Long Travel

It only took a few days for the Adom King to agree to the conditions of Queen Astera. It signed Azalia's departure, the Lavan princess having to leave her kingdom, her family and everything she had ever known.

Azalia had been born in the Lavan Kingdom and had almost never left it. The only time she had crossed the borders had been to meet the Yarok rulers, but she had still been young at the time and didn't remember it well.

That's why leaving was extremely hard for her. She was used to her kingdom and to its customs. The Lavan Kingdom was always peaceful, full of meadows and flowers and colourful birds. The rumoured arid lands of the Adom Kingdom would be a stark contrast compared to what she was accustomed to.

Still, it was her duty and her decision to become the Adom King's wife. She had no other choice but to fulfil her destiny.

It was almost midday when she reached the border where the Adom general and a part of his army were waiting for her. The sun was high in the sky, no clouds on the horizon to block the sun's rays. Azalia had brought several soldiers to escort her, but it was nothing compared to the legion of soldiers she had before her.

It was impressive. The Adom general had brought more than a thousand soldiers with him and, just like Boaz had said, a few dragonies.

It was Azalia's first time seeing one and she had to admit the small dragon-like creatures were gorgeous. They were a dark orange colour, their wings and faces covered with red scales, while their claws and teeth looked incredibly sharp. But they didn't seem intent on attacking anyone, and so Azalia dismounted her white horse, her personal guard following closely behind her.

"It's an honour to meet you, princess Azalia." The Adom general was the first person to greet her.

"All the honour's mine, General Onan." Azalia politely answered. She knew politics were a game: one she needed to win. "Your exploits are known all over the land." She said in a falsely sweet voice.

The general of the Adom army was part Adom and part Sagol. He had dark hair and red eyes, sun-kissed skin bulging with muscles just like Adom people were famous for, the only thing differentiating him from his kind being the black horn that peeked out of the left side of his forehead.

Sagol people belonged to the kingdom situated in the north-east of the Adom Kingdom. It was far away from the Lavan Kingdom but known for its powerful inhabitants: they were warriors just like Adom people, their shared lust for battle explaining their easy alliance. They often had purple eyes and black hair as well as beast-like characteristics. They had horns, enhanced senses, could grow claws and could see in the dark.

Azalia didn't know if the Adom general had inherited both Adom powers and Sagol powers, but the man certainly looked powerful enough to be a general.

"My exploits?" Onan brushed off Azalia's praises with a simple chuckle. "I assure you all the merits go to my King. He's the true general of this army, really." He said like the humble person he was. It was quite rare for a man of his stature...

Still, Azalia couldn't resist making a comment. "Where is he, then?" She asked while referring to the Adom King. If he truly was the general of this army, then why was he absent? And if he truly wanted Azalia as his queen, then why didn't he come to bring her back to his kingdom himself?

"Unfortunately, the King had some things to take care of back in the Adom Kingdom." Was Onan's prudent answer. It wasn't enough to satisfy Azalia, and the princess made it know by letting out a false hum of understanding. "I see."

She was playing with fire, and could tell it by the way Adom soldiers were watching her. There was some animosity here: obvious distrust directed at someone who belonged to another kingdom added to some misplaced lust due to the princess' beauty.

Azalia would probably have felt in danger if she had been alone. But her personal guard was right behind her, the knight making sure to step closer to her to make everyone understand that no one was going to harm her.

"Oh." Azalia acted as if she had forgotten his presence. "I present you Emet, my favourite knight." She told Onan while purposely linking her arm with her knight's.

Emet actually was the son of the Lavan general, Barak. Unlike his father, Emet was kind and smart. He was a few years older than Azalia but had always been one of her closest friends, as well as her personal guard, ever since the princess had turned thirteen years old.

Just like Onan, Emet was a perfect mix of two different races: he was half Lavan and half Yarok. He had long white hair he often kept half held up in a lazy bun, one sapphire eye and one emerald eye showing his belonging to two different races. He was tall and handsome, his unusual features only adding to his charm and charisma. 

"General Onan." Emet greeted the Adom general with a simple nod of the head.

He wasn't the type to talk much, especially not when surrounded by potential enemies. No, he was more focused on everything that was going on around him, the powerful knight ready to react if anyone were to threaten the Lavan princess.

"And this is Temira, my beloved attendant and confidant." Azalia motioned to a young woman behind her who hadn't left her horse.

She was Lavan, with blue eyes and white hair she often styled into one long braid. She and Azalia were the same age and had always been really close to each other. Azalia loved Temira's gentle nature, and truly admired her talent for the healing arts. She hadn't hesitated even one second when she had been forced to pick only one attendant to accompany her.

Emet and Temira were both one of her closest friends. They would give their lives to save Azalia's just as Azalia would be ready to do anything for them. Their presence in the Adom Kingdom would truly comfort her. 

"Pleasure to meet you both." Onan greeted Emet and Temira with a polite smile. Although he did look at Temira a little longer...

But Azalia had to say she was quite surprised by how civilised Onan was, his respectful behaviour far from the rumours picturing Adom people as rude and violent warriors. But one exception didn't prevent a generality, and so Azalia would continue to be cautious until she was sure she was safe.

"We will need to depart soon if we want to reach the first town by the end of the night." Onan told her.

"Of course." It was understandable. The trip to the Adom castle took around five days by horse, and so it was better to leave as soon as possible. "We are ready when you are." Azalia declared.

Like the alliance contract had stipulated, the Lavan princess was only allowed to bring a guard and a servant with her. The rest of her escort would stay in the Lavan Kingdom, with the exception of the two white horses which were carrying all of her most important belongings. 

"Then we can leave right away." Onan stated before getting back onto his black horse.

Azalia had already said goodbye to her loved-ones long ago. The last hug she had received from her mother had been devastating, the Queen Astera crying at the departure of her daughter. Neither of them knew when they would be able to see each other again, which made their last moments together even more bittersweet.

Thousands of Lavan people had watched Azalia leave the city with her escort this morning. They all knew the sacrifice she had just made, and were grateful for the princess' incredible courage. The memories of her people praying for her safety would always be one Azalia held close to her heart.

But the time had come to leave her beloved kingdom for good, and Azalia could do nothing else but accept her fate.

"Let me help you up, princess." Emet offered his hand to help her get onto her white horse. "Thank you." Azalia hadn't needed it but still accepted the kind gesture. Emet was a true gentleman and Azalia didn't want to hurt him by rejecting his help.

"Let's go." The Adom general instructed everyone to start going with a sign of his hand. The dragonies were the first ones to move, the creatures quickly taking to the sky. They would watch over the Adom army while flying and warn Onan as soon as they noticed a threat.

Azalia found herself riding in the front row with Onan beside her. Emet and Temira were right behind them, followed by the two horses carrying all of their belongings and the thousands of men leaving the border to go back to the Adom palace.

Azalia's white horse stood out between all of the other black horses. Hers was a pure Lavan horse, rumoured to be descended from a unicorn. It was faster and stronger, the beautiful beast able to carry a human for several days without even resting.

"I have to say, we were all quite surprised by your king's sudden offer." Azalia decided to start a conversation with Onan. The trip would be long, and so the princess saw the perfect occasion to gather more information. She needed to know all she could if she was to survive in the enemy's territory.

"I had thought Adom royalty didn't like to mix blood." Was the topic she chose to start with.

As a princess, Azalia had to learn the history and politics of every kingdom of the land, and so she knew that the Adom royalty was known for its unwillingness to mix races. There were eight ancient families constituting the High Council of the Adom kingdom, all of them refusing to marry or to procreate with someone who wasn't purely of Adom lineage.

To think the Adom King wanted to marry Azalia, a Lavan princess, was unprecedented.

"Ah, yes." Onan made a face and Azalia wondered if the topic was a delicate one, knowing Onan wasn't fully Adom himself. But it turned out the general didn't shy away from the truth. "Needless to say most of the King's advisors weren't happy about his decision." He revealed to the Lavan princess.

It actually took Azalia by surprise. "Should you really be telling me this?" It was like admitting a weakness, one Azalia could very well use to her own advantage.

"You'll notice it for yourself soon enough anyway, princess." Onan easily brushed off her worries. "The Adom Kingdom is currently facing a difficult situation..."

"What is it?" That obviously peaked Azalia's interest. The Adom Kingdom was always depicted as the perfect kingdom, incredibly powerful and always growing. There had been some tumult when the current King Melech had reached power. Nobody knew why his parents had passed down the crown this soon, but even this matter hadn't taken anything from the Adom Kingdom's grander. It was and would stay the most powerful kingdom in the land.

That's why hearing the Adom Kingdom actually wasn't this perfect caught Azalia's attention. She wanted to know more about it.

Thankfully, it looked like Onan liked to talk. "Births have been very few these last several years, and almost all of them resulted in a boy being born. It means there are fewer and fewer women in the kingdom, and so even fewer possibilities of birthing new children." He told Azalia about the problem the Adom Kingdom was currently facing.

It was true Azalia hadn't noticed any women among the soldiers. It could be because Adom men were misogynistic people who thought women couldn't fight, although she really hoped it wasn't the case, but maybe the reason behind this lack of women's representation was this decline in females being born.

Still, it didn't explain why King Melech had chosen her out of all people to be his wife. "I'm sure your King could have found an Adom woman willing to marry him." There was no way not even one woman was left in the Adom Kingdom.

"Of course." Onan conceded. "But the king wants to show the right example to his people. He doesn't care about blood purity unlike his Council and so decided to pick a wife from another kingdom." He said before adding with a playful grin on his lips: "And, as his greed knows no limits, the King only agreed to settle for the best."

"Flattery will take you nowhere, general." Azalia amusingly rolled her eyes in response.

"Onan, please." The general answered her with a smirk. "A princess and future queen like you should call me by my name." He had some guts to hit on his king's future wife, Azalia had to give him that, but his flirting wouldn't distract her from the most important part.

"And his decision to settle for the best, like you said, does it have to do with my royal blood or with my powers?" She asked the question she had been wondering about since the beginning.

She knew every kingdom had already heard about her gift of vision. It had been impossible to hide when she had predicted the great drought a few years ago... but Azalia truly hoped the Adom King didn't expect to use them to his advantage.

Many people had already tried to approach her and to use her only to know about their future. But the truth was that she couldn't determine someone's future even if she wanted to. She didn't control her visions, and only saw what her powers wanted her to see, nothing less and nothing more.

"It would be lying then to say your powers didn't interest my King, princess..." Onan began to tell her. "But I do think it was the rumours of your unrivalled beauty that convinced him."

"Of course." That wasn't any better, Azalia thought. "He just wants a pretty wife to order around." It looked like the Adom King wanted a trophy wife. One that was beautiful enough to strut around before his men, and one that was obedient enough to not cause him any problems...

Except Azalia wasn't this kind of person.

"I can imagine he will have some trouble ordering you around." Onan said with a low chuckle.

"He will." Azalia confirmed his guess. "I'm a princess. I'm used to giving orders, not to receive them." She wouldn't just obey someone, no matter who they were. She didn't care if this was the king of the most powerful kingdom in the land they were talking about: she would never become his trophy wife.

"I thought Lavan people were supposed to be sweet angels." Onan said and Azalia fought not to laugh in response. "Being sweet doesn't mean you have to let other people walk all over you." She told the Adom general. "I truly hope your King isn't looking for some pretty housewife lacking any semblance of personality, because I'm not her."

No. She was a princess who would let no one disrespect her, not even the Adom King.

"Don't worry, princess." Onan responded with an amused smile on his lips. "I'm sure the King will love you." And, if this wasn't foreshadowing, Azalia didn't know what it was.