2955 AU.
Born to King Zachary White and his third wife, Princess Anne Freyr, Aina White was a child with golden hair and blue-red eyes. Her unique features were among the most noticeable within the royal family. Ever since she was a child, Aina, a princess of the Whiteford Kingdom, had always been alone. It seemed that all the princes and princesses had their own caretakers, leaving Aina as the lonely child since her birth. The only person she considered a friend and occasionally spoke to was File White, the Protector of Whiteford—a figure whom everyone regarded with complete respect.
As a child, Aina was always showered with attention by her caretaker and mother. Despite her enjoyment of this attention, Aina wished for a normal family bond, which her mother completely understood. Unfortunately, when Aina was roughly six, Anne Freyr fell ill. With the tense political situation in Whiteford, Zachary could give only enough attention to the kingdom as he was being attacked both politically and internally. His enemies were not only those from other countries but also some hidden among the noble families of Whiteford.
Many thought Zachary might abandon Anne Freyr as she grew sick and died. After all, in the eyes of many nobles, King Zachary still had three other wives. That's what they assumed, but deep down, Aina knew her father well. Despite his political marriages to all four princesses, he loved them all deeply and respected each of his wives not only as queens and princesses but also as mothers to his children.
Of course, not many saw this side of Zachary. He often appeared cold-hearted due to his depression and stress in trying to hold the Whiteford Kingdom together. The only person he ever opened up to about his problems was, in fact, File himself.
File had originally been an outsider, but roughly 75 years ago, he was appointed as a sworn brother by Zulf White the Great, Zachary's own father. Unlike Zachary, Zulf was considered one of the strongest rulers of Whiteford. He was a bright hero, loved, respected, and revered by every inch of the kingdom. He was a benevolent yet strict leader who ensured fairness within Whiteford, serving as a beacon that held the kingdom together during its darkest hours during the Tamura invasion.
After his demise, as Zachary ascended to the throne, thousands of eyes were fixed on him, expecting the young boy to shine as brightly as his father had. Such was the burden Zachary had borne since the age of twelve. Yet, File, as both uncle and mentor, was always there for him. Even then, in the end, Zachary knew that his time was coming to an end, and he could not leave behind a better legacy for Whiteford.
In 2960, the old man Zachary summoned his uncle, whom he always revered as a father figure after Zulf's passing.
"Is there anything I can do for you, King Zachary?" asked File as he entered the throne room, where a boy he had once raised sat on the throne. This boy, now a young man, looked up to File as his hero—exerting every effort to hold Whiteford together during turbulent times in the realm of politics.
File knew well that Zachary, despite all his problems, would not want to be seen as broken in front of those he cared for. Though he may not be human, File understood the capacity of humans to deal with stress. If Zachary was asking for something, it meant he was already desperate.
"All guards! You may leave now!" commanded Zachary. Without hesitation, the guards exited the room.
"Uncle…I need to talk with you," Zachary said.
"Is there anything I can help with?" File replied with a straight face.
"Uncle…Anne has fallen ill," Zachary said, his expression grave.
"I heard about that. Our best doctors will save her; don't worry, my king," File reassured him.
"I believe in them, but I can't shake the feeling of leaving her when she's in such a condition," Zachary confessed.
"You don't have to, my king. I will lead the expedition to Karvhisyal," File offered.
"I've told you a thousand times to stop calling me that…oh," Zachary responded, shifting his gaze to a nearby corner.
"Hector!" he exclaimed.
Prince Hector, the eldest prince and heir to the throne of Whiteford, could be seen in the corner.
"Yeah, yeah, Dad; sorry… I was just testing my hiding skills. How else could Sir File always find me?" Hector said with a warm smile.
"You'll give me a heart attack one day, son," Zachary replied, shaking his head.
"Dad, for the last time, you need to relax. Regardless of the burdens of this country, I will not falter," Hector insisted.
"Yeah, I don't doubt that, son. But even so, I'm not going to let you shoulder all the responsibility alone. As a king, I'm far from successful in leading this nation; the best thing I can do is not leave tons of problems for my children," Zachary explained.
"Understood, my king," Hector said, bowing to his father. "Now go, I need to speak with Uncle for a moment."
"He's energetic, isn't he?" Zachary remarked, looking at File.
File simply nodded. "He will surely make a good king."
"I don't doubt that. Anyway, as I was saying before, I made a promise to an old friend, the King of the Maskar Country," Zachary continued.
"My lord, your condition is not well. If you insist on going there, at least allow me to accompany you," File said.
"No, no… At this condition, I need a man I can trust to guard my family," Zachary insisted.
"Zachary, I highly advise against this," File cautioned.
Zachary stood up from his throne. "Between you and me, uncle… I'm quite afraid to go," he admitted. "But I made a promise, didn't I?"
"Zachary, at your age and in your condition, you may be a king, but you are also the man of your family," File reminded him.
"Yes, and that's why I have a request for you, uncle. At this point, it's no secret that most of the nobility and royal families want to see me dead. I guess their disappointment in me can no longer be hidden," Zachary said, looking at the family portrait that featured the oldest recorded kings of Whiteford, ending with his father, Zulf White the Great. "They wanted more from my father than I could ever provide."
As tears began to well up in his eyes, Zachary lamented, "They wanted more of my father than I ever could."
File observed the once-bright and promising young Zachary, now torn from every side as king. The throne, rather than a blessing, felt like a curse. It was no secret that Zachary often relied on others, from the White family to the Petrickor family. His youth and inexperience, with barely any time to learn the ropes, had essentially set him up to fail. He was barely hanging on as the nobles began to politically assault him ever since he was just a child, now escalating with more of them ultimately manipulating the political standing from the shadows.
File knew he could always confront an enemy should they draw their blades against Whiteford. However, when the enemy was within the walls of Whiteford, it was a battle that even File couldn't fight—one that Zachary had to face on his own.
"The royal family and nobles really dislike me. But you have always been by my side. Throughout my life, I have lived in the shadow of my parents' love. However, eventually, peace will end with the onset of an inter-state political era, and the struggle for power is inevitable. You, the person my father, Zulf White the Great, Zulf White the Perfect, counted on—the person who has always remained loyal by my side—I ask you for a favor, not a command, not an order, but a wish from this old man, a wish that has been passed down from my father, a wish I hope my successors will uphold. Whatever your choice, and whoever among my descendants you support, I wish you to remain part of this family. You alone stand in the way of those who wish to see Whiteford destroyed."
With tears on his face, Zachary realized he could no longer protect his family. The nobility, the merchants, and nearly every faction within Whiteford were engaged in a grueling fight for power. They did everything they could to win over Prince Hector, something even Zachary couldn't withstand.
"I will. You have my word," File promised.
Zachary took a deep breath. "Thank you for everything, uncle. My reign is nearing its end. I no longer need to protect myself; I just wish Hector had it easier," Zachary said.
Now, regardless of whom File supported, he had pledged to protect the White family from those who wished to see the destruction of Whiteford. Later that day, in front of his court, Zachary announced that Hector White would be the throne prince of Whiteford and that during his absence for the expedition, Hector would act as Lord Regent until his return.
Everyone accepted this decision, as Hector's bright reputation overshadowed that of his father. He was loved and respected, with some even considering Zulf White to be a worthier successor.
On that day, before the expedition, Zachary tested his armor, which had not been used for a long time—the very set of armor once worn by Zulf White. While it wasn't as shining as Zulf's, Zachary wanted to prove that he was his own man, standing not in the shadow of Zulf's glory, nor under the protection of File, nor within the safety of the great walls of White City. He was determined to face whatever was to come with all his heart, and for once in his life as king of Whiteford and as the son of Zulf, he would do something on his own terms.
That day, early in the morning before his departure, he greeted all four of his wives:
Queen Bela White,
Princess Lingsha,
Princess Anne Freyr,
Princess Rahma.
These were the four wives he had been forced to marry due to politics, but despite having barely known them prior to their weddings, he loved each of them equally. More importantly, he thanked them for giving birth to over eleven children, all of whom Zachary deeply cherished.
Whether the wives knew that Zachary's love was pure or not didn't matter to him; his dearest wives and beloved children were safe. After stepping down from the throne, he made a promise to himself that he would spend the rest of his life as the father and husband he had never been able to be.
As he boarded the massive air battleship, The White Lion—a 259-meter-long vessel—he set out on the expedition to help his closest ally, the King of Maskar, who was besieged by an unknown force. With over 150,000 elite soldiers, Zachary left Whiteford behind.
Meanwhile, Hector, with File's guidance, did his best to maintain the situation as tensions in Ivovnia continued to brew, with most countries already preparing to fight the Balrog Empire, which was secretly growing in strength. However, it wasn't until a month later that grave news struck.