Meanwhile, Yanira was in her chambers brushing her short red hair. She wore a silk pink gown with rose designs on the hem and hip and off the shoulder sleeves the same color as her dress. On her feet were pink slippers with a rose crest making them look like ballerina shoes. Yanira, after brushing her hair, added a pink rose comb to the left of her hair and then smiled in delight.

Yanira exited her chambers, but then noticed the servants that remained alive in the palace moving the bodies of the soldiers out of the hall using a large wagon. Yanira frowned remembering the man that ended their lives. Yanira rushed to one of the servants, shocking the female servant, and asked, “Did you see a man in black while cleaning the bodies?” The female servant shook her head.

Yanira puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction realizing that the man had gotten away during the confusion of retrieving her family. Yanira sighed and walked pass the servant, after thanking her, and then headed to her parents’ room.

Yanira knocked lightly on her parents’ room asking, “May I come in?”

“You many enter, Yanira,” stated her father’s voice from the other side of the door. Yanira entered her parents’ room and saw that her father was wearing his royal attire of a king and her mother was wearing a violet dress with jewels of different colors lining her long sleeves. Yanira walked up to them and then bowed saying, “I am ready for the arrival of the victorious army.”

Alistair nodded and patted her head saying, “I can see that dear Yanira.” Yanira giggled pushing her father’s hand away gently and stated, “Stop it father, you’re messing up my hair.” Alistair chuckled and then knelt in front of Yanira with a smile.

“You know Yanira, while you were dressing, I had the servants check the secret passage and they found traps set everywhere in the hall as well as an explosive, the same explosive that destroyed the walls of our Kingdom. You preventing us from going in saved our lives, so thank you.”

Yanira giggled with a nod saying, “I just wanted us to be safe.” Alistair chuckled and then looked at Irina saying, “Can you go retrieve Xema from her chambers, while Yanira and I head to the throne room?” Irina nodded and then walked pass Alistair and Yanira and out the door.

Alistair held Yanira’s small hand and led her out of the room with a warm smile on his face. As they walked down the hall, Alistair glanced at Yanira and stated, “You know Yanira, if Zuriel wasn’t the eldest son then I would have made you queen of this Kingdom.” Yanira puffed her cheeks glaring up at her father.

“Don’t say that. Big Brother is going to be the best ruler when he takes the throne. Even better than you,” stated Yanira. Alistair chuckled saying, in a joking manner, “That hurts.” Yanira giggled in response.

They soon reached the throne room and pushed the doors open. The room was empty of any people making the silence deepen around the area. Yanira clenched Alistair’s hand lightly making Alistair give a reassuring squeeze to her hand.

“We lost many men because of this sneak attack, but we will recover as will the kingdom,” stated Alistair. Yanira nodded, but with a saddened look.

The remaining people of the castle prepared the throne room the best they could for the arrival of the victorious armies of Zuriel and Shuyu, while Alistair, Irina, and Xema sat on their thrones observing the servants. The throne meant for Yanira though was left bare. Yanira was among the servants helping to prepare the banquet tables. She organized the cooked food on the table and decorated the tables with silverware and dishes that looked of fine China.

Xema leaned toward Alistair and asked, “Is it really appropriate for Yanira to help the servants?” Alistair chuckled saying, “You should know Yanira by now that she is determined to help, even if she is of royal blood.” Xema giggled placing a hand to her bottom lip.

“Well she is a bit of a tomboy with her strange habits since she was young, but that’s what makes her my adorable unique younger sister.”

Alistair nodded with a smile, while his wife giggled on the side.

“Father!” called Yanira, getting Alistair’s attention. Yanira held up an empty plate and asked, “Can I add some lemon cookies to the banquet table?” Alistair nodded with a smile. Yanira cheered and ran out of the throne room with a female servant attending her.

Yanira ran down the hall smiling, but slid to a stop when she felt a breeze go through her hair followed by a small voice, “I will protect you.” Yanira shook her head and continued to go down the hall with the servant by her side, not noticing a white fox standing in the hall behind her. It watched Yanira walk into the kitchen of the castle and then walked through the walls of the castle like a ghost.

Afternoon soon arrived and the banquet tables were ready with the colors of both Azseldo Kingdom and Balwar Kingdom. The flags of both kingdoms hung over the tables in glory and fluttered in the fresh aroma of the dishes prepared on the tables. All the royals, including Yanira, sat on their respected thrones, the servants lined the wall where the soldiers once stood, and Lucina stood next to Yanira’s throne with her steel fan in her right hand.

Yanira glanced at Lucina and asked, in a whisper, “Is the Wind Mage OK?” Lucina sighed and whispered, “He will sleep until the next day, but I can’t say he will be alright knowing that his kingdom is no more as well as his freedom.” Yanira nodded and then glanced at Alistair, who looked ahead with seriousness in his eyes.

“Father, are they close?” asked Yanira. Alistair closed his eyes and clenched his fist using the power of a royal, which was to sense when someone of your blood was near. He could feel his heart race and his blood begin to boil. Alistair then opened his eyes with a smile.

“I believe they are just outside the door,” stated Alistair. At his words, the doors to the throne room swung open revealing Zuriel, Shuyu, Shuyu’s retainers, and their army. Zuriel smiled at Alistair and bowed his head saying, “I see that you knew exactly when I would be returning.” Alistair nodded, while Xema, Irina, and Yanira smiled at the sight of him.

Zuriel, Shuyu, and the others entered the throne room taking a seat at the tables with their country’s colors and flag. Zuriel and Shuyu approached the throne side by side with smiles on their faces.

Alistair smiled as well saying, “Our priestess claims that the king of Chuluan Kingdom was within the army that tried to do a sneak attack. Is this true?” Zuriel and Shuyu nodded. Shuyu held up a brown bag and stated, “I have here the head of the king of Chuluan Kingdom.” He tossed the brown bag to Alistair’s feet making Alistair jump slightly when he noticed a blood stain on the bag.

Shuyu gestured to the bag asking, “Would you like to check the head of the late king of Chuluan Kingdom?” Alistair shook his head saying, “I don’t want to give my wife and daughters nightmares.” At those words, Shuyu glanced at the girls of the family and noticed their pale looks. Shuyu nodded in understanding and glanced at Zuriel saying, “I think it is best you show the proof this time.”

Zuriel nodded and pulled a crown that was hanging from his scabbard. The crown had an emerald as the head stone with holdings that resembled that of talons from a predator bird.

“As you can see father, I hold the crown of the late king of Chuluan Kingdom. I removed it from the head before Shuyu bagged it,” stated Zuriel, eyeing Shuyu, who shrugged with a smirk.

Alistair nodded saying, “So this war really is our victory.” Zuriel and Shuyu nodded. Alistair stood up from his throne and announced, “The war is won, so let us rejoice this day!” All applauded and then began to feast.

Zuriel approached Alistair, while Shuyu went to his retainers, who sat closes to the thrones at the edge of the table. Shuyu sat on a chair and took a glass of the finest wine to his lips. Raul leaned toward Shuyu’s ear and asked, “Aren’t you going to bring up the agreement of marriage?” Shuyu smirked saying, “Let’s just enjoy the feast for now.” Raul and Kaysan both nodded taking a sip from their glasses.

Zuriel, on the other hand, leaned toward Alistair’s ear asking, “Did you really agree to marry off Xema to Shuyu?” Alistair nodded saying, “Xema didn’t seem to be against it. She’s been very excited for the end of the war just to marry Shuyu.” Zuriel smiled and nodded saying, “I know Xema loves Shuyu and the way he fought in the field, he is very determined to marry her.” Alistair nodded and then urged Zuriel to sit on his throne and eat. Zuriel did just that taking a glass of wine from a servant.

Yanira also ate her meal on her throne, but unlike her family she drank peach juice that sparkled in the light and ate lemon cookies as a side dish with her main course. Yanira would look at Lucina and offer her some cookies, but Lucina would kindly reject saying that she had already ate before the celebration making Yanira puff her cheeks in disappointment.

Shuyu saw this from a distance and would chuckle making his retainers stare at him with quizzical looks.

At the end of the feast, the soldiers that survived the war were sent home leaving only Shuyu, the royal family of Balwar Kingdom, Lucina, and Shuyu’s retainers in the room. Shuyu stood before the thrones with Raul and Kaysan by his side.

“I must be returning to my Kingdom, so I can have my council ready to discuss matters concerning the dividing of Chuluan Kingdom between our kingdoms.”

Alistair nodded and stated, “Send a messenger to let me know when you are ready to discuss that matter.”

“Of course, your highness and I would also like to take my bride with me back to my Kingdom so she can get used to her new surroundings and so she will be ready for our wedding in a week’s time.”

“Of course, we can have your wedding in a week’s time.”

Alistair glanced at Xema, who blushed and began to rise from her throne, but stopped when Shuyu cleared his throat making all look at him.

“Your majesty, may I ask why your eldest daughter is rising from her seat?”

Alistair raised an eyebrow saying, “Well Xema needs to get ready for the journey to your kingdom.” Shuyu smirked with a chuckle.

“Your majesty, I’m afraid you are mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

Shuyu looked toward Yanira, who stared at him with bewilderment, and stated, “The daughter I want to marry is not Xema, but your youngest daughter, Yanira Castleheart.”

Silence filled the room at Shuyu’s sudden words, but it was broken by gasps of disbelief from the royal family, Lucina, and even Shuyu’s advisors.

“What are you talking about Shuyu?” demanded Alistair. Shuyu glanced at Raul saying, “Can you hand me the agreement?” Raul nodded with a bewildered look and handed the scroll that the king signed to Shuyu.

Shuyu unraveled the scroll and pointed at a paragraph in the agreement.

“I, Shuyu Sou, king of Azseldo Kingdom agree to the alliance with Balwar Kingdom with the agreement that I get to marry the youngest daughter of King Alistair Castleheart and Queen Irina Castleheart: Yanira Castleheart.”

Alistair’s eyes were wide in disbelief as were Xema’s, Zuriel’s, and Irina’s.

Lucina glared at Alistair and yelled, “This is Outrageous!” Lucina held her fan at Shuyu with anger clearly in her eyes.

“How could you make such a ridiculous agreement with this King of Azseldo? Yanira is a child and she is training to be a priestess and she can’t do that as a queen of another kingdom.”

Zuriel stood up from his throne looking at his father with desperation in his eyes.

“Priestess Lucina is right. Yanira can’t marry Shuyu. Please reconsider.”

Alistair gulped and looked at Shuyu with shaken hands.

“Is there no other way? Can you reconsider marrying Yanira? I don’t mind Xema being your queen, but Yanira is important to my kingdom.”

Shuyu shook his head saying, “I want Yanira and if you refuse to give her to me then I will burn this Kingdom to the ground and you know I can since most of your trained men are gone because of this war.”

Alistair clenched his fists and lowered his head in defeat.

“Yanira is your fiancé.”

Xema immediately burst into tears, while Zuriel and Irina were shocked speechless; and Lucina clenched her steel fan in anger.

Yanira, on the other hand, stared at Shuyu with wide eyes. Shuyu met eyes with her and smiled warmly saying, “You’re finally mine, Yanira.” Yanira felt a shiver run down her spine and hugged herself.

Is this really happening?