Vision of Fire

She ran as fast as she could despite her legs feeling the weight that could make her no longer go. But resting was a luxury she couldn't afford as the group of soldiers were on her trail, and to stop would mean certain death to the princess.

It happened all so fast, before she was in her chambers brushing her hair as she looked out to the moonlight, thinking about the marriage proposal her father and the King of the neighboring lands were discussing. Her lady in waiting barged in with pure panic on her face telling her to pack her bag and to run as the palace was flooded by the neighboring kingdoms army, to the princess's horror she was informed that her father and the King who wanted to propose to her were killed, and the one responsible for the invasion and murder was the neighboring King's son.

As they were escaping, her lady in waiting sacrificed herself to save the princess as a group of soldiers were drawing near. She urged her to escape through the passage ways which led to the outskirts of the palace, leading the girl to the cold world as a harsh snow storm continued to howl in the air.

She was feeling her feet go numb from the cold, her breath was visible in the air. Her heart was pounding as she looked back and saw the soldiers not top far from where she was standing.

"There she is! After her!" one thundered.

She gasped sharply, she couldn't let herself get caught. She had to get away quickly, but as she turned to run she started to slip into a ditch. She screamed as she fell, bumping into sticks and stones beneath the blanket of snow until she landed in a creek. The cold water brought feeling back to her numb feet as she sat up and looked around to see where she had landed.

She was terrified, she didn't know what to do. Her father is dead, her kingdom has possibly already been taken over by the neighboring King's cruel son, and she was to be killed if captured. All seemed lost to the former princess.

"Hoot! Hoot!"

Loud hooting sounds shook the girl from her thoughts. A Barn Owl stood before her, despite the snow falling violently, the feathered creature stood before her with pride. Despite being weary as Owls are known predators, she looked at the owl with curiosity until something caught her eye.

Around the Owl's neck was a blue gem stone, it shined in the moonlight making it a brilliant blue color. The owl bowed its head and the gem slipped off its neck, then ushered it forward with their beak towards the princess.

Confused, she picked it up to examine it, "What is this?" she asked herself. She turned her attention back to the owl, who had flew away before she had the chance to speak.

She looked at the gem again. She didn't know what this meant, why did an owl have this piece of jewelry? Why did it seem conscious of what it was doing as it pushed it towards her? What was this gem?

Suddenly, it began to glow. Before the princess could react, she heard the voices of the soldiers behind her, panic and fear pulsed through her as she had no where to run to and she cold and numb from head to toe from the harsh weather.

The soldiers sneered, "Found you princess!" one soldier mocked.

She didn't move, knowing that they won't hesitate to cut her down if she made any attempts to escape. Her dark hair hiding her face as she heard them coming closer.

She felt a sense of dread, but the gem started to glow again.

"You got no where to run!" another soldier gloated, "your father is dead, and our old useless king who wanted to marry you is dead to! His son is the new king now and he wants your head!"

She didn't listen to their words, feeling compelled by the gem that she should wear it. She didn't know why, but this gem was calling to her.

She put it around her neck as a soldier grabbed her from behind, only for a pulse of powerful energy to the push him away. The others were shocked from what they've witnessed, and saw that the princess's hair turned from dark to pure white as the snow around them.

Even she couldn't believe at what she had done. The princess looked at her hands and saw they were glowing a bright blue and felt a powerful force through her body. She turned around to the dumbfounded soldiers as they helped one of their own up, no longer afraid but now filled with righteous fury.

They began to charge at her, until she instinctively used the same power to push them away once more. Only this time, one soldier was impaled through the heart from a nearby tree, another collided with a boulder and stained it with blood, while the third soldier survived and became horrified of what he was up against.

"Witch! She's a witch! We need to get out of here!" he cried.

The fourth soldier who was knocked over earlier snapped his head back, hissing in disgust, "Coward! Do you want King Alaric to have your head!? She has to die!"

The third soldier ignored his order, "Either way I'll be a dead man! At least my third option will have me survive another day!" he began to run away from the scene.

The remaining soldier cursed to himself and turned his attention back to the princess, who's own eyes started to glow blue and the snow started to circle around her and lifted her from the ground. He charged angrily at her until he felt himself being lifted into the cold air, now faced to face with the girl he tried to kill.

"Why did prince Alaric kill our fathers and want me dead?" she asked.

The soldier was astounded how calm she sounded asking that question. He turned his head away, "That's not your concern, since you'll be dead soon."

She grabbed his throat, choking him as her eyes grew wide, "It's my concern since I'm now his intended target. I won't ask you again. why. does. he. want. to. kill. me? He's already gotten my fathers kingdom, and the fact he wants me dead instead of forcing me into a marriage as the princess of this land is already confusing to me, since the latter would be more beneficial for him politically."

The soldier, gasping for air and knowing this will get him no where, begrudgingly started to talk.

"Our previous king was disgusting, an oaf, and a tyrant who wanted your father's resources while having you as a shiny piece by his side. The prince hated the idea of having a stepmother his age while his father continues to embarrass our kingdom and waste our resources, so we came up with a plan to kill him and take your land by force!"

"Why though? Why attack and take my kingdom when the previous king was causing all these problems? Why kill my father and kill me when I wasn't even betrothed to his father yet?" she continued to pry.

The soldier sneered, "That's how war works, princess, we pillage and conquer when we want a land and establish a dynasty. As to why the prince wants to kill you instead of marrying you to secure his new throne.....that I have no idea. You do have a point that marrying you would give him more of an advantage as king by making you his queen, even if that marriage was by force."

The princess listened intently, while not amused by the soldiers smug attitude, she started contemplating everything that has happened while connecting everything that was told to her. Then she started to remember the faces of her deceased father, her lady in waiting who died to save her princess, and the people of her kingdom who are now at the mercy of a tyrant king who paved his way to her father's throne on the blood of those who have served and protected her since birth.

She released the soldier and began to walk away, the soldier coughed as he glared at her from behind, "Where are you going?"

She stopped on her tracks, "To get my kingdom back." she answered.

the soldier couldn't help but laugh, "I hate to break it to you, but King Alaric is in control now. And you have no army, support or even a kingdom to back you up!"

"Then I'll go and find allies then."

The soldier thought he went mad as she nonchalantly answered him, "How!?" he spat angrily, "You're not royalty anymore, you've been conquered and wanted by a king who's even more vicious than his father!"

"Didn't you say his father was an embarrassment? Don't you support him?" she asked him.

The soldier was silent. The princess continued, "If he's that vicious, he has no business ruling this land, or any land for that matter. All the more reason for me to remove him."

After a brief moment of silence, the soldier just sneered, "Yeah, good luck with that, princess."

She turns around, her white hair flowing in the wind of the falling snow, "I'm not a princess anymore, and I have a name."

"Like I care. You're as good as dead out here anyways, I won't need to do much." he spoke.

".....That will be a big mistake on your part. And I have a message I want you to deliver to your new king." the princess's tone grew dark.

This caught the soldier off guard, she began to walk towards him and leaned into him.

"Tell king Alaric that I hear by declare war on him to get my kingdom back, and that when I do, I will have him be put to death."

She backed away from the stunned man, she looks up at him with a unreadable face.

"And as for me not being a princess anymore, I meant that I now declare myself as the unofficial queen of the kingdom he stole from me, and I intend to get it back. I am now queen Eira."

As she walked away, the soldier was left speechless. He didn't know whether to laugh, kill her or just stand there, he knew that not killing her on the spot will have consequences as he didn't do what his king told him to, but what could this girl do!? She's obviously mad! She lost her kingdom but still declared herself queen!? Talk about hanging on a thread! Many royals who were overthrown in the past have tried desperately to hang on to their titles and power in the midst of a war, all have failed in the end.

But seeing how she suddenly gain these powers that turned her hair white and killed half of his men, he wondered what she will do. What if she kills him if he tried attacking her now? What if he made a mistake letting her go? Will the elements get to her, or will she become something bigger and more of a threat?

He sighs and turns to walk away. Only time will tell as to what will happen in the future.