The Daughter's Servant

“My daughter! Come to my throne” The king sat in the decorated throne with pole-staff in hand. Unlike most kings, King Graud and his people chose kings by strength, not political position. Even now, challengers would come and continuously fight him to try to become king. His daughter, Princess Nadia, radiant as the sun, was as powerful as she was beautiful. Standing a towering 6' 6", she was taller than her father. Her skin was blacker than the tunnels of the Underdark, for her mother had been a drow, a dark elf. Her hair was shining silver, her eyes a brilliant yellow. She seemed feline, sleek, powerful muscles toned her body. She had mastered all the weapons her father possessed, and more besides. Less noticeable was her personal servant, lurking in the shadows, wrapped in a cloak, now her trusted bodyguard.
A long time ago, her servant was one of her few friends, the only one who didn't think her heritage was strange, but simply a friend, always there. However, King Graud has always been suspicious of this young boy, on a request from an oracle he was named Eclipse, a prophecy in the form of a child. It came with a warning that one day he would be named warrior king. Naturally King Graud suspected he would lose his thrown, so he tried to separate any connection and condemn him to a life without anything to make him a warrior. When he found out his only child had befriended that boy, he instantly was on guard. So one day when he found Nadia and Eclipse together in a small hut, his paranoid mind came up the only conclusion natural, he thought Eclipse had desecrated his daughters purity. So in a rage he commanded that Eclipse become Nadia's personal slave, bodyguard, and concubine. Essentially binding Eclipse to Nadia forever. Unknown to the king, Eclipse was a warrior mage, more skilled than any within miles, from the distant land of Aravia.
Now old and frail, but still the best, the king called his daughter to him.
“You are now of marrying age, and as such I have selected a suitor for you.” A young man stepped forward, instantly disliked by all in the room. He was a scholar, and had never picked up anything resembling a weapon except to cut his food with. To a warrior daughter, it was the worst punishment imaginable.
“That weakling?! He couldn't even slay a viper wolf!” A fierce argument sprouted up, and went on for hours, finally, a knock came on the door. The guards were as surprised as the king was, he had no appointment for a meeting. But, glad to end the argument he was beginning to lose, he bade the guards to let whoever it was inside. A cloak wrapped figure stalked into the room, instantly making everyone on edge, he smelled of magic. Magic was rarer than a drow that could walk in sunlight, and here was this stranger, prancing in with so much magic everything in the room could feel it. Then the guards heard the chanting frantically trying to throw themselves in front of their king, the mage let of his blast of magic, a blazing blue ball of energy.
As the dust settled, a blazing white shield of energy was visible, the blast still rolling on the shield. The servant Eclipse was standing in front of the king, inside the shield, tendrils of magic connecting to it. “COWARD!” Eclipse roared, “HOW DARE YOU STRIKE AGAINST A MORTAL WITH MAGIC! IT IS FORBIDDEN!” The fury was palpable as the shrouded mage fell back in horror.
“NOW YOU WILL LEARN NEVER TO MESS WITH YOUR BETTERS!” The white shield pulled in around itself, covering the blast and sending it streaking into the mage's chest. The moment it touched his skin it sank and incinerated him to ashes from the inside out.
“And that, Nadia, is your first lessen in magic, be careful of the unknown” Calm overtook the servant as quickly as it had left. “My king, my name is Eclipse, a warrior mage from Aravia. Come to watch over your kingdom from magic such as this.”


To be continued....