The Meeting of Iron Fate

"There's not much I can do, Your Highness," Elza said, gently holding Zentik's hand.

It was barely dawn. Too early for bad news.

"What about foreign healers?" Lonek asked. "There has to be someone."

Elza shook her head.

"Magic wounds are different from regular wounds. You'd have to be extremely powerful in magic to even lessen the damage. No magic-user that powerful has existed in hundreds - maybe thousands - of years. If anyone were half that powerful, they would have hidden it their whole lives."

"I'm sure powerful royalty would want everyone to know they're powerful," Zentik said. "It would make the other nations not want to attack them, wouldn't it?"

Elza smiled the way someone would when telling a child about something the child could never understand.

"Not all magic-users are royalty," she said, patting his head. "There are a dangerous few who are common, but have more magic than even the Kings."

"But a ruler could recruit them. Then that nation's army would be unstoppable."

"No magic-user should be honored to not be royalty. It isn't how nature intended it to be."

"Why?"

Elza only shook her head.

"I'm sure your tutors will teach you soon."

Zentik looked at Lonek. Lonek had no expression on his face. His arms were crossed, and his head was tilted slightly to look at Elza and Zentik.

Elza stood and bowed to Lonek.

"I have heard of people who help those who have lost arms or legs to live everyday lives. I believe it would be wise to contact one of these people."

Lonek nodded.

"I'm sure you have more knowledge in this area than me. Send me a list with the best ones, and their qualifications."

Elza nodded and left the room.

"Why do magic-users have to be royalty?" Zentik asked the second the door closed.

Lonek sighed and let his arm drop to his side. He sat by Zentik on the infirmary room bed.

"There were some bad people who were common and had magic many years ago. Our ancestors - along with the ancestors of the other royals - came together and decided to take magic away from common people. They said that it was too dangerous. It was aganst nature."

"Why is it against nature if so many people were that way?"

"Nature makes no mistakes. It's hard to decide, but many of our elders believe that common magic is a punishment to a family."

"Why to a family, and not just the one person?"

"The bloodline of a common magic-user is dangerous. They can't be continued."

Zentik had heard Lonek say plenty of dumb things, but that had to be one of the dumbest. A common magic-user can't choose to have magic - why do they have to be punished?

A knock on the door.

Lonek stood and opened the door, revealing a messenger. The messenger bowed.

"What is it?"

"The Imperial Shezi family is here. They would like to discuss your future with the Princess."

Lonek looked back at Zentik, making a face of annoyance. However, as he turned, he dropped all emotion from his face.

"I will be there soon. Notify them that Zentik will not be present."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The messenger bowed and left.

"I should probably put on something more regal, then," Lonek said, looking down at the long-sleeved white shirt only halfway buttoned and loose brown pants that he wore on casual days.

"Oh, you think?"

----

Princess Kiran of the Spring Nation Shezil

----

Kiran stood in the entrance hall of the stone Shezen castle. A silver chandelier made to look like spikes of ice sent prisms around the room, using some sort of mirror to reflect the barely-risen sun through the crystals that formed the spikes. Silver was wrapped around each crystal in random swirls. On the sides of the room, long wooden tables held the swords of past great citizens of Shezen. Each one had a painting over it. To the left of each painting was a paper that Kiran assumed talked about what the person did.

A messenger walked into the hall and bowed deeply. He wore a light blue coat buttoned down the right and black pants. The only decoration was on his white boots - there were silver swirls painted across it. Like all servants, he wore a cloth to cover his face. It was pinned into his hair. Like the boots, it was white, but it had no decoration.

"Imperial Shezil, the King of Shezen will meet you shortly," he said as he rose. "We apologize, but the Second Prince of Shezen is unable to attend this meeting."

"Is something wrong?" Kiran's father asked.

"Apologies, Your Highness, but I do not have permission to disclose anything of the personal lives of this Imperial Family."

Kiran's father nodded slowly.

After a short pause, the doors to the throne room opened. On a platform about Kiran's height sat three thrones. The one on the middle - the largest - had a carving on the tall back that looked like a cloud with snow coming out of it. Glittering blue jewels created the snowflakes. The armrests had a cloud design on the front. King Lonek sat on that throne.

Kiran knew the throne on the King's left was reserved for the Royal Consort. Like the main throne, it had a cloud with jewels as snow, but it was smaller and had a diamond shape carved into the front of the armrest.

The throne on the King's right was for the next in line. It had the same cloud-and-snow design as the other thrones. The front of the armrests had a star with eight points on it. Because the next in line - Prince Zentik - wasn't there, an advisor stood in front of it.

Behind and to the left of the King's throne was a guard. They stood stick-straight and didn't move when Kiran and her parents entered the room.

"Hello, Lonek," Kiran's father greeted, bowing partially. "How is your world rising?"

"High above. What is it you came here for?"

"An alliance."

"Our nations are already close allies."

"Not just an alliance of nations. An alliance of families."

Oh, no.

Kiran knew where this conversation was going.

"Princess Kiran is now seventeen. In older times, she would have been a Queen Consort at sixteen. Times have changed, but she turns eighteen in only three months. It is the belief of Shezil to constantly have a next generation rising. We'd like the next generation of Shezil to be risen as part of Shezen."

"What are you requesting?"

"Simple. Shezil has another heir on its way. We'd like the current heir to join you as Queen Consort."

Kiran's blood boiled, but ran cold.

"Since when?" she asked, voice broken into a hush.

"What?" Kiran's father asked.

Kiran's mother gave her a sharp glare.

"Since when were you expecting? Since when did we want this marriage? Since when did you ask me?"

"I have spoken to the other Kings," Kiran's father said. "They believe it best to have a son of Shezil on the throne."

"A son? Because how dare a daughter rule?"

"It is only what we have all decided."

"All of us? What about the ones you actually wanna trade off - me and King Lonek?"

"The vote of the Elder Kings overrules anything King Lonek or you might have to say," Kiran's mother said. "So I suggest you accept this."

Kiran couldn't do anything but stand there, heart burning with a rage that she couldn't show.

So she left.

She ran out of the throne room and found a quiet part of the castle gardens. She had only seen the Shezen castle in layout maps from the Shezil castle library, so she almost got lost.

She didn't.

As she stepped into the chill of Shezen - the Royal Unity Celebration was always around the peak of each nation's weather - she wished her clothes were more insulating. A floor-length pink dress made of thin cotton with cape sleeves didn't go well with the height of winter.

Kiran sat on a stone bench with blue pillows on it. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes.

"Ma'am? Are you okay?"

Kiran opened her eyes and saw a girl her age. She had dark skin and curly hair pulled into many braids. A blue cloth covered the bottom half of her face. She wore a blue dress with bell sleeves and a white apron.

"I'm doing great. I only just heard the worst news of my life."

"What?"

"Obviously you weren't in the throne room just now."

The girl's eyes widened. She quickly kneeled.

"Oh, dear! I didn't notice you were one of the Shezil visitors. Oh, I should have seen your circlet! Apologies, Your Highness."

"Don't worry about it. Stand up."

The girl stood and folded her hands in front of her.

"Do you need me to get you a cloak?"

"Yes, please."

The girl bowed and hurried away.

She reappeared a few moments later with a white cloak. She bowed as she handed it to Kiran, who put it over herself like a blanket rather than fastening it properly.

"What's your name?" Kiran asked the girl.

"Tang, Your Highness."

"Where are you from? I know Shezen has a lot of servants from other nations."

"I was born in this castle, but my parents came here from across the western sea. They lived in a great savannah."

"Really? How'd they get here?"

"Well… They didn't want to come here. They were forced out of their land, and their only option was to go with soldiers from Shabo."

"How'd you end up in Shezen, then?"

"The people of Shabo had taken too many people from the savannah, so they sent large groups around Shezul. My family couldn't find a job in any of the southern Shezen cities, but they were able to become cooks in the Shezen castle."

"Are you a cook?"

"Sort of. I help in the kitchens, but I also help the maids clean. I often do small errands that the other servants don't want to do. Just now, Prince Zentik wanted me to tell King Lonek that he feels ready to go and meet with your family now."

"Is he ill?"

Tang shook her head.

"No, Your Highness. He has recently come home from a dangerous journey, and didn't feel prepared to go to a formal meeting. If you would like, I can lead you back to the throne room now while I go to send the message."

Kiran nodded and stood. She put the cloak on properly and followed Tang. In front of one of the countless doors of the Shezen castle, Tang stopped.

"You must enter the throne room first, Your Highness."

"Yeah, they'll be mad if I don't."

Tan bowed as she opened the door. Kiran walked into the throne room from one of six side doors.

"There you are!" Kiran's father said. He walked to her and cupped her face in his hands. "You're frozen… What happened?"

"I went outside," Kiran said, stepping back.

"And who is that?"

"That's Tang. She helped me find my way back, and she gave me this cloak to keep warm."

Tang bowed to Kiran's father.

"Tang, is Zentik okay?" King Lonek asked from where he sat.

"Yes, King," she said. "He wanted me to tell you that he feels prepared to join the meeting."

"Tell him that there is no need. King Abil and I have already discussed the matter."

Kiran's eyes widened and she looked at her father. Surely he hadn't gone through with his plan…

"We have decided it is best for the marriage to happen," Kiran's father said. "Best for our nations, and our families."

Kiran wanted to run. She wanted to hide. She wanted to get away from this.

She had to.

But she knew she couldn't.

"Tang, tell Zentik that the meeting is over," King Lonek said. "Tell him the decision made, too. This involves him as much as it involves… us."

The hesitance in his voice when he said "us" was enough to tell Kiran that King Lonek was just as uncomfortable as she was.

It was enough to keep her from running away again.

"Zild, I believe you can figure out the details of the wedding," Kiran's father said when Tang bowed and left.

"I already have them planned," Kiran's mother said. "I only need a date."

"Four months," King Lonek said. "Kiran will be eighteen and a month by then."

At least King Lonek was only interested in arranged-marrying an adult.

"Very well, then," Kiran's father said. "We must leave, then."

"It is a dangerous time to travel, and the journey will be far. Please, stay overnight. I will have my servants prepare you and all who came with you private rooms."

"Thank you, Lonek."

King Lonek nodded as Kiran's father bowed.

----

Kiran sat in the room she was given. The bed had thick blue curtains hanging above it. Gray clouds were embroidered into the white blanket.

She had changed into a white nightgown that Tang gave her. It was obviously meant for people with more stuff in the… boob area… and hung loose around her chest. Tang had quickly given her a light blue nightshirt to wear over it. Her hair was once tied into braids and wrapped up into a bun, secured by a hairstick. Now, it fell in waves around her shoulders and reached her waist. The hairstick had been thrown into the same pile that Kiran put her clothes in.

Kiran picked up a book from a stack on the nightstand. The nightstand was made of dark wood and had sapphires on the knobs that opened the drawers.

The book was a history book. It told of great heroes of Shezen's past.

Kiran opened to a random page, and saw the name Zeiya.

"Queen Regnant Zeiya

Queen Regnant Zeiya was the last Shezen Ruler of the Zumalek Dynasty. She was the last member of Shezen royalty to be referred to as 'Ruler,' because her heir (King Regnant Kania) passed a law changing the gender-neutral title of royalty from 'Ruler' to 'Monarch' shortly after he was crowned (*).

Queen Regnant Zeiya was known for changing the laws surrounding marrying age. When she was a child, the youngest age for a common child to be legally married was twelve, and for a royal child, it was as young as ten. At age fifteen, she became Queen Regnant after her parents were assassinated by rebels in the Royal Court. She quickly passed her first law - which was to make the youngest age that a royal could marry be sixteen, and the youngest age that a commoner could marry be eighteen. When questioned by an advisor, she stated that she saw her younger sister - Gavera - whenever she heard about twelve-year-olds getting married.

Even at a young age, Queen Regnant Zeiya showed a level of maturity that even some of her advisors didn't have. She considered both the law and the heart when making decisions. By age thirteen, she had memorized every law in Shezen, and used it to her advantage during her reign. She had ideas that were considered radical and preposterous at the time - the most well-known being what she called "War of Votes." She stated that, under that law, the people of a nation would have to vote for war. Everyone who voted "yes" for war had to be drafted to serve in some way - whether it be as a soldier, medic, or planner. This idea was unpopular at the time and was even erased from history books, but was brought back to the public eye in the Vatalek Dynasty by Monarch Regnant Neen. Like Queen Regnant Zeiya, however, Monarch Regnant Neen was unable to have it passed as law.

When her son - King Regnant Kania - turned thirty, she passed the crown to him. He learned from the victories and losses of his mother's reign, and often consulted her advice after being crowned.

She died at age one-hundred and seven, making her the longest-living royal in Shezul. In her reign, she used peace to bring the kingdom of Shezen to prosperity. She increased allyship with the other nations, and helped plan the first major trade road. She used the taxes paid by her citizens to fund education and housing for the poor. Other rulers quickly followed suit. With her unique policies and beliefs, Queen Regnant Zeiya went down in history under the nickname "Outrageous Queen" - an insult began by some, but a term of support by most.

* He made the gender-neutral term for 'king' or 'queen' to be 'monarch' rather than 'ruler,' then made it so that any ruler who used they/them pronouns to be referred to as 'ruler' rather than 'monarch.' Essentially, he just switched the terms. The reason is unknown"

Kiran's eyes paused on the drawing of Queen Regnant Zeiya. She had the sharp features of King Lonek. Her eye color was unknown, but Kiran guessed they were the same dark blue that most Shezen people had. She wore an intricate crown with words around the base and letters reaching down to spell "QUEEN" around her head. The crown had a round top with jewels held in the silver.

A note by the drawing said that she wore the Crown of the Queen. All Queens, no matter how they became Queen, would wear it.

Kiran was looking at her future crown.

The thought dropped a cold rock into her stomach, and she had to close the book. She set it aside and laid on her bed, staring at the top of the curtains that were meant to surround the bed.

Kiran sat up and closed them, then laid back down. Almost immediately, she felt warmer. It was probably because of the heating lantern that hung above her and had been lit by a servant before she even got to the room.

The Shezen castle wasn't such a terrible place - Kiran just hated the reason she was there.