Four years later…
Soryn marched through the hall his cloak floating gently behind him. He reached large iron wood doors. He swung them open and out stretched the great hall.
"Now we may begin, the king has arrived. Soryn sat in his throne and looked onto the girl in handcuffs in the center of the room.
"She says she is the queen of the traitor kingdoms" a guard said mockingly.
" yeah the kingdom marrying the asshole" another cried out.
" i say she is an impostor"
"Sent from the mad king himself.
"traitor who are you calling a traitor. I would never marry such a coward. I am the queen Zalaria Elgolore of Tir Na Nog and i fear no man." She said glaring at the guards who pulled her here.
Soryn chuckled at her spunk.
" i may not look like the queen right now but i can guarantee i still fight like a queen but i dont waist my time on guard" she said dusting off her dirty and torn dress best she could as her long tangled dark brown hair fell on her face.
" you say you fear no man…" soryn stood. "I am no man nor am i a guard i am soryn of house Dakranna king of winter and steel braker of artorias's military push to the north…" he said reminding her of who she was dealing with.
" titles mean nothing to me. I meant what i said i fear no one not even a king" she shot back bravely.
"ill make a deal with you...you put steel behind that bark of yours and i'll believe you" he shot back chuckling. He liked her.
"Make me" she challenged.
" i challenge you to a duel, first to draw blood wins if you can beat me we will believe you"
" my pleasure" she said ready for a fight.
He left his throne and moved to her drawing his sword. With a strong skilled swing he sheared her chains off. "Ronnok cloth her and arm her"
"i can do it myself" she said with a callus tone taking her dress off and taking a guard's sword. Her ankles and wrists bruised from the chains. She had minor injuries on her body some fresh and larger ones on her back as if she has a major fight a few days before.
The king in turn stripped down to his undergarments and looked at her settling into a fighting stance. He was tall lean and tough scars covered his chest and back. His eyes were a cold collected blue. His silver hair was trimmed on the sides and short on top and collected in the back in a short braided tail. He was wielding his sword in his right and in his left sat a small hand hatchet. He nodded at her and crossed his weapons in respect.
"I'm ready when you are."
She observed her surroundings to see there was anything that could help her in the fight.
"Im ready" she said holding the sword however her stance was no stance of a skilled swordsman.
"Come at me" she called out with a gaze kings have when they are in battle.
He smiled at her and tilted his head. he could tell his typical counter attack style would not work. He would have to get aggressive.
He dashed forward with a thrust of his sword intending to miss and graze her with his axe. She dashed towards him knocking his sword out of hand to misdirect his attention from her actual attack. Behind him plants burt from the cracks ground wrapping around him throwing him back before he could graze her skin. She now stood with both the guard's sword and his own sword.
He grumbled "oh of course a wood nymph" he spun on his back and sweeped her legs out from under her rolling away from her as to not get cut on the way down. He moved to her and waited for her to get up. The only courtesy she was getting. Once she was up he moved closer waiting for her move this time.
She jumped up she dropped the swords.
"Im alot more than a simple nymph" she said causing roots to come from the ground creating her own weapon coated with thorns. She created a barrier between the two of them and his guards so no one can interfere.
"If you keep using magic, i'm gonna win this fight…" he said back as the room got cold.
"I'll do whatever is necessary. I wont lose." she said knowing her chances are slimmer due to her being in a different territory.
"i'll keep fighting even if the odds are not in my favor" she suppressed any sign of weakness she could.
She quickly dashed and curved thrusting her now larger sword from behind him trying to graze his back.
He jumped and kicked her sword from her hands. He grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. "I believe you...you fight with the desire to live the desire to prove. I have never lost and i still won't." he could have easily cut her on the ground and she could have easily cut him when she pulled him back he had seen enough. He stood and backed away from her. He lifted his axe to his left shoulder. He looked down and on both of his shoulders were small cuts. He looked down at her with mild annoyance and surprising joy. "You sneaky fox...the thorns on your vines" he grumbled but couldn't help but smile. It was very clever. She stumbled to her feet using a sword for support shivering slightly from the cold air.
" never underestimate my people or me" she said as if claiming victory before falling over onto the floor passing out. She was willing to fight until she couldn't anymore as a king should. A queen who put her people before herself.
He moved to her side. "Guards, im ok but she needs help, fetch axes and cut the wall down quickly" he called watching over her.
Soon the men cut through her wall and made it to them. "Bring her to the healers make sure she is well looked after. She won" he told them. They nodded and carried her off. Soryn moved to where he left his clothes and armor. He quickly put everything back on. Including his white warg cloak. He had fastened winter's pelt into a cloak many years ago and wears it as a reminder of that day of what he lost and of what he fights for.
He marched after the guards he did not want to leave her like he did. He wanted to make sure she was ok.
He entered the holten's quarters. Holten were the healers of the kingdoms every kingdom had one. "How is she holten Tanarek "
"She is fine just exhausted she used to much magic energy much like you when you first used magic, you were just to damn stubborn in that battle to go down" the man chuckled.
Soryn laughed with the old man. "If i may holten id like to stay till she wakes."
"But of course soryn, you are the king."
Zalaria slowly began to wake up. She sat up then let out a sigh of relief glad she did not wake up in a prison.
"That was quick" he said looking to her.
"Im awake doesn't mean i have all my energy. The way i work is different from you." She said.
"Don't get snippy now…" he let it slide " a fresh dress should be here soon and more added to your quarters, you are now a guest of Korabain. Get some rest now, we will bring you food later."
"Wait" she said with a hint of concern stumbling to her feet.
He stayed in his seat "yes?" he asked
"Be careful he is going to come after you if he finds out i'm here." She warned.
"We beat him back before we can do it again. We won't underestimate him again. Also we are no longer afraid to use ALL of our resources this time."he said with an edge in his voice.
"This time is much different than before. Much different. If that kingdom were the same as years ago i would have killed him myself" she insisting he be careful.
"So are we, do you know the secret of the north? I presume you don't" he looked at her.
"i know exactly what i need to know" she crossed her arms looking up at him.
"Really so you know not only that we have dragons but ten times the amount he had four years ago? That the hatch rate has skyrocketed? And that we have over a hundred fighting dragons" he lied it was far more. The eggs were hatching for more riders and the ones they did have matured and were ready for war if it were to come again.
" lesson one to you king, never lay out all your weapons before you go to battle. He will go after your dragons. When least expect it."
" who the fuck said i layed out all my weapons, we just met you honestly think im as naive as my father was?" he chuckled darkly. "I've fought a lot over the past four years i'm far smarter than you think missy" he shot back.
" i never said you were naive. You're very different from your father. You have a lot of anger in you. But in battle anger mess up your aim and you will wear yourself out. " She advised not showing a sign of fear.
"I would more say passion. I know what and who i fight for. That is everything to me and i'll protect it fearlessly and furiously." he said looking back at her mildly annoyed she thought he was an angry person.
"At least you are not as heartless as others that i know" she sat back down "go tend to your duties then. Excuse me for distracting you." She said with the idea she was going to fight the mad king herself.
"I have given you more attention today then i have even given potential wives in the past three years. Do you no longer wish my attention?" he asked cooly with a small smile about his lips.
" as flattering as it sounds cause im sure every girl fawns over you begging to be yours. I bare no such interest in that. If i want a king i'll get one. The last thing i need is another man trying to claim me as a prize." She spoke in a stern tone " my duty is to protect my kingdom and i will do what is necessary to do so. A kingdom with no king does not make me weaker than many of the cowards i have beat before. If i fight on my own then i will regardless what i'm up against. And you can be damn sure i'll win. " She had a cold look getting lost in thought.
"That wasn't what i meant milady i merely meant few people ever have my attention including my advisers. So you could talk to me about any issue you wish to bring up however you are right i have duties to attend to so would you please excuse me." he said coldly standing and leaving her in the room alone.