Prince Edward of Mira:
Bang!
The doors to my office flew open. A middle-aged man with grey hair stormed into the room. He wore a light brown suit with white stripes. The man looked furious as he walked to my desk.
"What is the meaning of this, Garrett? Can't you see I'm busy? I said, addressing the older man. Garrett was my head butler and has been with me since birth.
"My apologies, your highness, but I can't stand by any longer. Please reconsider your actions." Garrett announced. I put my pen down and placed my hand on my face. The butler had been insufferable lately since I disclosed my plan to journey away from the capital.
"Not this again!" I scoffed as I got back to my paperwork. I had a lot to do before I left in two days. I didn't have time to argue with the man. I knew he was only worried about me, but I didn't have any other choice.
"Your highness, this is madness. Sir Ryan, you can't agree with this idea as well?" Garrett stated, staring at a tall man in the corner of my office. The man was in his early thirties with a stocky build. He had dark almond skin and short black hair. The man's name was Ryan. He wore his blue and silver armor and carried a large sword. Sir Ryan was my head guard charged with protecting me since I was just a boy.
"The prince has made up his mind, although I agree with Garrett. This idea of yours is a long shot." Ryan proclaimed as he looked at me with his brown eyes. I love the man for his honesty, but sometimes it got on my nerves.
"Enough both of you!" I said, putting my pen down again as I rubbed my temple. All the stress was giving me a headache. I knew that both men were only worried about me, but I could stop now.
"Do either of you have a better plan? I get no support from the other nobles. And it is only a matter of time before a civil war breaks out. I have no other choice." I said as I put my head in my hands. My brothers had already started making their moves, gathering support from the other nobles. Both my older brothers had strong claims to the throne, and neither was giving it up without a fight.
With all the infighting, I was worried about the rising Elvan threat. The creatures had gotten more intelligent and more organized in the past years. It could only mean that a new dark king had been born. Even with all the evidence, the nobles refuse to believe it. (Those idiots want more power. They disgust me!) I thought. I looked up at my two attendees. They, too, were skeptical. Maybe it was out of fear of what a dark king meant.
The birth of a dark king meant that the entire world would be turned upside down. The battle would soon sweep the world, and no one would be safe from the Elvan invasion. At times like this, I hated myself for being so weak. I cursed myself for being born with such low potential. People only listen to the strong. I knew my plan was crazy, but it was my only chance. I would need to marry into power.
If the red Witch said was true, then the perfect candidate for marriage resided in the beast glades. (A demon princess. And a powerful one at that.) I thought as I mulled over red Jenny's words. The Witch said that the princess could even give Ryan a run for his money. Although the weakest of royal bodyguards, Ryan was not to be taken lightly. At layer seven, the knight was a force of nature. If the demon princess could contend with my head guard, she was indeed strong. My future bride was still young and would surly become stronger with time. Power was essential, but the best part was her lineage. She was the demon king's daughter, meaning no one would dare lay a finger on her out of fear of the king's wrath.
"Fine, I'll give up trying to convince you if you answer one question." Garrett announced, shaking me from my thoughts. I let out a long breath before gesturing for him to continue.
"Why would the demon kingdom send their only princess to the beast glades. Wouldn't it suggest that she's been tossed away?" Garrett question. It was a decent assumption if the princess wasn't from Esha. The demon kingdom was different from ours. The demons only follow the strong. If a demon leader feels challenged, they usually get rid of the threat by killing it. Demons have a long history of wars and infighting. Although succession had gotten a little better in recent years thanks to their new king, the current demon king had created a clever way to keep the tribes in check.
"She has become a threat to the demon throne. Her father sent her away to save her. I doubt the demon nobility wants to see the rise of a Demon queen." I said. I could think of a few answers to Garret's question, but the most plausible one was that the demons weren't fond of having a woman in charge. Even our nobles would have a hard time allowing a woman to take the throne.
"Still, they only threw her out instead of killing her. This could only mean that she has a strong individual backing her." I told the butler. The man put his hand to his chin and seemed to be in thought.
"Hmm... if what you say is true. Then why send her to the beast glades. The most brutal place to survive?" Garrett asked.
"I thought you only had one question. I said, shaking my head. I had a lot to get through before my journey. My butler wasted my time with all these questions.
"I imagine that she has some help. Powerful help." I declared. The Witch had told me that the princess was now a Queen with a group of elite warriors. If I could get the Queen of the beast glade to marry me, not only would I gain the support of a powerful demon backer. Most likely the king. But I would also gain a significant boost in manpower. Now I just had to think of a way to get her to marry me.
I told Garrett to leave. The butler reluctantly left my office but not without firing more questions. I ignored them all as I pushed him out the door. I breathed a sigh, thankful that I was alone again. Ryan was there, but he wouldn't bother me without good cause. The knight wouldn't question my decision. I loved my bodyguard's no-nonsense attitude.
Ryan would be of great help on my journey. I would need his help if things were going to go my way. This marriage was my last chance to gain a foothold in the race for the throne. I couldn't let either of my brothers in claim the crown. One was a warmonger, while the other was a glorified puppet for the church. If left in charge, my sibling would bring our kingdom of Mira to ruin. ( I need to get me a Queen.) I thought as I looked out the window. I wondered how the demon queen looked. Although I didn't care much for her beauty, it would be a plus. I couldn't think about that now. I still had to get a translater and men to take along on my adventure to the beast glades. I also needed a plan to convince a woman I'd never met to marry me.
Prince Edward Marian: The youngest Prince of the human nation, Mira. The prince was born with lower potential than his other siblings, So he is treated poorly by his family.
Garrett: Head butler of Prince Edward. Garrett has been at the prince's side since he was born.
Sir Ryan: A layer seven knight born and raised to protect the royal family. He is the head guard of Prince Edward.
Mira: The human nation. Mira was created after the first Elvan war under the hero that helped defeat the last Dark king. Some say the royal family is descended from said hero.