Episode 2

Magic ascended into the carriage, readied in advance, where a chest with her alleged belongings lay, yet the chancellors informed her that she could take nothing from the kingdom of Susumira; the king of Fontana had made it abundantly clear—the only thing he would accept from that kingdom was the princess, the most cherished daughter of the king, for he would provide new belongings for her in his realm.

As she voyaged in the carriage, she beheld the vast palace gardens, as lovely as when she last saw them at age eight, then they traversed the primary city, bustling compared to the sepulchral silence of the tower where she resided for eight years, to her it seemed that life outside that place was exceedingly colorful.

Eventually, they arrived at the countryside, the sky had darkened somewhat; the guards dismounted from the carriages and appeared to arrange stones of different hues around them; one approached and, through the window, gazed at her sternly.

"Keep your entire body inside the carriage, or the instantaneous journey will make your head explode," the guardian said, tersely.

The young princess closed her window, and stayed silent within the carriage; abruptly, she felt for a brief second as though her body had disintegrated into millions of pieces, only to reassemble; it was an odd sensation, she dared not open the carriage window due to the guard’s remark.

The princess had lived a long time in that tower and was unaware that those colored stones were magical artifacts that enabled teleportation from one place to another, given there weren’t too many people around.

Minutes later, the carriage resumed motion, but now the area they had been seemed to have turned darker and windier all at once. The carriage halted again and another guard opened the door.

"Get out, we'll switch carriages from here," the guard stated, offering no assistance to the princess.

She observed how to disembark and found it strange that they were no longer in that field, but instead in a rocky place and it was already night; how this had happened so swiftly bewildered her, she felt quite dizzy and couldn't grasp why, nearly falling before reaching the other carriage, yet managed to steady herself using the door, which left her arm aching for an extended duration.

The carriage she was now in had larger windows; she could see as they passed through the city illuminated by green torchlight until reaching Fontana palace. The grand gates opened, this place too had beautiful gardens, but the flowers were very different from those in her kingdom.

Upon arriving at the central part of the palace, a guard opened the door for her; she knew she was expected to disembark on her own. She advanced a few meters and the Chancellors who brought her from her kingdom approached her.

"This is a peace treaty, which the council of kings has sought for a long time; there have been many deaths between these two kingdoms. I hope you realize the responsibility you carry on your shoulders; be agreeable to the king of Fontana and secure peace for the realms of this world," the chancellor spoke, the young princess didn't understand what was being said, merely nodded and followed.

As they reached the main hall, she beheld a tall man, with cinnamon skin, dark hair and eyes, a grim countenance, wearing a crown, so she assumed he was the king of Fontana, looking to be in his mid-twenties. She had assumed the king would be much older than herself, but was surprised there might be a decade's difference at most.

Magic moved slower, for the shoes were torturous; uninformed of the protocols, she approached and merely bowed her head without performing the proper curtsey due to a king and future husband. He thought the young princess to be utterly impertinent—what else to expect from King Carp's daughter?

"Your most excellent majesty, this is Princess Magic, the most beautiful and beloved daughter of King Carp of Susumira," the chancellor proclaimed.

"She has a slender waist and ample hips; despite her thinness, she appears to possess what's necessary to bear children. Nonetheless, we will remain here until the princess's purity is proven and the marriage takes place, as stipulated by the agreement," remarked the chancellor.

"If there's no other option, let's verify the purity of the princess at once and have the marriage ceremony tomorrow. Lady Marila, take the princess to her chambers; I will be there shortly. Prepare everything for the test and ensure she has nothing from Susumira," declared the king with utter indifference.

"Come with us, Princess," said Lady Marila to Magic, and the young princess had no choice but to follow.

Upon reaching the princess's quarters, Magic was most astonished; while seemingly remote from the palace's core, the room was clean and well-lit, with a bed that seemed comfortable, vastly unlike the bunk in the wretched room her father had provided.

"Is this my room?" the nervous young princess inquired.

"Perhaps it may seem small compared to what you had in your palace, but it will be your room. You must understand that this is a marriage of convenience to maintain the peace of the kingdoms. When you marry his majesty, and he summons you, only on those days will you attend the king's chambers. We have suffered much due to your father, so be mindful of your place here now," Lady Marila spoke with scorn.

Magic wished to express that the room was splendid and that she was thankful for it; however, she remained silent due to Lady Marila's tone, having learned in recent years that sometimes silence was her best defense.

Soon they brought in a large chest, began to remove jewels, and stored them in small boxes placed inside the chest; suddenly, from outside, it was announced, "His majesty, King Fortem, will enter." Everyone inside bowed their heads low to the ground, Magic watched them all, and realized she should do the same.

King Fortem entered, flanked by the Chancellor and two matrons, and seated himself in a chair facing the bed. He found it loathsome to marry the daughter of the man who had slain nearly his entire family; the young princess's red hair might seem particularly lovely to anyone, but for the inhabitants of Fontana, it signified death, and to the king even more so.

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