“PLEASE SAVE HER!”
Flora yelled desperately as she saw the carriage she was once inside not long ago was about to be smashed into pieces by the giant werewolf. It held the carriage up in the air and was about to crush into the ground, surely killing whoever was inside. Meanwhile, she was in Theo Ros’ arms after Ewald had dropped her off.
“Please save her! She’s like my mother to me!”
However, he shook his head.
“Milady, there is nothing we can do. Besides, we are to secure your safety first and foremost.”
“Nooooo!” Covering her face, she began to sob. The maid inside of the carriage was the most important person in her life. In fact, she cared for the maid more than her own parents. Losing her would be unthinkable for her. Without her, she would have no one to turn to for emotional support.
“Milord…?” Theo wondered aloud while looking up.
She, too, looked where he was looking. The boy who saved her a moment ago was enveloped with strange green butterflies; He was levitating not far from the giant werewolf.
“Hurricane arrow!” The boy shouted at which point an otherworldly beautiful arrow slotted itself into his bow. She couldn’t clearly see the glimmering arrow however.
“What is … going on?” She wondered.
The moment the arrow was fired, a strange feeling overtook her. This was actually a shockwave; They didn’t know such a thing. Regrettably, she couldn’t see anything else since it happened so fast. The moment the boy fired the arrow, he flew backwards so fast that he was gone from her sight in a matter of seconds. Most importantly, whatever hit the werewolf’s wrist severed its hand from the monster. The carriage and the werewolf’s hand stayed afloat for a second before making its fall. The giant werewolf meanwhile began to flee at once, holding its massively bleeding wrist. The other smaller werewolves followed it. There didn’t seem to be any immediate threat afterwards.
“Please, let me down!”
As soon as Theo let her down, she dashed toward the carriage that had just crushed down onto the ground. She tripped twice before making it to the carriage. While it was in bad shape, it wasn’t crushed.
“Avina! Avina!” She desperately shouted the maid’s name as she tried to open the door; she couldn’t. The door was crooked badly.
“I, I am fine…, Milady.” A labored voice came through a battered window.
“Thank Goddess!” Tears started to flow off Flora’s eyes.
Once other soldiers arrived and managed to get the door open, Flora and Avina embraced each other, both crying.
Flora Flissing was the eldest child of Baptiste Flissing. The Flissing was one of two major houses in the Kingdom of Egra. They ruled Dido, Fort Dido, and lastly Lyatan. As the most northern city of the Kingdom, Dido was heavily fortified due to its close proximity with the Siwen dynasty. In fact, it was so much fortified to a point that Fort Dido was becoming somewhat irrelevant. On the flip side, so many fortifications and high security hampered trades where anyone suspicious was outright denied of entry. This created a tight-knit community of approximately 15,000 people within the city.
Flora lived a very sheltered life which was norm for a noble woman. Regrettably, her sheltered life was even more sheltered due to the nature of her hometown. She was rarely allowed outside of her room in fear of kidnapping and assassinations. Historically, members of the Flissing had indeed been kidnapped and assassinated by the Siwen before. Thus, they had legitimate reasons to be overly cautious.
From a very young age, Baptiste told her that, for nobles, reputation was everything. In his own words, nobles had to have something that would put commoners in awe. He believed that, for male nobles, it was wealth and power. For female nobles, it was a good husband. Therefore, the moment she was born, he began his search for a potential husband. He was hoping to tie up an arranged marriage upon her reaching ten years of age and then send her off at twelve.
Alas, as soon as he began the search, he soon realized that it wouldn’t be easy. The best husband wasn’t out there. Well, there were out there, but age differences were too much. Therefore, logically, he waited until Flora reached five years old before beginning his second search.
However, nope.
Yes, there were okay candidates. But he did not want a mediocre husband for her. He wanted an heir to a landed noble house to be her husband. Once it became increasingly clear that Flora wasn’t going to find a husband of a high status, Baptiste began plotting to remove her. It was her maid, Avina, who warned her of her father’sintention to assassinate her.
Of course, Flora did not believe her at first. She was a pure and innocent girl. There was absolutely no way that she’d believe her father was attempting to remove her.
Then the first attempt occurred right in front of her eyes. Her maid, Avina, was testing food one day and became very ill. She did survive but only because of her poison endurance training. Flora would have died if she consumed the food. Apparently, her maid wasn’t supposed to test her food.
Still, she did not believe that her father was out to kill her. Of course, soon enough a second “accident” occurred where a flower pot fell dangerously close to her while she was taking a walk with Avina. Again, it was Avina who rushed to save her.
Even someone as pure and innocent as Flora started to connect the dots because she wasn’t a fool. From that point on, she trusted Avina even more and followed her advice to her heart, enabling her to survive further attempts. Even so, Baptiste was going to win out eventually because they were in his domain. The only reason she was surviving was because her father wanted her death to be accidental and discreet. Otherwise, he would have outright murdered her.
Both Flora and Avina felt that the end was near when their carriage was attacked by a large pack of werewolves led by a very unusual giant werewolf. Of course, this time, they were saved by you-know-who. Baptiste was pleasantly surprised to learn the identity of the boy, an heir to the Fenchel house. Suddenly, the perfect husband for his daughter appeared out of thin air. He was four years junior, but that was a small obstacle. Thus, without hesitation, he strongly pushed for an arranged marriage.
“But he is four years younger than me…,” Flora trailed off upon being told by Avina that her father was pushing for the deal relentlessly.
“True, but even I have to admit that this is a golden opportunity for you, Milady.”
It was always preferred for women to be younger than their husbands, especially arranged marriages for nobles. At the moment, Flora was twelve. Ewald was eight. If the arranged marriage was finalized, Flora being twelve would have to move into the Fenchel manor right away. However, since her to-be-husband was only eight, she’d need to wait until she was almost twenty before being allowed to share the same room.
While still young, it would prove to be a bit awkward for her to spend so many years dormant at the manor. She would probably need to find something to do meanwhile.
“He is only eight. How mature could he be at that age…?” she lamented although she couldn’t deny the fact that this was a golden opportunity regardless.
“You will meet him at some point during the royal party. Please, don’t judge him before then,” Avina advised.
“You are right, Avina. My apologies. This is my only chance, isn’t it.”
The maid nodded sadly.
Her first impression of Ewald was … okay. She didn’t find him attractive. However, she did feel something from his eyes. His firm eyes, she did not feel the pair of eyes belonged to a child. Compared to Daniel’s eyes, there was a world of differences. As she danced him at the royal party, she came to a quick realization that she wasn’t dancing with a child. The way he responded to her dancing movements wasn’t that of a child but an adult. She wanted to talk to him to get to know him more. However, her father had strictly told her not to talk to him until everything was done and dusted. She did see his point and thus obeyed his order.
When news arrived that the marriage deal was off, she realized that her end was just a matter of when, not if. Even her maid Avina seemed to be resigned to the sad fate as well. Interestingly though, her father’s attempts at her life ceased.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Perhaps, he has given up,” Avina said.
Flora was tired to be frank. She was willing to embrace her demise at this point. From the age of seven, she had endured attempts at her life. She couldn’t dare tell Avina that she was ready to die.
Several months passed without an incident. For Flora, it simply felt like peace before a storm. Then, she was summoned by her father all of a sudden. This was the first summon she had ever received in her entire life.
Is he going to end me with his own hands?
She felt it wouldn’t be so bad that way. Her maid couldn’t be there. Therefore, it would be the perfect opportunity. Having mentally prepared for the worst outcome, she visited her father in his study.
Baptiste was an avid wine collector, and his study showed this. He had about four display units that were full of wines of various quality. Under normal circumstances, she might have been curious about new surroundings. Alas, she was really nervous. Even though she was prepared to be killed, it was really never easy to face death calmly.
As she stood before him in front of his desk, the first thing he said to her was -
“You are going to Lux.”
Her head went blank momentarily.
“I beg your pardon?”
Her father had a letter in his hand. He tossed it onto his desk; It was full of words.
“I thought the deal was off with the king’s involvement and all, but it seems Ed wants to go ahead.” Folding his arms, he nodded at himself. “I can see why he wants this deal now. A royal marriage is a pain in the butt for powerful houses like us and the Fenchel.”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
“You are marrying the heir to the Fenchel. This is the best husband you can ever hope for.”
……. I am free?
“Is … that so?” Her voice was shaking.
“Prepare to leave now. You will depart tomorrow morning.”
“I see…”
I.AM. FREE!
“Flora,” Baptiste called out her name gently. She felt as if this was the first time ever he addressed her by her name.
“Y, yes?”
“I know a lot happened between us, but know that what I was trying to do was in your best interest. You are the first daughter of the Flissing. By your birthright, you do deserve the best husband.”
She could have rebuked but did not. It didn’t matter. She’d never see him again anyway. What truly mattered that she was to be free from his torment.
“I do not expect us to meet each other again,” He said as if he read her mind. “The moment you leave this manor, you are no longer a Flissing but a Fenchel. Do whatever you can in order to prosper on your own terms.”
Do whatever I can in order to prosper on my own terms…
She repeated his last sentence in her mind. It was her father’s first and last advice to her.
When she returned to her room, Avina was already packing her stuff.
“Avina…,” She choked in tears, and the maid approached her with open arms. They soon hugged each other.
“Avina, I am free… I am free at last…,” She cried, and so did the maid.
That evening, unexpected people paid her a visit. It was her mother and Daniel, her younger brother. Yes, Baptiste’s wife was alive and well. She chose not to attend the royal party because she knew her husband’s plan to “remove” Flora. She couldn’t bear to see the event unfold before her eyes. To her surprise, her daughter came back alive.
“Sister, I’ve heard the good news, congratulations.”
His innocent and carefree smile at her indicated that he had no idea of what had been happening to his own sister. Not that it mattered of course.
“Congratulations,” Her mother said.
She shared an identical appearance as her daughter. She had long blonde hair with blue eyes. Flora looked really like a younger version of her.
“Your father worked very hard on this. You should be grateful," her mother added.
“Thank you. I suppose this is the last time we will see each other.”
Daniel’s face stiffened.
“Don’t say that, sister. We shall meet again.”
He had a point, she felt.
“True, my apologies.”
However, her mother was silent, reinforcing her belief that it was indeed true that they’d never see each other again. Lux was very far away. She was basically going to one end of the Kingdom to another end. Making the trip itself was hard on its own. There was absolutely no reason to risk one’s life over trying to visit each other.
Her mother stood up, slowly walked around, and stood behind her. Her hands touched her shoulders, and unexpectedly she began massaging her shoulders gently.
“I do know what you’ve been through,” She whispered. “I do know.”
Tears began to well up in Flora’s eyes.
“At the same time,” She continued, “You cannot deny that he did find you the best husband out there. He did love you in his own selfish way.”
Flora nodded weakly, unable to speak. She wasn’t going to argue.
“We do not know what Ewald Fenchel is like. Think positively. Perhaps, him being young is a way for you to influence him.”
She didn’t know what her mother meant. As if she read her daughter’s mind, she elaborated.
“Shape him the way you want him to be.”
She recalled her father’s advice at this moment.
Do whatever I can in order to prosper on my own terms…
Her mother was telling her the same essentially. She understood now what the advice really meant. No matter what the situation, she should use whatever advantage she had to use for her own benefit. Yes, this marriage was awkward. She was four years senior, and this whole deal was rejected once before. Now, it was back on. Would they even welcome her?
From very limited information she had, it looked like the royals proposed a marriage, and the Fenchel did not like the terms. Thus, they were basically falling back onto their second option which was her. She wasn’t even their first choice. Regardless, it was this or death. The answer was blatantly obvious.
The next morning, as soon as the sun was coming up, her carriage departed. The carriage was accompanied by twenty soldiers. It was expected to be an excruciating journey. Within the carriage, there was Flora and Avina. That was it. She was allowed to only take Avina and she didn’t mind it. There wasn’t anyone else in the Flissing manor she trusted anyway.
She had a good look at the manor before it started moving. There was no one to say good-bye to because there was no one but soldiers. Her father wasn’t seeing her off, and neither was her mother. Her brother would still be sleeping. Regardless, she had no lingering attachments. In fact, she was eager to move on.
Unknown to her, her parents were indeed seeing her off but from their own rooms through windows. Baptiste did want to see her off, but his wife rejected the idea, convincing him that it was better to cut her off coldly so that she would start anew more easily.
Of course, she had to survive the journey first. And, as if not wanting to make it easy for her, on the first night, waves of werewolves attacked their campsite.
“Form a formation! We have werewolves! How many are there?!”
“More than thirty, sir!”
“Fire mages! Get ready!”
Flora and Avina stayed still in the carriage. Both of them had their eyes closed. There was nothing more they could do at this point. They had to trust the guards.
“Elementals of fire, heed my call. Show these pitiful creatures the might of the Flissing: Firestorm!”
A very loud wooshing sound was heard soon with dampening cries of werewolves.
“Charge! Men, charge!”
“Elementals of fire, heed my call, barrage them with your anger: Fire rain!”
The soldiers shouted as the battle went on. There was no painful cry, indicating that there was no casualty.
“Victory!”
Soon, they heard their victory shouts.
“Victory!”
Flora let out a long relieved breath.
“Fear not, Milady. The Flissing is strong,” Avina said. “The Flissing and the Fenchel are the only houses you can count on in this Kingdom.”
“What of other houses?”
She shook her head. “They do not know the brutality of wars. They are too soft.”
Avina had actually experienced the Siwen invasion. She participated in the war as a field nurse back in her teenage years. She had seen and experienced the brutality of war first hand.
“Do you think we will make it to Lux?”
“I have no doubt that we will. You’ve seen these men just now. They are used to this. Tonight is probably the hardest one. The further we go South, the easier it will be.”
And just like she predicted, the number of werewolves decreased as they were further away from Dido. By the time they were a day away from Lux, it was only about fifteen werewolves which was half of what they experienced initially.
Upon arrival at the Fenchel manor, she took the guard captain’s hand to exit her carriage.
“Milady, I hope that you will prosper,” He said candidly.
Beaming a smile at him, she replied, “I thank you for your service.”
Other guards were unloading a chest from the carriage’s storage compartment and were handing it over to the Fenchel guards. The chest contained 50 gold coins which she was unaware of.
“It feels warmer, doesn’t it?”
To which Avina replied as she was exiting the carriage on her own.
“It should be warmer, yes.”
Interestingly, she was told to go back inside again not long after. Apparently, she was allowed out for a brief moment to exercise.
“The heir will greet you soon,” A butler who just exited through the main entrance explained the situation. “We’d like you to go back inside and greet him as I guide you out, Milady.”
Thus, they promptly went back and waited.
“That was a bit awkward,” Flora remarked to which Avina giggled.
“What’s funny?”
“If my intuition is correct, they weren’t expecting your arrival.”
“Hmm?”
“A letter from the Fenchel arrived, and you were sent right away. That’s not how a marriage talk should have gone,” she explained, “There should have been further communications.”
Soon, Flora grimaced. “Are you implying that I was sent here without their agreement in place?”
“That is what I think happened, yes.”
“Will I be sent back?”
“Unlikely, no, Milady. Your father has accepted whatever terms they were going to present by simply sending you here. For once, your father did you good.”
Indeed, the chest with 50 gold coins, ten times more than the norm, would take care of everything.
“He is here,” The butler whispered toward them as he opened the carriage door. She struck out her hand for the butler to hold and guide her out.
The boy she met about a year ago stood before him, flanked by his father and someone else. He bowed as he placed his palm on his chest.
“Lady Flora Flissing, we welcome you, Milady.”
I shall carve my own story here.
Her journey also began.