In the cold light of early morning, the King of Iride glanced across the battlefield. It appeared like it often did in his visions, covered by a thin sheet of ice, punctured by cracks and intricate frost patterns. One could even call it beautiful if not for what it represented.

They had agreed on no magic use.

Yet, he did not comment on the betrayal of their understanding and set forward. Within seconds, the rest of his army followed.

On the other side of the field, the Queen of Endir glanced at the approaching banners of the enemy kingdom. There were many. More than she expected.

She'd known that they were outnumbered. She could have never imagined, however, by how much. Next to her, her general squinted into the weak light, waiting for a sign. The Queen knew she had little choice, so she spurred her horse forward. Her army followed.

Dark clouds twisted in the skies, like the coils of a giant serpent.

Snowflakes began a mesmerizing dance towards the ground.

The King of Iride narrowed his eyes at the sky. It was hard to tell whether the snow was a natural phenomenon or was caused by their enemies.

The Queen of Endir glanced upwards, too, taking it as a sign that the odds were in their favor. After all, being outnumbered only meant that each of her shoulders had to kill more than one man. They were well prepared to do that. They were fighting for their survival.

The field before them was barren, but the King of Iride knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. He had seen this, had visions of corpses and flames spreading across the land before him. The images flashed before his eyes and magic stirred beneath his skin. He knew that he could summon lightning down from the clouds, decimate the approaching army. But even if the Queen had broken her word, he would not.

The Queen of Endir could see the approaching army clearly. Her heart thundered and her mouth dried, but she had no choice. They could not turn back.

The King of Iride tried not to focus his attention on the rival monarch. The hollow ache in his chest burned him, and he didn't want to think about who he was truly facing. It was just the Ice Queen of Endir.

And he would be the Fire King.

He forced his horse into a trot. His soldiers followed, battle cries escaping their lips. Adrenaline built up inside him, making the magic even more impatient. He held it in.

As the enemy army approached, their archers released their arrows. Bodies fell to the ground, trampled by their own. He lifted his shield to block a shower of arrows fired by the Endirian army. Their tips were sharper, made out of metal, but his shield was gold and held.

As the two armies approached, time itself seemed to slow down.

The Queen of Endir saw her soldiers falling, could hear the cries of pain. But ahead, she could also see enemy riders falling under their horses as their arrows pierced their armors and their mounts.

She pulled out her sword and held it alongside her, watching and waiting. The King of Iride was hers to deal with. Once he fell, his faithless army would crumble as well.

The two armies collided with a sound like thunder.

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Since this chapter is more of an interlude, you're getting another today, don't worry 😂 I wasn't going to leave you on this cliffhanger (I fear for my life).