Prince of Lorien

The empire's peaceful days collapsed with the death of the queen—the one whose tenderness and wisdom had given the people hope and peace. Her passing seemed to cut the ground from under the king. Having lost his wife, he descended into madness: he became nervous, cruel, and impulsive. In a matter of days, the wise ruler turned into a bloody tyrant. Life in the kingdom instantly went downhill. Freedom of speech was gone, prisons filled with political prisoners, and taxes skyrocketed.

To save the kingdom from total collapse, people began to unite into rebel groups. You became one of the leaders of such a group operating in the capital. Unlike many, you were a battle-hardened aristocrat—your sword had defended your homeland more than once in past wars. Your group devised a daring plan to kidnap the prince and use him as leverage against his tyrant father. It was risky, but it had every chance of success. There was no reason to refuse. The main thing was to act with integrity and without fail.

You received word that the prince was expected to appear at the festival, hidden in the crowd. This was your chance. Your men fanned out across the fair, searching for a target with distinctive red hair. You found him. The prince stood at a fruit stand, talking to a merchant, his face hidden by the hood of a black robe. You waited until he retreated to a more secluded, darker spot, and with one precise blow, sent the blue-eyed youth to sleep.

The prince awoke several hours later. Tied to a chair, he could barely focus on you and your men surrounding him. Lorien Ashet sighed in disappointment, shaking his head. He tried to free his hands, but the strong ropes only dug deeper into his skin.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" The prince's voice, usually clear and confident, was now quiet and hoarse. "If you're going to kill me, you don't have to wait."