ONCE UPON A TIME,

[sebastian]

Once upon a time, three magical kingdoms co-existed with peace and harmony. However, as things go in fairy tales, not everything could stay that way.

In Alvarie, the King, a dashing man of twenty when his father died, took a young bride of Royal lineage from a far away land. Though their marriage had been arranged, they fell deeply in love. Out of this love came three children, all boys. The oldest boy, the future King, was a natural born leader. Another quality that he possessed, which scared his father, was his greed. Nothing would ever be enough for him. The second child was well mannered and shy. He never spoke out against things that bothered him, which made for him to be an even tempered child; it would have been a great quality to lead a Kingdom with. Finally, the third child. He was spoiled endlessly with gifts and praise. He was clearly his parents favorite. Yet, he wanted something more real... something that existed outside the castle walls.

Years before his birth, mystical creatures had found their way to the kingdom. His father was tolerant with them and treated them like the gifts they were. Strong allies were formed where once there were none. The youngest Prince grew up respecting these creatures, relying on them to help him when he was in a bind. Seeing the world through their eyes, he realized that he wanted nothing more than to be a part of their world. The mermaids, the elves, the pixies and faries... the world, he realized, held so much magic, if only you looked for it.

In the closest Kingdom to Alvarie, Quen existed. There lived a fair Princess, the only child of an elderly king. At a young age, she took an arranged marriage. Soon after, he father's health depleted and he died, leaving the newly found Prince to become the King. Although their marriage started out rocky, they came to grow with their love for each other, and soon had not only a son, but a daughter. This daughter was the precious being of their lives and she had received blessings from faries in the Kingdom. They accepted these blessings openly, as a gift from a fairy was the best gift a child could ever receive.

As their daughter aged, they looked for a suitable husband for her. They wanted to be able to, one day, merge their Kingdoms and become even more powerful than they were now. Although they looked at the oldest son in Alvarie, they found him to be too greedy and arrogant to love their daughter. However, when they looked to Nemeo, they found that the young Prince - a year or so older than their daughter - was the perfect candidate for her.

Nemeo had been graced with good fortune. Although their King and Queen had met each other when the Queen - a Princess from a far, far away land - was captured by the King's army, the Queen fell in love with her husband. Their fairy tale continued when they gave birth to their only heir, a son. When Quen's King and Queen approached them about marrying off their son to the Princess, they were more than happy. They realized the opportunities that awaited them if they were to succeed with this arranged marriage. The Nemeo Royal family quickly made a trip to Quen to meet with their Royal family.

However, the King and Queen in Alvarie aren't pleased to hear that the Royals from Nemeo are in a nearby neighboring Kingdom. The Queen of Nemeo was, a long time ago, the sister of the King in Alvarie. The idea of an arranged marriage between the Prince and Princess infuriates the King and he prepares to send Knights to Quen. However, before he can advance, a great tragedy strikes Alvarie.

When the King and Queen are found brutally murdered, by their own son no less, the problems in surrounding kingdoms seem to disappear altogether. The newly appointed King forces the Knight army to retreat. There's a secret that he's hiding, and it's clear to see, but no one can force it out of him.

With things as tense as they are, it's no surprise when the mystical creatures that inhabit these lands start to take sides. Wars break out amongst different groups and new allies are forged while new enemies are sworn.

In the end, who will raise their swords to fight? In the end, does this fairy tale finish happily ever after?