The Hero

Summer came and went and winter came again.

It was that time of the year when every door in Isolde was closed, and no travellers would come to this kingdom, for only the people there could bear this agonising cold. It was the type of coldness that reached into your bones and turned your blood into icy sludge. No one wanted to go outside after sunset when the air was so chilled it hurt to even breathe.

And during those winter days, the fireplace became Reyna's little sun for the evening, painting her mother's reading room with yellow and orange hues while casting long shadows over the rug.

She would lay her head on her mother's lap, watching the flames curl and sway in hypnotised joy, while listening to the same old stories until she fell asleep and dreamed about her own happy ending.

As a child, she let those moments pass by without knowing, and only learned to cherish them when they had become distant memories.

Her mother died in the winter.

Reyna was fourteen that year. She had never dealt with the loss of a loved one before, but she guessed it wouldn't have been as hard had it not happened so suddenly. It was the plague that had killed thousands of people in the kingdom, and her mother was one of those poor victims. And when it was over, it didn't feel like it was. Everything had been destroyed. Isolde looked like the kingdom of the dead, and without the Queen, it was sinking into despair.

Reyna’s family didn't travel South in the summer again. Her father said that trip would be meaningless now that his Queen was gone, but those who knew him well would know the real reason. He just didn't want to travel by the Vedarr River without Queen Meira.

As for Reyna, she was completely lonely in this world now that her mother was gone.

For the first year after the Queen's death, she had been exchanging letters with her uncle. But then her father found out and forbade her from doing that again. He didn't want to associate with the Connells anymore, and Reyna believed he was trying to make it seem like her mother had never existed. He dealt with grief by neglecting its importance.

But it was easier said than done. Queen Maira had been his light, and when he’d lost her, he had also lost the only living part inside of him. She would always be there in everything he did, and he would have to carry the pain of losing her until the day he died.

That year, Reyna was eighteen, Egon was twenty, and their father was ill. Gravely ill.

Words were spreading around that it wouldn't take long until Egon took his father's place. The King's condition only worsened each day, and not even the best doctors could figure out what was wrong with him. However, Reyna thought she might know the answer.

"Can people die of a broken heart?"

She was sitting by the window of her chamber, staring blankly at the grey sky. She felt her lady-in-waiting stop combing her hair, so she turned back to look at the girl.

"Nobody knows what's killing him. That's the only explanation, Jo.”

Jo said nothing for a moment. She probably didn't know what to say and wasn't sure what Reyna wanted to hear. Eventually, she let out a heavy sigh. "We should not discuss His Majesty's condition, my lady. Not even when we're alone."

Reyna pressed her lips together and gave a nod. She knew she should never discuss these matters in the castle, but she trusted Jo, at least more than anyone else there.

Jo was a few years older than her and was also her only friend. She loved talking to Jo, but she wished the girl had been more opinionated instead of just agreeing with most of the things she said and disagreeing only when it might get them into trouble.

"I know. It's just--" Reyna exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't...I don't think my brother would be a good king. What has he been doing for the last four years but drinking and sleeping around and drinking again?"

"Well, His Highness is a great soldier."

Jo's innocent comment made Reyna guffaw. "A great soldier," she scorned. "Hurting people for self-pleasure doesn't make you great or a soldier. Killing and ruling are two very different things."

"My apology, Your Highness. I-I don't...don't know much about these things."

When Jo hung her head to hide her blushing, Reyna knew right away something was wrong. She got on her knees and grabbed the maid's shoulders.

"Did he--" Reyna stopped right when she saw the look in Jo's eyes. That silence was the answer she had expected, but not the one she wanted to hear.

Without finishing the question, she jumped right off the bed and stormed out of the room. The maid chased after her, begging her to let it go, but she was so mad she would have kicked the door down if her brother hadn't left his wide open.

"You! Out!"

The naked girl in Egon’s bed crumbled in fear and hurriedly got up to put her dress back on, not wanting to disobey the Princess. She looked like she was about to cry from humiliation as she walked out, but her 'lover' in bed couldn't seem more unbothered.

Egon adjusted the sheets around his waist and leaned back against the headboard, smirking at Reyna and Jo. "Was she being too loud? I could get a different whore, a mute one perhaps?"

That response got him a look of disgust from Reyna.

"I told you to stay away from Jo!"

"My lady, plea--"

"You could fool around with the entire kingdom, man or woman, but not Jo!"

"She was begging for it. Just ask her."

"You--"

Reyna was about to charge forward when Jo grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back. A snobbish grin tugged at Egon's chapped lips as he released a happy sigh, knowing it would only drive Reyna insane for there was nothing she could do about it.

"You're sick, Egon," Reyna spat, wrapping both arms around Jo, who was holding back her tears, too scared to even look up.

"Brush your hair and stay out of my business, Sister. You're meeting your future husband today. A horse wouldn't want to fuck you if he saw you like that."

Ignoring her brother's snide remark, the princess stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

She didn't blame the maid. She knew her brother had his way with words and no girl could resist his deceiving charm. No matter how cruel he was to them, all he needed to do was promise them all the things he would never give, and they would believe him entirely. That was why she felt the need to protect girls like Jo from him. Girls who had grown up without love and couldn't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

But then again, it was difficult to differentiate between the two things. Living in a place like this, fantasy was the only thing that could get you through the day.

Reyna had spent years dreaming about a beautiful love story and the hero on a white horse, who would take her far away from this place, from the bad memories and the people who'd hurt her.

She was going to meet her betrothed tonight, at the ball. And she was excited, but also worried. If reality turned out to be different from the fantasy she'd been holding onto for her entire childhood, she would be so heartbroken.

"I'm sure the Prince of Attwell is a gentleman, and he will love you with all his heart," Jo said while braiding Reyna’s hair.

Reyna put on her gloves, smiling as she turned around. "When I get married, I will take you with me, Jo. We'll move far away from here, and I'll find you a rich husband who will take care of you."

"I don't need a husband, my lady. I'm happy to spend the rest of my life serving you."

As Jo handed Reyna her sword, Reyna almost told the maid how crazy that idea was, that from what she'd been taught, every girl needed a man. But when she saw the elation on Jo's face, all she did was nod and smile.

.

.

.

There was a field right outside the keep where Reyna had spent most of her childhood training and fighting battles with her wooden sword. When she was little, she used to always go there to train with Egon, but now she did it alone and was actually happy with that. The only person she missed every time she picked up her sword was her uncle. He had been an excellent teacher and always made her feel confident about her skills. Even though she had gotten more comfortable using the weapon, it was impossible to get better at fighting when she had no opponent.

Too distracted by the thought of Uncle Edgar, Reyna didn't hear footsteps coming up to her from behind. One swing of her sword caused the person to scream and collapse onto the ground.

She turned around, terrified, but then heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the man propping himself up, unharmed. Their eyes met for the first time. One look at his face stopped the princess in her tracks. She guessed he was well aware of his good looks, for he didn't seem bothered by the way she was tongue-tied and gawking at him.

"Your eyes are grey..." Reyna blurted before she could stop herself. Blood raised right up to her face, but the stranger only chortled and lifted his shoulders in a half-shrug.

"They are, yes. Thank you for noticing."

When he smiled at her, she lowered her sword but kept her guards up by maintaining a good distance from him. He got back on his feet, sweeping snow off his coat, and that was when she spotted the symbol of a hawk on his gold pin.

"Are you from Attwell?"

"Yes. How do you know?" The man chuckled and ran his fingers through his messy hair.

Reyna pressed her lips into a small smile, pointing to the pin on his left shoulder.

"Oh, right." He smacked his forehead, laughing again.

"So you're...here with the Gennadys for the ball tonight?" She took a step toward him, her sword was now on her side. "Are you--"

"Prince Kavan Gennady of Attwell," he finished her sentence, seemingly amused by the startled look on her face as he took her hand and gave it a kiss. "At your service, Your Highness."

Reyna's eyes grew bigger than before. She had to stutter for almost a second before she could blurt out the full sentence. "How do you know I'm the princess?"

The prince gestured to her dress. "If a servant got to wear that type of silk, Isolde must be the wealthiest kingdom in the world."

Blushing, Reyna rolled her eyes and breathed out a laugh. Then, it hit her. Her future husband had just seen her swinging a real sword as if it was a toy. And she knew better than anyone what would happen when a man caught a woman wielding a sword.

But why hadn't Kavan said anything? Was he not surprised or angry or disgusted?

"Do...do you find this strange?"

"Find what strange?"

"This,” said Reyna as she lifted her sword.

"I'm sure every kingdom has these," Kavan said, making her chuckle.

"No. It's me holding this. Have you seen a girl fighting with a sword before?"

"Yes, my mother."

Reyna's expression went blank in an instant. "Y-Your mother? A queen?"

"Yes." Kavan nodded proudly, a big smile spread across his handsome face. "In fact, we've got a lot of female soldiers in Attwell. So this isn't strange at all."

"Wow...I-I didn't know that..."

The Prince heaved a sigh of relief and extended his hand. "Walk with me? I'll tell you more about Attwell. After all, it's going to be your new home soon."

Reyna didn't hesitate to put her hand in his. She had never been to Attwell, and she had only just met this prince, but she had a good feeling about this marriage. Could this be the happy ending she had been waiting for?

Was he her hero?

.

.

.

Having lived in this castle her entire life, this was actually the first time Reyna had seen the ballroom. It was far different from what she'd imagined, and yet was everything she'd expected it to be, with crystal chandeliers spiralling down from the arching golden ceiling, and shiny golden walls with the polished floor that looked like an iced-over lake.

There had never been parties or fun in the castle before tonight, or maybe there had been when her mother was still alive, but she'd been too small to be able to attend.

This time, however, not only did she get to host a ball of her own, but she also got to decide who would be on the guest list. She'd received looks of judgement when she’d told the council that she’d wanted Jo to be invited. It was satisfying how those grumpy old men couldn't object and had to include her lady-in-waiting.

"Where's Jo?" Reyna asked the guard standing behind her as both seats next to her were empty. She knew her father couldn't leave the bed to join them tonight, but Jo should've been here by now.

"Why do you care about your maid when your future husband is also not at his table?" Egon, who was sitting on the other side of their father's chair, said with a mouth full of food.

It was only then that Reyna noticed Prince Kavan was also missing from his table. She hadn't seen him since they had said goodbye after their walk around the courtyard. The royal performers were keeping all the guests entertained, and dinner would be served in a minute. Reyna didn't really care for the Prince because he had people looking out for him. She was worried Jo would get anxious and change her mind at the last minute.

"Your Highness, where are you going?" a guard asked when Reyna got up, but she just waved him off and told him not to follow her. Egon's loud laughter faded away as she marched toward the back door and snuck out without anyone noticing.

In her golden ball gown, Reyna wandered aimlessly down the long corridor, calling out for Jo. Where could she be? If she didn't want to come, she would've told Reyna. Jo would never—

A loud cry stopped Reyna at once.

She stilled for a second. And she heard it again.

Slowly, she turned around, glaring at one of the closed doors on her right before padding to it. Whoever was inside that room was making noises like those wounded animals before being killed by her father on a hunt. But those animals had been in pain. This person was clearly enjoying whatever they were doing.

Reyna’s heart started racing faster when she thought she recognised the voice begging for more. She was trying to deny what she knew was true, but her shaky hand was already one step ahead, grabbing the handle and yanking the door wide open. Her horrified gasp tore the guilty couple apart.

She'd finally found Jo, sitting on the table, legs spread, completely naked underneath the dress Reyna had gifted her for tonight. And the man kneeling between Jo’s legs looked up at Reyna with the same grey eyes she'd fallen for. All three of them were speechless. It was Jo who broke the silence by hopping off the table.

"Your Highness, I can explain! Your Highness, please!"

Jo chased Reyna out of the room. Both of them were in tears, but Reyna believed she was the only one who was truly hurt.

"I just wanted to prove to you that he was a rat! You deserve so much better!"

"You are the rat, Jo! I trusted you!"

“No, please hear me out!” Jo reached for Reyna’s hand, but Reyna shrugged her off fast.

"You were like a sister to me!” Reyna shouted and spun to face Jo. “You made me believe you were naive! I even tried to protect you from Egon!"

"Can't you see, Princess?" Jo uttered in tears as she caught Reyna's hand with both of hers. "I just...I just wanted to prove to you that men were all the same! I don't want you to marry one. I-I love you."

"W-What?" Reyna choked on her word. Her ears were buzzing for a second before her expression hardened. "You love me? You love me?! You were with my future husband behind my back. Lied to my face. And you dared to say you loved me?!"

Jo was shaking her head so fast it might just fall off. "I've loved you since I met you...It can be just us...You don't need a husband."

"You're right, I don't," Reyna sniffled as she freed her arm from Jo's grip with a violent tug. "And I don't need you, either. You can't just hurt someone to get what you want and call it love, Jo. It doesn't work that way."

"Your Highness, plea--"

"Now get out of my sight,” Reyna hissed, wiped her tears and walked away.

.

.

.

"The wedding will not be cancelled."

"Father!"

"You are lucky I didn't punish you for leaving our guests before dinner even started. Now get out!"

"No!"

The King, though unwell, tried to sit up to look at Reyna, his stubborn daughter standing at the foot of his bed.

"I don't love him, Father,” she said through gritted teeth, trying to hold back the tears. Crying had never got her what she wanted, and she’d learned it the hard way too many times. “And he obviously doesn't love me. So this marriage would never work.”

"You will both learn to tolerate each other,” her father said and started coughing.

But she wouldn’t leave until she got what she was here for. "It makes no sense to marry someone and tolerate them, Father. If you don't love someone, you can't spend the rest of your life with them. And he was with Jo behind my back!"

"Then we'll kill Jo."

"No!" Reyna raised her voice, unfaltered by the look of shock on her father’s face. "I don't want you to hurt Jo,” she said, clenching her fists. “I just want to stop this wedding! If you went back in time and had to marry someone else, not Mother, would you have done it?"

"Yes."

Reyna couldn't tell whether her father's sickness was to blame for that thoughtless answer, or it was his cold heart, which had been frozen since the death of her mother. Either way, she wasn't ready to hear the rest.

"I married your mother to get the throne, and that was the only reason. You'll marry this prince and be his Queen and bring us a strong alliance. Now get out."

But Reyna was rooted to the floor. She looked at King Willem with determination in her eyes and resentment in her heart, and she knew it wasn't actually her that he saw, it was her mother. She had her mother's face, which would continue to haunt him and follow him to his grave.

"If Mother could return from the dead and hear these words, she would kill herself."

"GUARDS!" Willem roared, and two guards rushed in to take Reyna outside. She didn't even protest, she let them. When she was out, the doctors rushed into the room, and a dark thought crossed Reyna’s mind, sending shivers down her spine.

She wished her vengeful words would kill the King.

For all her life, she had prided herself on being nothing like her father. But now she knew it wasn't entirely true. She was still his daughter, whether she liked it or not.

She had to leave. It was the only way.

.

.

.

Reyna supposed one must have a detailed plan for running away, but she was too angry to think straight when she put some jewellery into a satchel, grabbed her sword and headed to the stable. The only logical thing she could come up with at this point was that she needed a strong horse for this long journey. She didn't know where she was going, but she must get out of Isolde, even if it ended with her head on a spike.

"Oh no, not Thunder!"

The black horse reared and neighed out of fear, causing Reyna to jump back.

Egon was standing at the entrance and smiling devilishly at her. "I was going to take him out for a ride, but it seems like my dear sister is going to do it for me. Are you finally running away?"

His question got her speechless. She wanted to deny it, but it would have made things worse.

"Are you going to tell Father?"

"No." Egon shook his head, clicking his tongue as he marched toward her. "I don't care about you. Just take a different horse."

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely! Where are you going by the way?"

"I don't know." She eyed him up and down as he circled around her like a vulture waiting to feed. Having known him for all those years, she could not trust anything that came out of his mouth.

"And you're going by yourself?"

She quietly nodded.

"Brave!" His applause made her jump. "Good luck surviving though. I'll give you...two days!" He beamed, raising two fingers. "You'll either run out of food, get robbed in the forest, or be eaten by wild animals. I mean, when was the last time you went past the curtain walls? Oh, right, never."

Still quiet, Reyna tried to not let her fear show and make Egon happy, but she couldn't help it. She swallowed hard, pursing her lips.

"Scared already?" He laughed. "I thought so. You are weak, Reyna. You've always been. It's time to use your head instead of your heart."

Reyna tightened her grip on the handle of her sword until her knuckles turned white. She thought she might lose it and cut Egon's throat for the things he'd said, but lucky for him, a guard showed up just in time to clear the tension.

"Your Highness!"

"Not now." Egon waved his hand, but the guard didn't leave.

"We've brought him here. He's in the dungeon."

"Who?" Reyna asked when she saw the unusual delight on her brother's face.

"A murderer," he said with a smirk. "He killed two of our brave men last night."

Oh, that. That she had heard. Egon had rewarded his favourite guards a free night in a brothel as he always did for no reason, but what was meant to be the best night of their lives had ended with two out of five killed in a fight.

Words travelled fast in this small kingdom, and Reyna believed by the end of today, everyone would've already heard the story. However, they would choose to believe Egon's version of what had happened, because after all, the man who had committed a crime was from Theros. And Northerners absolutely loathed those from the South.

"You had someone captured for saving an innocent woman?" Reyna gave Egon's shoulder a hard push, but he didn't budge.

"I don't know what they told you, but she clearly wasn't an innocent woman." He rolled his eyes. "She was a prostitute. And that Southern fool killed two of our guards for a dirty whore."

"Those men were trying to hurt that woman," Reyna said, giving Egon a spiteful glare. "If I was him, I would've done the same thing and made sure none of your fools was alive to run back to the castle like cry babies."

Rather than being offended, Egon suddenly pinched Reyna’s lips together and burst out laughing when she pushed his hand away.

"With that filthy mouth no wonder your future husband is fucking the entire kingdom except for you."

Reyna hated to admit that it hurt as much as the first time she'd heard it, but knowing her brother, she felt no need to react to his harsh words and give him the satisfaction he was craving for.

When Egon was sure she had nothing left to say, he gave the guard a signal to continue with the report.

"I've talked to the people in the brothel,” said the guard, “and apparently the prisoner was a conman. He fooled rich people for their money and—"

"And the brothel was full of rich brainless men," Reyna finished the sentence, trying to hold back a smile. "That was smart."

"Smart?" Egon scoffed. "With that long list of crimes, the rat will be hung by tomorrow morning."

Reyna turned a deaf ear to her brother's comment and asked the guard, "Do you know if he has a family?"

"Ugh...women," Egon gagged, but once again, was ignored.

"They said his mother was sick, so he was probably stealing for her,” the guard told Reyna.

"A criminal with a tragic backstory,” Egon mused. “Isn't he exactly like one of those dumb characters in Mother's boring bedtime stories?"

Reyna took a deep breath. "What's his name?"

"Zuko, Your Highness. Rowan Zuko."

Rowan Zuko

Rowan Zuko

Rowan...

Reyna repeated the name over and over again even after her brother and the guard had left. Rowan Zuko, a conman from Theros, who had a sick mother and would do anything to get back to his family. And she, a damsel in distress, whose only family left was her uncle in Theros.

Could this be it?

Could this be her brilliant master plan?