I : At an Ending, A New Beginning

Isaac usually loved his morning as he woke up in his cottage and have his favorite brew of coffee.

But for some reason, today felt different.

Isaac exited his home to see his lovely hometown, a small village a few kilometers outside the walls of Leadun Kingdom. The kingdom itself is one of many within the Sovereign Empire, the biggest faction in the world.

When he stepped outside of his house, a merchant cart was being pulled by a horse passed by in front of him.

"Morning sir!" The merchant waved as he passed. Isaac just waved back with a smile. The Leadun Kingdom was a popular place for commerce, so people and merchants frequented the place a lot.

And since Rost Village, the village that Isaac's living in, is close to the kingdom, merchants visited here a lot for temporary and cheaper accommodation. So the atmosphere in Rost very rarely gets old, because of all the new people he meets.

Isaac strapped on his toolbelt and went about to the village and its rocky path. He had a reputation for being the village's handyman and people often look for him to get things fixed. He had no talent for farming or fishing, but he had a knack for fixing things until they work.

He turned a few corners and greeted a few passing villagers before he arrived at the local tavern. The place where everything happens.

Despite being early in the morning, the tavern was almost full. It gets crowded at night, so the scene came as a surprise. Maybe it had something to do with the festival in Leadun, but Isaac wasn't complaining.

The rustic design never gets old. Wooden floorboards that creaked with every step, old stone walls that look weathered, and lanterns that have seen better days.

Despite that, the place holds strong, even with the lodging on the second floor.

Isaac sat on one of the wooden stools and leaned against the counter. "Hey, Big Bob."

Big Bob was the bartender of the place. He was bald, has a scruffy beard, and had a figure that could snap a person in half. If Big Bob wanted to, he could probably join the Sovereign Knights because of his strength. But instead, he chose to be a bartender. No one knew why, but no one cared. Big Bob was a nice guy, and people weren't really keen on making the big dude angry.

Because if that happens, no one is going to serve them drinks again.

"There's my favorite customer." Big Bob grinned.

Isaac rolled his eyes. "You say that to everyone."

"Yeah, but I only mean it to you." Big Bob winked. "So, the usual?"

"You know me."

"Gotcha." Big Bob said. "One White Root Ale, coming up!"

Despite his massive hands, Big Bob handled drinks well, even though he could crush the bottles with one hand. Within minutes, his drink was ready. A milky white drink that smelled like lemons. As Isaac gulped it down, he felt the familiar sourness of White Root, pounding at his taste buds before settling down.

"That hits the spot." Isaac sighed in satisfaction.

"I swear, only you drink White Root." Big Bob said.

"Cause it's good for you," Isaac said. "You got anything for me?"

The local tavern is often the most social place in any village or town. Naturally, it's also the place where tons of information flow in and out of. As the bartender, Big Bob often hears the news from other people and the villagers.

If there's someone who knows anything about their town, it's the bartender.

"Some outsiders at the outskirts of the village." Big Bob said. "Came in last night and wanted a place to stay. I was fully booked, so I sent them to the old house at the edge of the village."

"That doesn't seem safe," Isaac said.

"Hey, they needed a roof and I gave them one. Plus, I didn't even charge them."

"That's fair, I guess?" Isaac doubted that it was fair considering the old house could collapse on them at any moment.

"I want you to check up on them. The house is pretty banged up and I don't want to have any outsiders show up dead in our village." Big Bob said. "We don't want another Relia Incident."

The Relia Incident was something that happened in their village a few years ago when a prince mysteriously died while staying in their village. Needless to say, the whole kingdom suspected someone from the village to be the murderer which led to uncomfortable situations with the Sovereign Empire.

"Fine. I'll check up on them." Isaac sipped his drink. "Anything I should know before going?"

Big Bob shrugged. "Word is they're from Nastaya." He said in a whisper. "Can't tell for sure. They didn't talk much, but they're filthy rich."

"Royalty?"

Big Bob shook his head. "Too few guards. If I had to guess, they're probably from the Three Coins."

Isaac inhaled sharply through his teeth. "That's some serious heat."

"Yeah. Better be quick with your work then." Big Bob said. Isaac gulped down the last drop of his drink before tossing a gold coin to Big Bob as payment. He waved the bartender goodbye before heading out of the tavern.

Isaac made his way to the edge of the village, where the scenery changed from a village to farmland. Acres of land here are tilled and planted with crops. Plenty for sustaining the village and enough to get them through winter, which is coming soon.

Here, the houses are fewer and more spread out because most of the land is tilled. As he greeted some passing farmers, he spotted his destination. A small abandoned house made out of stones and straws. It's not as if it's not livable, but it could be better

Outside, tied to a post, were two horses. From that, Isaac knew that these people were important. Because normal horses wouldn't have armor and banners on their backs, carrying the Sovereign Empire's colors and insignia.

Isaac cursed under his breath. If it was just someone from Leadun or the Three Coins, Isaac wouldn't have had much trouble. But someone from the Sovereign Empire can't be handled recklessly.

Unless you want the whole Empire as an enemy.

Plus, nobilities and royalties from the Empire are . . . difficult people. It's kinda hard the empathize with people when they think they're a descendant of God.

Isaac made his way to the abandoned house and knocked on the door. Instantly, it swung open and Isaac found himself staring at the tip of a blade.

"Who are you?" The knight in front of him growled. At least, Isaac assumed he was a knight. His silver armor glinted in the sunlight. He looked big enough to wrestle a bear. His face showed caution instead of anger. His brown hair gave out a warm color thanks to the sun, as his blue eyes glared at Isaac.

Behind him, were two figures draped in a black hooded cloak. Isaac couldn't see anything under their garments, save for the unmistakable fancy dress. One of them was wearing what looked like a wedding dress underneath and the other was wearing a black and white outfit with frills all over the dress.

A castle maid, if Isaac had to guess.

"I'm, uh, Isaac, the village handyman." Isaac managed. He found it to be difficult to talk when there was something sharp being pointed at him. "Big Bob asked me to check up on you guys and the old house."

The knight looked wary, but the hooded figure behind him gently put their hand on his shoulder. "It's fine." The figure said with a female voice.

The knight looked wary, but he lowered his weapon. The woman who spoke previously stepped in front. "Thank you, for your hospitality. The place is a little bit run down, but not so much so it's unlivable."

"Ah, great!" Isaac managed a nervous smile. Anything to keep the big fella from pointing his sword at him again. "Well, you can just call me if you need anything. I'll be happy to help, uh, milady." Isaac bowed slightly.

The woman chuckled. "You noticed?"

"Well, you look like you're from royalty, and he looks like a knight. It's not hard to put two and two together." Isaac knew that they were from royalty, but he just didn't know which royal family.

"Seemingly so." The woman said. "I would appreciate it if you could keep it a secret since I don't want people to come snooping around."

"Oh, don't worry. No one will know." Isaac said again with a nervous smile. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Have a good day." Isaac was about to leave when he saw the cavalry of horses charging into the village.

Above them, their gold and black banner flapped violently against the wind.

It was hard to see, but the vertical sword over shield insignia was unmistakable. Isaac was very familiar with that crest. It was the same one he saw on the horses outside.

The Sovereign Empire.

"S**t." The knight cursed. "They've caught up to us."

"You'd think they wouldn't dare to venture into the Flamewood Forest to catch up." The maid behind him muttered. "We need to get out of here."

"I'll get the horses." The knight sheathed his sword and went towards the horses, but the lady stopped him.

"We shall deal with them." She said.

The knight looked confused. "My Queen, I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, but I can't take them all on. We're heavily outnumbered and Elisa is running low on mana."

"He's right. It'll be safer if we flee." The maid, Elisa, said.

Isaac processed the situation. By the time they finish arguing, the Sovereign Empire will already be here.

"Hide in the house," Isaac said. "I'll talk to them."

The trio looked at him in disbelief.

"That won't work," Elisa said.

"Trust me on this. Just hide. You need to avoid them, yes? You won't be able to run away on such short notice."

They exchanged looks among themselves. "Very well." The Queen said.

"Milady! We have to -"

"I have faith in him." The Queen said before turning towards Isaac. "You're the handyman, right? Fix this problem for us."

Isaac nodded as they went back into the house just as the Sovereign Empire party arrived. Isaac saluted the cavalry. "Greetings. Glory to the Empire!"

The guy in front held his hand up. Judging from his armor being more regal than the others, Isaac assumed that he was the commander. "And you are?"

"Isaac. Handyman of Rost Village." Isaac introduced himself. Despite the confident bravado, he was very nervous and anxious. One wrong word, he could end up dead. The Sovereign Empire were not people you'd want to anger.

"Hm." The commander said. "We're looking for three people. They've escaped from the Royal Capital. Have you seen them?"

"I'm afraid not," Isaac said apologetically. "I know of most things that happen in this village, but I haven't heard of any Sovereign royalties passing through."

"We have word that they are staying here." The commander said. "These people are wanted by the Sovereign Empire. If you've been found to have helped them in any way, then you shall-"

"I'm very aware of the consequences." Isaac cut him off. "But trust me when I say I haven't heard of anything like that in my village."

The commander glared at Isaac. He was about to say something when the soldier behind him shouted "Commander!" and pointed at the two horses wearing the Sovereign Empire crest.

"Those are horses from the royal stables." The commander pointed out. "Only people from the Royal Capital can get their hands on them."

Isaac's hands were getting sweaty from being nervous. He whistled. "Imagine my surprise when I found them here. I had half a mind to take them for myself, but it didn't seem like the right idea."

"So you just found them here." The commander said, but Isaac knew he was having a hard time believing that excuse.

"Believe me, I'm just as confused as you are." Isaac shrugged. "If I had to guess, some of the pesky merchants from Leadun stole it and left them here. You know how those merchants are. They'll grab anything for some easy gold."

The commander was still glaring at Isaac as he looked around. People were starting to stare at them, wondering what the commotion is about.

"Oh, I bet those merchants smuggled your escapees as well," Isaac said. He felt bad since most of the merchants he met passing through here were genuinely nice people. "They often come and go to this village that they'll think that nobody suspects a thing. If they got here last night, they're probably halfway to Sarca right now."

The commander scowled. He seemed to hate the idea of his targets getting farther away from him. When Isaac noticed that, he knew what he had to do to convince the commander that who they were looking for are not here.

"Tell you what, you could stay here for the time being," Isaac said. "You'll lose some ground, sure, but at least you'll be fully rested for the journey. The Royal Capital is a long way from here and you must have had a long journey."

His men looked wistful at the promise of rest, but the commander looked determined. "Let's go." He told his soldiers. "And bring those horses."

They untied the horses and brought them along for their wild goose chase as they continued their journey.

When Isaac couldn't see them anymore, he sighed heavily. Thankfully, the trouble has passed for now. If he's lucky, they wouldn't come back here.

"You can come out now," Isaac said with relief. The knight came out first as he looked around for any enemies. "They already left with your horses. Sorry about that."

"I told you to get rid of the horse armor," Elisa said from inside the house as she stepped out.

"The horses could get attacked by bandits. You'd never know. It doesn't hurt to be prepared." The knight argued.

"Relax, both of you." The Queen stepped out. "At least we're safe. We can afford to lose some horses."

"Well, they're gone now, which is probably for the best if you want to travel in low profile," Isaac said. "I know someone who could get you three horses for a fair price. I'll talk to them."

"Thank you, Isaac." The Queen gave a slight bow. "I appreciate what you did for us."

"Yeah, well, I'm just afraid they're gonna come back for you guys." Isaac sighed as he looked off into the distance where the cavalry rode. "I suggest you leave by sunset. On the off chance that they do double back, I won't be able to lie to them anymore."

"He's right," Elisa said. "We can't stay here any longer. We'll be caught and they'll raze this village to the ground."

Isaac was hoping that she wasn't serious, but he knew what the Sovereign Empire was capable of. They are the biggest faction in all of Arya and most kingdoms have already pledged their allegiance to the Sovereign Empire, save for some states.

"I will get you the horses," Isaac said. Before he could leave, the Queen stopped him.

"I'm coming with you." She said.

"Uh, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Isaac said.

"I agree with the handyman," Elisa said. "That's not a good idea."

"It will only be for a while." The Queen argued. "Plus, we're leaving as soon as we get the horses, right? It's bad manners to leave a village without taking a look around first."

"I think manners went out the window like you did when we ran away from your wedding." The knight retorted.

"It'll be fine." The Queen brushed them off. She went over and grabbed Isaac's wrist. "Come, I wanna see the village."

Line Break

Isaac planned to walk through the village without attracting too much attention, but that's kind of impossible when everyone knows who you are.

Isaac was known as 'that-one-guy-that-everyone-likes'. He's helped almost everyone in this village in some way and they appreciated him for that.

As they walked, every passing villager greeted him good morning. He even stopped by to lift some food crates off of a wagon for Ludd, the village merchant.

When they resumed their journey, the Queen asked. "Are you always this nice?"

Isaac shrugged. "It's not like I have anything better to do. At least, not most of the time."

"It's so nice to see." The Queen sounded wistful. Isaac figured she might be sad, but it was hard to tell with the cloak she was wearing.

"Figured you'd be happier since you're from the Royal Capital and all that," Isaac said.

"Yeah." Her voice sounded so small all of a sudden. "I thought I'd be happy as well."

Hearing her voice, Isaac decided not to push into the subject further. Instead, he changed the subject.

"Anyways, what's your name? I keep calling you 'Queen' in my head."

The Queen chuckled. "I'm not gonna tell you."

"Why is that?"

"Because if I do, you won't treat me like this anymore."

"What do you mean? Treat you like what?"

"Like I'm a normal person."

That took Isaac aback. Seems like she's carrying a heavier burden than he realized.

"Try me," Isaac said.

The Queen sighed. "My name is Scarlet. Scarlet Snow. Also known as -"

"The White Witch." Isaac tried not to freak out, but he could feel his mouth twitching. The White Witch was a mysterious figure who runs a kingdom to the far north, across the Whitewash Peaks. It's one of the few factions in Arya that hasn't sworn allegiance to the Sovereign Empire, mainly because of where it's located.

The White Kingdom is placed so far north that it's constantly snowing over there. Lakes and rivers are frozen and the ground is covered with snow. Agriculture is out of the equation and the only source of food they get is from the ocean and the occasional traveling merchants, but even those are rare. The route to the White Kingdom is dangerous and no merchants want to risk going up there unless they really want to.

Or really bored.

The kingdom is led by Scarlet Snow, also known as the White Witch, the head of the House of Snow.

Isaac had heard the news that the White Witch was to be married to the Sovereign Prince, son of the Sovereign Empire's King, Prince Solus himself. The reason for the wedding is to finally unite the White Kingdom and the Sovereign Empire.

But since the princess was here, Isaac figured something else happened.

So he put two and two together and had a rough idea of what happened.

"Well, it's a surprise indeed," Isaac admitted. "Doesn't mean you're not a person."

Scarlet seemed confused. "Aren't you gonna bow to me or report me to the Sovereign Empire?"

"I said I'd help you, and I meant it." Isaac grinned. "Besides, I'm sure you have your reasons. The people of the Empire aren't really the best in the world. Plus, we're meant to keep a low profile and bowing doesn't help."

Scarlet seemed surprised as if this had been the first time anyone has said that to her. Under her hood, she smiled. "Very well then. Lead the way, handyman."

The couple went their way through the village. After a couple of small chats and greetings from other people, they reached the other end of the village where their horses are waiting.

The person that they were going to meet owned the largest plot of land in the village, which isn't saying much.

They had turned the land into a massive pasture for all kinds of livestock, including horses. The house itself was pretty normal with stone walls and a wooden roof. What's impressive is the barn.

It's easily bigger than the village tavern, which was the biggest building in the village. Ironwood logs were used as walls, lined up vertically instead of horizontally. The planks that made up the roof were weighed down with stones to prevent being blown off by strong winds.

Scarlet whistled. "Nice place."

"You're a princess. Surely this isn't that impressive."

"We live up north," Scarlet said. "Yes, we have big houses, but not for animals because, well, they die."

"Is it really that cold? I haven't been up north. At least, not past Whitewash Peaks."

The White Witch nodded. "We barely have crops or livestock. The ones we do get are from the Empire and they only send a handful each month. Not nearly enough to feed everyone."

"Why don't you just move someplace else?"

"And go where? Almost all of the land in Arya is owned by the Empire. I'd rather live up north by my own rule rather than being under Sovereign rule."

Isaac understood where she was coming from, so he didn't argue. But one detail stuck out to him.

"If you hate the Sovereign Empire, then what was that wedding about?" Isaac asked. He could feel Scarlet tense up when he asked the question.

Isaac half-expected for her to let it slide, but she replied. "I was desperate." She said. "My people were suffering. We're running low on food ever since Icirin made Whitewash Peaks her home."

Icirin, more commonly known as the Snow Dragon. The dragons in Arya were known as Lords of the Sky, and Icirin was one of five. As Scarlet explained, she likes snowy places, hence the name.

Because the dragon decided for a new place to live, routes going into and out of the White Kingdom has been especially dangerous, considering the only route in and out of the kingdom was through Whitewash Peaks.

Which was now the Snow Dragon's lair.

Isaac knocked at the door and a jolly girl in a brown dress and black hair came out. Her green eyes regarded Isaac with excitement. "You're here!" She exclaimed and crushed him with a big hug.

"Yep." Isaac managed. For a small girl, she was really strong. All that farm work did well for her. "I can't breathe, Myrna."

Myrna giggled before letting go. Her gaze focused on Scarlet, who was still cloaked. "Who's this?"

"A friend of mine. We're here to buy some-"

"Isaac's friend!" Myrna crushed Scarlet with a huge hug.

"Ow, ow, ow," Scarlet groaned. "I'm flattered." She croaked out. When Myrna let her go, she gasped for air.

Isaac managed a chuckle. "You okay?" He asked Scarlet.

"Cracked my spine, but otherwise I'm good," Scarlet said.

"So, what can I help you with?" Myrna asked.

"Oh, we're here for a couple of horses," Isaac explained. "Fast ones, preferably."

"Then you came to the right place!"

Line Break

Isaac and Scarlet were now on their way back with their newly acquired horses.

"She's an interesting one," Scarlet said as they walked through the village while gently pulling the reins.

"She can be a bit much, but she means well." Isaac smiled. "And as promised, three horses for a fair price."

By the time they got back, the knight and Elisa were worried. "Where have you been?" Elisa asked. She had her hood off, which finally lets Isaac see her face for the first time.

Unlike the White Witch, Elisa was slightly more tanned. She had emerald-colored eyes and short auburn hair.

"Relax, everything's fine," Scarlet said. "We got the horses."

"Good." The knight stood up and hefted his leather satchel. "Let's head off. The longer we stay here, the more likely that the Empire is going to catch up."

"Agreed," Elisa said.

Scarlet turned towards Isaac. "I guess, this is goodbye."

Isaac felt kind of wistful. He'd only known the princess for a few hours, but he felt as if he'd made a new friend despite their difference in status.

Isaac smiled. "Stay safe out there. Remember to always keep moving. And don't trust anyone. The Sovereign Empire has eyes everywhere."

Scarlet looked hesitant for some reason. All of a sudden, she gave Isaac a warm hug. Unlike Myrna's embrace, this one felt comforting. Isaac was unsure what to do, but he returned the hug.

When Scarlet pulled away, her hood had fallen off her head and Isaac finally had a clear look of what she looked like.

And staying true to her status as a princess, she indeed looks like one.

Her snowy white hair was tied into a single braid. Her icy blue eyes looked calm and regal at the same time and her pale complexion almost glistened under the sunlight.

"Thank you," Scarlet said. "For your help and for being a friend."

Did Scarlet consider him a friend? Their time together was indeed a short one, but it was enough for Scarlet to see him as a friend.

"Anytime." Isaac grinned. "Goodbye, for now."

"For now." Scarlet smiled at him. Isaac felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the beauty of her smile. "Goodbye."

As Scarlet went with the knight to get her horse prepped, Elisa went over to him. "The princess doesn't normally show her face to anyone she just met, let alone hug them." She said. "Whatever you did, you must've let quite the impression for her to trust you."

"I was just being myself." Isaac shrugged.

"And that's enough." Elisa smiled. "Consider us indebted to you. Whenever you find yourself in the White Kingdom, we will repay our debt."

The White Kingdom . . . Isaac had never really traveled far before. The furthest he'd ever been away from Rost was Sarca, which wasn't very far.

"Will you be making your way there?" Isaac asked.

"We'll try." Elisa seems worried. "But we don't know our way around and the whole Sovereign Empire is looking for us."

A light bulb went up in his head. "I have just the thing for you." Isaac pulled up a piece of folded leather parchment from his pouch and handed it to Elisa. "It's a map."

Elisa looked unimpressed. "Thanks, but we already have a-"

"Oh, this isn't a normal map," Isaac said. "A merchant gave this to me a while ago after I fixed his carriage. They tend to run into trouble with the Sovereign Empire as well, so they created this map that's embedded with the Sovereign Empire's crest and the blood of a mountain goat."

"What?"

"The point is, it shows anyone who bears the same crest as the Sovereign Empire. It won't show you those that are far away, but you can see those who are nearby. So you'll be able to find out if they bear the crest of the Sovereign Empire or not. Of course, it doesn't apply to people who don't have the crest on them so you still have to be careful."

Elisa's eyes widened in disbelief as she took a look at the map. From the map, they could see that there are only two Sovereign knights close to them, which are probably border patrols.

"This is incredible," Elisa said.

"And it's instant as well, so you won't have to worry about them not showing on the map."

Elisa looked hesitant. "Isaac, I don't know. This is a very valuable tool. Surely you'd want to keep this for yourself."

Isaac smiled. "I'm a handyman. I fix things." He said. "It's fine. Plus, you need it more than I do. I don't have the Sovereign Empire going after my tail."

Elisa's expression relaxed. "I see now why the princess trusts you. You have my eternal gratitude, handyman." Elisa bowed slightly.

"My pleasure." Isaac bowed in return. "Now I suggest you be on your way." Isaac walked over to the others. "You can make it to Whitewash Peak in three days if you rest at night. As for a place to rest for the night, I suggest you make your stay in a town just outside Ironwood Forest. It's a town of lumberjacks and there's little to no Empire influence. You can get there by sunset."

"Thank you." The knight said. "Let us be off," he said. Scarlet said her final goodbyes with a small wave before she pulled her hood up. She climbed onto the same horse as the knight and the two rode off, followed closely by Elisa with her horse.

Despite the brief encounter, Isaac was hoping that he'll run into them again soon. It felt like it was going to happen eventually.

After that, Isaac went on with his day with the usual, helping people and fixing stuff. It was almost midnight by the time he was done with his errand. When he got back, he was greeted by Big Bob himself.

As usual, the tavern was lively even at midnight. It was not until dawn that things would settle down.

"So, what happened?" Big Bob asked. Isaac did his best to tell a story without giving out any important information.

"Long story short, they're making their way to the next town," Isaac said.

"Hopefully, the Empire won't come back knocking." Big Bob said. "If I were you, I'd leave Rost for a few days."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's more than likely that they're gonna come back here on their way back to the Royal Capital. If you're here when they're back, you're gonna be sent to Sarika."

Isaac shuddered at the thought of being sent to one of the harshest prisons in Arya. "I'll be on my way tomorrow. I might as well visit Saori while I'm at it."

"You need help? I can get you a ride."

"Nah, I'm good," Isaac said. "Thanks for the -"

Before Isaac could finish his sentence, someone grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around by surprise. Isaac found himself facing a Sovereign Knight. Different from the ones he saw this morning, a Sovereign Knight ranked higher in the hierarchy.

These people directly work under Royal Capital. Kind of like the king's special army. And they are not to be played with.

"Are you Isaac?" The Knight asked. The whole tavern fell silent. Seeing a Sovereign Knight looking for someone can only mean one thing: the King has business with you.

Isaac thought it was too soon for the Sovereign Empire cavalry from this morning to arrive, but it appears that he was not from the group.

"Yes." Isaac decided to tell the truth.

The Sovereign Knight studied him from head to toe.

"Come with me." The Knight said. Isaac looked around him to see that everyone was looking at him helplessly, which was understandable. No one wanted to go against the Empire, so Isaac wasn't expecting any help from the others.

"Wait." Big Bob called from over the counter. "Where are you taking him?"

The Knight glanced over his shoulder. "That is none of your concern."

"It is my concern. He's my favorite customer." Big Bob glared at the Knight. Isaac appreciated what he was trying to do, but he was more worried that Big Bob was going to get himself in trouble.

"It's fine, Big Bob," Isaac said with a small smile. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Isaac followed the Knight outside where a carriage awaits. Adorned in black and gold outlines while being pulled by horses from the Royal Capital. The Knight stepped in and Isaac followed. He tried to avoid the gazes of many people that were staring.

As the door closed behind him, he sat on the cushioned seat draped in purple.

The Knight took off his helmet. He was definitely way older than Isaac. His gray hair was cropped short, and his beard was neatly trimmed. Aside from his hardened brown eyes and look of steel, Isaac noticed the scars all over his face. He'd seen battle before. Probably even fought in the Sirenic War, which happened way before Isaac was even born.

"Hillut told me about you." The Knight said as the carriage started moving. "I just thought you'd be bigger as a handyman."

Isaac scowled. "Who's Hillut?"

"The knight you met before me." He said. "The one who travels with the White Witch."

So he knew about Scarlet's escape from the Royal Capital. From what he said, Isaac deduced that he also knew that Isaac had already known about Scarlet being the White Witch.

If he hadn't known that, he wouldn't have been so comfortable mentioning the White Witch's name.

"Perhaps." Isaac decided to be cautious. "I meet a lot of people these days with the festival going on Leadun."

The Knight snickered. "You're cautious. I like that. Can't be too careful with all the ears the Empire has."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you with the Empire?"

He looked at Isaac grimly. "Was. But no more. Although I am still a Sovereign Knight, my allegiance lies elsewhere."

"With the White Witch?"

The Knight shook his head. "The Lunar Empress."

Isaac was confused. "Uh, she's the King's wife, isn't she? Doesn't that still counts as the Sovereign Empire?"

From the way he tensed up, Isaac knew he was hiding something. Whatever it was, he wasn't telling it.

But Isaac could piece a few of the information he had by himself.

The Sovereign King, King Solar, rules the Sovereign Empire by himself. There's no higher power in the continent than him. No one holds a more powerful authority than him. His word is the law. His orders are absolute.

Naturally, the King would have many wives as kings do. This is mainly to ensure he would produce many children to increase his power or something stupid like that. This is also why there is no official 'Sovereign Queen' because if people looked at it technically, there are already dozens of queens.

Out of all his wives, Luna, the Lunar Empress, is the closest to the King. Their offspring, while not being the first son the King had, is the first in line for the throne as Luna's children take priority over the others the King had with his other wives.

But the Knight in front of Isaac has said that he sees himself as part of the Lunar Empress's allies, but not the Sovereign Empire.

And judging from the White Witch's recent escape from her wedding with Solus, the first in line for the throne, Isaac figured it was no coincidence.

"Something's going on, isn't it?" Isaac said. "In the Royal Capital. Someone helped the White Witch escape or maybe, someone convinced her."

The Knight raised an eyebrow. "You're smart." The Knight said.

"The Empress," Isaac said. "She's planning something. Something to do with the White Witch." Something clicked in his head. "You said your allegiance lies with the Empress like she's not part of the Empire anymore. Is she planning to go against the Empire?"

The Knight's muted reaction confirms his suspicion and dread filled Isaac's heart. If it had been any other kingdom or country trying to go against the Empire, Isaac wouldn't have cared. The Sovereign Empire is too big and too influential for any single country to go against it.

But if the Lunar Empress decides to take that challenge, Isaac wouldn't know what would happen.

The reason why any other countries and kingdoms fail to go against the Empire is that they are afraid to be involved and be crushed by the Empire. Unless you have the support of every kingdom in Arya, you would have no chance of beating the Sovereign Empire and some countries have sworn allegiance to it, making it harder to gather allies.

Needless to say, some countries and kingdoms don't really like Sovereign rule. If the Lunar Empress asked for help, thousands would rally to her call. Probably everyone who hates the Sovereign Empire.

If the Empress succeeds, they were about to be in a bloody civil war.

"The Empress has issued something for you." The Knight said. "The one who aided the White Witch's escape."

The Knight handed him a ring and a letter. The letter was sealed with red wax along with an insignia that looked like a crescent moon.

"The Empress's crest." The Knight said. "Inside will be a letter of recognition, signed by the Empress herself. The ring is proof of your status."

Isaac was confused. "What are you talking about? What recognition?"

"As of today," the Knight said. "You are now the King of the White Kingdom."

Reviews

[JayG]

• Isaac usually loved his morning as he woke up in his cottage and have his favorite brew of coffee.

Why does a reader care that someone they know nothing about had coffee? That’s data, not story. Would the story chang in the slightest were he to drink tea, or skip breakfast? No. And almost everyone eats breakfast. so why waste the reader's time telling the reader that he did?

And, look at the structure. You have two past tense words, “loved” and “woke.” But then, with “have” you switch to present tense. Did you edit this?

• But for some reason, today felt different.

So for unstated reasons, the day felt different to this man in an undefined way? What can this mean to a reader? Sure, you know who he is, where we are, and what’s going on, so it makes sense. You can even hear the emotion you want the narrator’s voice to hold. The reader? They have not a clue of any of that, and so, lack context.

That matters, because there is no way to retroactively remove the reader's confusion, and, there can be no second, first impression.

• Isaac exited his home to see his lovely hometown, a small village a few kilometers outside the walls of Leadun Kingdom.

Leadun Kingdom? Where in the pluperfect hells is that? What planet are we on? What is their society like? "Lovely" could refer to it having swaying palm trees, be on a lake, in the mountains, or literally anything else. Unless the reader knows where and when we are, generic wording like “lovely,” can bring no picture to the reader’s mind.

Here’s the deal: At the moment, you’re telling the reader a story, as you would were you telling it aloud. That can’t work on the page for a multiplicity of reasons Here's two:

1. The reader can’t see or hear your performance. But when you read it, you can, so it works... for you. But for a reader, it’s a storyteller’s script minus the stage directions. So, the narrator’s voice is dispassionate as it reports and explains, in overview and summation. That can't work, because readers don’t come to fiction to learn what happens. They want you to make it so real that the reader feels as if they’re living the story as-the-protagonist, and, in real-time.

Problem is, in our school days, all those reports you were assigned made us good at writing reports, not stories.

Think about it: Did one single teacher explain what the short-term scene-goal is, and how to manage it? How about why a scene on the page is so different from one on the screen, and must be? In fact, did any teacher explain the elements that make up a scene, and such basics as why a scene ends in disaster? If not, and you don’t truly understand what a scene is, how can you write one?

2. The goal of a report is to inform. So it’s fact-based and author-centric. But the goal of fiction? As E. L. Doctorow puts it: “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it’s raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” And how much time did your teachers spend on that?

The thing we all forget is that they offer degree programs in Fiction-Writing. And surely, at least some of what’s taught in those four years is necessary. Right?

Ask the average hopeful writer why people read fiction, and almost all will say, “For the story.” But that’s not true. In studies, most people will read three pages or less of a book before deciding to buy it or check it out of the library. And virtually no story has taken place in those few pages. We have, though learned if we like the protagonist enough to want to make them our avatar. And that's due to the writing, not the plot.

So, you either hook to your reader before the end of page 3 or you’ve wasted the time to took to write the rest. As Sol Stein put it: “A novel is like a car—it won’t go anywhere until you turn on the engine. The “engine” of both fiction and nonfiction is the point at which the reader makes the decision not to put the book down. The engine should start in the first three pages, the closer to the top of page one the better.”

Bottom line: You want to write fiction? Great. I applaud your choice because the world needs more crazies who can be staring at a blank wall, and when asked what they’re doing can honestly say, “Working.”

But to write, you first need the skills of the profession. There is no way around that. So, dig in. The library’s fiction-writing section can be a huge resource. Personally? I’d suggest starting with Dwight Swain’s, Techniques of the Selling Writer, which recently came out of copyright protection. It's the best I've found, to date, at imparting and clarifying the "nuts-and-bolts" issues of creating a scene that will sing to the reader. The address of an archive site where you can read or download it free is just below. Copy/paste the address into the URL window of any Internet page and hit Return to get there.

https://archive.org/details/TechniquesOfTheSellingWriterCUsersvenkatmGoogleDrive4FilmMakingBsc_ChennaiFilmSchoolPractice_Others

So… I know this wasn’t even close to what you hoped to see, but since you’re working hard, and committed to writing, yet handicapped by the fact that we all leave school not realizing that we’re exactly as ready to write fiction as to pilot an airliner, I thought you would want to know. After all, we’ll not address a problem we don’t see as being one.

So read a few chapters of that book. I think you’ll often find yourself saying, “That’s so obvious. Why did I not see it?”

Hang in there, and keep on writing.

Jay Greenstein
https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/category/the-craft-of-writing/the-grumpy-old-writing-coach/