Flowers in the Snow (A CountryHumans Fanfic)

Prologue

"Everyone, go! Run! Alexi, get the villagers to safety, we can't hold out much longer!"

"Duck!!"

"Sir, they've reached the city gates! They're going to break through any moment!"

"Shit! Everyone fall back to the castle! We mustn't let our kingdom fall! Sergei, go protect his majesty and the prince!"

"Yes, sir!"

"They've breached the gates!"

"Barricade the doors! We will not let them enter, no matter what!"

"Sir!"

"Sergei! What is it?"

"It's the prince! We can't find him!"

"What?! Where's the king? He must be with him!"

"Sir, the... the king's dead."

"No..."

"Sir, watch out!"

"Incoming!!"

~~~

A young boy sat in a field, alone. Tears slowly dripped from his face, dotting the snow beneath him. Scratches and burn marks marked his small, frail body. Blood seeped slowly from his wounds, escaping his body as it staining his already ripped and torn clothes.

But, despite the immense pain he was, despite the cries that were desperate to come out, no sound came from his mouth. No whimpers of fear, no shaky gasps for breath.

His only movement was the rare flick of his snowy white, cat-like ear, and the even rarer shiver as cold gusts of wind blew relentlessly through the field. He only sat in tense silence, staring forlornly at a small bunch of light blue flowers poking up from under the snow, focusing on the pretty flowers and ignoring his dreadful surroundings.

Ignoring the putrid, acrid smell of black billows smoke and the sickeningly sweet and metallic smell of blood. Ignoring the horrified screams and desperate cries for help, the victorious cheering and triumphant shouts. Ignoring the sounds of ice breaking, fire whooshing, and buildings crumbling. Ignoring the last, desperate wails of the guards as they were slain mercilessly. Ignoring all but the peaceful sight of the flowers gently blowing in the wind.

If he would only look up, he would see the once great capital of the Ice Kingdom on fire. He would see the black smoke that rose into the air, blocking the skies light blue. He would see the great flames of the Fire Kingdom consume the village, disintegrating all who touched it. And, he would see the great dragon-like figure of the leader of the Fire Kingdom create a serpent of fire to completely engulf the castle, turning the very stone to ash.

He did look up, however, when a stray ball of fire separated from the serpent and directed itself towards him. He showed no reaction, only watching it come with teary eyes full of nothing but despair. Just as it came to hit him, a large pillar of sharp ice erupted from the ground, protecting the young boy from the blast. The boy hastily moved a scarred arm over the flowers to protect them as snow rained on him, blocks of ice melted and falling away around him.

He remained looking at the sky for a moment, eyes darting around for any more incoming fireballs. Seeing none, he drew his arm back and returned to watching the flowers, lightly dusting any snow off of them, the pillar of ice slowly retracting back into the ground.

He sat, watching the flowers as they swayed gently in the wind, not moving from his spot, even as the temperature dropped and his stomach began to growl, waiting patiently in sombre silence. For what, you may ask. Well, even he did not know.

Perhaps he was waiting for the person who left him to return, despite knowing they were never coming back. Perhaps it was fear, scared that if he moved from his little sanctuary, he would be caught and killed, like so many have before him. Or, perhaps, he very simply didn't want to let go of the one-piece he had left of them, fearing that if he left the fragile flowers alone for even just a moment, they would disappear or wither away, leaving him with nothing but memories. Memories of happier times.

As the sun leisurely made its course across the dreary grey sky, the fire engulfing the castle slowly died down, for there was nothing left for the fire to consume. The shouts of conquest and screams of fear vanished with them, leaving only a heavy silence only interrupted by the wind.

The boy looked up, his teary face looking towards the now-demolished castle and the grand city once surrounding it. His snowy white ears perked forward, listening, a shaky gleam of hope that only a child could muster flashing brightly in his eyes.

He listened, straining his ears in hopes of catching for the familiar crunch of footsteps in the snow, a bird's chirp, a wolves howl. Anything, just anything that would tell him that he was not alone.

The temperature dropped further, the sun slowly lowering into the trees as the moon made its presence known, bathing the barren landscape in its pale blue light, stars twinkling against the dark blue sky.

Still, he did not move, did not stop listening, even when he began to shiver and sneeze. Even when the hope slowly died out, its weak flame unable to battle the bitter cold.

His ears lowered, hanging sorrowfully against his head. He trailed his eyes down from the castle to the flowers, the small, beautiful blue flowers swaying gently in the cold wind.

The one thing he had left to remember them by, the only happiness that remained of his past life. A life that had ended only a few short hours ago.

He, slowly, deliberately, moved a shaky and burned hand to gently touch the petals, fresh tears forming in his eyes and streaming down his rosy cheeks as all his hope for someone coming vanished. He rubbed the petals softly between his fingers, the action only causing more tears to stream down his face. The petals were soft, almost velvety, almost like the blanket he slept with in bed, reminding him of comfort he would never feel again.

The young boy, suddenly overwhelmed by emotions he couldn't hope to understand, let out a choked sob, tears falling harder than they were before, turning from small steams to rushing rivers. He retracted his hand, wrapping his scarred arms around him in a pitiful attempt to comfort himself. He hugged himself tightly, trying to imagine it was someone else's arms.

Someone that would protect him. Someone that would comfort him when he needed it. Someone that would never harm him.

Someone who would never leave him.

"Мама... you said you would protect me... you said everything would be ok....", they whispered painfully, their breath catching in their throat. "You promised me..."

Suddenly, he became overwhelmed by anger, anger so strong it took over his whole being as more and more emotions his young mind couldn't comprehend rushed into him. Lost, scared, and confused, he raised his head to the sky and screamed an almost inhuman scream, one full of rage and sorrow, great spikes of ice erupting in a circle around him, forming a protective barrier around him.

"You promised you would protect me!! You said I would be safe!! You promised me you would come back!!!" He took a breath. "Then where are you?! Why?! Why did you lie?! Why-", he stopped, sobbing pitifully as tears fell from his eyes.

"Why did you leave me?...", he asked in a broken, shattered, whisper, tears running like rivers down his face, looking at the flowers like they would answer him.

He sobbed harder as he received no answer, realising that he would never receive an answer besides howling winds and rustling leaves. The cries became almost painful, his small body jerking his every cry. He brought his knees to his chest and cried, begging for comfort, for someone to come.

But none came. None would ever come. Never again would he feel a tender hug or loving kiss. Never again would he sit around a table and feast with his family. Never again would someone comfort him when he was scared or sing him to sleep.

He was alone. Alone and scared, abandoned in a desolate forest in a destroyed kingdom. With only his flowers and memories for company.