The Princess from Earth: Warriors of Mirral

By Katrina Zari

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was born and raised in Russia (former Soviet Union) and had lived half of my life there until I moved to the United States 20 years ago, following the love of my life, my one and only.

Reading has always been my passion, especially science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. I was writing stories in my head inspi

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katrina Zari
• Release date: Feb 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869221469

Book preview

Chapter 1

What is the point of being a mage if you cannot even magic yourself out of royal duties? Kira growled, hearing a quiet knock on the door. She opened one eye and squinted.

Of course, not a single ray of morning light was getting through the window curtains. Her parents were early birds, sure, but did they also expect her to be waking up at the crack of dawn?

Well, considering the fact that her parents were not just any ordinary parents, but the famous and powerful King Elgard and Queen Alissa of Nordern and Sutherland, that kind of proper obedience of their oldest daughter was also implied.

After another knock, the door in Kira's bedroom opened, and a woman walked in. She was stepping so quietly that one could tell she was floating, her feet not even touching the floor. The woman threw a glance at Kira, or rather, at the blanket covering Kira, smiled, and then dropped on the bed, falling next to her daughter.

Kira stuck out her head from under the blanket. Queen Alissa was lying next to her, eyes staring at the selling. Then, she turned her head to Kira and smiled. Good morning, love!

Morning, Ma, Kira sighed. However, I could argue if it's really morning.

Alissa laughed, pulled Kira closer, and hugged her tightly.

All Kira's aggravation from being woken up so early disappeared instantly. An embrace from her mother, whom she loved dearly, was so warm and pleasing; it made Kira feel like a small girl every time.

But Kira was not a small girl anymore. She had just turned twenty-three, and by Mirral's standards, she was an adult. And yet, she wouldn't ever give up sweet morning cuddles with her mother. It was apparent that the queen had the same idea because she used any opportunity to stay close to her oldest child, her beautiful daughter.

Kira was indeed a beautiful girl. However, her looks were nothing like her mother's who was a petite blonde with bright green eyes and light skin. 

Kira took after her father, King Elgard. She had long, sleek black hair and amber eyes; her skin was not as pale, and her face was slightly angular but pretty, nevertheless. She was also taller than Alissa but just as athletic.

Kira's younger brother also was a spitting image of the king. The only feature he inherited from his mother was her green eyes; otherwise, he was a younger and slimmer version of Elgard.

However, with all their differences in appearance, Kira knew that her personality she absolutely got from her mother. She was as fearless and stubborn as the queen herself.

Elgard wants to talk to you, said Alissa, running her fingers through Kira's hair. I guess we both do.

Kira sat in bed and groaned, immediately realizing she sounded more like a spoiled little girl than a mature soon-to-be a queen woman, Oh, come on, Ma, not again!

Alissa shook her head. She knew, probably more than anyone else in the castle, that her daughter hated that topic. And she was also very much aware that Kira inherited her attitude, which meant another argument was coming up.

How about you get dressed and see us at breakfast? We can talk then. Alissa smiled, hoping to ease the situation.

Kira winced and said nothing. She observed her mother leaving the room and guessed that she wouldn't be able to avoid the conversation much longer.

There was no point in hiding from her dad or refusing to talk about it. He was not just her father but the King of Sutherland and Nordern. And Kira knew better than anyone: rejecting the king's orders wouldn't be acceptable, even for the princess.

She stretched and, finding no reason to procrastinate, washed, dressed, and proceeded to the dining hall.

Queen Alissa and King Elgard were already there, eating breakfast with several mages and their big friend—musician Gallion.

Kira walked to the table and sat down with not able to hide a grumpy look. She caught Gallion's gaze. He, in return, raised his eyebrow, imitating Elgard's strict facial expression, and Kira couldn't stop herself from snorting.

Good morning, daughter, Elgard said rather ceremoniously.

Kira, who was still observing Gallion, saw him rolling his eyes. She snorted again. Good morning, Da...Your Highness.

I appreciate you joining us this morning, the king continued in the same tone. I believe we have a rather considerable matter to discuss.

Gallion was now making gestures, pretending to conduct a large orchestra, and he did it so comically that Kira couldn't hold herself any longer and burst out laughing.

Alissa, who could see with her peripheral vision what the musician was doing, hid her smile, but Elgard frowned. Did I say something funny? Only then did he catch Gallion's silent performance and frown even more.

Are we in a circus? he exclaimed, slightly annoyed.

Alissa, who was also laughing by now, put her hand on Elgard's shoulder. The king shook his head exhaustingly but then chuckled. Sometimes, I feel surrounded by children, not the royal rulers and their servants.

And then, as if he hadn't just appeared as a strict or even angry ruler, he exhaled and gripped Alissa’s hand, smiling.

Kira glanced at her parents and then lowered her gaze, trying to obscure a hint of envy in her eyes. If anyone ever asked her to explain what true love was, she would point to her mother and father without thinking twice.

The way they looked at each other, the way one's face lit up whenever another walked into the room, the way they never missed a chance to kiss or embrace each other.

They were the embodiment of true love. They were as attached and faithful to each other as they were twenty-five years ago when they fell in love, and sometimes, it appeared that their love kept getting even stronger.

Kira sighed. She truly envied them. She'd heard their story many times and knew they couldn't even be together at the beginning, as the royal rules dictated otherwise. But in the end, they overcame all the obstacles, and her future father won the royal contest and got the final prize, Queen Alissa.

Speaking of royal contests, Kira thought. Jokes aside, I'm about to hear about it in three... two...

Kira, my girl, Elgard spoke up, clearing his throat. We must still discuss the royal contest and your future marriage. His tone changed from strict to more soft, even slightly guilty.

Da, please! Do we have to? she muttered.

Oh, you are just like your mother! a croaking voice came from the other side of the table.

Honorable mage Lucarr, the oldest wizard of Nordern, was sitting in the corner, not noticed by anyone. He was there all that time and observed the whole interaction.

Lucarr rubbed his long white beard and continued, I remember your mother also arguing about her marriage perspectives. She was so stubborn that I had other options, but to whip her!

Alissa slapped her face, then stood up and walked to Lucarr. She hugged the old wizard tightly and kissed the top of his head. Lucarr, we all know it's not true, she laughed. Well, not all of it, at least. There were arguments, sure, but there was no whipping of any kind.

Lucarr pierced his lips, My Queen, you are not helping here. I'm trying to convince our princess to obey, he spoke with one side of his mouth, aiming for only Alissa to hear him, but everyone was able to hear his words.

Kira, but what is wrong with getting married? You are a princess; you are of age, and the royal code dictates it, Elgard left his chair and sat down beside her. Don't you want to get married? Have a husband? Have children? Look at me and your mother; how happy we are.

Kira shook her head and looked back at her father. Of course, she could see why her mom wanted to marry her father.

The king was a perfect man indeed, both in appearance and character. His hair, which used to be very dark, almost black, now showed gray locks, and he had wrinkles around his amber eyes, but otherwise, he was still a very handsome man.

But besides the looks, he had all the qualities of any girl's dream man: he was strong, intelligent, honorable, and kind. And the most important part, he loved his wife. They fell in love long before their marriage; it was true love at first sight, and they both knew what they wanted.

Da, you know it's not the same for me, Kira sighed. You and Ma were destined for each other. The royal contest was a mere formality, so you two could follow the rules and requirements. But in the end, you always knew you would be together.

The king lowered his gaze, and she continued, But I don't have anyone that I want to marry. I never had a crush, I was never in love, and I definitely don't want to tie my life with someone who I barely know. I don't want to be with a man only because he can shoot well or is a master with a sword. I want to be with someone who I love, deeply, and who loves me. I want the same that you and Ma have...

Elgard caught Alissa's look and sighed. He wrapped his hands around Kira and embraced her. Of course, he wanted only the best for his daughter, his firstborn, his beautiful princess.

Well, nothing in the royal manuscripts states that the princess HAS to get married at the age of twenty-three. It's merely a suggestion, Gallion muttered.

Shut up, Gallion! Alissa and Elgard barked simultaneously, and then both chuckled.

Well, it's actually true, croaked Lucarr.

Alissa, Kira, and everyone else stared at the old mage in disbelief, and he continued, According to the Nordern Code of Conduct, the king's heir can be excused from the marital obligations if a royal duty takes precedence.

Huh? Kira blinked, trying to understand.

What our dear mage means, Elgard said, stepping in, is that if you have a task, an order of high importance, it's your royal duty to attend to this task, and every other requirement could be set aside.

Interesting, Alissa crossed her arms on her chest and walked to the old mage, staring at him. How come, Honorable Lucarr, that I only find out about this small amendment now? I remember how you insisted on my marriage. You literally pushed to start the royal contest only a week after I got coronated!

Lucarr chuckled, You had completely different circumstances, my dear girl. Your father, Mirral rest his soul, King Kirrian, was very old. We had to proceed very quickly to secure a rightful ruler on the throne.

Still! We could have found a task for me! I barely got to be a princess and was already the queen!

Alissa was getting increasingly aggravated; she pressed her lips and even stumped her foot.

Kira thought that right now, her mother did look more like a young girl. Not that she appeared old; the advantages of living in Mirral and having magic all around guaranteed certain perseverance, and the queen still looked like a very young woman. But right now, Kira saw a girl her age, stubborn and frustrated, with her big green eyes shining defiantly.

Apparently, Elgard also noticed that because suddenly, he stood up and cleared his throat. My Lady, he said, extending his hand to his wife, I just remembered an urgent letter we ought to write to the King of Oceanics. Would you give me an honor and help me? Your writing is so much better than mine!

Alissa looked back at Elgard, caught his very expressive gaze, and her cheeks suddenly went pink.

Yes, of course. She nodded modestly, and they hurriedly left the dining room.

Subtle... groaned Gallion, and then he and Kira burst into laughter.

When they stopped and Kira wiped tears from her eyes, Lucarr spoke up again. Kira, don't misunderstand me; it could be only a temporary solution until you...well...mature. My child, you were born in the royal family, and, whether you want it or not, it does come with responsibilities. So, I suggest you start thinking about it.

Kira nodded. Yes, Lucarr, I understand.

She finished her food, wished everyone a good day, and went outside to the courtyard where she usually had her training.

Today, she didn't have a training partner. Her father was occupied, obviously, and Alisard was still away on his trip.

Nevertheless, she had enough self-discipline not to procrastinate, so she spent a couple of hours working on her sword moves.

Compared to her mother, Kira was a much better swordfighter. She could easily beat her brother, and she occasionally thought she could take her father, but that was more wishful thinking since everyone knew there was no better swordsman than the king himself.

She had excellent magic skills, which was also expected since she was born from two very powerful mages of their kingdom.

However, in martial arts, Kira could never surpass the queen. That type of fighting was only brought to Mirral with Alissa's arrival from Earth to this world.

Kira heard a lot about Earth from Alissa. This world excited her, so different it was, with no magic but all those machines and inventions. And even though Kira herself had never been there, she knew that her parents visited it even after Alissa became a queen.

Well, truth be told, it was only one time they had to go back to Earth. It was eighteen years ago when Kira was still little, but her memories about what happened were as clear as if it'd been just yesterday.

It was right after the worst thing ever. Even thinking about it eighteen years later made Kira's heart ache. And she could only imagine what it did to her parents when their daughter, Lia, Kira's younger sister, disappeared from Mirral.

Kira recalled that day; she and Lia played in the flower field. Lia was still a toddler and couldn't walk on her wobbly feet as fast as her older sister. Kira would run forward and then turn, waiting for Lia.

The nurses and teachers were close, telling Kira not to run too far away, but she was too excited. She was about to turn five years old, and she overheard that her Da had just ordered to forge a sword for Kira, her own first sword! Of course, she felt powerful and wanted to show her sister how much stronger she was.

So, she ran and turned, ran, and turned again. Every time she looked at Lia, who was following her and giggling, she would see her eyes staring back at her, bright green eyes full of admiration for her big sister.

But the next time Kira turned, she noticed a glimmering swirl. A dark man stepped out of it and grabbed Lia. The scared nurses were running toward them, shaking their fists and screaming, but they were way too far.

Kira saw Lia crying and fluttering in the man's hands. With her anger rising, Kira could conjure a tiny fireball, shaking and unstable, and throw it at the dark man. The fireball bounced off the man, causing him no harm. Kira screamed and ran toward the man; all she could think about was her baby sister.

The man chuckled at the view of a small girl approaching him, turned around, and stepped into the portal, which immediately closed behind him. Kira tripped, fell, and stayed on the ground, yelling, crying, and calling for Lia.

What happened next Kira only remembered partially. Her mother and father went to search for Lia. Kira and her infant brother, Alisard, stayed in the castle, watched over by the best mages and protected by the best soldiers.

Her parents returned a week later. They did not find Lia.

Only much later, she discovered that they had gone to Earth to try to locate their child. Elgard still had a trace on him that pointed to Alissa's bloodline, so they tried to track their daughter using this trace. But when they arrived to Earth, the trace stayed still. No matter where they went, the arrow on Elgard's arm hadn’t moved or even wiggled. That could only mean one thing: the child was dead. Trace stops working whenever it cannot feel the heartbeat of the person it seeks.

Kira learned all those technical details much later when she grew up and started studying magic.

But then, eighteen years ago, when she saw her parents returning from Earth, her mother crashed, and her father – devastated, it was the first time Kira realized that the perfect little world she lived in was, in fact, not that perfect. And bad people can show up on your way and take anything from you, even the most precious, the most crucial thing in your life.

So many things happened after; the borders were strengthened, additional patrols were established, and dozens of mages were hired to ensure nothing like that ever happened in Nordern or Sutherland.

And it didn't. Nothing like that ever happened again in her kingdom. But Kira knew this wound had never fully healed in her parents' hearts. And neither then nor later did she ever confess that she blamed herself for what happened that day.

Chapter 2 

How about you go meet Alisard at the port? King Elgard entered the courtyard and effortlessly caught a piece of a pumpkin that Kira just sliced in half with her sword.

At the port? Kira wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. Why would he be at the port?

Because the ship he is on arrives at the port. Elgard was still observing the pumpkin as if estimating how precisely she cut it.

I got that part. Kira rolled her eyes. I'm surprised he is traveling by the ocean. Why not portal? All the Veridian mages that can create a portal are simultaneously on strike?

The king smiled, threw the pumpkin aside, and looked at her. He admired his daughter. He loved all his children, but Kira was his firstborn, his pride.

When he first saw her right after she was born, so tiny, no more than the size of his fist, head full of dark hair, and piercing amber eyes, Elgard realized that a new feeling had entered his heart.

He didn't think he could love anyone as much as he loved his wife, but when the mighty king met his daughter, he realized that now a huge part of his heart would always belong to that stubborn kid.

Da? Kira pulled him out of his thoughts. Since when do royals have to travel conventionally for such long distances?

She was correct; Veridian, the kingdom Alisard was visiting, was located on the other side of the globe. It was a different continent, separated from their kingdoms by oceans on both sides.

Veridian was too far from Nordern, and the kingdoms' relations were minimal until recently, when Alissa demanded the expansion of international cooperation beyond their continent.

For the last several years, Elgard and Alissa had been working on establishing better connections with Veridian's rulers. As a part of this, three months ago, Alisard traveled to the kingdom to represent Nordern and learn more about Veridian.

And now it was time for Alisard to return back home, but a week ago, Elgard received a message that his son would be traveling over the ocean instead of using a portal. The king of Veridian assured Elgard and Alissa about the prince's safety and provided details of all the precautions and security measures to be taken.

And obviously, Alisard himself was very much excited about sailing the ship. And what nineteen-year-old boy wouldn't be?

Take a mage, go to Deesea port. The ship arrives today at sunset. The king ordered.

Sure, I will. Kira smiled back.

That was another thing that Elgard absolutely adored in Kira—her love for her brother.

Since she was a little child, she demanded to be next to Alisard, and later on, she was constantly watching over him, teaching and playing with him.

Elgard promised himself not to think much about it, but he and Alissa understood why Kira was so overprotective of her little brother. They knew that whatever happened to their baby Liliana took a toll on everyone in their family. And as much as he and his wife tried to show their oldest daughter that it was never her fault, Kira remained obsessed with Alisard and his safety.