Side Fifty-One – Princess Adoria Vi Tra Palludia – ???

Side Fifty-One – Princess Adoria Vi Tra Palludia – ???

The young girl sat watching the water in the ornate marble fountains shoot into the sky with her melancholy golden eyes, spray falling down to the surface of the water in a fine mist, leaving behind dancing rainbows in the oppressive heat of the early-afternoon suns. Up above, the smaller sun was starting to rise, adding its warmth to the true sun that was nearing its peak.

Her long pink hair fluttered behind her in the breeze, and her attendant, a young girl who was waving at her softly with a peacock-feather fan to drive away the most oppressive heat, suddenly spoke up, her voice soft and diffident. “Princess, you seem unhappy. Should I call for your maids? Or perhaps your sister? She always knows how to cheer you.”

The princess forced a smile, though it took quite the effort. Still, she was unwilling to show weakness before her attendant. If she did that, her mother would surely scold her. “Pay it no moment, perhaps looking at the water was merely making me thirsty.” Besides, neither of my sisters will have time for me and my moods, not now...

“I see.” Her servant brightened. “I shall run and fetch you a cool glass of juice immediately princess. Please remain here until I return!” with that her attendant put down her fan, hiked up the hem of her dress and hurried off back into the palace behind her.

Now alone, though she was aware that several of her personal guards would still be watching from a discreet distance, she was finally able to show her worries. Biting down on her lip softly, she clenched her small fists, remembering the conversation she had with her older sister just that morning.

“Adoria, the situation on the northern border is far more grave than we are told.” Her beautiful sister had said, her golden-blonde hair that she so envied sparkling under the light of the single sun at dawn. “I know we keep telling the populace that the demons are driven back again and again, but the truth is...” she leaned in close, smelling of sweat and light perfume. “... every time we take further horrific losses. Even with the assistance of Demera Vi Un Crusellode, our Astral fortress was ravaged. I don’t believe we can withstand another attack.”

She shuddered at the memory. Princess Demera had the lineage of Metal, and was renowned for her indestructible style on the battlefield, a master of siege fortifications, making any defence easy. If even she was not enough to secure a clear victory... but that was not the worst.

“... Even so.” Her sister had continued. “Demons are gathering even in our true lands. The days when we could confine them to the Astral ended when the Princesses of Flames and Lightning perished against the Champion of Andras.” Vudorixas the Massacre. Her sister had not named the brute, one of the four great demons who were leading the destruction of their world. It was almost like the legends of long ago, of the four horseman who would herald the end of days. Plague. War. Betrayal. Death. If so, Vudorixas would definitely be the horseman of War...

“... the Princess of Flames has died again. I’m not supposed to tell you this, mother and eldest sister think you are too young, but I think you should know.” Her sister continued. “Now the burden has passed back to her mother. She is too old. Worse, those who have received the gift of Fire and Flames all fought to the end, but ...” nothing more had needed to be said. The purpose of the Elemental Bloodlines was to create ever-stronger warriors with each generation. The bloodlines went back two-thousand years, as she was taught by her tutors, unbroken since the first true kingdoms rose out of barbarism and tribalism. And for eighteen hundred years that tradition continued unabated. Until the demons invaded. Despite the warm heat of the suns she shivered, the thought of the demons terrible, though she had obviously never seen one herself.

Her musings were interrupted by her attendant, bringing her cool, refreshing drinks on a tray. She took one, and sipping on it, remembered the last thing her sister had told her before she was forced to rush away to attend a war council.

“... eldest sister Elenya... it is time for her to marry. We have no time to wait, lest our Bloodlines join the lost ones. Earth, Lightning, and now likely Fire... three precious elements destined to vanish... I too...” her beautiful sister had looked away then, saddened. “If sister seems distant, upset... well, please try to understand. Besides... soon you as well...”

At first the demons had been little trouble, or so the history books said. Indeed, initially, when the tides of the Astral strengthened, surrounding the world, it had driven civilisation to new heights. The Bloodlines grew even stronger, and in the Astral sphere around the world new marvels were wrought, new defences built. Some small incursions were easily defeated, and new breakthroughs in Elemental and Magical technology were commonplace. For forty years, the world had prospered. It was then that the way to transfer the power of the Bloodlines from the Princesses to others was found as well.

That was when our kingdom entered a golden age. After all, we have the Bloodlines of Ice, Light, Darkness and Wind. Though Darkness was currently carried by her cousin, the daughter of Duke Vespatian, Kiela. I like Kiela, even if she’s really quiet and you can never tell what she’s thinking...

Apparently everyone thought that nothing would ever change, that the glory of the kingdoms and their Bloodlines would continue forever. But one hundred and sixty years ago, the first Astral fortress fell. The retaliation from the armies of the many kingdoms was swift and brutal, and the demons perished in their tens of thousands, but... that was the beginning of the end.

“Uhh, sister Elenya, I was just wanting to speak to mother, but I heard the chancellor in there, so...” Elements above, my sister is huge! She had always wished she was bustier, like her sisters, but they usually just teased her and said it would come when she was older. Still, my sisters are both beauties. Elenya has eyes and hair the colour of the finest jade, while mine is this stupid, weak pink colour.

“Stop pouting.” Elenya whacked her gently on the head, causing her to tear up. “You might as well come in. We are almost done.”

Seeing the chancellor, she held in a shudder. She didn’t dislike him personally, not really, although she found him a little unctuous and quick to flatter her and her sisters, but she had a natural aversion to him, as apparently his son had a high affinity for Air and Wind, so was a likely candidate to marry her sister Elenya. The son, Barbro, she loathed.

The potential marriage alone was not the entire reason for her antipathy of course, though it was certainly reason enough. She had found him staring at her other sister as well during balls and parties that were held at the palace, and even at her and Kiela. Rumour was that he had already got several girls pregnant. I hate him, he’s creepy. My poor sister...

Remembering what her middle sister Claira had mentioned this morning, she prayed to the Elements Above that Elenya could avoid marrying him, and at least find someone she could be happy with, or at least tolerate. Sadly, in these hard times, happiness is not something we can demand. Our kingdom still stands, but many others... she shuddered, darker rumours circulating amidst the servants when they thought that no-one else was listening, detailing lurid, vile tales of what happened to those in demon-held territory, especially captured Elemental Princesses...

“I shall take my leave.” The Chancellor bowed. “My Queen. Princess Elenya. Princess Adoria.” He bowed to them all in turn, displaying faultless manners. “My son passes on his regards.” He smiled toadily at Elenya, who nodded politely, her face expressionless except for a tiny smile. “I do hope I can see you together soon. In these current times of war, it would be reassuring for the Bloodline of Wind to have an heir, would it not?”

With that he left, and Adoria relaxed, only to be rapped on her head by her sister once more. “Ouch...” she muttered, clutching at her head.

“You need to keep your feelings from your face. Put on a mask, as I do, and your mother does.” Elenya warned her. “Anyway, you wanted to see mother, so I shall leave you.”

As she turned for the exit, her mother spoke. “Daughter. I’m sorry to push you to this, but it is either Barbro or one of the Noble Elves. Only they have the requisite affinities to strengthen the Bloodline. I know the choice is hard, but... we no longer have much time left. The demon advance grows swifter year on year. I suspect within ten more years, everything will be over.”

Elenya nodded. “I understand, my Queen.” At that, the Queen clicked her tongue, annoyed, but Elenya carried on as if she hadn’t heard. “But if I could have a little more time to mull it over...”

“A little. It is all I can spare. The same for Claira too. Soon we will all have to face the battlefield, and I’ll not have Wind and Ice end the same way as Earth and Lightning.”

Elenya bowed once more, before retreating from the room, and out of the corner of her eye Adoria could see the mask slip, her face cold and anguished. Sister Elenya... I wish there was something I could do to aid you...

“So, my daughter, what brings you to see me?” her mother asked, her golden hair flowing like a waterfall of molten metal around her still-youthful face. “I have little time for idle chit-chat, I fear.”

No! I forgot why I wanted to speak to her... now what do I do? Mortified, Adoria wracked her brains for something to say, the stern azure gaze of her mother conspiring to keep her head empty...