| Two |

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."

- Omar Khayyam

Song : Ain't no mountain high enough by Marvin Gaye ft. Tammie Terrell

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February 1, 1943

The winds of the northern mountains, blew into my long hair. My locks were nothing special, dirty blonde curls that fell perfectly below my shoulders. To anyone it might be pretty, but to the people in my world, it's quite ordinary. Everything about me would somewhat be admirable to a simple junia.

The junias were ordinary and had a tendency to judge using their eyes. Humans, as they called themselves, claimed to be the most intelligent species. But there is something more. In my world of immortality, monsters and magic exist. So my pale skin, and slim body isn't that special. Every immortal is beautiful. Junias only could ever see so much.

The pure winter breeze and the sounds and smells of the cold season chilled me. I was always attracted to the snow, I was named after it. My brothers told me that mother named me BriarSnow after the silver snow that fell every white moon. It was an immortal phenomenon that happened every five centuries on December eighteenth, the day I was born.

The beautiful briars that guarded the palace walls were filled with strength and the contrast of the red roses that grew on them and the silver snow made the perfect name. BriarSnow. I was told I would have all the strength and defiance of the briars, along with the beauty and grace of the snow. I could think otherwise. I'm nothing special.

My birth was quite a surprise to the empire. I was the Scarlet Empire's first princess and only princess. My thirteen older half brothers were the only royal children until I came. My aunts and uncles passed away in the wars between the immortal alliance and the rogue alliance. They all passed before having any children. I never met them.

The three Alphas of our kingdom were once all divided into three separate kingdoms. Caius Illea, my mother's first mate, was the alpha of Voluterra, the most powerful kingdom of the light immortals. He thought that just because his mate was my mother, it meant he was should be my father. I never knew who my father was.

The empire's healers found out I was not in any way related to Caius. Dominic Bellmonte, the alpha of Evail, was then tested. He was my mother's second mate, but their passion for each other died many years back in the golden age. He was not my father as well. Lucius Lux-Tenebris, alpha of the Moors, was not my father either. He was my mother's third mate. Soon the alphas and my mother became friends and in my honor they united all three of the kingdoms and formed the Scarlet Empire. It was rare for a woman to have more than one mate, but Caius, Dominic, and Lucius eventually put their differences aside and learned acceptance.

We were said to be undefeatable. Voluterra was the most powerful light kingdom, Evail was the dark equivalent. It was pure dark unlike the other kingdoms like Nevaeh, Athenion, Erlund, Summer, and Westeros that were mixed of dark magic and light magic immortals. Even the rebel and rogue countries weren't able to hold a candle to us. The Moors was a kingdom of healed rogue immortals that chose to stop killing and terrorizing the immortal alliance.

We didn't have a rebel country within us. The rebels, unlike the rogues who were violent and malevolent towards the alliance, were just quiet and minded their own business. Our royalty were made up of the three most powerful species, titans of the light, and eris' of the dark. The most powerful of each identification.

The light and dark were both good, except the light had more magic based on happy and good properties, the dark being their painful and death like companions. Aethers were the rare and impossible hybrid mix of both. Unlike other hybrids that gain half the strength of each parent of the diverse species, Aethers gain all the strength and power. It was quite a unique mix. They used to be common in the 11th century, until people hunted them until the Lux-Tenebris were left. They are the hybrids of the most powerful light and dark species. Lucius being the most powerful, since he is a vampire leviathan.

I didn't know what I was. Most aura sensors and healers felt my power. That didn't help, though. I wanted to know what I was. Was I titan, eris, or aether? Sometimes these questions would overwhelm me, so I would seek refuge on my favorite cliff in the Cerise woods. It was a beautiful sight, from here the moon shines it's brightest light and the trees seem to waltz with the flowers. Humans see so little, immortals can see more beauty than ever imagined.

The duties of a princess is to serve her people by mating with a prince from a advantageous country. That's what the kingdom's elders would say. We were a large country with a small, but powerful royal family. I was the only princess and the only girl. My mother died recently from a rogue attack. We all miss her. She was the kingdom's greatest Luna, despite her name being Deception Miserae. She did what all females did after mating. Keep their last name and then add a dash with their mate's name, Deception Miserae-Illea. I wanted to be just like her.

I didn't want to listen to Elders, though. I was meant for something more, just like mother told me before she passed. She told me when I was three human years, I took down ten mountain lions my first try, without effort or help. I was hunting that day. I remembered that day. It was the day that changed my life. Most princesses are only required to learn basic hand to hand combat and fencing.

My family arranged for me to learn from the very best trainers and I soon became stronger than my brothers. That became a problem. I was told by the Elders that males will only care if the female can please them. I remember they told me "Princes would only like girls that are poise, quiet, and obedient. Princesses mustn't learn how to fight in fear of losing the ability to make sons." I pray that isn't true.

There is more to me than beauty. In elementary school, I was always defended by the males, for they claimed I was just a pretty face. My brothers always told me that a man's ego is sacred to them and that most men would want a pretty face to save. I want to be more than a pretty face. I want to be strong. I don't want to be mated off. However I have plenty of time to think about that, I am only forty three immortal years, which are twelve human years. I'm still very young.

Sometimes I come on this cliff to look into the junia rocks, from there I can watch them. They have this way of not judging others for their status. It always makes me think about becoming a nomad. I could live among the junias and have an almost completely normal life. Most junias have gotten rid of the monarchy, most have turned to democracies. Our government has always been a democratic monarchy, where the ordinary people have as much power as the leaders. Our only job as royals and nobility is to lead, serve, and protect the people.

All of this stress about being a princess just twists my head into a knot. Most people are so blind, they believe that when you have so much status, you could be happy. I'm not. You can never tell who's you're friend or ally. Do they love me for me? Or do they love me for my appearance or status? I may never know. Someday I hope I'll find someone. Maybe. Just maybe.

"Snow!" I whipped around to find my eldest brother, Ryland, gesturing me to follow him.

"Thou ready?" I waved him off.

My brother's impressive height might scare anyone. He always towered above my five foot stature with his six eight height. He was handsome as well. A beautifully sculpted chin, strong arms, hard chest, and a small stubble on his chin. Ryland's auburn hair was messy and wild. Everytime I nag him to brush his hair, he told me that the females loved the messy hair. Ryland called his hair "an attraction for the opposite sex." He was known to be a very powerful nature elemental.

His element as a titan was nature. He always used it to his advantage. When he saw a female he liked he would simply grow a flower from his hand and give it to her. It was quite charming to watch. When Ryland added a perfect smile, he would get the girl. Ryland was one hundred years older than I was, yet he had the appearance of a twenty one year old. It was quite rare for a male to have no mate a such an age. I always encouraged him to mingle and find that mate. He always insisted that I'm the only girl in his life.

"I'm coming, Ryland."

Ryland offered me his arm, but I brushed it off. I don't need help to get on my horse. I was exhausted though. I could have also shifted into my white tiger form, and Ryland into his black lion, but I would rather take Diaval, instead. He was my wild raven companion. A shapeshifting spirit animal. Just like all the animals in my world, he is the spirit of a raven that lived on earth. Diaval shifted into a charcoal stallion. I mounted him quickly while Ryland mounted Belial.

"Let's go, Diaval." He wildly sprinted off.

I held onto his hair for life. I needed no saddle or reins. An animal must be allowed to run free.

"What were you thinking about, sister darling?" I turned my attention to Ryland as he rode beside me.

"Pardon?"

"I said, dear sister, what were thou thinking about?" His earthly brown eyes shone with amusement. I couldn't help but smile. Out of all my half brothers, Ryland has always been my favorite.

"I was simply thinking about life, brother dearest."

"Life, sister?"

"Life indeed, dearest brother." My mouth twitched upward as I shrugged.

"Tell me, darling sister, what is it about life that troubles you?" I always found Ryland's voice quite interesting. Unlike the french like accents my other Illea brothers have, his was less obvious. It sounded somewhat, British.

"Well, dear brother, I was just thinking about the life of being a princess compared to the life of junia."

Ryland smiled at me. "I know how much you admire those junias."

"Let me guess, you read my mind with your gift." I joked.

"No. I've known you since the day you were born, love. I know thee very well." Ryland always knew how to make me smile.

"Thoust always have." I replied. I turned to him as we pulled to a halt. We got off our horses and he pulled me into a warm embrace.