1 Prologue
Fire Kingdom (23 years ago) Spring ‘66:
Queen Ruth lies in bed in her chamber, pain runs up her body. Yellow candle light illuminates the stone room, casting shadows on her tan face. Sweat droplets run over her body. Her pregnant belly is large and protruding, exposed to the moist air.
“Push my lady,” says her maid Jessica.
The baby’s head is slowly coming out into the world. It takes a couple of minutes of effort from the mother and child, and soon the cries of the newborn baby sound in the room. Jessica wipes water on the baby with a dampened cloth, handing the baby over to the queen, who kisses her baby girl.
“Jessica, take the baby to her room. I will take a quick nap,” says Queen Ruth.
Jessica lays the newborn baby inside a wooden crib surrounded by soft blankets in the room next to Queen Ruth’s chambers. She exits the room after the baby falls asleep after drinking milk. A shadow enters the room and looks down at the sleeping baby. A look of disgust crosses the face of King Keth; he knows the baby is a product of the affair between Queen Ruth and one of her guards. He has been following their movements in secret, only allowing the affair to not lose face with the members of the upper class.
King Keth grabs the baby, keeping it arm's length away. Striding to the door, he exits the room to his servant, awaiting orders.
“Get rid of this thing, kill it far away in the kingdom,” says King Keth.
The servant nods and carries the baby in his arms throughout the castle, making sure nobody sees him. Down gray stone corridors, they hurry until arriving at the back gates of the castle. There a carriage awaits. The servant climbs the carriage with the baby tucked near his chest, silencing a cry by rocking her back and forth.
“Where to?” says the driver.
“To the inside of the kingdom. I’ll tell you when to stop,” says the servant. The servant feels loyalty to King Keth, but his value of life is too great to kill the child. He cannot come to kill the baby in his arms.
Passing through the dark forest as branches grab at the carriage, the early morning paints the sky. The servant signals the driver to stop at the small town they have just reached- Ruby. Spotting houses by the woods, the servant makes his way to them. The child will not raise suspicion here amongst the poor. He drops the baby onto the doorstep and knocks on the door. Hurriedly, the servant walks to the carriage.
“Good luck,” says the servant.
At sunrise, Queen Ruth wakes to morning light from her window. Her first-born daughter Penelope enters with Jessica. Penelope is one year and a half and just takes her first steps.
“Penelope, you have a little sister,” says Queen Ruth in a cheerful voice.
Babbling sounds come out of Penelope.
“Jessica, bring my newborn daughter to me,” says Queen Ruth.
Jessica casts her eyes and tightens her lips.
“Didn’t you hear me, Jessica? Bring my daughter to me,” says Queen Ruth.
“She’s gone. She has passed away,” says Jessica.
Queen Ruth stares behind Jessica with blank eyes, the color drains from her.
King Keth enters the room dressed in mourning attire. He crosses the room to his queen, taking her hand and kissing her on the forehead.
“My dear, I will prepare the funeral of the child. You need not worry,” says King Keth.
“No! She was healthy last night,” says Queen Ruth, probing herself on the bed.
Pushing her onto the bed, King Keth forces his wife to lie down.
“It’s better if you rest,” says King Keth.
King Keth takes Penelope in his arms and exits, leaving Queen Ruth to sob in her room.
Jessica stirs a cup of herbal tea for the queen. Queen Ruth drinks, until the darkness of sleep engulfs her sadness.
Ice Kingdom (two weeks ago) Spring ‘89:
“How has the investigation gone?” says Queen Valeria.
King Louis shifts through his papers on his desk, clearing his throat. He looks up at his wife.
“Yes, we have knowledge of a lead deep in the Fire Kingdom. The child was a daughter left in a town to a pair of peasants,” says King Louis.
“We must go at once to confirm for ourselves,” says Queen Valeria, crossing the room to King Louis and grabbing his hand in hers.
He moves his hand from her grip and onto her arms, holding her tight.
"We shall," says King Louis.
Calling a servant to the room, King Louis prepares for their departure in a week.
The night before they leave, Queen Valeria sneaks out of her room into the study. She picks her favorite fairytale book, the one she read to the boys, opens it in the middle, and deposits papers in between. The papers are the investigation of the lost Fire Kingdom princess and a letter she wrote. Closing the book, she rests her hand on the cover. Hopefully, she'll be back to retrieve the papers herself, but only if…
In the morning, her boys stand by the carriage dressed in their riding clothes. Jensen and Liam will remain at the castle, although they wanted to come along.
"Good travels, mother and father," says Jensen.
"See you in a fortnight," says Liam.
"Goodbye dears," says Queen Valeria climbing aboard after her husband. The carriage pulls out of the driveway and Jensen gets a sudden nauseous feeling. He shakes it off.
Fire Kingdom (a few days ago):
The light shines through the green leaves of the forest onto the trail as the carriage travels through the Fire Kingdom. A petite woman, Queen Valeria, with soft features and light hair, sits inside the carriage. Next to her is her husband, King Lewis. King Louis holds his wife's hand. They are King and Queen from the Ice Kingdom; they are not welcome in these parts of the Fire Kingdom.
“We are almost at the border, dear,” says King Louis.
“Yes,” says Queen Valeria, squeezing his hand.
There is a commotion in the surrounding woods. The royal guards next to the carriage suddenly drop onto the trail. A figure nears the door of the carriage. A figure dressed in black enters the carriage.
“This is your end.” says the figure, pointing a black knife at King Louis and Queen Valeria.
Blood splatters inside the carriage twice. The black hooded figure sheaths his knife. On the hilt is an intricate fire dragon. Outside, his two accomplices, armed with bows, wait to retreat with him. They disappear into the woods.
