The morning air over the Kingdom of Royal Ford was impossibly still. A gentle, cool breeze swept through the land, carrying the sweet scent of damp earth. Birds chirped in a melodic chorus, and everywhere one looked, the kingdom was a sea of lush, vibrant greenery.
In the meticulously kept gardens of the Royal Palace, King Arthur Edward walked with slow, heavy steps. The beauty of the morning did little to ease the heavy burden weighing on his heart.
Footsteps approached on the stone path. He turned to see his eldest daughter, Amelia, and his middle daughter, June, walking toward him.
"Father," Amelia began, her voice laced with worry. "It has been five days since the message arrived from the Supreme Kingdom of Aethelgard. You must send Zen away to grandfather's estate for a few days."
June quickly stepped in to support her sister. "Amelia is right, Father. You know as well as we do that our relations with Aethelgard are hostile at best. In such a delicate and dangerous time, we cannot afford the risk of keeping Zen here."
King Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know, my dears. I intend to speak with Zen today." He turned to a nearby maid standing at the edge of the garden. "Go. Summon the little princess to me at once."
The maid curtsied, her face pale. "Forgive me, My Lord, but the little princess has not been in her chambers since the break of dawn. She left without telling anyone where she was going."
Arthur's jaw tightened. He turned to the royal guard standing by the archway. "Go and find Kaien. Tell him it is a direct royal command: find Zen and bring her straight to the palace. I will be waiting."
Deep within the dense, untamed woods of the kingdom's forest, Zen was alone. The silence of the woods was broken only by the sharp, rhythmic whoosh of her sword cutting through the air as she practiced her strikes.
Suddenly, a rustling in the leaves caught her attention. A highly venomous snake slithered right up to her feet.
Zen stopped mid-swing. Her sharp eyes locked onto the serpent. Without a trace of fear, she reached down with lightning speed and grabbed the snake right behind its head, holding it up to eye level.
"I am sorry," Zen murmured, looking at the creature. "But I have to kill you. I doubt my mother has the antidote for your specific venom ready yet, and I cannot risk you biting and killing any of my people."
With a swift, clean strike of her blade, Zen severed the snake's head.
"Zen!" a voice boomed through the trees. It was Kaien, shouting her name at the top of his lungs.
"I'm over here, Kaien!" Zen called back casually.
Kaien burst through the thicket and stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at Zen, who was calmly holding the severed head of a dead snake in her hand.
"Princess, how many times have I told you not to come into this forest alone?" Kaien chided, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "It is incredibly dangerous here!"
Zen shrugged. "I am not in danger from anything here."
"I was not talking about you," Kaien shot back with a dry sigh. "I was saying you shouldn't come here because the poor animals are in danger from you."
Zen rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Just tell me why you are here, Kaien."
"His Majesty has ordered me to bring you back to the palace immediately."
"Fine," Zen tossed the snake's body aside but kept the head. "Let's go."
Kaien stared at her hand. "Aren't you going to drop that? Or are you planning to take the snake's head to the palace as a souvenir?"
Zen gave him a sharp, knowing smile. "You know me better than that, Kaien. I want to study its venom."
A short while later, Kaien and Zen entered the Grand Court. King Arthur was sitting on his throne. To Zen's surprise, the giant hall was completely empty, devoid of any ministers or guards.
"Well," Zen said, looking around. "You look quite free today, Father. Not a soul in sight."
"Sit, Zen," King Arthur said gravely. "I need you to listen to me very carefully, and do not interrupt. A messenger arrived from the Supreme Kingdom. They want to negotiate. They have offered a non-aggression pact for the entire South on one condition: that I marry my daughters off to their princes."
Zen's eyes widened, but she kept her promise to stay silent.
"Tomorrow," Arthur continued, "Crown Prince Orzedstar and Prince Ezekiel will arrive at our gates. For the duration of their stay, I want you to go and stay at your grandfather's estate."
"Forget it," Zen replied instantly, crossing her arms. "I am not going anywhere. I want to stay here and see everything."
"Zen, you do not understand the gravity of this!" Arthur stood up, his voice rising. "You are incredibly blunt. If the princes of the Supreme Kingdom say something you dislike or disagree with, you will speak your mind without filtering it. You could say something that puts our entire kingdom and our people in mortal danger!"
"Just let me stay," Zen argued, her voice firm. "I promise I won't say a single word. Besides, this marriage proposal is for my older sisters. I cannot miss such a massive event!"
"Put yourself in my shoes for once," Arthur pleaded. "You say whatever pops into your head directly to people's faces. If they take offense to your brutal honesty, it will be disastrous for all of us."
"Father, you have said what you needed to say, and I have listened," Zen said coldly, turning around. "My decision stands. I am not going to grandfather's house, and I will be there to welcome the princes tomorrow. Now, I am leaving."
Without waiting for permission, Zen swept out of the room.
King Arthur turned to Kaien, who was standing quietly in the shadows. "Kaien, you are Zen's guardian, her best friend, and her teacher. Try to make her understand. She listens to you. You know as well as I do that she will stir up some kind of trouble if she stays. She does not have a calm mind."
"I will see what I can do, My Lord," Kaien bowed. "With your permission."
Back in her chambers, Zen stood by the window, staring down at the training grounds below. New recruits were practicing their sword drills. Watching them always brought her a sense of peace.
A soft knock came at her door. "I am coming in," Kaien's voice called out.
He walked in and saw her standing by the glass. He stepped up beside her. "You have always loved watching them train down there, haven't you?"
"Yes," Zen said softly, her eyes locked on the soldiers. "It is the one thing that brings me joy when I am happy, sad, angry, or depressed."
Suddenly, Zen's nose twitched. A faint, familiar scent caught her attention. She turned to Kaien, suspicious. "Were you just visiting my mother?"
Zen realized something was wrong, but it was too late. Kaien moved with blinding speed, pulling out a small pouch and holding a potent powder right under Zen's nose.
She inhaled sharply, and the world immediately began to spin. Her eyes rolled back, and before she could utter another word, Zen collapsed into unconsciousness in Kaien's arms.