Chapter I
Sarnsgrove
A fine, late summer’s night found the Sarnsgrovian capital of Hadix at peace under a half-moon. The outer reaches were golden and green with crops almost ready for harvest, and the city itself was a citadel filled with beautiful stone-and-oak buildings and cobbled streets. The main street was widest, leading up to the inner citadel wall that surrounded the courtyard and moderately-sized Grand Palace. That road narrowed as it entered the gates, turning into a two-cart path then splitting three ways. The middle continued to the castle, the other two going round the outside. Through the huge iron-braced oaken doors lay the Great Hall where feasts and parties were held. Up the western spiral staircase, down the west wing filled with suits of armor and into the chamber of the princess, the castle was simple yet gorgeous. Gwen Sarnsgrove at twenty-seven was a simple beauty. She needed no makeup nor more than a brush through her hair a few times to be ready to be seen in public. Unlike other Princesses, she was not vain and took moderate pride in her ability to be a fine ruler. The people loved her dearly.
Tonight, the Princess relived what had happened a decade and a half before, her sleep shallow and fitful. Though troubled on occasion by the past, she was content and would be until the cause of any discontent she’d had slipped into the castle at midnight. The moonlight was briefly blocked as the intruder passed by her window, but it didn’t wake her despite stirring. The stranger approached her bed and gazed down upon her face in the silver light of night’s sun. Chocolate brown hair that would fall to her hiddle back now fell in shining waves across her pillow. Soft, white-cream skin was accented with sweet, light pink lips. Beneath those closed eyes with lengthy lashes lay icy blue eyes that could read almost any man’s soul and would contrast like night against day with the stranger’s own crimson red.
Slowly, carefully, he extended a black-gloved hand to cover her mouth. “Gwen,” he whispered loudly enough for her to hear, “Wake up, my darling.” Gwen’s eyes fluttered open and then became wide. If not for his hand, she’d have screamed until she realized who the crimson eyes belonged to. Upon her relaxing, Gwen’s dear stranger removed his hand and knelt. “Forgive me, milady, but I had to come to see you, and to let know that your brother must stop what he is doing.” Gwen sat up slowly, the blankets still clutched close.
“What exactly do you mean?” Gwen’s voice came out quiet and bell-like. The sweetest sound the stranger had ever heard.
“The power and land he seeks calls to him and tells him that he must have them to be successful. I came once before to attempt to keep the call of power from his ears, but I’m afraid I’ve failed. You must pick up where I left off and finish what I could not. This darkness will consume him and… I cannot bear to see you cry again.” The red-eyed stranger reached out a hand after removing his glove, to touch and caress her cheek gently. Gwen’s first instinct was to pull away, but she couldn’t. His touch was addicting, she just couldn’t stop him. Her eyes slowly closed and she lifted a thin hand to cover his.
“He won’t listen to me…” She sighed after a moment of silence, and her fingers laced with his. Though she’d only seen him once before, she didn’t realize until this very moment how she’d missed him. Her heart began aching at the very thought of how dearly she’d missed her nameless man. Just looking at those red eyes, she found she could trust him not to hurt her despite what he’d done fifteen years ago somehow, and despite his powers as a witch. “As you say, he seeks power. But he also wants to find you. I know the look of revenge when I see it…” She opened her eyes finally to look him over, and a blush painted her soft cheeks as her childhood crush returned double-time.
“Let him come. He can’t hurt me.” The mysterious man could only smile to reassure her, but that was all it took. In the silver light, Gwen could see he had grown quite tall and lean, even a touch thin. His jet-black hair was long now and tied in a ponytail to keep it out of his face. About him rested his black cloak over equally-black clothing for stealth. He wore a gentleman’s attire of a vest, dress shirt, dress pants, and pointed-toe boots. There was no color nor anything to shine on his entire outfit, for he knew that such a thing could get him caught. He removed the dark cloak, laying on her lap before giving another smile.
“Everything happens for a reason my dear Gwen.” He lifted Gwen’s chin to kiss her lips as if they were as fragile as thin crystal, and he was gone.
“Wait-“ Gwen was too late. Vanished, he’d left the cloak for her but taken her heart away with him. After their encounter, sleep would certainly not come, nor would mental peace. Gwen was still blushing at her mysterious man’s kiss as she had at their first. And she didn’t even have the slightest idea what his name was.
“Gwen? Sister?” A gentle calling snapped Gwen from her racing thoughts. Matthias Sarnsgrove tapped lightly on the door. Gwen stood instantly and tucked the cloak she’d been cuddling into her pillowcase before drawing a robe about her and her white, long nightgown.
“I’m awake, Matthias. Is something the matter?“ Matthias stepped in at her words, dark circles under his blue eyes that resembled hers perfectly. Gwen went to her brother to embrace his tired form, standing over him as she was tall herself. She knew that, more often than not, nightmares or racing thoughts due to his drive for power kept him awake. On occasion, it was a vision of the man who’d killed their parents and this worried Gwen. With their meeting moments ago, she came to a realizationt hat would break her brother’s heart if he learned: she wanted to be with that mysterious man. Gwen was a very proper woman, and a wish such as that was not something that came easily.
When Matthias didn’t answer, Gwen only sighed. “Seeing you like this so late tells me you’ve either been woken by your dreams or have not found your bed tonight. She looked the younger man over with her brows furrowed in worry. He wore a white nightshirt and pants at the time, his short hair a touch messy and stubble surrounding his goatee. His hair was the same shade as hers, and there was no doubt they were siblings.
“I’m a afraid a bit of both…” Matthias gave a weak smile. He often fell into dreams in his study, and could never sleep after how they haunted him.
“Come my brother, we’ll sneak into the kitchen and make you some herbal tea.” She tied the green satin robe up around her small waist and took her brother’s hand to lead him out without allowing him to protest. Only their nighttime guards noticed but made no fuss as this had happened hundreds of times before.
The siblings were able to slip into the kitchen mostly unnoticed, where Gwen heated a pot of water while seeking out her pouch of tea leaves in the cupboards. Gwen was by no means a full-fledged witch -or a sorceress as common folk liked to call ‘good’ witches- but she knew a touch of the holiest healing magic’s that only her brother and a select few knew about. This allowed her to be adept with herbs and such, having learned them as if a natural at it. Gwen had to keep it secret, though, as the people thought most witches were untrustworthy (but not necessarily evil), so Gwen usually had to leave the magic’s to the sorcerers in the employ of the court.
“Tell me why you’re awake. Do you plan for war again brother, or has something else brought you to me tonight?” Matthias always confided in Gwen and Gwen alone. She had a few ideas why he might be up, among those reasons being the fact that a princess from a country to their west was coming to speak of alliances. She was coming from Gefandy, a country on the other side of the mountains and two countries called Tikira’h and Nevinwery who were longtime allies and Matthias’s next target.
“I’m always planning for war, sister. Always. You know that I want to expand my kingdom for not just myself, but the people and for you, and so that maybe… just maybe, I can have my own form of immortality like Grandfather. However, that’s not what’s been troubling me tonight.” Matthias rested his head in his hands on the kitchen table as he sat down. “I’ve been thinking of mother and father and that… that murderer. I want to find him Gwen, and bring him the justice her deserves at the head of an axe.”
Matthias was suddenly tense with anger and even guilt as he gave her his troubles. “He should not be allowed to roam and possibly wreak the same havoc elsewhere. God knows it’s been fifteen years, and he’s probably stolen other parents from their children…”
Gwen had nearly spilled the tea leaves that she was measuring carefully into the pot, wincing a little at the thought of her mysterious man dying at her brother’s hands before putting the leaves away. She knew Matthias would never approve of the love Gwen held for the man whose name she still didn’t know. “Vengeance is not befitting of you brother. Besides, he was a boy then and you and I were younger than he. I doubt we’ll ever see him again, and who’s to say his hand was not forced? Children are easily influenced and frightened into horrible things.” Gwen brought the steaming iron pot off the stove to pour it over the leaves, just still cool enough not to scald. “And even if we do see him again… We are royalty, and above vengeance even for our parents.” She stirred the tea a few times, having made a sort that would calm Matthias’s frayed nerves. She knew better than to try to drug him with sleeping potions, as he knew their scent too well, not to mention their taste.
Bringing the pot and two cups over to the table, Gwen sat and poured them each a cup. “It’s been fifteen years already…” Gwen’s eyes were trained on the porcelain pot instead of her brother as he thoughts wandered. “We should be celebrating their lives, not asking for more bloodshed.” Her eyes followed the swirling steam from her cup as Matthias took a sip from his own.
“I… suppose you’re right.” Matthias was still a young Prince fit to be King at twenty-one. Even so, he looked worn out and older than he truly was. He was weary of the haunting of his dreams and mental problems. The healers often said he was a touch schizophrenic in the sense that he had hallucinations often, but knew the difference between reality and shadows. There they sat for hours, just talking of recent and old happenings until Matthias became quiet for a long period, breaking it with “Gwen, I want you to help me with something.” He raised his head to meet her eyes, almost looking like the curious child he never got to be. “I want to visit Mother’s and Father’s grave. They’re quite a way away, and I want you to come with me.”
As the tea finally began to take effect, Matthias closed his eyes and added, “And sister… I want to thank you for everything. You gave up your childhood for me. Even before Mother and Father died you were my savior and protector, more so than any god ever could be. Thank you, beloved sister, from the bottom of an endless heart.” He’d taken her hand, looking over to her with a serious yet gentle expression of love.
“I will always love you, Matthias, don’t you ever forget that.” Gwen moved to the chair closest to Matthias and pulled him into a close embrace. “We will go to see Mother and Father, but I’m afraid we won’t have much time as our guests will be arriving before noontide. Shall we gather a few guards and the horses?” Upon Matthias’s nod, they finished their tea and headed out to the hall where a few guards stood watch, telling them to find a couple others and ready the horses.
Gwen and Matthias had no children nor potential spouses at the time, and therefore were the only two possible leaders of Sarnsgrove. This caused the guards to be very watchful of them, as Sanrsgrove would fall into a dark age trying to find a new leader in the event of the Prince and Princess’ deaths. Pressure to find a spouse and have children were affecting both of the siblings, but Matthias was most troubled by it for he was the male heir and therefore would be High King despite Gwen’s elder status.
The two headed off to their respective chambers to dress, where Gwen donned a heavy cotton gown of white with green embroidery and long, billowing green sleeves. Running a comb quickly through her hair, Gwen found herself glad that her lady servants who helped her ready for such outings had not woken. The Princess hated being fussed over even on the most special of occassions. Braiding her hair quickly, she pulled on a pair of stout women’s riding boots and paused only briefly to reach into her pillowcase to touch her lovely stranger’s cloak. She would’ve taken it with her if not for the fact it was black and would stand out against her clothes. The last thing she wanted was to be noticed as they rode out of the city. So, Gwen packed it into a saddlebag and rushed down to the stables with excitement for being able to get out of the castle and city.
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