ASHES OF THE PHOENIX BRIDE

Dear readers, ASHES OF THE PHOENIX BRIDE is a fictional story. All characters, places, cultures, or traditions are entirely from my imagination.

Princess Lyra

*Huff...*

"Tighten your grip!" Cassian warned again as he struck my back with the bo staff.

The only thing I had ever been interested in was my martial arts training with Cassian, my childhood friend.

We'd been sparring for hours, and I was losing even though he was not focused on the match.

His remarks were cold, and his grey eyes lacked life. I wondered what was on his mind.

I should've been happy that he was going easy on me, but I was bothered instead. It was painful watching a friend go through something he didn't want to talk about.

He swung the staff towards me, aiming for my ribs. I managed to crouch and avoid the hit.

I heaved a deep breath and lunged upwards—a move used by Cassian himself.

My body arched as I soared over his head and landed with my feet spread apart, almost twisting my ankle.

Before Cassian could react, the tip of my staff was already pressed flat between his shoulder blades.

"I win." I smirked, pulling my staff away. It was surprising how the outcome of the match turned out. I was clearly losing at the beginning.

As Kae used to say, it was impossible to predict the end of a fight…

"Only because I let you." He turned to me, pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket.

"I didn't expect you to use my own move against me. I've told you repeatedly to find your own style."

Most of the moves I used were copied from Kae, General Karian, and Cassian.

Since I was good at recreating techniques, I never bothered creating my own.

"You've also told me that when it comes to fighting, one must not stick to a specific pattern. There are no rules on the battleground after all." I snatched the handkerchief from him, wiping sweat from my face and neck.

"Someone would actually think you're a warrior and not a princess. Although your skills sometimes feel forced, you've gotten better. You haven't been training with someone else, have you?"

"Who else would dare to spar with a princess? Everyone knows they could get punished if they indulged my desire to fight. You're only unscathed because father doesn't know that you and I have been training together."

Although the ongoing war has been devastating, it removed Father's attention from my matters.

"Anyway, what do you think? Am I as good as Kae?"

I flexed my shoulders and pinned the staff on the ground.

It was because of Kae that I loved training so much. He was the only one who supported whatever I did. Even when I was wrong, he never scolded me in public.

It would be nice to be half as good as he was.

"Not even close." He flicked my forehead with his fingers.

Kae was my older brother—the Crown Prince of Valeria, who died at the battlefront. He had promised me the best gifts for my eighteenth birthday. Unfortunately, he died when I was still seventeen.

His death made my father, the King, prohibit me and my sisters from ever wielding a weapon. He didn't want us to meet with the same fate as he did.

Being the most stubborn daughter out of three, I defiantly trained in secret.

If Father ever found out, I'd receive an earful.

A maid suddenly walked past the training ground. I dropped low behind a dummy. She was probably looking for me.

"She's gone," Cassian whispered, helping me up.

"You've been out all day, so naturally, everyone will be worried. It's already dark. I think you should return."

I gazed into his eyes—the night sky reflected in them.

Would he really not tell me what was going on in his head?

We'd been friends for so long, and he still had the habit of hiding his troubles from me. He always acted fine in front of me, so I wouldn't worry.

I wanted to stay and ask him about it, but I feared Father's temper.

"Alright. Let's train again tomorrow." He agreed.

My gaze swept across the numerous dummies pinned to the ground. When I was sure there was no one close by, I ran towards the closest hallway.

"Princess Lyra!" My personal maidservant, Maeve, called before I reached the building. She ran over. Her uniform swayed gently in the night breeze.

"Princess Lyra, greetings." She held the edge of her dress and bowed. I could see the worried look on her face when she noticed what I was wearing.

It was uncomfortable training in those heavy formal gowns. I preferred wearing the male servants' attire. I had stolen a pair from the palace store some years back.

"His Majesty the King asked for your audience in the family hall."

The family hall?

"Everyone is already there… I'm afraid you won't have enough time to change."

How splendid...

My footsteps echoed loudly as I entered the family hall. I could even hear my heartbeat.

Why were they so quiet?

You'd almost think someone died.

The smoke from the lamps placed at every corner made the air cloudy, but of course, no one would dare complain.

"Father..." I bowed, avoiding eye contact.

"Mother..." The two of them sat beside each other, facing the door. Before them was a short wooden table.

Althea, my eldest sister, sat on the right, opposite my second sister, Elara. There was a wide space between them.

They were dressed elegantly, adorned with the finest jewelry. Each of them had their attending servants standing behind them.

Compared to the four of them, I didn't look like royalty at all.

With my head still lowered, I scurried to the empty chair beside Elara.

"Stop right there!" My father's hoarse voice made me shiver.

"What are you wearing? Were you training despite my warnings? You're a woman—a princess! You should know better—"

"Your Majesty…" My mother called, placing a hand on his chest. He breathed in slowly and looked away from me.

"Thank you, mother," I said in my heart.

"Sit," he ordered. I nodded and took my position.

Ever since Kae died, we had never gathered together like that. It had already been three years.

Thinking about it again, I suspected a reason for Cassian's attitude earlier. He once told me that the soldiers of Drakenhold were at least three times stronger than those of Valeria.

After Kae's death, General Karian took over as commander of the army. Since Karian was Cassian's brother, Cassian was probably worried about his welfare.

Father cleared his throat and picked up two envelopes from the table in front of him. One was a pale cream colour, while the other was gold.

"This morning, the soldiers from the front line sent a letter alongside a royal decree from Drakenhold..." He studied our expression before continuing.

"General Karian sustained a serious injury and is currently unconscious. With our army's commander down, we know full well how the war will end—"

"Princess Althea!" The maidservants called out, as they surrounded her. She had collapsed from shock.

Karian was not only Cassian's brother, but he was also her husband. She last saw him about three months ago when he returned to the palace to pass a confidential message to the King.

Now that I was certain about why Cassian was troubled, I felt bad for shamelessly forcing him to spar with me.

I stood up, hoping to help Althea—

"Sit, Lyra. I'm not yet finished."