The Fire Queen

Prologue

For years, the Kingdom of Relenia had been separated by the other human kingdoms. To the far North was the frozen land called Calden, a wonderland of ice. And to the South, the fiery mountains called Flamiere, a place of heat and flames. Both lands of the North and South were places no one dared enter. For there were whisperings of those lands, tales too haunting for mere men to ignore.

As for the East and West, nothing resided there but barren land. This land reached far beyond Relenia and was so vast that few that had ventured out into this unknown world had ever returned. The few that did told tales of the thriving kingdoms beyond, kingdoms of gold, kingdoms of beauty, kingdoms of old, and kingdoms of new. But these kingdoms were too far away and Relenia depended upon itself to keep its people fed, and for years they survived, wanting little.

For nearly a hundred years though, when a new king was crowned, a woman from the frozen land named Azle requested an audience with the new king at the borders of their worlds. No one knew how the frozen goddess knew of the king's passing, but for the past five kings, on the eve of their death and when a new king was proclaimed, a snow white owl would bring the new king a letter, requesting to meet this new king concerning an urgent matter. As if under some sort of spell, the king always appeared to his summoning.

Azle was unlike anything they had ever seen, and it was apparent that she was not human. Her hair glistened white like snow. Her skin was tinted with a hint of blue. Her eyes were aquamarine, like ice cycles that glowed in the night. And each king that met with her knew she was dangerous. But despite her cold threats, Azle never entered the land of Relenia, and the new king always refused her request. Her request was simple though, she asked the new king to send someone in to live with her in her frozen wonderland. The king though had made a vow to his people and even under the cold gaze of Azle, with hints of a spell lingering in the air, the king's heart was warm and pure and filled with love, giving him the power to refuse her.

Over the years Azle's heart hardened over the refusals. Azle was desperate for a king to grant her request. But with each refusal, Azle grew more and more powerful, though she didn't realize it. So when Azle met with Relenia's newest king, his refusal brought forth such despair in Azle, that from her very tears and frozen heart came a storm that shattered the Kingdom of Relenia and cast the people into a deep dark sleep.

....All except for one.