The kingdom of Anduil had always been rather quiet. With a smaller area of land than the surrounding empires and kingdoms, it was blessed: natural resources abound filled the mountains and forests of the small landmass.

Not to mention the people. The Jacobian monarchy was both benevolent and popular among the people, lauded for the many generations of Anduilians who benefited from their benevolent and gracious rule over the people. There were no doubts in the minds of the population that their royalty was an excellent bunch, especially compared to some of the other specimens that filled the wide world, such as the apparently cruel and mad emperor of the Trum Empire.

And yet, all good things must come to an end.

---

"Hurry up! You must leave the city!"

The screams and cries of civilians blended with the soldiers' yells as the capital of Anduil burned. There was nothing for it; the beauty that had once been held here was going to be destroyed by the invading Trum soldiers. They lit the humble homes of the people aflame with their torches, killing anyone who tried to resist or escape.

A fleet of arrows rained down at that moment, silencing the cries to evacuate.

The invasion continued. It was as though a special kind of malice threatened to overcome the entire kingdom, not just the easily captured capital, where the palace was.

After a time, a deathly silence fell over the city. There was no one left to speak or cry out or sing.

Or was there?

---

"Sire, the castle has been taken. The servants have all agreed to work for us, or they are dead. And we have captured the royals."

A tall man, very muscular and wearing a furred black cape, clenched his fist, his knuckles going white. He spoke in a slightly accented voice, "Excellent. Take me to the king."

"Sire, the king is widowed. He has a single child, a daughter. She is in the prime for marriage."

"She shall become my concubine then, as the others did. Take me to the king, for he and I have much to discuss."

The guard, slightly uneasy, led his master toward the dungeons below the palace, for that was where the king was being held...

---

Several nights later, a figure, lithe and agile as a cat, swung upwards, holding only a rope. He looked entirely too much like a ninja to be sneaking around late at night. Or maybe that was the point...

It was the night before the princess of Anduil was to be married to the Trum Emperor, and the Trums had made sure that the entire remaining population of the capital knew it. It was a mockery, really, of the proud tradition of arranged marriages within the kingdom; instead, the proud and unique young woman was to become a concubine of the Emperor, signing away her freedom and the last hopes of her people.

Of course, the ninja on the roof had other plans.

His ascent to the tower was swift; he was used to far more dangerous climbs and higher heights than this. Still, silence was an absolute must, and his companion was not helping things. "Do you need a hand?" he hissed to the young woman who was still two ledges below him. She had almost fallen off the roof twice already. "No, I think I've got it," came the faint reply. He shook his head in irritation.

Still, she was sacrificing everything for the sake of the mission and the princess. He couldn't be too harsh on her.

Finally, they reached the top of the tower, which loomed high above the city. The room, which was surrounded by windows, was dark, and the man, holding onto the tower with one hand and the girl with the other, thought he could see a sleeping figure.

It did not take long for him to unlatch one of the window panes and slip the pair of them inside. "Lady?" he said quietly.