The Red Glaive
Prologue
The Baron Donavan Finch had five daughters. Adelaide was the eldest and it was said that the Baron loved her most. Aget was his second daughter. She was born the smallest of his daughters and she seemed to make up for it by growing to be the strongest of the sisters. His third was born under a bad moon. She was birthed in the dead of night with the red moon gleaming in the sky. She was born early with red eyes like the blood moon shinning in the sky. It believed the Baron had been cursed and that the child would perish. But she did not, and little Aeria grew to be the healthiest as her sisters. Never did she fall ill nor did her body ache or tire as quickly. Finally, when the people believed the Baroness’ womb had been ruined with the cursed child, and she wouldn’t ever birth a son for the Baron she bore two more children Alita and Amberjill. Twins, both of them girls.
The Baron never got his son, but his people had never seen a happier man. His daughters - the light of his life - and his wife were all he ever needed. There was no worries in the Baron’s lands and so his little girls grew wild. They ran about his castle scaring the servants half to death, then when they could ride they would zoom past the country side on their grey ponies with a stampede of calvary chasing after them. The poor soldiers worried sick for the girls each time and never thought they’d be chasing ponies when they enlisted. It didn’t mater, their sweet laughter echoed through the lands and filled the hearts of the people.
The people lived under the Baron who wasn’t exactly the wealthiest of Barons. Their life was hard but the Baron was just and fair and above all he put his people above all else. That mattered in Durus. When the Hard Winter came the Baron Finch was the only Baron in all of Durus known to open his doors to those who did not have enough to eat or a warm bed to sleep. His daughters could be seen sharing their own rooms to make room for more. His armies weren’t every large Durus standards, but he always set them to protect never to attack. They were highly displaced which couldn’t be said of other Barons who added indiscriminately to boost their numbers. His castle was the smallest of all the Barens made of wood not stone, it was more of a large house than a castle but that didn’t stop his people from calling it that. His family was happy and his people were happy that was all that mattered. The world seemed to move around his little happy lands.
But good times never last and when the eldest daughter was only eight, their mother went and died. The Baron was never the same after that. Their girls mourned for years and the prohibited his girls from riding or leaving the castle so they also mourned for their freedom. So they found ways to play within the wooden walls of their castle. They would play Knights and Princesses where Adelaide would be the princess and the rest would be the brave knights trying to rescue her. They would race to the kitchen because the kitchen mop was had a thick handle and resembled a sword the most. When one sister would get the other to it a lengthy fight would occur that wouldn’t cease until the Baron himself had to come down and settle the dispute. Waving their mops and brooms in the air the rolled about the courtyard covering themselves in dirt while Adelaide sat on the daybed watching them.
To prevent his daughters from running completely wild, the Baron hired a Madame to teach them etiquette. All of the girls resisted her lessons, all the girls except for Adelaide who devoured her lessons like a glutton. She lavished the dresses made especially for her and refused to get them dirty. They only thing none of the girls shied away from were the magic lessons the Madame gave them. It was simple magic, how to get dough to knead itself, or how to flatten the creases in their garments, but none of the books their Madame brought with where were enough to satisfy the taste for magic the girls had developed.
Then one day Aget wanted to be the princess and Adelaide refused at first but Aget convinced her otherwise. The remaining three couldn’t care less, there was one more princess to save. For a few years, Aget and Adelaide got to be the princesses, while Aeria, and the twins Alita and Amberjill, played knight. More often than naught, however, the twins teamed up against Aeria so they could each rescue a princess. Then more time passed and when the twins rescued Aget and Adelaide they would stay with them on the daybed talking instead of playing something else. They would braid their hair and talk about which of the Lord of Durus’ sons they liked best. Little Aeria, eyes red like blood, stood by, mop still in her hand, watching her sisters with silent sadness.
Aget left first, much to Adelaide’s dismay. The son of the Baron Sparrow came to ask for her hand in marriage, he was be the next Baron Sparrow someday and the Baron Finch immediately agreed to the proposal. It was for the best because it was a Duke that came to ask for Adelaide’s hand. She left to live the life of luxury she always wanted. Next came the Baron Heron to ask Alita’s or Amberjill’s hand for his son, he didn’t seem to care which of the two twins he got. After much resistance and pleading, the Baron sent his youngest daughter Amberjill to wed his son. Alita resented him so much after that and when news came that another Baron was on his way to ask for Alita’s hand she ran away with the blacksmith.
So it was that only The Baron’s middle child, Aeria Finch, remained to him with not a single suitor to ask for the hand of his red eyed child.
The Baron never got his son, but his people had never seen a happier man. His daughters - the light of his life - and his wife were all he ever needed. There was no worries in the Baron’s lands and so his little girls grew wild. They ran about his castle scaring the servants half to death, then when they could ride they would zoom past the country side on their grey ponies with a stampede of calvary chasing after them. The poor soldiers worried sick for the girls each time and never thought they’d be chasing ponies when they enlisted. It didn’t mater, their sweet laughter echoed through the lands and filled the hearts of the people.
The people lived under the Baron who wasn’t exactly the wealthiest of Barons. Their life was hard but the Baron was just and fair and above all he put his people above all else. That mattered in Durus. When the Hard Winter came the Baron Finch was the only Baron in all of Durus known to open his doors to those who did not have enough to eat or a warm bed to sleep. His daughters could be seen sharing their own rooms to make room for more. His armies weren’t every large Durus standards, but he always set them to protect never to attack. They were highly displaced which couldn’t be said of other Barons who added indiscriminately to boost their numbers. His castle was the smallest of all the Barens made of wood not stone, it was more of a large house than a castle but that didn’t stop his people from calling it that. His family was happy and his people were happy that was all that mattered. The world seemed to move around his little happy lands.
But good times never last and when the eldest daughter was only eight, their mother went and died. The Baron was never the same after that. Their girls mourned for years and the prohibited his girls from riding or leaving the castle so they also mourned for their freedom. So they found ways to play within the wooden walls of their castle. They would play Knights and Princesses where Adelaide would be the princess and the rest would be the brave knights trying to rescue her. They would race to the kitchen because the kitchen mop was had a thick handle and resembled a sword the most. When one sister would get the other to it a lengthy fight would occur that wouldn’t cease until the Baron himself had to come down and settle the dispute. Waving their mops and brooms in the air the rolled about the courtyard covering themselves in dirt while Adelaide sat on the daybed watching them.
To prevent his daughters from running completely wild, the Baron hired a Madame to teach them etiquette. All of the girls resisted her lessons, all the girls except for Adelaide who devoured her lessons like a glutton. She lavished the dresses made especially for her and refused to get them dirty. They only thing none of the girls shied away from were the magic lessons the Madame gave them. It was simple magic, how to get dough to knead itself, or how to flatten the creases in their garments, but none of the books their Madame brought with where were enough to satisfy the taste for magic the girls had developed.
Then one day Aget wanted to be the princess and Adelaide refused at first but Aget convinced her otherwise. The remaining three couldn’t care less, there was one more princess to save. For a few years, Aget and Adelaide got to be the princesses, while Aeria, and the twins Alita and Amberjill, played knight. More often than naught, however, the twins teamed up against Aeria so they could each rescue a princess. Then more time passed and when the twins rescued Aget and Adelaide they would stay with them on the daybed talking instead of playing something else. They would braid their hair and talk about which of the Lord of Durus’ sons they liked best. Little Aeria, eyes red like blood, stood by, mop still in her hand, watching her sisters with silent sadness.
Aget left first, much to Adelaide’s dismay. The son of the Baron Sparrow came to ask for her hand in marriage, he was be the next Baron Sparrow someday and the Baron Finch immediately agreed to the proposal. It was for the best because it was a Duke that came to ask for Adelaide’s hand. She left to live the life of luxury she always wanted. Next came the Baron Heron to ask Alita’s or Amberjill’s hand for his son, he didn’t seem to care which of the two twins he got. After much resistance and pleading, the Baron sent his youngest daughter Amberjill to wed his son. Alita resented him so much after that and when news came that another Baron was on his way to ask for Alita’s hand she ran away with the blacksmith.
So it was that only The Baron’s middle child, Aeria Finch, remained to him with not a single suitor to ask for the hand of his red eyed child.