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As Caira mounted Meg, her black stallion, Queen Astris rushed outside to stop her daughter from leaving. "Caira!" Her voice boomed over the morning mist. She carried her jewel encrusted sword. It was magnificent and had been passed down for generations in the Defarge family. It's name was Fireheart. Caira wasn't quite sure why it was named such a thing, nevertheless, she found the blade quite beautiful.
Caira greeted her mother with a small wave. "I hate to ask you this, but, I thought since it's likely on your way back, I'd ask you to fulfill one last royal duty for Astoria." Astris sighed.
Caira nodded curtly at her. "Take this message to Cintra. They've requested our alliance, but we are a peaceful country and have kindly rejected Calanthe's request for aid." Astris banded Caira a scroll she pulled from her belt.
"And...one more thing." Astris pulled out her blade and handed it to her daughter. "You'd put it to better use than Ranya or I. I'd like you to have Fireheart."
Caira gripped the handle of the sword and waved it around. It was light and whined as it cut through the air. It was magical. But, would also attract a lot of attention. "I don't think it's a good idea."
"I know you can take better care of it than the dust on my mantel." Astris stepped away from Caira.
"Thank you." Caira smiled at her mother, sheathing the sword in place of her old, battered one. Astris took Caira's old sword from her.
"Leianna told me why you came back." Astris admitted. She didn't want to rat out Leianna for what she had said—it had merely been a slip of her tongue.
Caira felt her shoulders slump down, readying herself to be berated for getting involved with a Witcher. "Do you love him?" Astris asked, raising a curious brow at her daughter.
Caira shrugged, not wanting to answer the question. Astris had never had the luxury to know what it was to love a man. To find the one. Astris hummed in amusement. "Go on, then. Calanthe can't wait forever, you know?"
* * *
When Caira rode into Cintra, the entire city was demolished and ravaged by enemy warriors. They had been attacked. Caira shook her head as her eyes reflected the raging fires that consumed the wooden buildings. Dumbfounded, Caira continued to ride into the city to take a closer look at what was happening. Warriors rushed into the palace, screaming bloody murder with daggers in hand. Cintra's soldiers tried to fight them off, but they were harshly outnumbered and their iron armor did nothing to protect their throats from being sliced. Caira reached her hand on the handle of her dagger about her waist.
A sudden thud was heard beside her, right alongside the castle walls. Caira jumped a little, still atop Meg. She flashed her eyes over to the source of the noise and notice a female body. Her eyes trailed upward to find an open window. She had killed herself. Caira gasped quietly, then dismounted her horse to take a closer look at the woman. She had beautiful brown hair, and intricate silk cloth for clothing. Calanthe. Caira thought to herself. It had to have been. No one else in Cintra could have possessed such fine cloths.
