["It was all a lie."]

Trissa's life had always been a bed of roses. Everything was at her fingertips, and she had everyone to reply her beck and call. How could they not? She was the beloved only Princess of Seybar.

She was the pride of the kingdom: a robust young maiden with thick black lashes and luscious raven locks to frame her porcelain features. Her amiability was also well-known throughout the streets of Seybar City despite the difference of her social status. The city often sang praises of their king and queen, who ruled the prospering kingdom with just. That was how the Seybar had managed to rebuild in merely five years after the Red War, and had flourished ever since.

Trissa had only ever heard of the Red War in her history lesson. She briefly recalled it to transpire from the conflicts between the neighbouring country, Emautar and Seybar, which Seybar had triumphed with great tenacity.

Trissa grew up happy and naïve for 15 years. Her role as heir to ascend was solid- all the servants and citizens had told her so. At the age of 16, they would throw a grand celebration of her birthday and all bachelor dukes and princes ages between 17 to 20 would be invited to try their hand at impressing the princess, and the wedding will soon follow after two years.

Her life was basically all laid out in a book, guaranteed and safe. Her mere duty for now was to stay as the symbol of the thriving city.

The day never arrived, for one autumn night, the castle erupted in crimson flames.

The night sky was tinged with a tangerine glow. Columns of smoke billowed up into the sky, clouding the light of the celestial orbs. Against the raging fire that devoured the castle from inside out, the grounds was a scene of complete chaos of silhouettes that wielded swords and sticks as their weapons as they brawled to their deaths. Some dropped all possessions and fled, and if they hadn't succumbed to the flames they were dragged to their demises by the fine edges of swinging blades.

Trissa crouched beneath her table. Her room was no escape from the merciless fire. Their tongues licked up high into the hazy sky, where the roof had long since collapsed and all that was left were debris and charred furniture. She opened her mouth to cry for help, only to inhale the asphyxiating smoke that racked her body with coughs.

Vision blurred with tears, all she could see was looming ember and red that enclosed around her. Her mind was driven to the edge of despair, and all she could think was to scream for help even though the choking smoke burned her throat raw and set her lungs ablaze because she was terrified of death.

"Please! Someone! Help!"

Her heart soared with hope the moment a figure stumbled into the room. She recognised the familiar red bandanna as Yasin, one of the imperial guards that stood beside the thrones whenever the King and Queen made appearances. They had never spoken much, but she knew of his undying loyalty towards her parents. She stretched out an arm in a desperate manner. "Yasin! Help!"

He stopped amidst his drunken like stride, then wheeled around in her direction. Her face dropped the moment she saw the glint of insanity in his widened eyes.

"Princess... hehe... it's you, isn't it..." He began walking towards her, his sword that was already edged with dark red liquid rising once again. "You... it's all your fault... you caused this! BETRAYER! I WILL KILL YOU!!"

She shrieked, turning away and raised her arms over her head in a futile attempt to stop the strike. But it never came. When she glanced up once more, all she saw was his body unmoving on the floor and standing over him was another man. The blade in his grip was fresh with blood.

Arran, her mother's first-in-command.

He immediately kneeled before her and without warning, hooked his arms under her armpits to drag her out. She screamed, flailing and kicking at empty air. Confusion had consumed her mind, panic seizing all ability to think rationally. Her house was on fire, her parents' follower had accused her of betrayal, and now they were trying to kill her.

Oh my god, oh my god, I'm going to die-

"Princess!" His fierce growl snapped her out of her thoughts. "I am not going to hurt you! Stop moving!"

Her struggling ceased instantly, and in that short interval he had scooped her up into a bridal carry. The only warning she got was a brief "hang on!" before he charged.

Directly into fire.

She clung on tightly to his collar and squeezed her eyes shut. Hot wind whistled past her ears and she could feel the heat scorching her bare skin as they ploughed through the caving hallways. All that resounded in her ears was the pounding of footsteps and the ragged breath of the man carrying her, before they finally burst out into the open.

Arran continued to run. She gradually opened her eyes and peeked over his shoulder. A horrified gasp escaped her lips.

As they dashed past the raving fire, the remaining people that littered the uncharred grounds were in a clash of swords. What unnerved her were not the foreigners, but the sight of familiar faces standing with the foreigners to fight against their 'comrades'.

There was no time to linger on more, for Arran swiftly turned into a dark alley, where trees fringed the end of the passage. A horse lingered there, and upon its owner's approaching presence, it stomped its hooves and neighed softly, sensing the apprehension that plagued the castle grounds.

Arran had set her down rather unceremoniously, rendering her to hang onto the saddle before she could tumble off the horse's back. By the time she had straightened herself, Arran was already seated in front. With a smack of his reigns, the horse took off into the forest, and Trissa, once again, had barely clung onto Arran before inertia threw her off.

"Arran!" she cried. "What's going on? Why are the people fighting each other? Where's Father and Mother? Why... Why did Yasin try to kill me?!"

For a while there was no response. His body was rigid with tension as they sped through the woods. Only when the screams of the war were nothing but a distant weep, he opened his mouth to utter in a low, coarse voice: "It was all a lie."

The first thing to surge in Trissa was utter perplexity, then a slow, gut-wrenching presentiment that twisted her insides and wrenched her heart. "What...do you... mean?"

The glance that he casted her was a mix of emotions she never thought to see in the eyes of the expressionless guard- something in between sympathy and remorse. He faced front once again, before the words that spilled from his lips sent ice cold daggers through her heart.

"I'm sorry, Princess... you aren't the child of the King and Queen of Seybar."

♧[22/5/2020]♧

Shame, this title had so much potential. And i wanted to gun for something on a deeper level but i guess procrastination said no.

Akatsuki no Yona vibes is a yes uwu

Feedbacks and criticisms are appreciated.

:)