A Promise to the Sun

TW: Hints of violence, war, and death.

SEND TO: Captain Amara Thorpe, 3rd Squadron, Royal Dragon Legion

Captain,

They say you left. Even as I write this, I struggle to come to terms with the emotions wrestling within me. I heard of your deployment while at the dining hall early this morn. Simple gossip between court attendants, as though it were a matter of no consequence. As if your absence could ever mean so little.

Now every moment reminds me that you are no longer here. Out of habit, I wandered to the training yard expecting to see Vaelor sprawled out on the stones, his emerald scales shimmering in the dawn light. And you, leaning against him watching the beauty of the daybreak before embarking on the impossible task of training me to wield a sword. Now there is an emptiness that is impossible to fill. I never could have imagined how deeply I would miss the way you anger when I failed to properly execute a block. What I would not give for just one more lesson with you.

The Legion’s swift departure has done nothing to quell the rumors swirling around the palace. They say the Northern Border breathes life again, that Aurelia faces a threat born of death… one we are vastly unprepared for. I try to tell myself that you are safe. That you, of all dragon riders, know how to dance among danger. And yet, the thought of you riding into that frozen wasteland…

Should this letter reach you, I hope you write back when you are able. Aurelia feels lonely without you.

With Respect,

Her Royal Highness

Princess Serpahine of Aurelia

* * *

SEND TO: Her Royal Highness, Princess Seraphine of Aurelia

Your Highness,

I must admit that I am shocked at the receipt of your letter. Make no mistake, as unexpected as it was, I am overjoyed to hear from you. I owe you an apology for leaving as I did. The deployment came directly by order of the King. It was delivered with such an urgency that left no room for pause. We were told only that the Northern Border had grown unstable, and that Frost Wraith sightings were no longer myth, but reality. The detachment up North required immediate reinforcement and we were sworn to secrecy to avoid panic.

I saw you yester-eve as I packed my bags. You looked out off the palace balcony, the moonlight glistening on your skin. You were smiling, and oh how I wish I knew what you were thinking of. I hold this vision of you close to my heart, it will bring me comfort in times of need. I almost broke my vow to say goodbye.

There is no sun here, beneath the monstrosity that is the Enor Mountains. Vaelor does not like it, he craves the warmth. He remains quiet, but his discontent seeps into me. The journey north has been unsettling, to say the least. The land feels burdened, as though something ancient has awoken beneath it and begs to escape.

The Night Order marches with us, their unnatural magical shadows trailing them like a loyal beast. Their presence is intimidating, though I cannot deny the strength they bring. We will need it in the battles to come.

I wish I could offer reassurance, but I struggle to find words when so much of this mission is still left unknown. So, I will do what I must. Only once Aurelia is safe, once you are safe, will I return.

If the Fates are kind, I will write to you once we reach The Frozen Spire. Until then, know that your words brought warmth to a place where even fire struggles to breathe.

With Honor,

Captain Amara Thorpe

3rd Squadron, Royal Dragon Legion

* * *

Captain,

I find myself without the proper words to convey the profound relief your message brought me. I know not what I expected, but your words have left me reeling. Particularly, news of the King’s order.

My father claims urgency and necessity of war… yet in the same breath he speaks of alliances and “stability of the Kingdom”? He sends you, my most trusted companion, into a war he barely understands? Then has the impudence to offer me a smile carved from ice and speak of duty. Of marriage!

It is with heavy alarm that I should tell you that the King has begun arranging the formalities of my betrothal to Prince Lucen of Umbraeth. Ties to Umbraeth would settle long standing disputes between our Kingdoms, and so my father has much to gain. Yet I am expected to sit, watch, and smile while those I… rely upon are taken from me without warning! Am I not the heir to Aurelia? Does no-one dare ask me what I think should become of my life?

Forgive me, my frustration bleeds through more than I intended. But I cannot shake the feeling that something bigger stirs.

Your description of the North is discouraging. I hate that you must be the one to face it. But I imagine you standing proud, carrying that fierce, unshakable strength that I admire so.

The Night Order’s presence troubles me as well. I worry that my clear disapproval of my betrothal could doom your alliance with these Shadow Warriors. I feel faint knowing that my actions could place you in danger.

With Respect,

Seraphine

* * *

Princess,

Your letters smell faintly of home. They serve as a dutiful reminder that somewhere beyond this war, a gentle softness still exists.

Your frustration at my deployment is endearing, though not something I hoped for you to endure. Your betrothal I will admit, your Highness, struck me harder than expected. I have no right to question it, nor to feel anything at all. And yet...

I met him once. Prince Lucen is, by all accounts, a good and honorable man. He will be a strong ally to Aurelia. But the thought of you being given away to one who would not appreciate what you…

I must stop before I overstep.

I am certain you are most eager for details of the war. So I find it pertinent to tell you that we actually encountered a Frost Wraith tonight. The events are difficult to comprehend, but for you I shall try.

At first it was but a whisper carried by the wind. A sound so soft, one might mistake it for a child calling for his mother. Vaelor growled a warning, which was swallowed instantly. I knew then that whatever approached was no living being.

The air froze around us, and then it appeared. A hooded figure made of ice and sorrow, its form flickering like dying torchlight. The cold it carried was so deep it felt as though it could drown my very soul.

The Night Order acted swiftly. Their shadows wrapped around the creature, binding it just long enough for Vaelor to tear it apart. The Wraith shattered like broken glass. But even as it fell, I am certain that I heard it whisper your name. No-one else heard though, and now I am no longer confident my thoughts are still my own.

After the battle it was evident. The Night Order fights beside us because they must, not because of any royal arrangement. Their loyalty is to the mission. Do not fear repercussions of decisions you make.

Regards,

Amara

* * *

Amara,

I fear I have become far too dependent on the comfort your words bring… comfort I should not need yet crave all the same.

My frustration is endearing? I wish I could laugh, but the truth is far from charming. I feel as though I am unraveling. Every day feels like a new test of composure, a constant reminder that the world I once knew is shifting all around.

But what struck me most was your admission about my betrothal. You claim you have no right to your feelings. I insist that you do. I know not what you wished to say, but the absence of the truth haunts me. I dream they are the words I need to hear, those which would give me confidence to flee and leave this unbearable duty behind.

Reluctant though I am to admit, your station up North has become more crucial than ever now that the Frost Wraiths are back. But… how odd that it whispered my name.

I worry for you. More than is proper for a princess promised to another.

You believe I should not fear repercussions of my actions, but I do. My father’s ambitions are vast, but his patience is thin.

Still, I will not stop writing. I could not, even if I tried. I dare not admit how much I miss you.

With All My Heart,

Seraphine

* * *

Seraphine,

Your last letter may be the death of me. I have buried my truth beneath an oath and have held my tongue for years. Perhaps out of duty, or fear, or even the belief that silence was the only shield I had. But I cannot hold it any longer. This war has finally cracked open my resolve.

I love you.

There. The words I swore I would never speak. And now that it is written, I feel both lighter and entirely ruined.

Do not say it back, I beg of you.

There are some truths I cannot bear to handle. If you said those words, I would abandon this frozen hell and fly to you without hesitation, no Wraith nor King could stop me.

It would be most unwise. The danger grows at a rate we cannot slow. We lost thirteen riders, all vanished without struggle, as though the darkness simply swallows them whole. Even the shadows of the Order grow restless.

And the Wraiths… we saw five last night. They moved with purpose... circled us like hunters stalking their prey. When Vaelor roared, they did not flee.

Something is coming, that which is older than Kingdoms and dragons alike. No matter, I will not let it reach you.

I am not sure how this letter will be received. But I no longer have the strength to hide. All I fear is what your next letter may hold. I still wait with hope and anticipation.

With Love,

Amara

* * *

Amara,

How I have longed for these words.

You say you love me but bid me to not say it back? You ask the impossible!

Against all that I am, I will honor your request. Not because I hide from the truth, but because I fear what it would do to you. If my silence keeps you standing, then I will swallow every word that threatens to escape. I cannot sleep. I cannot eat. I walk through the palace carrying this secret which burns hotter than dragonfire. My father speaks of weddings and treaties, yet all I hear is your voice.

Lucen is a kind man. He will make a good husband and a better King. I should feel lucky, the women of the court certainly believe so. But they do not know who I compare him to. Still, I am afraid I will spend the rest of my days hidden in his shadow.

I am sorry to hear of the riders you lost. I cannot fathom the terror you face. The thought of you out there, fighting those beasts, threatens to bring me to my knees.

I want to demand your return… to… to order it as your princess! But I know you would never abandon your post. Not even for me. So instead, I tell you that I will wait for your return before I unburden myself of my own truths locked within me.

The court grows suspicious of me. My father watches me closely, so I must be careful. If he ever discovered the nature of these letters… I do not know what he would do to us… whatever we are allowed to be.

I will pray for your return with desperation I can no longer disguise.

With Everything I Cannot Say,

Seraphine

* * *

Seraphine,

The Northern Border is nearly destroyed.

We lost another rider last night. He, like the others before him, vanished without a sound. A Shadow Warrior found him next to a single mark carved into the frost. It was a spiral, thin and jagged, as though etched by a quivering hand. The Commander of the Order stared at it for a long time.

When I asked what it was, he whispered as though possessed, “Two lines, once one… the vale remembers,” and would not elaborate. Something in his expression disturbed me more than the threat of death itself. I wish I understood the meaning of all this.

As for you... I never wanted to become a burden. I merely need you to know the truth in case I could not return to tell you myself. And how absurd that you could ever possibly believe that one man could ever overshadow you. That would be like saying the sun hides behind the moon! (And before you sling accusations, I do not say this simply because I love you, but because it is the absolute truth!)

The battles grow longer and the Wraiths move further past the border each night. Vaelor senses something dark approaching, he will not sleep. Nor will I.

With All My Love,

Amara

* * *

SEND TO: Captain Amara Thorpe, 3rd Squadron, Royal Dragon Legion

FROM: The Royal Halls of the Kingdom of Umbraeth

Captain Thorpe,

I hope this letter reaches you safely, though I understand safety is a pleasure the North no longer offers. I write to you with a matter I cannot in good conscience ignore.

During my recent visit to Aurelia, I spent some time with Princess Seraphine. There was a moment when a letter slipped from among her belongings without her notice.

I will not repeat what I saw, some things are not mine to speak.

Seraphine is dear to me, not as a political bond, but as a person. To see her hurting pains me more than I expected. She, however, does not have the luxury of choosing her path freely. Neither do I. Nor, I suspect, do you.

The Wraiths grow bolder. Their presence is now a deadly force pressing against the very fabric of our Kingdoms. Umbraeth’s archives speak of fractures and ancient bonds. Broken ties to Aurelia that give the Wraiths their life. I do not know what is truth, but I know this:

Seraphine’s duty is larger than any of us. I do not write to chastise you, nor to warn you away, but because I saw the depth of your devotion. Even such devotion cannot stand in the way of duty and obligation.

Whatever lies between you, it must not pull her from the path she must walk. The fate of both our Kingdoms rests upon it. I promise she is safe with me.

Respectfully,

Prince Lucen of Umbraeth

* * *

FOUND AMONG THE PERSONAL EFFECTS OF CAPTAIN THORPE, 3RD SQUADRON

Seraphine,

This last battle was devastating. The healers say my wounds have slowed, but they do not see what I feel. Vaelor’s pulse slows in time with mine.

The Wraiths returned last night. Their attacks have grown bolder and we were unprepared. Forgive me, but I could not lose another of my brothers and so Vaelor and I battled the Wraiths directly. The Night Order arrived in time to save us and kill the monster, but it was already too late. They say we did enough damage to give Aurelia time to prepare defenses. I pray it is so.

I feel myself slipping, I fear that soon I will not wake. There is so much more I wish to say.

My greatest love, you should know that you were the strength I carried into every battle. From the moment we met, you were the reason I stood when I should have fallen. For this I know you will become the beacon of the Kingdom, the Queen who shines brightest.

If the Gods take me today, I have but one regret.

I am not afraid of what comes next, I just wish I had more time. I love you with all that my heart and soul can give.

Always

* * *

UNSENT: FOUND THIRTY YEARS AFTER THE WRAITH WAR, BY THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF QUEEN SERAPHINE OF AURELIA

My Love,

To write this letter is to acknowledge that you are gone. Even as I do, I am not confident I can finish.

I still see you, in the flowers that bloom in the garden. The ones you would pick when you thought nobody was looking. I still feel your presence, following me dutifully through the halls. I still hear your voice, carried by whispers in the wind. And so I must write this letter, in hopes that wherever you are it may put your soul at ease.

I want to scream. I want to tear down the walls of this palace stone by stone. I want to curse the Fates that stole you from me. But grief is a comfort I cannot afford.

The Wraiths will come for me next.

Let them.

I will not hide behind ceremony, nor will I let fear dictate my future. I will unite Aurelia and Umbraeth and stand beside Lucen, because the world needs what our Kingdoms once were together. If darkness seeks me, then I will meet it. If the border falls, I will stand where you once stood so that I may defend it. You died for this Kingdom to have a future, and so I shall live for the same.

I do not know what awaits me. All that I know is… When my time comes, I will leave this world with many regrets. Loving you will never be one.

Yours, in this life and every one that follows,

Seraphine