"Where are we going?" A young Gabriella whispered to Lady Sheryl so that no one would hear them.
"You have been trapped in this boring place long enough," She whispered, leading her daughter by the hand. "You need to have some fun."
Gabriella giggled as excitement built up within her. She walked a little faster excited to see what they would do. They make their way to the castle doors and exit through them, running with matching smiles. The surrounding area changed before their eyes as they made it to a beautiful flower garden hidden by a great illusion of the castle.
"Wow..." Gabriella whispered in awe. She looked around and eyes wide in stunned fascination, overtaken by the beauty of it. She takes a deep breath, the combined fragrance of the flowers nearly overwhelmed her.
"This is our families' secret hideout," Shira scooped up her daughter into her arms, making her giggle. "It has been passed down throughout the ages and one day you will tend to them as well, little ember."
"It is so pretty, how long has this been here?" The princess's eyes sparkled in wonder as a score of mimic lilies whistled a tune as they passed by them.
The Queen thought for a moment, eyes glazing as if remembering a time long past. "One of our ancestors assisted a wounded traveler, that wounded man was a great druid, and through his magic, he created this place as thanks for her kindness."
"Why would she need a break?" The younger ember royal gasped in bewilderment, looking at her mother in confusion. "Being a Queen is a privilege and should be done with the utmost pride."
The matriarch let out a knowing laugh, "I see you have been minding your tutor's lessons little one," She sighed, tucking a strand of black hair behind an ear. "Ruling a kingdom is not always so pleasant, it can be challenging, frightening at times even."
A silence fell between them, as her mother set the young princess down on the mighty root of a crystal oak, the odd magical tree gleaming in the midday sunlight, they lay down in the grass staring up at the night sky and soaking in the twin moons' light.
"Mama?" Gabriella turned her head to the side to look at her mother, as the woman reached out her hand to pluck a twig out of the girl's hair.
"Yes, little ember?" She replied, tapping the girl on the nose.
"How did our family become royalty?" She looked up to her mother, curious, "Why are we the only ones that can ride phoenixes when no one else can?"
"People are given different paths in life that sometimes stretch out for generations," Queen Shira spoke with wisdom. "Our path started centuries ago when Xendrada was first made."
Gabriella's eyebrows came together but she said nothing as her mother stood and looked up at the night sky.
"The very first ruler of our family, King Mavrek, found this land one day while searching for a haven." The Queen began to recite the story she had heard on many occasions growing up. "Xendrada was new and had not yet been fully mapped."
"Mavrek had left his former home, in the eastern continent of Gelzoyia, he wished for nothing more than a place where he and his family could live in peace." She chuckled darkly, the irony of that. "He left behind his family with the promise to come back once he found said place, it took him years but one day he stumbled across a place full of wonder."
"It was a land full of lush greenery, babbling brooks, and vast plains," She spread her arms wide, breathing in the air around her, "The young lord knew he could bring his entire family here and be without worry," The Queen reached down to ruffle her daughter's hair affectionately at this, "He explored this new place, looking for any hidden dangers that would be a threat to his people, but it seemed to be perfect."
"That was until one day he came across a battle between an elder phoenix and a mighty crystal drake." She paused for a moment to take her hand away, "It was clear to Mavrek that the dragonling was after the phoenix's hatching eggs and it was fighting to protect its young."
"He felt pity for the bird of fire, for had he not ventured to this land to protect his family as well?" The young girl nodded excitedly, leaning in.
"What happened next, mama?" The girl asked, pouting when her mother shushed her gently.
"It was clear to him that the phoenix was losing and without pause, he drew his blade and jumped from the cliff he was watching from."
"He drove his sword into the shoulder of the drake, but succeeded in little more than angering the young dragon before he was crushed between the cliff face and the massive beast's shoulder." The princess gasped at this, eyes wide, "He would have died there, had the great phoenix not clawed at the dragon's flanks and forced it away, the battle went on for a while longer but the dragon was badly wounded and he took to the skies and fled."
"The phoenix mother tried to thank him, but he was in his final moments, looking into her eyes he finally felt at peace and drew what he believed to be his last breath." She paused dramatically, smiling inwardly at her heir's expectant face.
"He awoke miraculously healed, but it was when he opened his eyes that he would receive a true shock." She paused to push the ember princess forward before she fell from the root, "He found himself surrounded by the phoenix hatchlings wrestling and playing with each other, and to his surprise, he could hear them speaking among themselves."
"Is that how I can understand Venya!" The girl cried as if she had suddenly discovered a hidden law of the universe.
"Since Mevrek had helped save her young she had saved his life, when he died she shed a single tear and the magic within it saved him," She looked to the night sky as a young phoenix and its knight flew overhead, "He had became one with the phoenixes and was reborn."
"The Phoenix vowed from that day that she and hers would aid his bloodline until the worlds were empty once again." The queen smiled at the story's end, remembering when her Father had told it to her as a young princess.
The princess of this era, however, jumped to her feet in excitement. Asking one question after the other of great knights and mighty phoenixes of old and the Queen could not help but laugh at her curiosity.
The carriage coming to a halt woke Gabriella out of her dream. Only that the dream was more of a memory from the past, one of many that she held dear to her heart. She missed her mother more than words could convey, and her heart deeply ached whenever she came to mind.
The door to her carriage opened revealing the main knight who cared for her. It had been weeks since she was able to have a proper conversation and Herra had completely shut her out, not even bothering to answer the messages she sent through the link in their mind. The princess stepped down from the carriage with the help of the knight, she nodded her head in thanks as she walked past him.
The princess sat down on the cloth prepared for her for their morning meal. Gabriella was getting sick of constantly eating, three times a day. As a Blessed, she did not need to eat much and could go weeks without a touch of food, but she could not refuse should the weak humans think her sick. She eyed her knight up and down, as he sat in front of her eating his fill while toying with the food on her plate.
"Cousin." She spoke, calling to the Knight.
His eyes snapped up from his meal suddenly alert. He relaxed after a moment seeing no danger and looked to her in acknowledgment. Though he was sure not to look her in the eyes so as not to show disrespect. After all, while he was of minor nobility his station demanded he show the utmost respect to his princess. The Knight made to rise to his feet as well but was stopped by a motion from his ruler.
"You do not have to treat me so formally." She spoke gently with a smile. "We are family are we not?"
"Only by blood princess, nothing more, your line was made out of love." He spoke with a chuckle, "Mine was made out of necessity, a means to protect your family since only those with the blood of Mavrek can ride the phoenixes into battle."
The Princess of Ember's smile fell into a grimace at that. Their ancestor King Jonathan the Virile had, in his wisdom, considered the paltry force of phoenix riders that the royal family could produce insufficient to defend the growing kingdom. Thus he had the brilliant scheme to round up every woman of the nations he had conquered and have them carry a child of phoenix blood. The result was hundreds of bastard sons and daughters that could ride into battle against their enemies on flaming wings. To be fair to the man, it had worked, it was through his and his brother's...efforts that his son Reginald the Unifier had united what was now known as the Ember Region. Sure it had also caused a civil war or two down the line but he was long dead by that time, and it had ended with the creation of the branch house Sunwing. She looked at his house emblem, displayed proudly on the shield resting to his right. The blazing wings of a Phoenix behind a knight's shining helm, an announcement to all of his origins.
She returned the sigh threatening to escape her lips and sat next to the knight. Her cousin blinked at the action silently, no doubt not expecting her to sit her royal arse in anything less than the finest of craftsmanship and the softest of cushions. She smiled at her, metaphorically, distant relative's blank expression.
"If not family then let us become friends?" She offered a hand to the Knight, pretending not to notice the man's half-second pause as he considered if grasping her hand was proper of his station.
The man's hand rose to meet hers, his gauntleted hand clasping hers gently as if he was afraid she would break if he squeezed it too firmly. Ironic, she thought, considering that the woman he was treating so gently could tear his arm off with a flick of her wrist if she truly desired to do so. The beginnings of a smile tugged at her lips at the thought, and her cousin awkwardly smiled back. The Knight's armored hand fell after a moment, looking unsure of himself before he decided to return to his meal.