Gwyneth
I am the Queen of a land and heir to another.
I have the most amazing husband in the world.
Soon I will give birth to my first child.
I should be happy.
They why my chest hurts?
I open my eyes and I look around my room. Our room.
By tradition, kings and queens have separated rooms. But not us.
The night we wed, Dagmar told me to choose between the Queen or the King chambers and to decide which one would we use. Together.
The sound of the wood burning on the fireplace recalls me of when I traveled to Synkaid last winter, to meet my betrothed.
Not Dagmar, but his cousin Corrigan.
I close my eyes again and I let myself remember….
-Father, how can you have forgotten that you promised my hand to Duke of Syn son’s when I was born? – I exclaim in despair while storming inside my father’s office without bothering to be announced.
I can’t believe this. God knows that my father memory isn’t great, the reason why he has so many secretaries, but promise the hand of his only daughter and forget about it? That is unbelievable.
And totally unfit to the King of Ashpyre.
-What would the other kingdoms say if they knew? They would laugh at our back. And at our front too.
My hands reach my hair, pulling the forqs that hold the intricate style in place. Without it, my hair looks like a rebellious fire curtain, but when I’m nervous, I always start taking them out.
My father looks to me from his chair, where he was giving orders to Lyon, both still recovering from the shock of my explosive arrival at his office. Poor Lyon.
-What if I had accepted Prince Shoran proposal? Or Duque Thund? Or….
-You can leave us Lyon and send those letters – says my father while he gets up and grabs my hand – The world it’s not going to end if you take a few breaths fire whirl.
I look at my father’s eyes; same eyes I see each time I look at the mirror. The Ashpyre eyes, more shiny and vivid than any sapphire and that could be as cold as winter or as warm as the sky on a summer day.
No one would say that King Shauen was already on his 40’s. Not with his tanned skin, joyful eyes and a body that showed that, despite his position and even on peaceful times, the king still exercised with his soldiers every day.Why he matched so well with the young Queen, even though she was only 20 summers.
And for the way he acted, some could say that he was the one with 20.
From him, I had the eyes and the love for horses. My hair, skin, and lips were the same as my mother. As well as my short-temper.
-It was your grandfather who signed that marriage contract, not me Gwyn, so technically I never promised your hand to anyone – My father sits me on his chair and turns to put more logs on the fire.
-It doesn’t matter who signed it father, my name is on it and so is the Ashpyre royal seal. Pretend that it doesn’t exist would be claiming to the world that the word of Ashpyre royal family means nothing – I hear my father sighing. I make him do that sound often.
-My father never expected that I would change our laws and make you the first Princess Heir of Ashpyre. When I pass away, you will be Queen Gwyneth – My father only uses my full name when it comes to royal affairs – You are not only a princess and you surely aren’t a prize to be given in exchange of power. Heir to the throne or not.
-Father, I am a prize. All princesses are, and so are the princes. That is part of being born in a royal family. Wedding for power and connections, that’s what we do – Sometimes I feel that despite my 15 summers I am the older one.
-I promised to your mother in her deathbed that you would choose your husband Gwyn. And I will not break that promise – My father eyes clouded and then I knew that he never forgot the wedding contract.
I sigh, and I reach out to his hand. My mother passed away more than 10 summers ago but, despite the time, and even loving his new wife and their son with all his heart, my father has not stopped loving my mother. Or suffering for her death.
-Then let me choose Father. Send me to Synkaid. I will meet the Duke’s son and decide for myself if I will marry him or not. This way you will be known as the fool King who listens to his daughter and not as a King who breaks his word.
-Do I have another choice? Your mother would be proud of how well you put me against a wall – says my father, passing his hand on his long amber hair – I can’t go with you, not until after Lynna gives birth. This pregnancy is much more complicated than the first.
-I know father. Don’t worry, I will ask aunt Phryne to go with me. She will guard me with the same ferocity than a dragon guards his treasure.
-You are her treasure – My father smiles at the name of my mother’s older sister – If that is truly your wish, I will not stop you fire whirl.
And, now that we set that, you are going to explain to your dear father how you know about Duke’s Corrigan letter in first place.
My father was not surprised by the means I used. After all, I am the Princess Heir and one day I will rule this kingdom.
Two days after we leave to Synkaid. For the first time, I allow myself to worry about my fiancée. Despite everything that I said to my father, I’m not ready to marry a stranger. The single idea terrifies me.
But my 16th birthday is coming soon, and my betrothal will be celebrated in that day, as it was it was with all Ashpyre princesses before me. Not even my father could change that tradition. Not for lack of trying. If my wedding depended solely on him, I would only marry when I was 80 summers. Or never.
I will fulfill my duties as a princess. Scared or not.
Totally surrounded by the other kingdoms, Synkaid is found at the center of the continent. Our carriage takes two weeks covering the distance between Pyra, our capital and Kayden, Synkaid capital.
Their summers are as hot as ours, their winters as cold as in Vyntaria, their springs as magical as in Phyore and their autumns stormy as in Strykta.
Sadly, for me, we are in winter. Had I delayed my departure and I wouldn’t be able to cross Synkaid until the start of the spring due to the snow.
I would much rather prefer spending this time of the year at my own kingdom, where is hot even in this time of the year.
I wonder from which kingdom are based the princesses from the stories, those who are spoiled and can do whatever they want to do, only because they want to do it. In Ashpyre, we serve the crown first. Then the kingdom. And finally, but not least, the people. Only after that, we are allowed to have personal wills.
Despite using the best fur found in Ashpyre I spend the travel with my nose, hands, and feet cold. I tell myself that the cold that I feel in my heart is also from the low temperature. I keep that to myself. If my aunt suspects that anything besides joy is filing it, she will drag me back to Ashpyre and kill my father for allowing me to travel until this frozen place for duty.
Finally, we arrive, and I prepare myself to meet my fiancée and to decide if this will be the kingdom where I will live, courtesy of my grandfather, the previous king until my father dies, and I am crowned Queen.
The thick layers of snow can’t hide Kaiden salvage and raw beauty. If anything, they add even more gorgeousness to it. I can’t hide my own surprise. I rode descriptions of it, but nothing could prepare me to the impact of those walls. A city carved inside of a mountain.
Soon as the carriage stops, I jump out. There, at the front of that beauty, I dance and laugh on the snow, without noticing the cold anymore.
