Dust and Ashes ( Fan Fiction of Who Made Me A Princess)

Chapter 39 : The Lost Queen, The Fallen King

[3rd POV]

"If the world a little kinder, we won't be here for a war and I don't have seeing you die."

Shining in the silver armor, the troop was leading into east with the song of death in their ears. The day was strangely becoming dread; wind was sailing upon the darkness of the grey hill and gathered the clouds on its peak. Beneath them, was the march of dreadful journey which just patiently walked through their deathly fate, bow and swords were shown from the hand of their great ancher and swordsmen. Red flag of Obelia embroidery was on Felix's hand, both with long sword and one small blade on his waist. Fine metal mesh built his armor, both with pride and the cold of wrath that racked his chest. The wizards chose to fly lonely in the air, the clouds were dyed with their bright red cloak, solely chose to mock the fear that gnawed each other's heart in their walk. Some of them just thought that it was just a playing since most of their whole life was being used to cast a spell. Explosion was common, war was a game, but the pride was upon all of that. As the tower called for their loyalty and Lucas has stood in the front, they can't help but followed the way into the war. One of the million war they ever gambled, the one that would be renowned as the Battle of the Tower.

Athanasia spurred her horse forward, one and another worriesness splattered her face to be white. Death and life rushed her veins, dense air tight her lungs to be gasp.

"Felix, I'm nervous."

"There's no one here that wouldn't."

Felix clasped her hand, letting Athanasia to greedily absorb his warm so she could be fine again. Day was falling into twilight, the sun sunk and soon the night turned into somber. It has been their second time for stopping and their horse just drank greedily. The village where they stopped was the edge of their east borderline of Obelia. The elders of the village have their face to see Athanasia today, bowed and respectly welcomed them while the rest of them just sent Athanasia the glare.

It was strange since everyone would bow on her deeply in the town, so nervously adverted their gaze in thump. But they even didn't bother to low their gaze down here. They hatredly gaze their crowned princess and after being announced that the knights from the imperial would be staying there, the furious exploded, shouts and screams ruffled in the air, many more rejections came to be clear.

The village itself only contained of few families, with the house only built from the thick straws and wooden board.  No farm, with many starving mouth. Most of the commotion they witnessed before came from the caravans who stopped by, the visitors, or only the merchants who bought the good things from here and left. This place was famous with their wheat commodity in Calium's era. Mostly the commodities were supplied from this land and even be exported due to the abundance. But the end of their prosperous life was marked as the war happened and burned their land to ashes about two hundred years ago. The people and the children here have been starving between those long period time and they keep fighting for the food since their lands were dried and can't be planted. The children just gathered as Athanasia came, rusty fabric wrapped their thin body with small hand to ask some filthy coins from the strangers.

"Don't give them jewels, Princess. They won't need it."

"Sure they would need one of these things to make money."

"There aren't any markets here and so they parents are too weak to walk to the before village. I bet they bought the supplies from the merchants who stopped by and those jewels would only be bought by low price so those merchants could sell them in town with high price for their own benefit. It would be better if you give them some of our supplies while we think how to restore their land."

It was hard seeing those eyes were shining for the gleam of the jewels. A jewel or even some would be nothing to Athanasia. She could asked the same thing or even the more glamorous one in one flick of hand. Izekiel was true, they didn't need any of these things but they can't just leave the wandering eyes with nothing. Izekiel brought them the food from their supplies and the children once again gleamed for the food and ate it as if it was their last and most delicious meal they ever tasted.
With the glamorous life of capital, she didn't know life could be so harsh in the borderline. As they could wasted so many foods and drinks just in one party, while they needed to fight for only one bowl of porridge or biscuit in their hardest time. It was getting a bit better once Claude rehabilitated this land. But not too better since criminal, bandits, robbers keep haunting this unguarded land and took all the credit from the villagers.