The Noble Sellsword (Under Rewrite)

V - Cheska Sinclair

Cheska

Cheska wandered around their kingdom. Bubbles from corals and fishes formed around her as she swam aimlessly. Mermaids and mermen bowed their heads at her as a sign of respect. She smiled politely at them. But her mind was nowhere near her kingdom. Because she was thinking of her.

Chalinsandra.

The woman had been in trouble ever since the siege. As far as Cheska knew, Cee was the last blood of the Praelia line. And she swore to the sea that she would make sure she would live longer than her family. Her father and Cee's ancestors made a pact in the past that somehow made her protective of the younger girl.

On her stroll, Cheska found herself in the Great Library of Phaelaguis. Their race had seen everything that happened in the world, and everything was written under the sea.

The City of Creage and the Kingdom of Phaelaguis had an excellent relationship since the beginning. Creage used to be the capital city of Thelas. A city near the ocean, surrounded by mountains. It was a strategic place, a natural defense, and a natural source of trade and income. Creagans were known to be kind and calm in nature, as long as they were not provoked. Despite their soft demeanor, they were warriors at heart. The Praelias were known as leaders and warriors. The most significant characteristic they had were their ruby-colored eyes and their power over elements. But only a few from their lineage had actually acquired that ability, even though these days, those traits were nothing more than a myth since none had shown any quality.

The Praelias used to be the King of Thelas, until the one that they called the Lord of Lightning, Emperor Aequalus Fulghur, came with an army of giants and sorcerers. Their attacks were swift and hard and they almost destroyed the whole continent.

King Prius, the king then, asked her father for help. They had been friends ever since King Prius was a child, and it was long before Cheska was even born. But of course, the merpeople's capabilities were limited. King Prius's army and her father's were nothing compared to what Emperor Aequalus had brought. Thinking about his people, how the war had made them suffer and destroyed their land and lives, Kind Prius surrendered, ending the war he knew he couldn't win. As a warrior, he wanted to fight 'til his last breath, but as a king, he cared deeply for his people, he knew that as long as the war continued, more and more of his people's blood would be spilled, and he would not allow it.

Emperor Aequalus seized the throne as soon as Prius stepped down but didn't intend to stay at Creage. Instead, he made Prius the High Lord of Creage and didn't remove the nobility of his name, instead respected the man he was. The Emperor decided to make his own keep in the center of Thelas and named it the City of Rexxus, it was later known as the Court of Kings or the Courts.

Those who swore fealty to him were pardoned, given back their land and honor, and were allowed to have a place in his court. But those who dared oppose and refused to swear fealty, and those who took advantage of their position were put to the sword.

The Emperor could be conceived as fierce and cruel as a leader, but his rule was not. He even let her father, King Kranos rule all over the ocean, all to himself.

"The land is mine, the ocean is yours. There is no need for us to try and take on each other."

For years, her father and the Emperor lived in peace. Men and merpeople co-existed, with little to no discrimination. People feared the Emperor.

For decades, the Fulghurs ruled over Thelas. They all seem to have a male heir. Until one day, the Queen died after giving birth to a princess. The King's firstborn and only child. It created a power vacuum all over the kingdom. Lords began to offer their own son to be betrothed to the princess. The kings from the Fulghurs were just and fair, but not all the lords were. And King Ladros knew it. So, in a matter of utter importance, he went to King Kranos, Cheska's father, a king like him.