Prologue
The young king stood by the window, facing the city that was shining from the many torches now lit, so people could find their way around. He turned the little portrait in his hands, watching the beautiful face in front of him from different angles. She really was the northern beauty, wasn’t she? he thought. Damon hadn’t really taken his time before to notice just how beautiful she was. Not until he was practically half-dead, lying on a battlefield not sure if he would survive. He had seen the portrait once when he had travelled through town not thinking too much about it, but after he was saved and he had been strong enough, he had searched for that portrait, buying it so he had something to hold onto. Damon had seen her when he felt like he was floating in that in-between. He had seen her beautiful face, and it was like she had called him back to life. Maybe he was crazy, he thought, as he smiled a little. Damon had considered he might have lost his mind after being so close to death, but it wasn’t the first time he had been wounded so badly. Why was it her face that had haunted him? Why couldn’t he let it go? Princess Ayla was a princess of a small kingdom called Virtilla. It wasn’t even the biggest kingdom in the northern parts of Casta. There were other princesses he could ask for. Others he could marry. No kingdom was bigger than his, but he wanted her.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door, leading into his study. Damon looked over his shoulder, not really in the mood to talk at the moment, but he told the person to enter anyway.
“My king,” a simple messenger said as he bowed before him.
“Yes?”
“They refused,” he told the young king.
“Refused?” Damon asked.
He nodded.
“King Kelderon does not want to accept your proposal for his daughter,” the messenger told Damon.
Damon smiled a little. He was not surprised. Their kingdoms had never been friends, and Kelderon was a very ambitious king. He wanted more land, but he wanted Damon’s land. He had wanted Melesos for a long time. Keldaron was not going to be king of his land, he told himself. It was a stupid thing to refuse Damon’s proposal. His daughter could be the queen of it all, but of course, Kelderon did not accept, because in his eyes it was another way to accept defeat pretty much.
“That’s too bad,” Damon said dryly.
“You know what this means, right, my king?”
He nodded.
“Of course. Now we go to war.”
