Prologue: Part 1
Genre: Fantasy[original] Other info/themes: Female lead [eventually...], Stolen princess, Discovering the past TW: Kidnapping Status: Ongoing Chapter size: 3600 words
It was the eve of winter solstice, and the King and Queen of the East were amidst the largest party the kingdom had seen in well over fifty years. For the royal couple was celebrating their daughter's first year in life.
People had come from all over the neighboring kingdom to join the celebrations, for all knew how long their king and queen had waited for the birth of their first and only child.
Outside the event even the commoners were celebrating with such enormous joy. While inside the castle everyone from dukes, to barons, to the royal dwarfs of the west and the small fairies of the south, drank, ate and celebrated the day; all while the princess herself played with her gifts next to her parents who watched joyfully over the merriments.
But amidst all this song, dancing and merriments, no one notice the new face walking amongst them, until this mysterious person stepped forwards to greet the king and queen themself.
“King Agnar and Queen Genevieve of the East, what a quaint little party you have thrown together here" The person spoke out to them without bowing, and several heads turned having finally noticed the newcomer.
The music stopped and some people gasped as the young woman presented herself. She stood in a long gown of silver white and blue midnight, with hair of the purest white, holding a detailed crystal staff in her hands. Many who had not noticed her before, suddenly felt themself unable to look away from her glowing beauty as the whole party fell into a hushed whisper.
Seeing and recognizing the woman, King Agnar rose from his chair as he spoke “Princess Isolde, what are you doing here? And with your fathers staff no less.” As the whisper turned to a shocked murmur among the guests.
“Oh? Have you not heard the news? I thought the gossip would have reached your ears by now” Isolde answered only to further the King’s confusion. “Oh well… As much as I hate to be the bringer of such bad tithing to a festive day, one can’t always help it, can we? My father King Onyx of the north is dead.” Her last words rang around the room, through a deafening silence.
“Dead? When?” the King asked, distraught at the passing of his great ally and friend. “He who was so good of health?"
“Yes it was recent, and his health took a turn for the worst rather suddenly. Seems he never quite recovered from my mother's passing last winter. Quite a pity.” She answered with neither sorrow, nor joy, before she looked up at the king. “So that is why I am standing here in front of you today, not as princess, but as Queen Isolde of the North” as she spoke her staff began to shine brightly, her voice amplified thru the room.
The guest drew away from her, even the King fell back into his throne, as the room grew cold and her voice echoed “I have come here to demand that you, king Agnar, return what is rightfully mine, or trade it fairly, for half your kingdom.”
When the light faded the King looked at her, only his wife Genevieve could see the true fear in his eyes as he steadied himself again. As the people looked up at him with worry and fear, he smirked before laughing, and so did guests.
“You really are something else, aren't you, Isolde?” he said with a forced grin. "Coming here with your ridiculous demands, on the day of my daughter’s birthday no less.” At that he rose back up, his grin turning to a sneer. “No, you know I owe you NOTHING. Now leave my house.”
Isolde remained still as she did not say anything back to the king. But her eyes slowly drift over to the small child that had been too busy playing with the new silver toy they had been gifted by the dwarfs to notice anything around them. Looking back at the king she smiled “Well, since it seems we won't get to an agreement, I’ll leave. Though before I do, it would be the highest dishonor to not bring a gift to the young princess”
As she again lifted her staff, King Agnar ordered his guards to seize her, but it was already too late. A light cracked above them as spell shattered around the small princess as fragments of magic fell down on her like little snowflakes.
The child laughed and clapped her hands in joy as the little light fluttered down around them, before she was suddenly grabbed by her mother. “You monster! What did you do to her?” The queen screamed, startling the young child.
“Relax” Isolde smirked “I merely blessed her with the gift of frost, it should give her a strong tolerance against the cold. Because trust me, she’ll need it.”
“What do you mean by that?” the King asked.
But Isolde just turns and walks away.
It’s only when she is at the door before she looks back as she raises her staff in the air. The magic flowed through the room; the knights drew their swords to stop her only to be tossed down as Isolde's voice echoed through the castle.
“Hear my words loud and clear. Until I receive what you have stolen from me, your land shall be cursed and your people suffer. May your winters be long and dark, and may your summer dry be never ending" At that she called upon her winged horse of frost and ice, as she disappeared into the night.
In the days that followed Islode’s threat many were afraid. Afraid of the curse, afraid of Islode’s wrath, and afraid of the many dangerous creatures that remain loyal to the north.
For the North was a land filled with never ending tundras, Ice sheaths stretching far into the sea beyond, and cold mountains that seem to reach the stars, making it near uninhabitable for any normal man.
And yet creatures of the North had lived and thrived there for the many creatures, through their sheer strength and power. Even the few humans that did live up north, most of which were descendants from the west, having traveled north for trades long ago; seemed somehow both stranger and stronger than most normal men. And all of them were fearlessly loyal to their new queen.
Few people wanted a further conflict with the north, as King Agnar stood his ground swearing that he would never bend to the North kingdom's wishes. Most simply hoped it would all smooth over soon.
Then as the days turned into months, and winter melted into an early spring, some began to let go of their fear. Many wondered if Islode’s curse had been a lie after all, as the first flowers bloomed and the icy rivers melted. For how could anyone be powerful enough to curse a whole Kingdom?
So the farmers began to work prepping their field and the many lumbermen began their long trail deep into the valleys. For the east was a land of rivers, woods and soft hills, and was renowned for their masterful lumber and woodwork. One would have to travel far in this land to find a place that did not have any masters in woodwork, from the smallest toy to the tales ships. Woods and trees were the pride of the east.
But as the summer began to show herself, what started as a feeling of a perfect warm summer slowly turned sinister as the days went by. Some people began to think that the curse was real, as more and more farms failed to produce, and the rivers began to sink so low that the lumbermen could no longer move their lumber on the water.
Then suddenly and silently came winter, and as the first snow gently drifted to the ground, the whole kingdom held their breath.
As the snow rose higher and the wind roared down from the north, the king and queen mourned the sorry state of their daughter's second birthday.
But as the cold night grew, queen Isolde once again returned, but something was different about her. Her eyes seemed darker, her words held more malice, even the air around her felt colder. Again she demanded that King Agnar give her what she owes, once more he refused.
And so the curse continued.
Year after year. His land died, his people suffered, but the King stood strong against the queen of the north and so the people stood with him. They adapted to the heat and the cold, built sturdier houses, and better fields. If their king would not give up, neither would they.
But then during the eighth year, everything changed.
It was once again the winter solstice and the young princess Eleonora had once again managed to sneak away from her caretakers during the evening festivities, to go out and play in the snow.
“Eleonora, come back!” the knight yelled as he saw the princess disappear into the snow covered garden. He plowed forward through the heavy snow in his metal armor, wondering how the princess could ever find the cold fun or enjoyable.
Around him several more guards tried to chase after her, but the princess had a knack for slipping past them. But today the guards would not let her slip by, as they surrounded the garden to pin her down. As she was weaving in and out of the bushes he only had her laughter to go by. When she suddenly ran past him. He bolted after her.
Eleonora pushed herself through one of the bushes as the knight nearly caught her. She laughed as she fell into the snow on the other side, hearing him yell at her to come back. But as soon as she got up her eyes faltered. She came face to face with a woman dressed in white.
The knight, having no idea what was waiting on the other side, ran back the way he came to get around the bush, as the other guards closed in. But as he turned the corner, about to scold the princess for her mischief, he froze in fear as his eyes landed on the princess laying unconscious in the snow, and the Ice queen standing next to her.
Snapping back to it, the knight brandishes his sword as he calls for aid. But as he charged the queen she simply waved her staff and he was blasted backwards into the snow by a freezing pulse. Where he lay unconscious.
He was woken back up by the other guards shaking and yelling at him a minute later. They were all screaming at him asking where Princess Eleonora was. But all the guards' faces turned from worry to fear to horror as the knight asked confusedly what they meant, wasn't the princess in her room getting ready for the party?
Yay! New story! hope I can finish this one! it's my first time writing fantasy in a long while so yeah was a bit odd...😅
Thank you so much to @piplupfluffwritingstuff2 for all the help with test reading and help with this story! 💜💜💜
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