A King is looking for his long-lost queen in the beautiful, magical world of Alloria. In desperation, he strikes a deal with a grey wizard with mysterious intentions, and upon his word, his beloved will return to him. How or when she will return is uncertain. A cheerful and feisty manager in the fashion industry gets her life thrown upside down when she finds herself in a strange new world – and things get even stranger when she stumbles across a group of dressed-up knights –all of them saying they know her by a different name. Now a king of this strange land is out there to win her heart, while a sinister force wants her dead – much like storybooks of old. *** "Love endures everything...Without love...how can one truly live?" "Love did not build my career. It did not get me through taxes...it did not get me my college degree...it did not keep my relationship with my boyfriend...love does not accomplish much where I come from..." "Or perhaps, where you come from, there is too little love, it explains why you are generally so miserable all the time..."
Lihat lebih banyakPhillip made sure to clasp Geneva’s hand tightly with his own, as they walked down the cobblestoned steps. It felt surreal to be able to smile at her in front of his subjects without fear anymore. He stopped short,” Are you sure you have to go? I mean, you could stay a little while longer-” he asked.
“And do what, Your Majesty?” Geneva raised her brows, an amused smile playing on her lips.
“I don’t mind anyone else calling me by my title, but for some reason when you use it, it sounds condescending – like you know better,” Phillip sighed and scratched his head. He adjusted his shirt and the hilt of his sword. “I hate to see you go, that’s all.”
“I’ll be gone for two weeks, or a month at most,” Geneva squeezed his hand. He drew it into a kiss. Geneva smiled as she stared into his bright blue eyes. She could look upon them for eternity.
“This trip is necessary my love. You know my mother is worried sick. Besides, I can’t wait to tell her the good news.”
“Surely we have guards for that…”
Geneva shook her head. “My mother does not trust the guards or the soldiers. Unfortunately, your father was not the merciful type.” Phillip grimaced and nodded. “But one more day would not make a difference? Does my wife not want to enjoy her husband’s company for a few hours more?”
“I have enjoyed it for a year. If I stay any longer you will never let me go,” Geneva laughed, tucking her black hair behind her ears.
“Well in that case,” Phillip looked to the left, then to the right. “I might just have to kidnap you all over again. I’m willing to embrace the inconvenience of stealing back your heart, keeping you safe, and all that.”
“That wretched witch could not separate us then, and she could not separate us now if she tried”. Geneva stood on her toes and kissed him, her fingers tracing against his cheeks. He wove his fingers through her thick hair and then she finally drew back. “This will be our last goodbye, then I promise never to leave your side.”
Phillip held the soft expression that Geneva loved dearly. He was clearly unhappy, with that natural pout making its way through. It was an expression that would look ludicrous on anyone who tried to imitate it, yet he had perfected it.
His gaze remained on her as they descended the final steps towards the carriage. “You better bring her back safely, Rowan,” Phillip ordered. The soldier standing by the carriage nodded. “We shall guard her with our lives,” they knelt before their young king. Phillip helped her into the carriage and fixed the hem of her purple cloak. “Have I told you that I loved you yet ?”
“You never forget,” Geneva replied. “I love you too.” They held each other’s hands for a few more moments. Geneva released her grip first. She smiled at him, but her heart was already aching. After everything that they have been through, she did not want to depart from him, however, they still had their duties as king and queen. At least this time saying goodbye was her choice. Even though the late king Hendrick could not accept their relationship and had sent a witch to trap her in her own mind with a spell, their love prevailed. Phillip still managed to track her down and set her free, despite a trial by fire.
She stared at the great man in front of her. He closed the carriage door. “Wait,” she stopped her guards as she leaned out of the window.
“I’m going to miss you.”
“And I you, but like you said, it won’t be long. Consider this a momentary parting.
Also, don’t think about me too much when you are gone, I’m going to get tired of running through your mind all day,” Phillip said. Geneva laughed and the carriage pulled away.
They would start their journey by traveling through Myrrthor, into the farmlands, where she had grown up. The last time she left she had set out to become a servant in the castle to pay off her father’s debts. Now she was returning to bring her mother home. A new home, one where they would never have to worry about going hungry again.
Geneva took one more glance at Phillip. She waved and smiled, and he waved back. At the age of just twenty-three, he had ascended the throne. She was extremely proud of all that he had accomplished in that time. He could not wait to marry her either, after years of stolen glances in the castle halls. It was funny to think that it was all thanks to a book.
She had been busy reading in the library, quiet and out of sight, however, she had still drawn the attention of a prince evading his duties at the ball. He decided that spending the evening with her, reading by candlelight, was by far the superior choice to make. She remembered how their eyes would meet every so often, until he smiled and thrust the book down, shaking his head. “I hate unhappy endings.”
She flipped over the book. “You haven’t finished it.”
“Don’t want to,” the prince sulked, crossing his arms.
Geneva smiled as she traced the corners of the pages. “I like this one…It reminds me that there is hope for better times, even in the darkest of ages.”
“Surely life isn’t that dark for you?” he said.
“I suppose it isn’t,” she sat back. “Indeed, there are others who have it worse.”
“Are you unhappy working here?” he asked.
“On the contrary, Your Highness,” Geneva said, realizing her place. “I miss my home.”
The prince nodded, gesturing to her book. “Is that one any good?”
“No, in fact, it ends terribly,” Geneva said. “The two of them get married.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Perhaps, but the main character’s fate is sealed to marry a man she does not love.”
“What happened to the man whom she did love?”
“He simply gave up on her…”
“What kind of nonsense story is that? If I loved someone, I would never let them go…”
Geneva smiled at the prince, and he smiled in return.
He leaned closer, his blond hair reflecting the candlelight. “You like the idea of being fought for?”
“Who doesn’t?” she shut the book, bowed, and excused herself. “Your Highness.”
At that time, she would never have guessed that their chance encounter would spark such an unimaginable future.
Geneva now glanced up at the trees and the guards stationed to the sides of the carriage. Phillip had ensured that there were enough of them to keep her safe. The information about her trip was also kept strictly on a need-to-know basis, even though very few people knew of her marriage to Phillip. They wanted it to remain that way for the time being.
She noted that there was a large array of clouds forming, and about an hour had gone by before the wind started thrashing and howling vigorously. A flurry of leaves and branches struck the carriage and the men in armor. Rowan steered his horse to her window.
“We have spotted an inn a mile ahead. May I suggest that we take shelter?”
Geneva nodded. “Of course, the men must be tired.”
“For Her Majesty’s safety as well.” Geneva blushed. She was used to Rowan calling her by her first name, but he immediately accepted her change in status, in fact, he aided Phillip in the search for her. She felt the carriage turn as it changed direction. They came to a halt, and the door opened.
“Your Majesty,” Rowan held out his hand and she took hold of it.
By then, the wind had become increasingly worse, to the point that Rowan had to lead her to the inn. He opened the door, and she stepped inside, but before Rowan could move, the door slammed shut, and a pulse of green magic shot out. The company of soldiers was flung back by the ominous force, and Rowan struck a nearby tree. The forest became eerily quiet, and hours passed before anyone woke up. When they finally awakened, the sky was a brilliant blue, but there was no sign of the inn they had stopped by, nor their Queen Geneva.
Grace was walking in one of the corridors. She was still smiling as she kept thinking about Philip. It was strange, being in his company. She kept thinking back about her boyfriend. And how in one morning, Philip had gone well and beyond with his efforts.She stopped for a second, giving it a good thought. It was odd, how Philip even brushed a branch away from her face came to her as a surprise. However, he seemed to do it so automatically, as if he didn’t even have to second guess his actions.All she knew was that Philip and Tim were worlds different. Perhaps it made sense as she was in an entirely different world. Or perhaps she realized now, that the way Tim was treating her all along, was perhaps not the right way at all.Thinking about it, Gwen might have had a very valid point. She sighed as she kept on walking. She did not want to think about it too much, and yet that did not stop her mind from going over and over about her interaction and time with Philip that morning. She wa
Kara knew that Philip had cleared his entire schedule to spend the day with Geneva - or Grace - whichever name she went by. She was ecstatic for her brother, but she could see it was taking a toll on him, trying to win her over every time she reappeared in his life. Fortunately, it seemed like he was making progress, which renewed his hope for their relationship to blossom. She was confident that everything would work out between them, and she was determined to support them both, as a friend and a sibling.She didn’t have entirely selfless reasons to help their relationship, try as she might. She was rooting for Phillip to win her over again because the focus of the last few years has been on rescuing Geneva, which has hindered her advances with Rowan. But now that Geneva was back, Rowan was far less tense and much more open to casual conversation than before. Rowan had burdened himself to search for Geneva relentlessly because he felt responsible for losing her, even though there was
As they continued their stroll along the pebbled path, Grace’s foot struck a stone and the momentum propelled her forward. She nearly fell but she balanced herself with her arms just in time. When she looked to the side, Phillip was wide-eyed with his arm out ready to catch her. It was hard not to laugh at his surprised expression, but she was internally cringing at her clumsiness once again. “Do you have a pair of wooden legs on you?” “No…no, I was just…I walk funny sometimes.” “Oh, really? So that wasn’t you tripping? That was just you, walking funny?” Philip asked raising his brows.
Grace refused to leave her room. She was trying to save face from the embarrassment of her actions last night. She knew it was petty to blame Rowan, because he was only trying to protect her, but her pride was severely bruised and his bad attitude made it easier to continue being stubborn.Grace walked to the large framed windows when there was a knock on the door. She frowned. “Leave me be... please.” The door opened regardless of her protest, and Grace straightened as she saw Philip through the gap. He was looking away when he asked, “Are you decent?” “Yes, but still…”Philip walked through the door, and she noticed he had a rose in his hand. “For you,” he offered the flower.
Grace knew what she was doing wasn’t the best idea, but curiosity and panic were building up inside of her, and she needed an outlet. She couldn’t stay in her room anymore, it felt like the walls were closing in on her after that dinner. It was relatively easy to sneak out of the castle unnoticed. No one was expecting her to be awake after their journey. She knew she would be able to make her way back, and she hoped she would not get into too much trouble if she was caught.When she reached the city market, bells started ringing in the distance. Some soldiers rushed past her to find out what the emergency was at the palace, while the remaining soldiers became more vigilant for any suspicious behavior.Grace became distressed by the business of the streets, the shouts of the soldiers, and her spiraling thoughts. Was there a sure way home that didn’t involve taking a gamble with the petals in the garden? Or should she risk touching them? What if it didn’t work? What if leaving the palac
“Look at the time,” Kara stared at the sky. “Dinner should be served soon, and I heard you had an express invitation from the king.” “Alone?” Grace asked. “No, I will be there, the guards will join us, Rowan, as well, and Windsor I’m afraid.” “That’s a relief,” Grace said. “He’s a perfect gentleman if that is what you are concerned about,” Kara said. Grace nodded and followed her through the castle. Every room was unique in some way, but they all blended together seamlessly. The high ceilings and detailed embellishments on the walls and furniture did justice to the exterior of the palace. There were also many more statues, plated with gold, positio
Grace was stunned by the sight of the city from afar, but it only continued to exceed her expectations as the buildings got closer. This is what a person would describe as paradise, she thought. The sound of the horses’ hooves clattering against the roads drew many spectators' attention, as they watched from their windows or came out of their homes to see their knights return. A group of children also waved at her, and she smiled, waving back.As they left the outskirts of the city and approached the central streets in the marketplace, they saw large crowds of people from every age, gender and race, conducting their daily business. The soldiers stationed there, cleared a path for their party to pass through, and it felt like she was starring in a movie. However, none of the movies could quite compare to this, everything seemed brighter and better here – even the vast blue sky.Grace watched as Philip led the way to the palace at the top of the hill. There were great golden statues of
Grace’s stiff legs made her more painfully aware of the possibility that this world was actually real. She was trying to hide her growing panic by shifting on the horse and keeping her face hidden with her hair. Her mouth became dry as her thoughts started to spin. What if there was no way back? What if she was trapped here forever? What would have happened if the minotaur or the troll had gotten to her faster? Would she really have drowned in that lake?Her heartbeat picked up and she tried to control her breathing before it could get out of hand. Now was not the time for a panic attack. She looked down at the necklace, trying to focus on something else. The tooth had a different likeness than any animal’ on earth. It looked like a crystal that had been shaved down, with fine white lines running from the top to the end. She wondered how it had come into the King’s possession. There were many things she wondered about the King.He seemed to be infatuated with her, believing she is Gen
“Your Highness-” “Please don’t call me that,” Philip glanced at Geneva. “Please,” he pleaded. Geneva took a deep breath. “It’s never going to happen. You and I both know that we are not destined to be together. You will marry some princess from far away land, for the sake of the kingdom.” “No, we can work this out,” Philip slammed the bars of the jail. Geneva had been locked inside, she had been charged with theft and treason. He knew that none of it was true, but his father used every means necessary to end their relationship. “I swear to you, I will find you a way out.” “It’s okay…it’s really okay,” Geneva took a step cl
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Komen