Fire. This tale ends with fire. The flames surrounded her, smoke filling her lungs. Her pale face was stained with tears, she screamed in agony and gagged at the smell of her own burning flesh. This was the end. The wails of the crowd could be heard over her own, some cheered, and those still loyal to the princess and former queen cried out for Prince Maximus to have mercy on his beloved sister, but he knew better than to do so. This is the end of the story, let's go back to the beginning.
Erüdessa Wood, the bastard child of a human whore and an elvish noblemen met Prince Imre Oakenshield of Westwood by chance in the forest near the tiny cottage she lived in with her mother. That however, is a whole other story. This is a tale of their youngest child, Princess Megaera Vivianna Oakenshield, known for her wit and good nature. Dessa bore the king three children, Marcus, Maximus, and Megaera. The eldest son was born with curly dark hair and tan skin, similar to his father, he also possessed his mother's sky blue eyes. Maximus' skin was a dull white. His hair was thin and auburn, his eyes were a sickly pale blue and his stare was often menacing. Megaera was known throughout the kingdoms for her beauty, her hair was dark and fell down her back in perfect ringlets. Her eyes were almond shaped and dark, similar to her father's, her nose was small and pointed and just like her mother, her complexion was fair and clear, as smooth as marble. Marcus was the tallest, towering over his father, Maximus was shorter, but still taller than his barely over five foot two mother and even tinier sister. Westwood's royal family was perfect, almost anyway. Maximus grew jealous of his brother who was to inherit the crown, and grew spiteful towards his younger sister who became known as the light of the entire kingdom. The people worshipped her, and for good reason, Megaera was known for speaking on behalf of the people as well as her charity work. In her youth she was very involved in the kingdom's affairs and their relationsip with the other two kingdoms, Darkwood and Arabelle. An alliance between Arabelle and Westwood had been in place for nearly a century, however their relationship with Darkwood was rocky at best. Knowing her duties as the only Princess of Westwood, when her father arranged her betrothal to the prince of Darkwood, she knew that going along with this marriage could lead to a strong bond between the two northern kingdoms. Darkwood was ruled by King Eirik. Eirik was the eldest of three siblings, and had no children of his own. He was married to Princess Rosalind of the fae kingdom, she was known for her beauty and free spirit. Prince Icarus was born next, but he fell victim to a plague at the age of seventeen and did not survive it. Prince Bronwyn was the third child. He was tall and brooding, and vicious in battle. His hair was a light brown, close to a dark blonde but was never tamed enough for anyone to be able to tell and his eyes were a hazel, close to the green of the marsh on the outskirts of his kingdom. He was a brave warrior and was said to have no weaknesses, that was until he met a certain princess.
