1 Chapter one

I'm the second child of the king, his only daughter of five children and a sixth is certainly on the way. My older brother, the firstborn, left us to fight in our father's war over three years ago. It is said that the survivors of the bloody battle would be returning today, but they've been saying that for months now.

"Sister! They're at the gate, hurry!" my little brother Christian said while bursting into my room.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my chair. He pulled me over to the rest of our siblings near the front. The kingdom crowded around the courtyard, screaming in excitement as the gates slowly opened. Standing beside father, I stepped onto one of the large marble steps leading up to the castle. We looked over all the heads of the citizens, the doors to the large sturdy gate opened slowly and with the loud screeching from the metal bolts, Revealing the bloodied and darkened figures of the surviving soldiers.

My older brother Gabriel was leading the others as they marched through the gates. A smile cracked over my face as he walked over to us. His face was covered in drips of dried blood and sweat and tears.

"Gabriel!" I yelled as I jumped off the step and ran over to him.

"Kristina," he said.

He walked up to me and threw his arms around me. I tossed my arms around him, after a few seconds we separated and he leaned on me for balance. We walked over to the rest of our family. Father looked unimpressed as he stood alongside our four younger brothers. They were standing in a straight line with their heads held high waiting to greet him.

"Welcome home, son" Father said while patting him on the shoulder before turning his back and walking into the palace.

The youngsters waited until father was out of sight before relieving the stern looks on their faces and running over to Gabriel. Tristan, the youngest... so far... Jumped up onto his back. Although he didn't speak, pain washed over his face and it was time for me to take over.

"Okay, everyone, let's get back inside and let your brother get cleaned up," I said, pulling Tristan off and placing him onto his feet.

All the youngsters ran back inside after father. Gabriel reached for his side, he was injured in battle, with a cut on his side. I placed his arm over my shoulder and helped him support his weight.

"Thank you, sister... Where's mother? I didn't see her," he said as I started pulling him toward the medical building.

"Mother is on bed rest again; she got pregnant about nine months ago, the doctor is saying that the baby will come any day now," I said.

He stayed silent as he sat down on the large table carved from boulders. Less than a few seconds passed before the kingdom's local doctor entered the room.

"I need to go check on mother, come find me when you're done here," I said while holding his hand and before leaving the room.

After leaving my brother to get patched up, I ran through the courtyard and back to the palace where I ran through the long hallways to mothers' room where she was resting. I passed the boys playing with their wooden toys in the hallway and the door to her room left wide open. Father was sitting beside her, holding her hand, walking into the room, I went over to the other side of her bed. Her breathing was heavy, her face was red and wet with sweat.