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In a time long before, the Kingdom of the Blue Oak had never settled with another who rules the lands of the Mistletoe. The Kingdom of Guivermillion, a simple yet powerful country, was but an enemy, a nemesis of theirs whom they always had to battle against.
Countless wars and many casualties as they fought one another, yet neither of them had chosen a path of peace. As if flames and chaos were to reign within the very structure of the battlefield, fire and water clashing against one another for supremacy.
Back then, no one had known what destiny was to be theirs.
That was, before the rulers of both countries decided to make peace with each other. By their very marriage, their story shall begin anew, and their alliance will bind them together as a harmonious kingdom to watch over the rest of Mistletoe.
"Your Highness, are you sure about this?"
A certain rosy haired servant of the kingdom approached the Crown Prince of the Phoenix Order, a young lad with rusty ginger strands, who wore a thick crimson cape upon his well-built figure. Their footsteps resounding throughout the room's walls, alerting the once resting prince to their arrival.
"... I am. Honestly, I have adored him since the beginning. And yet, those battles against him in that battle field and seeing his fury upon this kingdom kept me from being with him."
"Very well. I suppose you are obliged to stamp your royal seal on this document."
They handed the paper over, the document the king was about to sign. The ginger-haired boy then stared at the page, seeing a bluish stamp on a circle, the Blue Oak's emblem amidst the azure marks, a sign that the other kingdom's ruler had agreed to this contract. Smiling, his free hand took hold of a stamp of his own, applying it to the empty circle next to it. Stains of crimson on the edges and the Guivermellion's royal seal both claiming that the contract was soon to be finalized.
"Here, Akiyama. Also, tell An to accompany us during the ceremony as well, and for a short time afterward."
"At your service, Your Highness."
"... Thank you."
"Huh? Akito's getting married?"
Astounded, astonished by the sudden exclamation the young servant uttered, the girl felt a jolt running down her spine, words spilling freely from her mouth as she did so. The servant sighed at the apprentice's demeanor, a hand over her temple. Witnessing the black-haired lady's surprised and startled expression, they chuckled ever so quietly, smiling at the young girl.
"Yes, and he ordered you to come as well. You seem a bit surprised."
"Yes, it's just..." An had finally managed to calm herself down, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. "I feel proud of him. That guy's been taking care of me for so long now, and I'm glad that he has someone else who loves him so much and that he will take care of, too."
"I see. Well, I'm happy for him as well."
The two grinned, their smiles beaming on each other's faces. They then shook hands before parting ways, a silent, yet content laugh forcing its way through the girl's mouth. Ah, how she never thought she'd be this happy for her mentor. Someone she saw as a good person, an older brother figure she had always looked up to.
It was a good time for friendship and that was more than enough. After being a Royal Apprentice for years, and coming to learn many of his habits and mannerisms, she loved and adored him as a dear friend, a comrade she's always ready to help. He, on the other hand, had done so much for her as well, teaching her many skills and even training alongside her during the old days.
What a wonderful time they've had. She then chuckled as she recalled her childhood memories, arms stretched and resting behind her head as she walked away.
The day finally came. That one day both Akito and the Prince of the Bluebird has long awaited, a day both had hoped to come to them, the day of their wedding ceremony. Although both of those rulers still remained in their humble abode, the Prince of the Phoenix Order was clearly in a state of pure bliss, holding a few papers in hand which seemed to be his previous documents.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!" A knight suddenly shouted, rushing towards the young lad in a hurried manner. "Akito! Shiraishi... She left this in her room!"
A piece of paper, smaller than what an average sheet of paper would be, was the item the knight held in his grasp. It displayed a horribly-drawn figure, one that looked like... An? And... some writing above it he wasn't able to read.
No need to worry about that, though. That was the Shiraishi An he knew. That awful handwriting, and the bland picture, has been a significant trait of hers for many years now, regardless of how her writing changed in between each time. Perhaps that was why he always had difficulties reading them.
Regardless, his servant sighed behind him, facepalming as they giggled so silently. And yet, Akito laughed, snickering at the sight of the image.
"Let her be, Ena. She could be pretty silly sometimes, so don't worry about it."
Meanwhile, there sat the young lady, her bluish-black hair shining with the fireplace's glow. Amidst the forest was the apprentice with dozens of skewered beef and fish, heating and grilling them perfectly with the flames' warmth.
"Ah, this feels so relaxing~. Thank goodness Akito let me do this before the ceremony," she mumbled to herself, munching on one of the soft meat chunks.
It was when she heard a noise from the trees behind her, almost making her choke on her meal. Who the hell decided to sneak up on her like that? If it was Akito, she would have dealt with it, but... isn't he supposed to take care of his and this "Toya" guy's wedding?
The apprentice then stood up, and that was the moment her gaze fell upon a beautiful girl who immediately froze in her tracks. Loose strands of blonde, bright hazel eyes which shined ever so brilliantly under the dawning light, a veil covering her head in a magnificent shade of blue. Was she, perhaps, an apprentice of the Blue Oak kingdom, not so dissimilar to herself?
"O-oh, sorry for interrupting you. It looks like you're busy."
"A-ah, it's fine," An stammered out, scratching the nape of her neck. "May I ask who you are?"
"Azusawa Kohane. And you are-?"
"An. Shiraishi An, apprentice of the Guivermellion kingdom. You can just call me An, maybe An-chan would be nice, too~," she teased. "I'm guessing you're an apprentice in your kingdom, just like me?"
A small nod emitted from the blonde lady, a hand held over her chest as a gesture of agreement. Both of the girls then smiled at one another, before An took hold of Kohane's soft, frail hand. Walking to a field somewhere amidst the forest, she started to ask the other a few questions, interested in her very being.
"So, what brings you here, Kohane?" She cooed, her shoes brushing against the greenery.
"Aoyagi-kun told me to accompany him for the wedding, so I did as told."
"The wedding, huh..." The black-haired apprentice trailed off, fingers rubbing against her chin, thinking of something to say as she desperately wished for her conversation to go on. "Same with me, actually. Akito needed me for that exact reason, too. Also, the wedding's still a few hours away, right? Shouldn't we have fun around here for the time being?"
"Oh, that's a great idea!"
"Yes!" An thought to herself, exclaiming ever so proudly in her mind. "You got this! You're An Shiraishi, and you're about to get this girl's hand in marriage! Now, continue talking to her, and she'll start getting feelings for you in no time! That'll be perfect! Your portrait would look great in the halls of the palace!"
As the two finally reached the field, the shorter's voice then snapped her out of her self-congratulatory trance.
"So, um, what are we supposed to do here?"
Laughing, the vermillion apprentice aimed her hands to a training dummy, one that looked similar to the ones Akito gave her for individual self-practice, or something. That's what she remembered, anyway.
"Stand back, Kohane! I'm gonna show you something new and cool!" An yelled, raising her voice with all the excitement she harbored in her heart.
"You got this, An. You're about to impress this girl and make her fall in love with your skills!" God, she won't stop encouraging herself, will she? "Don't mess up, now!"
Boom!
An explosion of flames flied around her very hand, soon followed by a loud and chaotic scurries of shouts from the black-haired lady. The fire didn't hit the target—it twirled around her hand now! It's almost like it burnt her palm and fingers, combusting inwards as she simultaneously yelled out to her hand that was set aflame.
"An-chan! What happened?! U-uh, take this!" Kohane rushed to her side almost immediately, spraying water from beneath her very sleeve. "... Does it feel better now?"
"Heh, yeah," An blurted out, disappointed at her own performance. "Thanks for the water, Kohane. That was a flop..."
"Can I try it, too?"
"Huh? Go ahead. I think you'd do better than I did."
Kohane set up her stance, her hand now aligned with the dummy's figure. Drops of water formed in her hand, spiraling into a spherical form. A few more seconds, and then...
Splash!
They're soaked now.
"Not bad," the black-haired smiled, chuckling. She was grateful that Kohane didn't harness the power of the Phoenix's flames like she did, for that'll be another catastrophe that's yet to come. "Better than what I did."
"Ehehe~. I guess you're right, An-chan. It's fun training with you, though. You're probably pretty good at this, too, it's just that I've never seen you do these kinds of things before."
"Haa... Maybe it would've been nice if we met earlier, eh?" Cooing, she sighed lovingly, resting on the ground along with the other girl. "I would invite you to come over, and eat some dinner with me."
"I-I... That sounds... nice." Kohane's voice was soft, softer than it was before. A deep blush started to tint her face, and that was the moment An realized...
That girl was in love with her, too.
"A-anyways, should we get something to eat? I remember grilling some fishes somewhere..."
"Good idea. Where did you cook them, though?"
"Ah..." Trailing off with her words, An scratched the back of her head, sighing as she looked around the trees. "I don't remember, but... we'll find it for sure!"
How silly An was. Kohane liked her a lot.
She loves her.
In the Great Hall of the Mistletoe's palace, the royal couple stood face to face. White curtains adorned the front and back walls of the room, the glass dome atop the structure glimmered with the sun's light. The blonde priest remained still between the two, her stance firm and her gaze implacable.
As he recited the vows and the sacred words of marriage, the audience waited in expectation. Tears filled the eyes of the citizens in the grand hall, for both the kingdoms are now reunited under the rule of Akito and his beloved Toya.
Although, neither of them, nor the citizens, knew about someone watching from afar.
A figure dressed in black, violet strands and golden eyes gleaming through the shadow of his own cloak. Holding a bow, leaning against a wall and hidden from view, the arrow notched and ready to fire.
As soon as the string was released, it sprung free. And the arrow's point...
It pierced through Akito's stomach, causing him to fall to his knees and collapse on the palace's floor.
"AKITO!"
The man's voice rang throughout everyone's ears, and it echoed awfully in Akito's head. It couldn't have been a subject of the Blue Oak, Toya wouldn't let something as terrible as that happen. It couldn't have been anyone from Guivermellion, too. How could someone do such a thing on his wedding with the person he loves?
What kind of person would do such a terrible deed?
"Toya..."
Akito clutched his wound, a crimson pool of blood beneath his aching body. Stains of scarlet dyed a few parts of the floor, dirtying the Mistletoe's palace with all its infamy. Coughing, he gazed upon Toya's retreating back, fleeing from the building and guiding the people to safety.
"Toya... Toya, please... don't leave..."
His bloodied, gloved hand reached out to the main door where his dearest had fled, but now, it was but an open door that had yet to be closed by itself.
And so, the door slammed itself shut, leaving Akito alone in the middle of the palace, the landscape behind him crawling with his own blood. Everything was scattered. The people, the decorations, the consumptions, the building...
And his precious Toya.
He left him.
"At least he's doing the right thing," he mumbled, the image of his dear Toya leading the kingdom with all his glory. Being a wonderful ruler who was wise and knowing, the perfect leader who cares about his people. "Ah, Toya... How I wanted us to rule our kingdom together."
He sighed out in a hurtful manner, his lungs now searing with the horrible pain inside of them. It was unbearable. He was dying, and Toya wasn't by his side. How painful. How agonizing. How truly despairing it was to witness him in such a state.
"Regardless, I still love you."
His last words escaped his lips, the terrible fate of death being drawn around his chest.
"Always."
"Ena-san!" An greeted the young knight from behind, walking over to her. "What... happened? You seem... different."
"Akito, he..." Her voice was shaky, trembling with dismay. It was hard to tell the apprentice what's going on, especially since her brother was the one who lost his life that morning, and her poor heart cannot bear to utter any words than to lash out a furious murmur. "He got shot, and..." She gulped, staring at her knees and trying to hold in her tears. "HE DIED!"
The apprentice's breath hitched, eyes widening in shock and surprise. Of all the people to be shot by a magical arrow, it was the ruler himself. Akito. Akito Shinonome. Her friend. Her mentor. Her savior.
And Guivermellion lost him in a single shot of an arrow.
"Akito...?"
Memories of a greater past appeared in her mind ever so suddenly, those days of playing and training with him now coming back to her on that very moment.
In their younger days, the two had been inseparable, always training in the castle's backyards, sometimes in the field alongside its military base. Swords clashing and flames licking the air, neither of them afraid of the other's fury, constantly teaching one another the art of the scorching blades.
It was when she accidentally burnt a thick line into the ground when she was but a young girl, and as a dear friend of hers, he immediately approached her with a rekindled flame. She apologetically expressed her remorse, and yet, the boy smiled, giggling before their weapons clashed together, sparks flying across the field as their laughs echoed through the land.
"Akito..."
An gritted her teeth, terrible, horrid thoughts flickering in her very soul. What if that wedding was a trap this whole time? What if Toya and the rest of Blue Oak wanted their kingdom to die off? What if Kohane was onto this, too? No, no. It's not their doing. It's not his doing. It's not her doing. When he was but a child, Toya was a kind prince. And Kohane... There's no way she would ever support such an awful deed.
Right?
Regardless, those horrid thoughts overpowered her mind, and as she took hold of the once resting blade, she ran towards Ena once again, ordering her to gather the soldiers, preparing for an invasion attack against the Blue Oak's kingdom.
"Ena-san, gather everyone. We need to avenge our fallen ruler."
Her tone was stern, filled with anger and rage, yet deep inside her heart, it ached for her to be in this very situation. She felt pity for Toya, and Kohane... But what about Akito? Is she just going to not do anything about the loss of her dear friend?
A few minutes had passed, and near the Blue Oak's castle the army stood. Knights, steeds, fighters and archers alike were gathered in ranks, preparing for battle. Some held the Guivermellion's royal flag, the brilliant shade of crimson swaying ruthlessly as the wind roared. Before the soldiers were two young women, one with a large longsword and the other with a blade held in hand.
"CHARGE!"
They commanded in a loud, unified voice, as if summoning a mighty beast to be unleashed, their faces filled with fierce determination, their hearts beating faster with each and every step they took towards the castle. Flames then made their ways to the skies, spreading through the city with all its might. The citizens ran around the town, scurries of shouts filling the air.
"Don't hold back!"
The brunette shouted into oblivion, swinging her claymore in a steady rhythm. Bursting through the gates of the Blue Oak's castle, the azure knights screamed in sheer terror, panic running rampant as soldiers drew their swords with extreme haste. Horses and cavalrymen broke through the doors, setting fire onto the building's shattered structure.
Meanwhile, there stood the crown prince and his companion. Who else could it be if not Toya and Kohane? The young man held her close, coughing as the smoke reaches into his lungs.
"Azusawa... Leave. I know what to do."
That was the last of his words as the blonde ran off into the outskirts of the land, seeking shelter somewhere in the woods. As she witnessed the terribly awful scenery, the fire and the flames destroying her beloved castle and village, she could only cry for her dear friend, the crown prince whom had taken care of her for so long.
And of course, fury flooded her heart, and...
The Guivermellion army soon met the very same fate.
As the young girl returned to the town, she gathered her remaining people and soldiers, leading them to the battlefield, which was her very own land. This place that she used to cherish, the town she spent time in, and that castle, which had burned down along with her friend's life.
She just couldn't let that happen without doing anything about the destruction.
"If this isn't an opportunity to take back our kingdom," she murmured beneath her breath, fighting alongside the soldiers with the powers she harnessed. "Then what is?"
Thus, the history of Guivermellion and Blue Oak repeated itself. The cruel hand of fate had turned the Mistletoe of being to darkness once again, bringing agony and despair to both sides.
And the cloaked figure, who had shot Guivermellion's last prince, watched the destruction from afar, smiling. An evil, terrible human he was. Such an awful being.
"Ah, what a cruel fate they'll have to face."