Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 1: The Hunt

Part One: The Hunter and The Doe

Chapter One: The Hunt

Calden

Horses whickered. The other hunters had left space around Calden, and not entirely because he was Remerian, but because of his steed, Sulfur. The tinderhorse kept showing his teeth and snapping at anyone who came too close. Normally, Sulfur wasn't so aggressive, but he hadn't been fed for three days. Hunger would encourage his steed's investment in The Hunt.

The majority of the Overlanders kept stumbling over themselves as if they'd never seen a tinderhorse chomping at the bit before. Perhaps they hadn't. To his disbelief, all the other competitors were riding preyhorses – an odd choice for this event. Did the Overlanders take The Hunt to be a game? It was no game to his people.

The Hunt was a grand and ancient tradition of Larmalee origins and the King of Adders had called upon it to solve his problem of succession. One hundred and ten hopeful suitors all vying for the hands of eleven princesses. In order for Calden to have a chance at his proposal to Princess Adele being accepted, he had to succeed tonight in shooting down a creature so spectacular it would catch her eye. Quite a bit different than a Remerian Hunt, but Calden understood better than most why the King of Adders might not want his precious daughters chased through the forest.

Calden's title had barely helped him get his name on the list of Princess Adele's suitors. He was a Prince, but not one that would inherit anything. He was King Abarin's sixth son and Remeria was not a particularly well-liked kingdom.

The Duke of Adders had announced all the competitors in a dignified manner, no matter what country they hailed from, but when he'd come to Calden's name and title, the Duke had bowed flamboyantly and introduced Calden as the woeful sixth prince of the Dark Depths. Everyone in the crowd had been greatly amused. Calden would have found it more amusing to put an arrow through that snake of a Duke's left eye, but none of the princesses would name that her favorite catch of the night.

All things considered, woeful wasn't the worst thing he could have been called. He certainly was not Larken, the most talented son. He was not the heir Prusen, the wisest son. He was not Gale, the strongest son. He was not Nocturn, the hardest working son. He was not Kiren, the handsomest son. He was the sixth son, Calden. He'd earned no other descriptor in his own country. Woeful Calden, that was something at least. He'd rather that than the truth he'd been trying to outrun for all these years.

"I shall catch the most beautiful spotted snow fox for you, Princess Alena!" one man exclaimed towards the row of Princesses. Calden had the decency to memorize all their names, but he didn't know which name belonged to which princess. The sisters all had flawless brown skin, arching necks, and regal bearings. Although, there were a few who looked far too young to marry. To his relief, the King made clear five of his daughters would be won for betrothal only and the hunters could secure marriage rights for their sons once the princesses had been crowned.

Now that he was looking at them in a line, six of them had thin bands of gold woven into their hair. Calden was here specifically for Princess Adele, King Darin's firstborn. If the first crown was given when an Adders' princess comes of age, and one band is added every year, then it was Princess Adele who sat at the far end of the table. She wore eight gold bands in her hair and judging by the long list of suitor's names before her, she was the most sought after. Her lips were painted matte gold. Flakes of gold were strewn across her arched cheekbones and nose. Her eyes were bright copper in comparison to all her sisters' browns and blacks. Princess Adele was born of the Sun Aria and could enchant with skill.

Aside from all that, he honestly didn't know much about her. He had no time to research her. He'd snuck out of Remeria just to take part in this event, but he was willing to bet he was not the only man here who didn't know much about the woman he was hunting for. The women themselves weren't the reason the men here wished for their hands in marriage.