advisors,who were betrayed by Elgarions.

My grandfather, Magnus the VIII of Nolyria, was betrayed by King Quentin's father, Alexander the V of Elgarion. They both founded and governed where it was once called the golden kingdom of Grumvor but because only one man shall rule and one should be buried and forgotten, war broke out between the two houses.

Magnus the VII surrendered for the sake of my sickly mother, Lady Catherine the II of Nolyria who was three months old at that time and was delivered prematurely. The people announce Alexander as the King of Grumvor and rejoice when he beheaded his long time friend and his wife who begged to spare their poor daughter right in front of them.

My mother, Lady Catherine was sent to the kingdom of Euthoria, who sought refuge from her direct aunt from her mother's side, Queen Elizabeth of Euthoria. She was raised by her aunt, telling her that Grumvor was her father's and as well as hers, which at a young age made her infuriated by the thought of Elgarions, who sent her parents to deathbed without giving her a chance to at least be with them.

Twenty years had passed since the fall of the Nolyrians, King Alexander died and the throne was succeeded by his first son King Albion, the Prince of Harian, who later died 2 years later with no heirs. His brother, a twenty-five year old prince who was the duke of Elgarion , succeeded to the throne. King Quentin of Elgarion who lster on married Princess Annette of Zathuria and had his children alongside his bastards in his mistresses.

My twenty year old mother married the Euthorian prince, her cousin Prince Caspian, the eight in line to the throne. After eight years of marriage,they had me, I was the product of the union of Euthoria and a fallen Nolyria . Two years after my birth was the start of the war reclaiming the throne that was shredded by my maternal ancestor's blood. My father led the battlefield who was later on killed by King Quentin, the same way my maternal grandparents were killed thirty years ago, in front of my mother.

Enraged by the King of Grumvor's action, my uncle and the brother of my father, King Clyde turned his back to Grumvor and gave me an ultimatum to prepare to engage in war against Grumvor and claim the throne when I turned twenty years of age.

Looking back with the encounters at the battlefield, King Quentin was really a warrior king, where the late king and I really had a close fight. Later that day, I was crowned the new king of Grumvor. Supporters went to see my coronation and as well as Queen Dowager Annette who wore mourning dresses with her daughters.

"Forgive me, my king for wearing this terrible dress, I was mourning the death of my husband and as well as my son." she explained.

"Who among you is Princess Valeria." my mother asked with disgust.

Queen Annette smiled at me as my mother disrespected her for not acknowledging her presence. I then proceeded to look at the princesses that were wearing their black traditional ball gowns and covered their faces with black veils except the Queen.

"Forgive me my king but the Grumvor's wedding tradition forbids the future husband to see her wife five days prior to the wedding," she said.

My mother was furious about the fact that the late queen decided the date of marriage. She calmed herself down when I gave her an assurance that I will handle this matter.

"And how sure are you that I will marry the girl that has a history of killing my clan?" I mockingly asked.

" With all due respect to your highness, my husband won that war fairly the same as you won and sat on that throne." she respectfully explained.

I can clearly tell that my mother was demanding an explanation that will soothe her ears but she did not. To not further humiliate ourselves in the imperial court, I then ordered them to discuss in a private room in the court where they all did come to discuss these matters in private.

"That husband of yours killed my husband right in front of my face and your daughter's patriarchal ancestors wiped out my mother and father that duly surrendered according to the court of law. Those who surrendered will be spared and stripped out of wealth. How come they weren't given a chance? " she cried.

" I'm sorry but I can't justify what my husband's family does to your family. We all somehow lose someone that we deeply love because of this war. All I wanted now was to unite and make our Kingdom invincible to other kingdoms." the queen dowager said.

I was moved by how eloquent the queen dowager is. We are then interrupted when someone barged in. It was her three daughters.

"Here in front of you are my other daughters, your highness." the dowager introduced.

Princess Isolde was the second daughter who gracefully bows as soon as our eyes met. She's pale as ice and she looked weakling among the three princesses in front of me. The bow was followed by Princess Anne and a little Princess Margaret.