•The•Two•Kingdoms

[Teesie]

Strauss laughed softly, the boy across the river must have thought to be so strong. The red head would just have to make him think differently. One thing, as stated so little before, was that the heir to the Zelphia kingdom hated to be ignored.

 

"Fine, if he wants it the hard way I will make him pay. MEN YOU ALL AIM ACROSS THE RIVER. I WANT YOU TO SHOT IN THAT AREA." Pointing to the place in which he saw the horse fall. The bushes was thick and it was what hid the boy and his black mare. "SHOOT AS MANY AS YOU CAN, ADD FIRE FROM THE CAMPFIRE. I WANT THAT HORSE DEAD."

 

All the soldiers gave a nod of 'yes before rushing to the campfire, some shooting without flaming arrows. Though, the ones that had went there pulled out alcoholic vials and poured small droplets onto the edges. The liquid substance would defiantly keep the arrows lit while shooting them across the river.

 

Strauss just stood in one place, a shield in hand as he glared across the river at the hiden boy.

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven let out a choked gasp as one of the arrows hit the tree just above his head. He whipped around to see more heading his way. Unable to think of a fast enough way to get both of them to safety, he covered Siopi's most vital parts with the shield and ducked behind the tree, praying to whatever gods were up there that it would work. Don't be stupid, the more rational part of his brain reprimanded, the gods can't do anything unless you do something too. Praying will get you nowhere.

 

The young teen dug his nails into his arms when he heard Siopi screech again as one of the arrows pierced through her front leg. The sound tore through Raven's heart, and he felt the tears well up again. Stop, please, the irrational part of his brain begged the enemy prince, squeezing his eyes shut and curling in on himself. He was paralyzed, unable to do anything until he smelled smoke.

 

For the most part, the flaming arrows had landed further away from their target, as the material of the arrow-head needed to keep the fire going was heavier than that of a normal arrow. However, one of the lit arrows had hit the ground in front of Siopi. Raven rolled out from behind the tree and threw his cloak over the fire, patting it into the earth until the flames flickered out. Releasing a quiet breath, he looked up to see the volley of arrows had stopped.

 

Perhaps they think they killed us, he thought. That...scream was enough to make them believe so. He was grateful that they seemed to think he was another knight, having no idea that he was actually a royal. he turned on his knees to face Siopi, keeping his head and body lowered. He removed the arrow from her leg, as it had not gone in deeply, and wrapped his cloak tightly around the wound to staunch the blood flow. He kissed just below her eye with his cold and pale lips, flinching when he noticed that her eyes were closed.

 

She's still breathing, he reassured himself, but deep down he knew that they were running out of time. Clutching his newly-made necklace with one hand, Raven laid on the grass next to his companion, his cheek pressed against the earth so that he could see the enemy from under the bush.

[Teesie]

The prince looked across the river as he heard the horse let out a scream. Slightly holding up his hands his men stopped the arrows as the naturally red head male pursed his lips. This was actually really fun, though if the horse wasn't dead whenever he saw it again it will die.

 

"Damned human, I know for sure that he isn't dead. I want him to talk to me and talk to me now. HEY IF YOUR STILL ALIVE YOU BETTER ANSWER ME!" Some would say he was acting like a spoiled brat but he didn't care. The worst thing that anyone could do would be to ignore him. "I will ripe that boy apart if I ever see him up close."

 

"Master, I don't think the kid would answer. You should not upset yourself over him, he's not worth it." Sighing softly the prince only rolled his eyes before looking away from the distance across the river.

 

"Yeah, your right. This is ridiculous...I hate that blue eyed freak and once I see him he will be mine." Sneering at nothing in particular.

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven was starting to get irritated, biting his lip to keep from growling. Where the hell is Edmund? I need my supplies! Even though the blue-eyed prince was very intelligent, he could also be stubborn, especially when direct confrontation with other humans wasn't necessary. Rolling onto his back, the young man stared up at the cloudy sky. It's going to rain soon, he thought, his mind starting to drift as it so often did; he had no control over it, so it could happen even at a time when his life was in danger.

 

That obnoxious man wants to speak with me...if he acts civil I may have a conversation with him. Raven could easily talk to anyone if he was hidden. Rolling onto his side so that he was looking across the river again, he suddenly decided that he wasn't going to say anything. It's best if I do nothing, and wait until Edmund arrives.

 

The older prince returned to the scene much later than he should have, carrying the black bag on his shoulder. When he saw the arrows scattered around and the enemy knights looking towards his brother from across the river, panic settled in and he crept hastily to Raven's side, managing to stay out of sight for the most part. "Raven!" he hissed when he was close enough, making the younger jump. "I got what you wanted, but I still don't think she'll make it. And we have no way to transport her back to the castle."

 

For once in his life, Edmund had said something intelligent. It surprised Raven, but the black-haired male saw the sense in what he said. "If you leave her here and come back, they'll have already killed her," the blonde said softly, watching as Raven looked back at his dearest friend.

 

"I know," he murmured, his voice catching in his throat. "I always knew..."

[Teesie]

The naturally red head heir frowned softly as he turned his back to the river. "Come! We will move now! Rest somewhere else, but not here!" Marching off, the knights all ran to get their weapons as well as the other shields to follow behind their sire.

 

Soon following after the prince, Strauss journeyed along the road and back to the village. Once outside the male soon walked to recieve his horse in which they all left behind. "To the right men! I want to be there in no less than a day." Tapping the horse's side, the mammal began to run in the direction that the now dark haired male guided it in.

 

The soldiers all were ready for the harsh conditions ahead. They all knew that once the 'Ice King' gave an order it was exactly what he did. One thing about the naturally red head prince was that he never took back his word and he would never give up on them either.

[BlaqueCatt]

Taking a deep breath to calm the sobs that threated to rise, Raven leaned closer to Siopi and ran his pale fingers gently across her sleek black flank, his hands trembling. He used his other arm to wipe furiously at his eyes with a dark gray sleeve, willing his expressionless mask to reappear; however, it had long since shattered. Beside him Edmund watched in amazement; he had never see his brother act this way before.

 

"Raven," he repeated in the softest voice he could muster, "Even if you do manage to heal her, she will no longer be able to run. She'll be lame, and miserable. You don't want that for her, do you?" This was followed by a thick silence as the younger prince mulled over his brother's words, biting his lip hard enough to make the skin tear and bleed.

 

"I..." He let out a shaky breath, closing his icy blue eyes that shimmered with tears. "Edmund, I'll miss her," he whispered, indirectly agreeing to let the horse die; he sat there shivering, his arms wrapped around his middle. His older brother's eyes softened and he rested a hand on Raven's leg, surprised but also pleased when he did not flinch away.

 

"Would you like me to--" The black-haired young man shook his head quickly, picking up the gold dagger that was caked with mud, hidden in the grass beneath a bush. Edmund immediately understood and stood up, moving away. He watched in silence as the smaller boy kneeled next to his friend; Raven swallowed the lump in his throat and asked hoarsely,

 

"Can we...bury her?" Edmund was unused to the uncertainty and fear in Raven's voice; even though he was timid and shy around strangers and always quiet, he always seemed to have an air of assuredness about him when he spoke to his family, and it was unlike him to appear weak--not that Edmund new how weak Raven really was when he was alone. Raven was a very depressed individual, and he hid his scars--both physical and mental--from his family by hiding behind his intelligence.

 

"We can," he responded lightly. Raven closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself, then opened them again, and they glinted with determination, a hardness in his blue eyes that made them look darker, gray, and more icy. Moving his head down to plant a kiss on Siopi's neck, he felt her still, and he knew that she understood. Seconds later the blade pierced her, and she did not scream, for she died instantly.

[Teesie]

Strauss marched more prominently through the bushes and weeds that were growing mighty tall. "Dammit, these people must have never heard of weaving or cutting the grass." Biting onto his lips the red head stopped a scream as his hurt ankle was soon enclosed in a hole that was burried in the ground.

 

Many knights looked to the prince and seen when the other had fell and rushed to him. Grabbing a hold of his arms they slowly pulled him up from the burrow and looked to him. The royal male was biting into his lip, eyes closed tightly as he tried his hardest not to scream. A long groaned managed to escape as he hissed when lifting his leg from the restraints.

 

"Sire you should stay on your horse, the path is muddy and there could be plenty of dangerous things around that could hurt you. Traps as well as snakes. Though, I'm pretty sure there may not be any traps, seeing as the enemies were still at base."

 

The young Codiquíle smiled softly before nodding at the soldier who had given him some helpful information. With such a dirty, unruly kingdom the Zelphia's couldn't be too sure. Maybe the enemy had set traps for them, although it was a small chance.

 

"Your right, we should go." Pulling on the reign of the horse before once again hoisting himself onto the saddle.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven knelt on the hard earth for several long minutes, staring blankly at the still form of his dearest horse, his face expressionless and his eyes dull. The dagger had slipped from between his fingers and clattered onto the dirt, no longer gleaming as the light from the sun was blocked by heavy clouds. The pale skin of his hands was stained red, and his slight body was trembling; he found that it was hard to breathe.

 

Edmund glanced around, checking the area for enemies, and when he saw that they had moved on, he knew that it was time for them to go as well. "We should get going, Raven," he stated, his own blue eyes focusing on the younger. "It's getting dark and a storm is coming. We need to get home so you can help father strategize." His words seemed not to reach the black-haired prince, so Edmund had to reach down and grab him by the arms, pulling him to his feet; he received no response, which confirmed that Raven was in shock.

 

I'll have to carry him, Edmund thought, letting out a sigh but also feeling selfishly pleased that he could connect with his younger brother in such an intimate way; with Raven being the introvert that he was, there was little to no time for showing brotherly affection, not even a pat on the back.

 

The blonde prince lifted his brother into his arms bridal-style, and it was then that Raven started to struggle; his movements were weak, however, and Edmund noticed the blood on the side of his head. Looks like a nasty injury. he's probably very dizzy. True to the assumption, now that Raven's adrenaline rush had died down, the throbbing ache had returned to his head and he felt rather groggy. He let his guard down once more and rested his head against his brother's chest, allowing him to be carried back to the waiting horse. It was only when they were riding back to the castle that he fell unconscious and Edmund had to hold onto him as well as the reins.

[Teesie]

Strauss kept his eyes on the road as the stallion continued to prance through the tall weeds and bushes. The army would not rest without his consent and the prince planned on getting to the kingdom in one day. That would leave the soldiers continuing to march for another full day until it was night time, then and only then would the now black haired male let the troops rest.

 

"The prince is really determined about the battle. I'm scared that be would get too over confident and may lose his life."

 

"Same here, sire could be quite selfish and has the ego the size of a mountain. Plus he too repulsive and thinks nothing through."

 

"That's why we are here guys. We can't let prince Codiquíle die or else we would all be killed. The king would already be upest, for we did not tell him that his son was coming along."

 

"Your right."

 

All the bickering was whispered quietly so that the prince wouldn't hear neither of them, but the royal male could care less. All he wanted really was to talk to that blue eyes other. He could never forget those beautiful dimly lit orbs and he would talk to him no matter what the cause.

[BlaqueCatt]

The people of the villages hurried to get away from the main streets as prince Edmund's stallion raced across the dirt path, the young man paying no attention to anyone other than his brother. His careless riding wasn't much of a problem until they reached the largest town, the community that surrounded the castle of Verrandes. Countless people were nearly trampled as the strong brown horse leaped over stalls and carts, rushing recklessly towards the towering structure.

 

News of the two princes' return had already reached the court due to the commotion they had caused, and the king, queen, and remaining princes were waiting impatiently in the throne room for them. However, they were surprised to learn that Edmund's first stop was not to see them, but to get to the infirmary. Daniel and Stephen hurried to the medical wing upon request from the king; fearing the worse the faint-hearted queen had become paralyzed and was unable to move or speak.

 

The third and first sons threw open the doors to the infirmary and were met with the sight of Raven bruised and bloody, laying still on a mattress. Edmund was pacing back and forth in the back of the room, biting his lip and running his hand through his hair as the healer checked the youngest prince over.

 

"What happened?" Daniel demanded, his voice shaking and revealing how scared he was; Raven was one of their greatest weaknesses, as he was one who needed protection, and the three princes lived to protect. Stephen was stunned into silence, staring at his unconscious brother with wide blue eyes.

 

Edmund stopped his pacing and turned to look at them, guilt clear in his expression. "The surprise attack went well, and we managed to deal a great blow to the enemy. But they retaliated, and Raven's horse was shot...it threw him off and he hit his head. The horse is dead." Silence filled the room for the few moments that followed before the healer gave his diagnosis.

 

"There's no fracture to his skull, so the injury wasn't that bad. He'll be out of sorts for a while until it heals. As for his bruises and cuts, they're very minor, so they won't need much treatment." The healer did not know what a concussion was, but he was correct in saying that it wasn't too serious; raven's young age would help him to recover quickly. "I'll wrap his head and give him a drink for the pain, as well as salve for the cuts and bruises."

[Teesie]

Strauss and the troops had been walking for hours now and were finally getting tired, though the sun was finally coming up once again. Hours had passed, but just because it was day did not mean that the other's were allowed to rest, no. The whole group of men would all sleep when nightfall struck once more. That how all of them would be fully aware of what was going on around them.

 

From the commotion around them all of the soldiers, knights, bow men, as well as paladins could tell they were getting closer to the Kingdome of Verrandes. The villagers in each village was giving them a curious looks, although due to having the symbols embedded into their armor, the prince was pretty sure that everyone knew they were the enemy. Even on several occasions the naturally red head male had killed many of the men citizens, causing disruption and havoc; although neither of them was his fault. Protecting one's in the village was useless. They may were the enemy but they didn't kill innocent people for the fun of it, but being attacked by an innocent first was a different story.

 

"Sir, the horses are exhausted. Plus, I'm pretty sure that since the stallions had been running all day...that we are closer to the kingdom than we think. We are in the villages to be precise."

 

"That right sire, and if we are to try to get sleep if we get any closer it could lead to another surprise attack. They have already killed twenty of our men, and some are injured...as in yourself. We should rest here."

 

The young Codiquíle listened to the men before giving in. He couldn't afford another sneak attack, next time he saw that raven haired make be would torture him. "Fine, we'll rest here."

[BlaqueCatt]

It was late in the night when Raven regained consciousness; he was alone in the infirmary and his first response to the new surroundings was to panic. However, his throbbing head and frequent dizzy spells made it difficult for him to do anything but lay in the bed, staring up at the ceiling, and as time passed he began to recognize where he was. So Edmund brought me home...what happened is blurry, but I remember parts of the attack...and Siopi... He bit his lip, his hand running up his chest and gripping the charm of the necklace. ...and that young man...the prince of Zelphia... Despite his predicament Raven allowed himself to smile, albeit painfully, as he remembered the look of fury in the other's eyes. Our men did well...

 

The loud and sudden noise of the door being opened, along with the bright light filling the room, caused Raven to gasp as his head erupted in a violent ache. Stephen was standing by his bed in the next moment, his expression almost unreadable. "The enemy has entered the kingdom," he said in a soft voice, watching as the black-haired prince sat up in bed, wincing as he did so. "We're going to fight...but you have to stay here and get better, okay?"

 

Raven knew that he was going to be left behind from the start, and he was not one to enjoy fighting, so this did not bother him. He was surprised to find out that they had arrived so soon. They must have walked non-stop...there's no way they could have gotten here at this rate if they had been stopping for rests. Before the older man could leave, the blue-eyed boy said quietly,

 

"They will be in bad shape, unless they take the time to rest today. I would recommend moving in early." Stephen raised an eyebrow but nodded, turning and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

[Teesie]

The red head had strayed his men from the villlage slightly so that no one could know of which way they went. After the soldiers had all marched from the village some had went left, others to the right. With a small group the Strauss continued on the straight road and set up camp. Walking the Zelphia knights were about six hours away from the enemies Kingdom. That would be enough sleep for some of them, it especially would for the black haired prince...that was if the knights didn't know of their arrival that was.

 

Signing the royal male closed his eyes, his small group was on cleft a little yards away from the road to the kingdom. If anything, they should see something first before warning the others. With over two dozen men the naturally red head male deemed himself protected enough. Sleep began to beat as his eyes as he relaxed more. Soon, due to paranoia, one man interrupted his state of mind with a question.

 

"Sire Codiquíle should we have a man to watch over ... to make sure that no one approaches. That way we would all be protected, but due to that one person losing sleep they don't have to participate in the war....well, until they have some sleep that is."

 

The royal male thought for that to be a good idea so he nodded before pointing to the one talking. "Good idea, since it was you who considered it, I guess you do it. Consider yourself...lucky." Closing his eyes before quickly falling asleep.

[BlaqueCatt]

Once Stephen had left the room, Raven sighed and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, groaning softly at the dull pain that reverberated through his skull. He forced himself to stand, and he took a moment to steady himself after the dizzy spell that followed. After his vision had cleared of black specks he made his way over to the window of the infirmary, swaying only slightly as he walked. He took a seat on the sill, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes while catching his breath; it irritated him that the small action had worn him out so much.

 

The sound of horses neighing down in the courtyard below brought a new ache to his body, a deep one in his chest; he would think of his beloved Siopi whenever he heard that sound, even after his time for grieving was done. I hope the enemy knights perish, he thought darkly, though he was not unsettled by his wishes; he often had a negative and morbid outlook on the world, so this was nothing out of the ordinary.

 

He sat in that spot brooding for several minutes, thinking over the various ways the enemies could die in gruesome detail. It was after an hour or so of having these thoughts that he knew he was acting stupidly and decided to do something to take his mind off of his troubles. Because no one in his time period knew of a concussion or what not to do when someone had one, he stood up and went back to the bed, grabbing a piece of paper and quill and ink from the side table.

[Teesie]

The prince of Zelphia was sleep, the wind around him blowing a chilly front onto his skin. Slightly turning to block the cold he pulled the blanket closer to his body, the air soon getting blocked from touching his flesh. To anyone the male would look mean, calm and in control; but in reality ... the naturally red head young male was pretty scared. Not scared for the losing of his life, but for the losing of his soldier lives.

 

The prince may seemed hard and comes off as a self-centered jerk, but he could also have a nice side. It wasn't really a new thing that the heir of the Zelphia Kingdom didn't really have much of a definite personality. The father had liked to believe that his son was well-around, but in honesty he wasn't. Strauss would lose his cool in the matter of seconds, more so when he couldn't handle the extent of a situation. It had happened on many occasions.

 

The soldier that stayed awake scanned the area. The male had to admit that he was getting pretty sleepy himself but he refused to give into the slumber. If he was the one that suggested he should have know that the 'Ice king' would have made him take up the task. Not that he was complaining, because he did not have to participate in the war until he had gotten himself some rest. That fact alone could save his life. There was no definite read on how powerful the other Kingdom was. Maybe they really all were good swordsman.

[BlaqueCatt]

Thinking back to the slave he had seen outside of his window the other day, Raven began to write his thoughts. At first the paper was full of random sentences and words as he simply put down what occurred to him. Soon, though, the pages became less full and neater as he transformed his various ideas into a short story. Then, once the story was completed, the young prince changed the story into a song.

 

Despite lacking the ability or talent to play an instrument, the blue-eyed boy loved music. He loved the way it sounded, and how the slightest changes in notes could change one's emotions as well. But he was particularly interested in the lyrics, and how the songwriters had managed to tell a story in such a small amount of space and time. Songs had so much more meaning than people thought; just because it sounded nice didn't mean it was a good song, or a happy one at that. Raven liked to read deeper into song lyrics, and he felt that he was able to connect to his feelings better through the songs he wrote. And even though he didn't know it, the black-haired young man was a very good singer; he had a very soft and feminine-like voice, but it was nice nonetheless.

 

The prince's mind often wandered as he wrote, as his pen seemed to move on its own with no support from his brain. It allowed him to consider all of his emotions in greater depth when there was no reason holding him down, which was rare for him, as he was almost solely driven by his intelligence. He hummed softly as the pen moved, imagining what his song would sound like if it could be played.

[Teesie]

The red head opened his eyes as he felt a small breeze. It was chilly to be honest, but when in war no one could think to complain. Chuckling Strauss rolled his eyes and frowned, he was making it seen like a civil rights war, it was nothing of the sort. Stretching, the prince glanced to the lookout to notice he was sleep himself, so long for the fucking protection, although maybe he could have just fell asleep.

 

The young Codiquíle groaned slightly and suddenly turned away from the soldier he was staring to. The troops of Zelphia soldiers had a way to go, albeit it wasn't very far. Green eyes searching the area he deemed it safe, not seeing an enemy in sight, and stood to stretch as well as wake the other. It was time for them to engage with the Kingdom of Verrandes.

 

Groaning the young heir began to shake some of the knights to see if they would actually wake. Some had gotten up and others were still asleep. "I need you all to wake them. We need to head out now or else we will be in trouble. Come on, now would be the right time to head forward."

 

[BlaqueCatt]

Miles away from the castle and past the majority of the surrounding villages, the knights of Verrandes were setting up stations. They knew where the enemy would be coming from, thanks to Raven's input, and were organizing all of their supplies. There were several camp-like stations spread out across the eastern border, where the Zelphian troops were to approach first. Each of the three eldest princes were in charge of the three main groups, but they helped with all of the smaller ones as well. Messengers were posted at each site, ready to convey letters back and forth between the stations; they were close enough that travel wouldn't take more than a day, but were far away enough that the enemy couldn't attack all of them at once. They had made sure to keep a clear path back to the nearest village for fresh supplies and an easy means of retreat if they needed to fall back and regroup.

 

The army had crates of provisions as well as weapons, and each man was given sword and shield. Very few of the men were archers, but Raven had insisted on having at least two dozen of them even though Verrandes knights were better at swordsmanship. Each station had enough horses for all of the cavalry men and the supply carts, but the foot-soldiers, of course, did not have any.

 

At this moment in time, the three princes had come together in the center camp, standing together inside of the tactician tent. A map was laid out in front of them, and they were discussing possible strategies. However, they were unable to reach a conclusion, and knew they were running out of time. Letting out a frustrated groan, Edmund raised his voice above the sound of knights training outside and complained,

 

"I wish Raven was here. He's better at this kind of thing." As soon as the words left his lips, though, he outwardly winced; he blamed himself for the injury that was keeping Raven at the castle when he should be out there helping. They had also not yet found a replacement horse for the young prince, and the second son blamed himself for her death as well, even though he couldn't have prevented it.

 

Across from him, Daniel gave him a small smile, his blue eyes reassuring. "We'll do fine on our own," he replied, "and Raven will have healed in no time."

[Teesie]

The prince of Zelphia stood, all the troops were ready. Most on horses, Strauss included, they began to trail further up the path to the kingdom. The sun was peeking just over the mountain and the heir was ready for a battle. He had already been injured because of that stupid raven haired boy. Those blue eyes was something that he couldn't forget and he would get the other back for such a unruly attack.

 

Though the naturally red head held up a hand to make all the knights stop. Due to them having to pass through a small hill he could see some enemies. Ones that thought they were hidden well enough. Many were scattered so that led him to thinking that this would be an ambush. There was only very few men that he could see, although maybe the Verrandes knights had done this on purpose.

 

"I want you to all listen. Bowmen and ones who could wield the throwing knives very well...I would like if you were to stand here. It will give us a small advantage. Those of you on the horses stay upon them....our strangely shaped swords could come in handy here. All we have to do is ride by and maybe we could cut a couple of heads off. Be prepared." The young male informed glaring in the diatance.

 

[BlaqueCatt]

By the time the princes had finished drawing out their plan of attack, the sun had risen and was shedding a bright, hot light upon the kingdom, making the images in the distance hazy. It was odd for the weather to be this hot, as autumn was approaching; through Verrandes always did have abnormal weather patterns.

 

"Are the knights ready?" Stephen asked his older brothers as the three pulled on their armor in the large tent. They were dressed in light chain-mail with the regular iron helmets, boots, and outer protection. Shields lay on the ground at their sides along with long, straight swords. Raven had been trying to encourage them to try out a new kind of sword with a hooked tip, which one would duel-wield, but because it had gone against tradition no one had accepted it. He had gotten the idea from a book and had instructed the blacksmith on how to create one.

 

"They had better be," Daniel replied, rolling his shoulders once his armor was on correctly. "The first battle will start soon. If they aren't ready, they'll die." The princes exited the tent in a line and stopped outside, observing the men and checking that everything was in order. The supply carts were attached to the wagons in case of quick travel, but were easily accessible. All of the men were dressed properly, and the horses had been fed and watered. Weapons had finished being passed out, and the small group of archers were gathered together to leave for their separate station.

 

The battlefield was a combination of various terrains. The majority was open grassland, but it was dotted with thin streams and hills covered with bushes and other plants. The outer parts were thick forests with caves, rocks, and dangerous obstacles such as muddy sink-holes and wild animals. Mountains were to the northern part, the east was the forest, and the west and south were a combination of hilly plains and riverbeds.

[Teesie]

Strauss pointed toward the enemy and the soldier of his kingdom began to rush forward. They has decided to just go out attacking, but being aware of their surroundings. It would be a dangerous match all in all, but they'd be absolutely fine. All the naturally red head prince wanted was the blue eyed other that he had seen. The heir had just wanted to be nice but the enemy had blown him off. Then came back to attack them in a dishonorable way, that was the last straw.

 

With the hill being of some assistance, the bowmen and soldiers who were using the throwing knives stood their ground. Once the heated battle began, they would stay back to shoot at the others. It would most certainly help. With such a large amount of army, the young Codiquíle didn't believe they could lose so easily. He was ready for the battle to commence. His father would be proud of him, and he wouldn't be so bored. It was funny that Strauss looked at this to be entertainment.

[BlaqueCatt]

While the battle was commencing, the youngest prince was pacing in his dark room, his teeth worrying his pale lip as he did so. He had removed the bandages around his head, but had left the wraps on his arms and waist, wanting to keep the red cuts and bruises hidden; his hair had covered the now smaller gash to his head, and he wasn't too concerned about his head injury, as the lightheadedness had already stopped.

 

I should be out there assisting them, he thought, ceasing his pacing for a moment so that he could look out the window of his room. All he could see was the people of the court milling about, laughing and relaxing in the sun. They need my help with strategy. He was severely irritated that he had been told to stay indoors until he had completely healed; he felt fine, so he should be able to leave!

 

Raven brushed the black hair from his eyes and turned towards the door, coming to a conflict with his sense of judgement. Should he go and help his brothers, risking another injury, or stay and heal while their men died because he wasn't there? He knew what the correct answer to that question was, but his biggest problem was how to leave without his over-protective mother catching him.

[Teesie]

Strauss and the other kingdom's soldier were in a battle now. Some of the men seemed as if they were still in hiding, unless the Verrandes Kingdom didn't have many soldiers. Bothe sides were getting injured, even some dying; but due to the bowmen, with the advantage of the hill, the Zeplhia troops were harming more of the enemies than being hurt themselves.

 

All soldiers had told the prince to assist the bowmen, and even though he didn't want to listen...he had to. The young royalty couldn't deny that he wasn't in any shape for dodging and whatnot on the battlefield. It was all because of that worthless attack the others has manage to pull. Taking a bow through the leg really hurt, and standing was a pain. That was why the now black haired prince stayed upon his horse.

 

"Kill them, do not let them prosper. We will have their head by the time this is over. If any of you see a black haired, blue eyed male....do not kill him. I want you to capture him and bring him to me." Strauss Codiquíle expressed. Yes, he wanted Raven to be all his. The naturally red haired heir wanted to kill him slowly.

 

Green eyes dashed around the field as be threw the heavy knives toward many enemy men, slashing some while the knife embedded into other's flesh. This battle wouldn't be easy, but the Zelphia knights would try their absolute best.

[BlaqueCatt]

Raven let out a quiet sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, glancing at his door. He removed his teeth from his bottom lip and walked towards the oak wood door, opening it and stepping into the bright hallway; the light hurt his eyes and made him squint. He ended up bumping into one of the maids who was carrying laundry back to the queen's room. When she saw who she had run into, her retort died on her lips and she bent down hastily to pick up the clothing.

 

"I-I'm so sorry sire!" she exclaimed, her voice holding fear of punishment. The black-haired prince simply raised an eyebrow at her, his face remaining expressionless as he slipped a folded piece of paper into his tunic. The maid knelt on the floor, bowing and trembling, until she realized that nothing was happening. She lifted her head, and her face paled when she saw the empty face of her master.

 

"I want you to help me," he said softly, and he didn't need to tell her to rise. She got to her feet and nodded vigorously, forcing a smile.

 

"I'll do anything to help my lord." Raven rolled his icy blue eyes and turned away from her, looking down the long hallway.

 

"I have to leave the castle," he continued, "but I cannot allow the queen to see me. I want you to keep her occupied while I leave. Understood?" The maid was confused by the odd request, but she agreed and quickly walked toward the royal chambers.

 

Meanwhile on the battlefield, the three princes were struggling to determine a way to take out the enemy archers. They had drawn up several more plans after the initial fighting had begun, and now they knew that they desperately needed their youngest brother's help. Their men were holding their own well, but they would need assistance.

[Teesie]

Strauss watched the battle commence on the battifield. It was not as fun as it looked to be on games nor movies. This was real life. If something was to happen here, then it was permanent. There was no way that he could just take a herb, potion or any of that other shit to rapidly heal his pierced leg. The naturally red head man would have to deal with the pain until it got better on its own.

 

Throwing a knife, the green emerald orbs watched as the sharp object embedded into the enemies flesh, clinging to the other like a life line. As soon as the secondary weapon reached it's target, the man let out a scream as he reached for the knife. The Verrandes knight was depending on snatching it out, but due to not watching his surroundings, a sword ripped away his head.

 

At this point the young Codiquíle knew that he did not want to be here. It was too gruesome as well as scary for him. Wars were not fun and it was either kill or be killed. Sure he wanted to test out his sword play, but not at the cost of his life.

 

Why the fuck am I being a chicken now of all the times, like now? I'm a fucking knight now, there is no need to be a weak little wuss that waits around to be killed. I'm suppose to fight to the death, but as before...fighting over the dynasty is stupid to me. I just don't know what to think.