Children of Misfortune

"Crow! Why are you wet?!"

Now, where could Rowan Zuko begin?

He could tell his friend that he'd just saved a girl from drowning in the river, or he could make something up and save himself from hearing Kenny's same old lesson. But when the little girl gave him that worrying look with her big shiny eyes and pouty lips, he couldn't help it. He panicked.

"I met a girl."

"A girl?" Kenny arched both eyebrows in shock. "In the forest?"

"Yes. She was lost. I helped her get back to her family."

"That doesn't explain why you're wet though."

"Right..." Rowan chuckled as he combed his fingers through his hair which had dried from staying out too long in the sun. "She...she splashed water on me."

"She splashed water on you?" Kenny gasped, her eyes growing bigger. Rowan knew he was going nowhere with this lie, and he should back out while he still could.

"Just forget about her. She's gone now."

Rowan reached for Kenny’s hand, but she refused to take his. "Promise me you won't scare me like that again," she said, frowning.

Rowan sighed and nodded. "Never again, I promise."

Everyone in their village knew about what had happened to Kenny's father last year. He’d gone to that same river once and never made it back. A few huntsmans had found his body washed up on the bank a few days later. Ever since then, there had been many different rumours about how Kenny’s father had died, but nobody actually knew what had happened. Kenny had never come near a river or a lake again.

"Come on. Let's get back to help your mother!" Rowan said cheerfully with an arm around his best friend’s shoulder. The weight was lifted from his chest as Kenny’s brightened with a smile again.

"You're only eager to help so you can attend the king's festival dinner tomorrow night!" she teased.

"Well, that's not...wrong," he admitted, and they both laughed. "One day, Kenny, I'll become a lord, and the King will invite me to his festival dinner every year. I won't have to help in his kitchen to be able to attend."

"Will you take me with you?"

"To the king's dinner?"

"Yes!"

"Anything for you, my lady,” Rowan said, then took Kenny’s hand and gave it a kiss.

He knew if he'd told anyone else about his dream, they would've laughed and made fun of him. But Kenny was different. She believed in him and always made his unrealistic dreams seem a little more achievable.

Ever since Rowan could remember, he had fantasized about living the life of a prince even though he'd never even set foot anywhere near the portcullis. That forest was the closest he'd ever been to the castle. As he climbed to the top of the tallest tree, he could see almost everything on the outside.

The walls stood mute as grey stones rose from the ground, defying entrance and protecting the people within. Someday, he swore he would stand where knights stood and see what kings saw. Someday he would look through the window on one of those highest towers and the rest of the world — this forest, this river, would be so tiny.

But today, his place was in the kitchen.

His family was poor but Kenny's was not, relatively. Her mother worked in the King's kitchen which was quite a big deal for someone from their village. The Rowleys didn't like Rowan very much. In fact, Patricia Rowley had bigger plans for her youngest daughter than being friends with a poor boy like him. Rowan’s father was a blacksmith, and his mother was always ill, so his older sister had to take care of most of the housework. He had no future at all. The Rowleys would never want him to be Kenny's—What was that word the mad girl had told him again?

Right, betrothed. They would never want him to be her betrothed. But would he want that? What about her? Would she want him?

A smack on the back of Rowan’s head knocked him out of his daydream. He looked up and saw Patricia Rowley glaring down at him. "You are here to work, boy! Go out there and help Kennedy!"

Rowan didn’t dare to say a word as he hurriedly followed the other servants, carrying the food to the tables at the end of the dining hall. They didn't let servants go anywhere near the royal family or their royal guests, but to see them from a distance was also a dream come true for him.

"That's the King of Isolde," Kenny told him later that night when they hid behind the curtain at the very back to enjoy some fruits they had stolen from a drunk gentleman.

"Why is that seat empty?" Rowan asked, pointing to the chair next to the Northern King.

"The princess couldn't make it. I heard that she was sick."

"Maybe it's too hot for her here.”

Kenny covered her mouth and giggled, and Rowan felt so proud for having made her laugh. “The Northern Queen is very beautiful,” Kenny remarked.

"Indeed. Do you think her daughter’s beautiful as well?"

"The princess?"

"Yes.” Rowan nodded. “I've never seen a princess before. I think she should be the most beautiful girl in her kingdom."

"What would you do if you could talk to her?"

"Oh, I would ask her to dance!"

Kenny didn't comment on Rowan’s answer as she slipped out of the curtains and disappeared behind the door leading to the garden. It was only then that Rowan realised him complimenting the Northern Princess wasn't what Kenny had wanted to hear.

"Kenny, wait—"

Rowan almost fell when he bumped into a stranger at the door. His heart almost flew out of his chest when he locked eyes with the beautiful woman. He thought she would call for the guards to have him arrested. But she only flashed a shiny smile and headed straight toward the King's table. Just like everyone else in the room, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

While all the guests were wearing the most colourful clothes, this woman was dressed all in black. Her skin was so pale it didn't look any warmer in the candlelight, and her footsteps were so light it seemed as if she was floating. She looked like a ghost. A beautiful one.

Then, something else caught Rowan’s attention. He spotted a golden hairpin under the royal guests' table which he supposed someone had dropped. Nobody else had seen it because he was the shortest person in the room, and all the attention was on the mysterious lady anyway. The first thing that popped up in Rowan’s mind was how pretty that pin would look on Kenny's hair. He had to get it for her, no matter the cost.

As King Edgar rose from his chair to welcome the mysterious guest to his castle, Rowan slipped under a table and started crawling.

"This is Madame Maggie," King Edgar said. "She's a prophet, the most powerful one in the land."

"So she's a witch?"

"You can say that," Madame Maggie smiled, unbothered by King Willem's cynical remark.

"She communicates with the Gods, and she can foresee the future." Seeing how the Callistos exchanged doubtful looks with one another, King Edgar went on, "Willem, my brother. Would you like to see?"

"How?"

"I can read your palm and tell you about the future of your kingdom, my lord," Madame Maggie said. Chattering was getting louder among the royal guests.

Being the least superstitious man in the room, King Willem burst out laughing and told Madame Maggie, "How about you read my son's palm to see what a great king he will be?"

Excited, the young Prince gave Maggie his left hand. She took it and gently traced his palm lines with her fingertip. Her mouth twisted with an unintelligible grin.

"The left hand represents your inborn fate, while the right hand represents your destiny affected by different decisions and outcomes," she told King Willem. "People's fates are governed by the Gods, while fortune is created by themselves. So which would you prefer to hear, my lord?"

"Tell me about his destiny," King Willem said after a moment of thinking.

"All right, my lord." Madame Maggie gave a nod. The whole table fell to silence as she observed the Prince’s palm closely. "You have two beautiful children. May I ask where the princess is?"

"The princess doesn't feel well so she cannot join us tonight," the Queen said.

"Is that so?" smiled Madame Maggie before turning to Egon. "If this boy becomes king, and he will—"

The King and Queen of the North smiled proudly at their son, who sat up straight and fixed the crowd on his head.

"—your entire dynasty will go down in flames."

"Nonsense!" King Willem roared as Egon withdrew his hand immediately. The whisperings among the guests got louder. Fear was etched on the royal family’s faces. Meanwhile, Maggie looked as serene as when she’d first arrived.

"This woman is mad! Guards!"

"Willem!" the Queen cried out.

King Edgar put up his hand to stop the guards before they could get to Madame Maggie. Then, he faced Willem. "Madam Maggie is my guest and so are you. A guest cannot request another guest to leave."

King Willem was just about to reply when Maggie interrupted, "The little princess, however."

"What about her?" asked Queen Meira, who was looking the most distressed.

"Princess Reyna is your only hope."

Maggie's short answer sent the whole room into chaos. The Callistos and King Edgar were frozen in their seats while the guests tried to interpret that answer.

"Have a lovely evening, my lords and ladies."

Maggie bobbed a curtsy, and just as she turned away, Rowan accidentally bumped his head against the table. All eyes flicked to him as he jumped out and dashed across the room to escape through the nearest exit. Nobody chased after him. They were too busy looking for Madame Maggie, who had disappeared without a trace.

.

.

.

"Kenny! Guess what just happened in there!" Rowan called out as he sprinted across the courtyard to where his best friend was sitting on the doorsteps.

Kenny didn't look so thrilled when she saw him. "Is it about the princess?"

"Yes, it's—"

"Do you like her?"

Surprised by the question, Rowan stopped to catch his breath as Kenny got to her feet and walked up to him.

"I haven't even seen her face!" he said.

And she frowned. "You don't have to see her face to like her. Everyone knows she's beautiful!"

"She's a girl I don't know, Kenny."

"What about the girl in the forest? The one you do know."

Rowan’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he groaned. "She probably returned to her family already, and I won't ever see her again! What is this all about, Kenny?"

Kenny averted her eyes and started fidgeting with the hem of her dress. Even in the moonlight, Rowan could see her blushing.

"I like you,” she said after a moment.

"I like you, too," Rowan said.

Kenny stared at him with wide eyes and mouth agape. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but all she did was wave him off. "You know what? Forget it."

"Wait, I got you something!" Before she could leave, Rowan caught her by the hand, opened it and placed the gold hairpin onto her palm.

Kenny's eyes popped out when she realised she was holding actual gold.

"Did you steal it?!"

"No, someone dropped it. Do you like it?"

"We must give it back, Crow!"

"We don't know who it belongs to." Rowan shrugged. "Even if we did and returned it, they would probably think we stole it. I mean, look at us! Look at me!"

The way he dramatically gestured at himself made Kenny giggle.

"Right," she agreed and pinned the accessory onto her hair. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

Kenny didn’t say anything else. Instead, she stood and stared at Rowan. For someone who was clueless about most things, Rowan felt like he had never been sure about anything more than what he was about to ask.

“Do you want to be my betrothed?"

Kenny squinted her eyes at the question and gave Rowan the same look he’d given the mad girl at the river. "What is a betrothed?"

"Someone...someone you'll marry when you're older."

"Oh...okay, then..." Kenny sucked in a breath as if she was trying not to smile so big. "Of course, Crow. I'll be your betrothed."

.

.

.

Reyna sat by the window with her chin on her knuckles, taking in the magnificent view of the beautiful Kingdom of Theros. She grew up with her mother's fairytale about a princess locked in a high tower and a prince showing up just in time to save the damsel in distress. And yet, there she was, locked up in a high tower, and no prince charming was on his way to rescue her.

She should be outside, picking flowers in the sun, rolling down the hill and lying on the green grass. She should be allowed to do the things a normal child loved to do. Sadly, she wasn't a normal child. She was a princess, whose job was to follow the rules; and by breaking them, she not only caused trouble for herself but also for others.

Maybe it would be for the best if she just disappeared. Her family would be better off without her. Her mother would probably miss her, but the Queen would eventually grow used to her absence. If she left, no one would have to waste their time worrying about her and punishing her and bearing her father's anger for her. And she would be free to do whatever she wanted. Oh, what a great vision that was!

But a dream was only a dream. She knew she could never escape this life. She had never gone past the curtain walls by herself and for certain would get lost, starve and die alone if she did. The only choice she had left was to wait until she was old enough to marry a prince, and only then would she be able to leave her kingdom to start a new life.

She sighed at the thought while gazing up at the cloudless blue sky and imagining her hero showing up on his beautiful white horse.

The door creaked open suddenly, and Reyna jolted when she heard a voice that didn't belong to her maid.

"Reyn."

"Uncle!"

Reyna hopped away from the window and ran right into King Edgar's arms. He picked her up, holding her tightly and stroking her hair. His touch was just as gentle as her mother's, and for a second, she forgot that she was being punished.

"You're growing up so fast! You're so heavy now!"

"I'm taller, too!"

"Yes, you are, my dear!" King Edgar laughed when Reyna wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Did the guards see you come in, Uncle? My father doesn't allow—"

"It's okay, darling. You are now free to leave your chamber."

Reyna broke into a smile as soon as she heard. "Really? How?!"

King Edgar put her down and got down on his knees in front of her. "It was a shame you weren't there to see our duel today. I asked your father to forgive you if I won, and I did. So you're free to go."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Reyna exclaimed joyously and gave her uncle another tight hug.

"You're welcome." He smiled. "Anything for my favourite girl."

Despite the love Edgar had for Reyna and her mother, the feud between the Callistos and Connells had existed since the beginning of time. Every Northern king had wanted to invade Theros, for this kingdom was not only large and rich, but its people were also more well-educated and skilled.

The Connells, who had been the rulers of the South for all that time, preferred peace, but they wouldn't mind shedding blood and taking blood to protect their land. Had it not been for the marriage of Princess Meira and Prince Willem, the two houses might still be each other's enemies up till this day.

Though a war would go against everything their ancestors had fought for and Queen Meira would never forgive her husband if he dared to invade her home, King Willem had often mulled it over.

A few years before, during a reunion feast, King Edgar had jokingly suggested a duel between him and King Willem, and the winner of which could have anything they asked for.

"If I win, would you give me Theros?" King Willem had said, laughing as if it had been a joke, but everyone at the table had known he had never been more serious about anything.

The guests, Queen Meira, and even King Willem himself had expected King Edgar to start laughing along, but with a solid look in his eyes, he had accepted the deal.

"What do you want in return if you win?"

"Nothing," King Edgar had said without pause. "Seeing you humiliated is already my biggest reward."

"You sound confident," King Willem had mocked.

And King Edgar had calmly replied, "That's not confidence, brother. That's a fact."

When King Willem heard that, he had been so sure that he would return to Isolde the morning after with both kingdoms in the palm of his hand. But what he hadn’t known was, King Edgar had been the greatest swordsman in his kingdom since he’d been a boy. He had never lost a battle in his life, and would certainly not lose to someone who had not picked up a sword in a decade.

King Edgar had won the duel that year, and the year after that, and another one after that. He had won every year since. Being too proud to accept it, King Willem would ask for a rematch every time he visited Theros, hoping that he would win. But no matter how much effort he'd put into training, he always faced the same defeat.

"Your father is a fool, Reyn, just like your brother."

Reyna covered her mouth and tittered at her uncle's remark. Uncle Edgar was probably the only man she knew who wasn't afraid of her father, and for that reason, she adored him the most.

"Now, my love. How would you like a walk in the garden with me?"

"Did you even need to ask?!" Reyna squealed in excitement, and without waiting for her uncle, bolted out of the room.

She loved everything about her uncle’s home, but her favourite place had to be the garden. She and her mother had tried growing flowers in their own garden back in the North, but nothing could survive the abysmal cold there, so they'd stopped doing it years ago. Now their garden looked like an enormous blanket of white, while the garden here was a vibrant painting with all the colours of a rainbow. The lake-side air was pungent with the sweet fragrance of flowers, and King Edgar even picked a rose to put it in her hair.

"I wish I could stay here forever," she mumbled as they both rested on a bench by the lake. "I wasn't happy back home. Both Father and Egon were mean to me and every time mother tried to help me, father got mad at her, too."

King Edgar shook his head, his brows knitted together. "That little idiot Egon should've been punished, not you."

"Yes, Egon was a liar! But Father said no one could punish the future King so Egon can just do whatever he wants and hurt whoever he wants. Did you know that he made the servants in the castle stand still for him to beat them with his wooden sword?"

"That is outrageous!" King Edgar cried out in anger. "My father, your grandfather, used to punish me all the time when I was young. If someone does something wrong, they should take responsibility for their action, no matter if they're a boy or a girl. Both are equal."

Reyna took some time to think before she spoke, "Then why can't a girl be the King, Uncle? Is there a rule for that?"

"Not that I know of." King Edgar gave a shrug, smiling. "Maybe you will be the first King who's a girl. I can see great potential in you, Reyn."

If Reyna had heard this before the accident by the river, maybe she would've been so happy and wholeheartedly believed in those words. But now she had come to terms with the fact that she was better off standing back and taking orders from the men in her family.

"Only in my wildest dreams, uncle," she said with a small smile. "But that's okay. One day, I will marry a prince and move far away from Isolde. I just hope my future husband will be as kind and understanding as you."

King Edgar gave a nod as he held her pink cheek and pressed his lips on top of her head. "I hope that for you as well, my darling. Whatever happens, just know that Theros will always be your second home. You'll always be welcome here."

Reyna wasn't sure why her uncle had said that or whether he knew something she didn't, but it warmed her heart to hear his assurance. She put the red rose back into her black hair, grinning from ear to ear.