Heart of the Sword Prologue

By Lia Strife

It began with the small territory of Zelamonia, once belonging to the large country of Ivalice. It had since became its own country, independent, but still relying on trade from Ivalice and Ordallia.

It was late summer when the Ordallians annexed Zelamonia, causing the entire country to erupt in protest. The noble families of Zelamonia began to bicker, causing unrest between the two countries. As time went on, the Ordallians began to rule oppressively, locking all of the small country in its iron grip. Trade was restricted, people were going hungry, and it seemed as if there was no hope in sight. The Zelamonians begged Ivalice for intervention, and it wasn’t until early winter that they obliged.

The Ivalian Army, led by King Denamunda of Ivalice, marched into Zelamonia and began to retake its larger cities in an attempt to drive the Ordallians out. No one thought it would be a long war; it was simply a matter of reclaiming the capital city of Zelamonia. Surely, they thought, after that the Ordallians would give up Zelamonia and there would be peace again. Though Ivalice did manage to capture the capital city, the Ordallians didn’t leave the small country as they had expected. Instead, the Ordallians fought back with their great army, storming not only into Zelamonia, but also into Ivalice itself. Thus began the bloodiest war in Ivalice’s history:

The Fifty-Year War.


“A small stone may make a small ripple at first, but someday it will be a wave…”
-Weigraf


Chapter 1

Lia Strife's Fanfiction