A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter One*¬*

Three years have passed since that day. Our kingdom has been rebuilt, the lives we lost were mourned and buried. My mother has recovered and spent the last three years updating me on the High fae customs and ways. Showing me the world I was not privy to seeing before. It's baffling to think that everything I knew was a lie. Many of my friends knew the truth, some of the workers within our palace too. But me? I had no idea. It's all so new and exciting but also overwhelming.

My mother is High fae, my father is the High Lord of our Kingdom. They kept this from me because I was not granted the gift of immortality. I, unfortunately am human. Which makes me weaker than my parents, yet somehow I'm still considered a High fae due to birthright. It made me sad to hear that. To think that I'm nothing special. My mother promised she and father never looked at me as such, and I beleive her, but it still sucks. According to my mother, there are four ruling kingdoms, each one with a High Lord ruling them.

There's the Kingdom of Light, where the people are pure and peaceful. The Kingdom of Wind, these people are intelligent, wise, but also sneaky and can't be fully trusted. The Kingdom of Dawn, which is my kingdom. We're known as fierce warriors and battle winners. We're the ones you want on your side if you wish to win. Then there's the Kingdom of Bloodshed, which is Kazimir's kingdom. This one is the darkest kingdom of them all. Darkness, horror, evil and fear are the prominent factors for this kingdom. No one wants to align with them, but they also don't want to cross Kazimir either.

Each kingdom has a sector to rule over, a treaty is followed so that no one steps on each other's toes. How one ruler decides to rule over his people is his choice, the other bordering kingdoms must mind their own business.

The last three years have been about educating myself on the workings of the Kingdom of Bloodshed because my twentieth birthday is approaching soon, and that means the High Lord of darkness is going to collect his debt.

"I still don't get why I have be the one to go."

"Because, my darling, Lord Kazimir specifically chose you. I cannot go back on that ask. If I could, I would. I hate this just as much as you do." My mother is brushing my hair, my long wavy locks falling to mid-waist. I don't have the same burgundy colour as my mother, or the dark brown of my father. My hair falls somewhere in between, almost like an auburn tint. My eyes are different than both my parents, my mother has violet-blue eyes while my father has green eyes. But me? I have blue-green eyes with a ring of violet around them. So rare according to my parents.

I have my father's mouth and my mother's nose. Strong cheekbones and a soft jawline. I'm not by any means pretty, but I'm not horribly unattractive either.

My mother hums to herself, as she brushes my hair. I regard her face in the floor-length mirror in my room, "Mother?" "Yes, darling?" "I don't want to do this. I don't want to compete in some sick game of his to see if I could be a good match for him. This is ridiculous."

My mother frowns, her lips creasing at the sides. "Sweetheart, I wish you didn't have to go either. But your father and I have no other choice." She puts the brush down and walks around me, pausing before me as she holds my face in her warm hands.

"I know that you're going to be ok. You're a warrior, an Alinac, if anyone can survive, it's you."

"But-"

"Hush. Come now, we have a party to celebrate as your birthday is upon us. There are lots of preparations to be made for this evening's festivities and not a minute to spare. Your birthday gown is in your closet, and I will send Rosemary up to do your hair later." My mother kisses my cheeks, before slipping out of my room, the door closing behind her and I'm alone once more.