Beautiful Rogue

Prologue

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E L Y S I U M

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After hundreds of wars and thousands of deaths, the major races inhabiting Elysium have finally decided to call a truce and make peace amongst their people. The numbers of their comrades perishing were climbing far too high and the grief each casualty brought was becoming unbearable. The pain and suffering had to stop. What were they even fighting for anyways? Some terrible mistake their ancestors had made centuries ago that involved none of them now?

The leaders realized that there was no point in continuing with these ruthless feuds nobody wanted. It was clear there would be no winners if bodies kept piling up. So rather than living in a world filled with hate, reeking of nothing but blood, a compromise was reached. Now vampires were best friends with humans. Dwarves didn't have to fret over being shredded to pieces by wolves and everything was going fine.

Those who resided in Elysium got along fairly well and at last the battles were put to rest. Treaties were kept in order and after much debate, it was decided that the royal bloodline of the humans would rule since they were deemed to be the easiest to keep under control. Next to the king, there were the High Councilmen, a group of five men consisting of a vampire, a werewolf, an elf and two humans. They were formed to oversee the activities of the royals and deal with matters the king could not fit into his schedule.

For years this was how Elysium functioned. Not all the kings were perfect and efficient but that's what the council was there for. Every king in history so far was a human. Sometimes he would be an actual descendant from the royal bloodline while others were married to the princesses since there was no male heir to succeed the throne. Things were balanced and no one was afraid of a strong monarchy. That is until she met him, of course.

The late king of Elysium went by the name of William Oswald. He was an adequate ruler and his people adored him. However, his wife, a nobleman's daughter, was unable to produce a son for him. It was a tragedy but they were, however, blessed with a stunning daughter whom they had called Anise. Princess Anise was like an angel and her beauty captivated everyone. No creature alive dared to argue otherwise but, alas, the young maiden was already arranged to marry someone before she was even able to walk. He was the son of a high general in the military and once he slipped that ring over the princess's slender finger, he would be recorded as the next king of Elysium. The wedding was only a month away for the pair and the man thought nothing could go wrong.

Then entered Ashton Kavalier, a dashing young werewolf who managed to steal Princess Anise's heart with a single gaze. She had snuck outside of the palace on a warm spring day. She thought it would be fun and it was at a local street market in Collier, the capital city of Elysium, where they had their first encounter. After that fateful meeting, they often met in secrecy as the day of her wedding approached. With each passing moment, their feelings toward one another grew stronger.

Ashton soon recognized that he had also fallen deeply in love with the young princess. She was the one for him and on the night before the big day, the young lovers gathered their courage and approached King William together. He was baffled by the news, especially because the young lad was a werewolf, but he could tell how much his daughter loved Ashton. King William was a magnificent king but he treasured being a loving father more. Knowing very well who Anise's heart belonged to, the king immediately canceled her prior engagement and instead of marrying a human the next day, she vowed to be forever Ashton's.

Upon discovering Ashton's true identity, hundreds of people protested and revolted. They did not want a werewolf for a king. They thought he would be biased and favor his kind. They were afraid of his strength and what he could do if he was ever displeased. In their eyes, he was not fit to rule Elysium but as time passed, he proved to them he, too, could be a successful ruler. He took care of the needy, punished the corrupted and the kingdom had never flourished this way under any human. Not even under King William.

Although the process was gradual, King Ashton was able to gain his people's trust. Everyone grew very fond of him and soon, he and Queen Anise started their own family. Their firstborn was a girl whom they had given the name Lyra. The second was a boy who listened to the name Isaiah. He was the crowned prince since he was the eldest male. The third child was another female who was named after Ashton's grandmother, Irina. The last and youngest member of the Kavalier household was a little boy whose name was Michael.

These four siblings were raised with much eloquence and poise, especially the first three. They had to be sophisticated and mannered. Life for these children was easy but at the same time stifling. They had the world at their fingertips but had been forced to mature at an early age. Because they were of royal descent, they did not get the chance to experience a normal childhood like the other children in the kingdom. They were not allowed to run freely. They did not get to have real, genuine friends but, in the end, they were content with having each other. The people of Elysium appraised and respected the Kavalier family. They were the picture-perfect family but that did not mean everyone liked them.

Besides, didn't you know human greed always triumphed above the rest?

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Author's Thoughts: First off, I would like to say thank you for giving this story a shot. Just a heads up, the first ten or so chapters, Irina will be 15 going onto 16, then there will be a huge time leap where she will be 21.

Elysium = fictional kingdom / land / country

I hope you guys are excited for this story. This is a revamped version of the fanfiction so updates should not be too slow.