The King's Treasure

On a beautiful snowy morning, a princess left behind her heart and a kingdom in flames. As the ship pulled away from the dark sands of the Black Coast, she watched her home, the imposing Palace of the Pontal, the capital of the sovereign Kingdom of Handar, shrink with distance. Meanwhile, her fate would remain out of sight, lost on the horizon, for the next seven weeks. Handar had been at war for longer than Daerina could remember. When her father died and her brother took the throne, she was only four years old — and three years later, King Rhestan of Seliria declared war on Handar. Rina grew up watching her brothers become generals, exceptional warriors in whom the entire kingdom would deposit their faith. She was left behind their glory, like a forgotten piece in a game that would be won without her having to move. But wars are not won with swords and strong men alone; the people needed to eat. So she needed to move. An alliance with a rich and powerful kingdom could save the people of Handar from starvation. Daerina was the last piece on the board that her brother, King Eron, would move, for he had long sworn to always protect her from the manipulations and abuses so certain in a princess's fate. But this princess was raised by two generals, warrior princes who always put the sovereignty of their realm first. So she stepped outside their protection and decided this was the time to serve her motherland. Even if it cost her everything. A marriage between Princess Daerina of Handar and Crown Prince Haveron of Nak’huwen has been arranged, even though they have never seen each other before. So young, both of them, stuck in a commitment that would cost so much for their young lives; it would cost them the chance to find true love. Rina still had hopes (and this she kept to herself) that maybe the Crown Prince would be the answer to her teenage daydreams. She knew he was young, even listened once that he was handsome. Perhaps a life without love was not her destiny and perhaps her bravery in leaving her home forever to ensure that this alliance would put food on her people's table would be rewarded by the Goddess with something she deeply desired: to be loved unconditionally. For seven weeks, Daerina crossed the ocean towards her prince. She cried a few times, out of fear or homesickness, but she never let anyone see her tears. Sometimes she allowed herself to imagine what her new life would be like. Nak’huwen was known to be a beautiful, sunny kingdom, filled with marble palaces on the shores of Lake Hetis. She imagined herself wearing fine silk dresses, eating fresh fruit and drinking wine in the warm sun - after all, she left Handar in the middle of a harsh winter. She imagined Prince Haveron, every time she thought of him, he looked like a different lord or knight she had seen at the Handarian court in which she considered to be handsome. She imagined herself dancing with him in stately halls, walking with him through colorful gardens where he would steal a kiss or two from her. And when nights on the ship seemed too long or too lonely, she imagined her wedding night. So many expectations the young princess had. And she cultivated them all in secret during the seven long weeks she spent at sea. The ship finally reached its destination and docked off the coast of Nak’huwen. For seventeen years Daerina saw only the black sands of the Handarian coast and it was almost a dream to see with her own eyes the fine white sands of that beach. A royal entourage was waiting for her on the deck. "Welcome to Nak’huwen, Your Highness." Said the Handarian ambassador, the only thing she understood, as she didn't speak their language and they didn't speak hers, but she wasn't worried, she could speak four languages, Nat'huwen would be just one more in the near future . A carriage awaited to take her to the Palace of Marsir, her future home, where she would meet Prince Haveron and the rest of the royal family. "I must inform you, Your Highness, some things have changed since you left Handar." Said the Handarian ambassador. "Queen Ephyra is dead." He continued. “She passed away two months ago… Prince Haveron's coronation must take place before the end of the year, but you must refer to him as His Majesty. The court is in mourning, but the arrangement between our kingdom and theirs still stands. Don't forget to pay your condolences when we get there.” Haveron wasn't king when Daerina imagined herself being courted by him. Mourning was also not part of the scenarios she created in her mind during those seven weeks. It reminded her that she wasn't there to live a fairy tale, she was there to seal an alliance, an alliance that could be decisive in the war her brother had been fighting for over ten years. But she was still anxiously waiting to look her future husband in the eyes, finally seeing his face and letting herself be seen by him. The huge gates of Mansir were opened to the Handarian retinue and Daerina saw the palace closer and closer and it was as beautiful and resplendent as she had imagined. She was received by Princess Lunjil, the late Queen's sister, and her family. As she welcomed her to the kingdom and escorted her to the main hall of the palace, her eagerness to meet Haveron increased. Was he really handsome? Would he find her beautiful? All she wanted was for him to welcome her with his heart as open as hers and stop fantasizing about an unfamiliar face once and for all. Unfortunately, when she thought she would finally have an answer, she had to wait. The king did not show up to receive her.