It was only inevitable that war would break out.

Verfri, the kingdom of flora and fauna, has always envied the Niygelu kingdom for their abundance of ores and minerals. Likewise, Niygelu, the kingdom of snow and jewels, envied the Verfri kingdom for their abundance of fertile land.

The desire for the other’s resources coupled with the loosely defined borders of each kingdom, Verifri’s by greenery, and Niygelu’s by snow, led to a steady increase in tensions between the two nations. Following the ever-changing whims of nature, the borders of each nation would change as well. In some years, Niygelu would declare their borders to lay within Verfri’s territories, while in other years, Verfri would declare their borders to be within Niygelu’s territories.

The constant arguments over the border finally reached a tipping point when a famine struck both nations. They turned on each other, desperate to secure more resources for themselves by conquering the other.

The war dragged on for many years, depleting the already scarce resources both nations had. The land, ravaged by war, became unable to meet the growing demand of two starving nations. The elderly and sick died first. Then, parents. Finally, as the number of able-bodied workers and children declined, both nations realized they were on the brink of collapse.

Exhausted and out of options, Verfri and Niygelu tasked their greatest diplomats with negotiating an end to the war. A tense debate lasting five days and nights followed, and eventually, a conclusion was reached.

You, heir to the throne of Verfri, would be wed to Layne, heir to the throne of Niygelu. Together, the two of you were to have an heir that would unite and rule over both nations together. This way, neither side could declare to have won over the other, and the issue of the borders would be solved in one fell swoop. A mixed ruler would ensure that neither nation was favored in the generations following yours and Layne’s rule.

Layne sighed as he sat at the end of a long and opulent dining table. He had better things to do than meeting his future ‘spouse’. Despite the war ending, there were still lots to be done. Hundreds of refugees still arrived at the capital each day, begging for money or work so they could support their families. If he had a choice, Layne would rather be addressing the pleas of his people than playing nice with the kingdom who had caused this mess in the first place.

Hearing the door click open, Layne looked up. He raised an eyebrow as he took in your appearance, unimpressed.

“You’re my fiancée? You don’t look fit to lead a kingdom.”