Dedicated to: RebelliousWinter
(I hope you like this one as much as the last)

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"There are no heroes...in life, the monsters win."
-George R.R. Martin

Xander, the King of Aelford sighed in exasperation as he reread the letter for the umpteenth time.
The words of Eren, the great islands king on the paper in front of him were clear, and yet Xander couldn't seem to get his head around them.

Allowing his younger sister to marry the prince of the neighbouring country would forge an
unbreakable bond, but at what cost? Xander loved his sister more than anything else, could he
simply hand her over to a stranger without a second thought? Of course not. Xander loved his
sister more than he could express, and simply bartering her like a piece of jewellery would not be
reflective of that love.

An unorthodox thought came to mind after hard contemplation.
A trial, he thought. A week, or even a month in which the neighbouring
prince could visit the princess and Xander would be able to keep a watchful eye over his
behaviour before committing to something more permanent. A short time to know for sure that
this prince was the noble man of status his reputation portrayed him as.

He quickly penned out a
reply to King Eren before handing it to a nearby steward to be sent away.

A week later King Eren frowned at the younger ruler's reply, irritated that Xander had seen through his soft words. The young king was smarter than he appeared, and Eren wondered for a moment if he had an advisor
more versed in the perils of inter-kingdom fraternisation to help him in his diplomatic efforts.

Of course, he had no choice but to accept the offer, as the initial was his in the first place. He quickly called for his youngest son.

Soon, Prince Iolas lesuirly strolled through the throne room doors with his usual air of arrogance.
Handing his son the parchment with a raised eyebrow. He watched as his late wife's intense green eyes scanned it over at first with disinterest, but soon they sparked with something bordering on unsettling.

Prince Iolas left his father's private study with a sly smile.
Eren watched his son as he walked away, assuming what his youngest was planning to do. Meet the princess, win her heart and her hand, and then gain whatever control of the kingdom he could, but what King Eren did not know, was that his son had other ideas. Eren was simply interested in uniting the kingdoms, forging a bond everlasting and keeping peace between their nations, although they were both non-hostile.
Iolas had a different way of thinking, and his sly and cunning ways got the better of him. Oh, he
would unite their kingdoms, alright. He would unite them in a way that could never be undone.

A week passed and across the sea, Princess Adelaide of Aelford sighed blissfully, soaking in the sunlight as Chester, the stablemasters sturdy brown donkey stood by, munching on the supple green grass.

Whenever she lay in the sunlight, surrounded by the soft grass, she felt as if all her sorrows, and all her worries melted away.
It was as if she were just Adelaide,
and not a princess soon to be handed off to a strange prince from a strange land, who she had never even heard of until her brother had come to her, false look of optimism plastered on his face, and told her she was to be courted, with hopes of engagement.

"What if he looks like a troll?"
She wondered aloud.

Her face flushed a violent shade of red as she heard laughter from above. Simon, her best friend for as long as she could remember, and lifelong companion grinned down at her, his choppy blond hair waving slightly in the breeze.

"As if Xander would marry you off to someone who looked like a troll, or any other vicious beast!"
He raised an eyebrow, adding the second point hurriedly, knowing all too well the
princess' flair for the dramatic.
"He will be the perfect prince, someone you've dreamed of your
entire life. You're going to live happily ever after in a huge castle with all your wants and needs
attended to." Adelaide smiled up at her optimistic friend as Simon helped her up from the grass, his strong hands covering her own entirely.

"Thank you Simon. Your support is truly welcomed."
The two of them walked back
in the direction of the docks, Chester trailing behind freely, and at his own pace, spending their last
moments together before the mysterious Prince Iolas was introduced into her life, most likely
destined to change it forever.

The first thing Adelaide noticed when she and Simon reached the bay was not the crowds gathered by the water waiting to catch a glimpse of the prince, nor was it the furrowed brow of her brother, wrapped up in his most grand royal garb and stood waiting to welcome the prince.

No, the first thing Adelaide noticed was the magnificent ship moored in the deep water of the bay. The wood shone in the sun, glinting like amber. Its sails were whiter than the winter's snow, and all along the bow were ornate carvings. Adalaide felt her breath, for off the ship stepped the most handsome man she had ever seen.

He was tall man with rich, deep red hair. Almost, she noted, like the color of dried blood. Dressed in the most prinstine white jacket, and breeches, an ornate, jeweled gold vest, complete with a silver trimmed, burgandy sash.

Prince Iolas stood in front of Xander and bowed before shaking the king's hand.
"Your Majesty," he greeted.
"Thank you for welcoming me so kindly to your kingdom. It is an honor to be here, and a greater honor to be given the chance to court the esteemed princess of Aelford.

He stepped towards the princess, bowing low and taking her hand, planting a soft kiss on the middle of her gloved hand.
"Princess Adelaide, I am delighted to make your acquaintance. I hope our time together is fruitful, and you find me to be a man of a high enough quality to meet your strict standards."

Adelaide felt her face flush as she bowed back, thankful her hair was tied in a bun, preventing it from falling into her face and covering her eyes as she bowed too low. She always
bowed too low. All those years of lessons, being taught over and over how to conduct herself
were wasted. She knew from this simple interaction that what Simon had said had been correct.
Iolas was the perfect prince, her dream come true. He offered her his elbow, and she slipped her
hand into the crook, walking with him to the castle. Iolas knew this wouldn't be a difficult
operation. He was even a little impressed with Adelaide's beauty,
That girlish figure and doe eyes nativity had a certain charm to it.
Perhaps it wouldn't be too
difficult to fill her with an heir or two, although he admittedly preferred bustier blondes himself.

"Your reputation precedes you, princess. Your beauty is truly understated in your portraits."
Adelaide giggled, her flush staying firmly on her face. She was already excited to spend time with the prince, and Simon was long forgotten in her mind. He was left with Chester at the
docks, wondering if his old friend would ever be the same, or if this new prince was the death their time together.

The next few days were joyful, as Iolas courted the princess to the best of his abilities. She viewed him as perfect, relishing his well-timed compliments and chaste jokes never failing to make her laugh. They strolled together in the gardens, laughing with each other. Went riding along the river, and skipped stones across the shoreline.

The two of them spent almost every waking moment with one another, and Adelaide was blinded by this perfection she saw within Iolas. It did not take long for Iolas to take to his knee and ask for her hand in marriage, but the two of them knew she had given him her heart the very moment he had stepped off the ship. The young girl of 17 summers had never felt such joy as when Iolas asked those words. Before he even had the chance to finish asking her, she had leapt into his arms.
"Yes, of course, more than I can express!"

Iolas grinned as he embraced her.
"You're quite eager,"
he chuckled into her ear, that roguish grin she loved so much spreading across his face.

Simon, unlike his childhood friend, disliked the prince. He saw through the facade of charm Iolas erected and into what Simon saw as a dark soul. He put aside his feelings for the vile prince out of respect for Adelaide. After all, she was all that mattered, and her happiness was paramount. Simon knew his duties had extended to protection, and in some cases that included following the two of them in secret. Or, in many cases, following that prince.

The darkness outside made his form hard to spot, if Simon hadn't have been watching for him already. He moved like water through the shadows, and finally his dark form disappeared to the door leading into the kitchens. This would not have been a suspicion to Simon if he'd been anybody else; after all, he'd seen Adelaide do just the same in search of a late-night snack on many occasions. This prince on the other hand, aroused Simon's sense of danger, and before he knew it he found himself listening at the door.

"Too easy," muttered the prince, strolling through the building as if it were his. Iolas found himself revelling in the ease of wandering about the castle. Security was practically non-existent. The uninhibited access to the kitchens made tampering with the foods and making deaths look like illness easier than expected. Soon, the king would be dead, Adalaide would rule and he would be the one to hold a seat by the throne as King regent.
Then, after his lovely lady gave him an heir, she would perhaps find the same cup as her dearly departed brother.

His eyes dropped to the sink filled with fine glasses. Iolas knew what he needed. It did not take him long to get to the cellar.

"You need to come with me, right now!"
Simon grabbed Adelaide by the elbow, dragging her out of bed and along the palace floors. Adelaide, rubbing sleep from her eyes, yanked her arm from his grasp.

"What on earth are you doing?"
She asked sleepily. Simon grabbed her arm again, eyes pleading with her to relent.

"Your prince. He was headed into the cellar, and I'd bet my last coin he wasn't just looking for a nice bottle of vintage wine."
Simon's voice was low, and he looked around as if expecting someone to jump from around the corner and apprehend him at any second.

Adelaide was aware Simon held a passionate dislike for her fiance, but she wasn't privy as to why.
"Simon, this is ridiculous! He was just getting a drink! How did you get into my room, anyway?"

Simon shook his head.
"He wasn't, Adelaide, I swear to you." If it were any other situation she'd have believed her friend, but he was acting strangely, and Adelaide was certain Iolas would never sneak around her home. He was too...perfect to do such a malicious thing. Humoring her friend, the two scurried down to the kitchen, into the cellar, and Adelaide's blue eyes widened in horror.

"What are you doing?"
She asked, fear in her eyes. She wished she would wake up in her soft, warm bed, with all of this a distant nightmare. Alas, this wasn't the case. Iolas, hunched over in the cellar, dropped the bottle of wine he'd been holding, along with a vial of clear substance, water-like in appearance but with a sickly sweet scent.

"Iolas?" She asked shakily, beginning to suspect Simon had been correct in his assumptions. Surely, without doubt, there was an explanation, she thought. There must have been a way to explain away what she saw. But as quickly as they'd seen him, Iolas ran, panicking as he realised he had been caught in the act.

"Guards! Catch him!"
Adelaide shouted like a banshee, waking every guard in the palace. The nearest were close enough to see Iolas' coattails disappear around a corner, making chase as briskly as they could.

"Adelaide...are you okay?" Simon reached out in concern, but Adelaide brushed off his hand and stood tall.
"We will catch this criminal. He cannot get away."
She strode off after the guards with Simon in tow, her ever-present guardian.

"You saved my brother's life," Adelaide mused, teary-eyed after Iolas had been captured. Simon threw her a lopsided grin, brushing a finger on her cheek to wipe away a tear.

"I guess it's just my job, princess. Plus, there's no way I could ever let anyone hurt you, and someone harming your brother would hurt you unimaginably."
Simon looked at the princess fondly as she gathered her emotions.

"My brother wants to thank you personally," she said.
"He's incredibly grateful."

Iolas had been apprehended and immediately banished from the country, and fortunately Xander had not succumb to the nefarious tampering.

"I'm sure he will...maybe I'll get a kindly worded letter."
The two giggled, and Xander watched them from a balcony, seeing the blatant love in their eyes.

It was peculiar, yet not unexpected that Adelaide had fallen for the stable-boy. After all, they had spent so much of their lives together. It made sense they would have an unbreakable bond. Xander wanted nothing but the best for his little sister, and if that meant that a rankless nobody was her wanting, then so be it.

After all, Sir Simon had a charming ring to it, and another knight in the ranks would hurt no one.
He thought.

The king strode towards his throne with long, sure steps. He was thankful to be alive, although was finding himself regretting his decision to send Iolas back to his father's kingdom, even if it was under the careful watch of the kingdom's best guards.

"I should have had him hanged,"
he muttered as he sat. He knew that if he saw either man alive again, they would not live through the interaction.

[END PROLOGUE]

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A/N: Hey guys!

I'm so excited to be working on another book for you.
See you all next week.
This one will be updated every Tuesday. Can't wait to hear what you think.

Love you all
-QueenOfGeeks