Rhae took a deep breath, checking her fingers for any lingering blue flames, before strolling out of her chambers towards the greenhouse. Prince Valor was sitting down feasting on pastries. If he isn't careful he could become as big as his father. Rhae strolled purposefully towards the table before taking a seat across from the Prince. She gave him a pointed stare, waiting for him to stop staring at her with a pastry hanging half out of his mouth. Valor slowly took the pastry out of his mouth and placed it on his plate, chewing the bite he took before he pulled it away. "Hello Nira, what can I do for you?" Valor smiled, resting his chin on his hands. "First of all, I'm not your mother, nor do I want to be. You will address me as Queen Nira. Secondly, you will not ask questions about my relationship with your father, though you are welcome to ask questions about anything else. Third, I need to know about the monsters, everything you saw outside of the walls." Rhae was giving a smil
Rhae woke up in a foreign room. She sat up and looked around, she was lying in a bed. Rhae looked to her left and saw Icran lying down, facing the other way. Damn! Rhae pulled back the covers and moved to get out of the bed. Icran grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, "Rhaenyx, wait please." Rhae turned too quickly, her head pounded and a green light flashed across her vision. She grabbed her head before falling back onto the pillow. "You have a concussion, you need to rest." Icran pulled the covers over her before leaning against his own pillow, running his hands through his long, blonde hair. "Listen, it's been a couple days. You were crushed under the rubble and I brought you here. You have a few broken ribs. We ran out ofAkihyra,because the King had his guards uproot the tree and take it to palace." "Rhae sat up again, you mean it's not on the hill anymore?" Rhae grabbed her head again, running her fingers
Aynyra sat to the left of her father, with her brother on his right. They sat together at the meeting table, the court members turned to the King, waiting for him to speak. Her father had called an emergency meeting, which had never happened in her life. She also had never been to a meeting before, she supposed her father had an important reason for inviting her. "Our Queen has gone missing. Our prisoner has escaped. We must organise a search party for the Queen and put our a warrant for Dynamere Renaeleous. I will be leading the search party with my son. The lords present today will enact a council temporarily to take over my duties whilst I search for my wife," The King had no room for argument on his face. "Father, I would like to join the search party," all the Lords in the room turned to her, including her father and brother. The King frowned, "Absolutely not. You are to stay here and train to be the spiritual leader for when your brother takes over, as planned." Aynyra stood,
Aynyra was riding down the streets when she heard a scream. She turned her horse and shot off, only riding down a few streets before coming upon some guards. As she turned the corner she saw her father, dead on the floor, an arrow through his heart. She stared for a moment before lifting her helmet, "Where's my brother?" The guards turned to her in shock before pointing down the street. "Take my father back to the castle, now!" She pulled her helmet back down and charged down the street. Her horse was faster than any of the others in stable, soon she could hear the sound of horshoes on the cobblestones. She followed the sound and found the end of a party, two guards and her brother. Quickly, she caught up to them and saw Dynamere dash down an alley the horses couldn't fit through. Her brother's horse reared at the alleyway. Aynyra jumped off her horse before it could stop and sprinted down the alleyway after Dynamere. That murderer would pay. Dynamere tried to lose her through the
Prince Valor was now King Valor. Aynyra attended his coronation, standing beside him as he received his crown and sceptre. He had no Queen, but he had Aynyra. Aynyra stepped forwards and was blessed, receiving the band of the spiritual leader. A ceremonial sash was tied around her wrists, binding her forever to her spiritual responsibilities to the Kingdom. The sash was cut in the middle, leaving a strand hanging from each wrist. She sat on her throne beside her brother as the Priest chanted in Lystaria, followed by the court standing and applauding. They were in a new age, an age where they led the decisions of the Kingdom, where the blight of assassins, criminals and famine fell on their shoulders. Valor's first act as King was to remove bans on magic and remove the death penalty on all Fae. He decreed that anybody with magic or of Fae heritage was to be protected within the city walls, under his rule. They were to report to him and use their gifts to aid the Kingdom in its needs.
Aerys was carrying a basket of bread around the store, when a figure walking past caught his eye. Lynn shot a glance in before averting her eyes and continued walking. Aerys put down the basket, grabbed his coat and slinked out the door. He followed her through the streets, hiding behind crowds, pretending to shop at a vendor and hiding in alleys. Eventually, Lynn turned into a tavern. Perfect. Aerys purchased a new coin pouch from the vendor he was talking to, then walked into the tavern. He took a look around, spotting Lynn on the other side, sitting around a table with a crowd of seemingly mercenaries. Aerys walked up to the bar and ordered a drink, just within hearing distance of Lynn's group. "Lynn, were you there a couple days ago when they put that magic girl on stage in the guild hall?" One of the mercenaries asked while taking a swig of his drink, he had shaggy black hair and a scar across his cheek. Lynn rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I was there. That poor woman, humiliated lik
A few days had passed, mostly being spent in her room, until guards escorted her to the daily training with Aynyra and Valor. She hadn't seen Aerys since the guards separated them on arrival. She would have to go find him, to make good on her promise to him. Being under room arrest wasn't working for her, and today she would convince Valor to trust her. Rhaenyx stood across the mat from Aynyra, pulling up the magic from deep inside her, pulling it to her skin. It was easy to summon the magic, as all she had to do was bring up her anger, which she had a lot of. Aynyra stood across from her, hands raised. They had practised a few times, enough for Rhae to know that Aynyra could send out pulses of force, that were directional. Valor was trying to teach her to control it in pointed blasts that Rhae could dodge, allowing a real challenge. She had also learned that Aynyra could move things with her mind, but she could only do one thing at a time; her magic had limits so far. Rhae pulled
Icran was walking to his office when heard horses' hooves clattering on the cobblestones outside. He paused, listening to the horses stop outside and boots clatter on the pathway. At least 5 people were outside. Icran ran up the stairs and peered out the window. There were 6 men, wearing black cloaks. As one turned towards the fire light outside, he saw the red and gold of the royal guards' uniforms, each of them pouring casks of Gharane onto the wooden walls of the guild house. Shit. Icran ran back downstairs to his office, grabbed a bag and began stuffing items into it. He grabbed piles of paper off his desk, his flask of Akihyra from his desk drawer and a few other important things. He grabbed his sword, slinging the belt over his back and sprinted for the backdoor. As he made it out the backdoor, he felt heat on his back, pushing him to sprint to the other side of the street. He crouched down in an alleyway before turning back to look at the guild house... in flames. The entire
Rhae stormed through the camp, straight for Aynyra's tent. Ambrose left her feeling hot and her skin sticky. His presence always made her feel strange like there were butterflies flapping their delicate wings along the lining of her stomach. She thought that she could vomit at the feeling and maybe it would go away.But Aynyra came first, so she shook her head and took a deep breath before stepping into the darkness of the tent.Aynyra was sat up on the bedroll, staring blankly at the entrance to the tent. Her long ears and canines had turned back to human features, and her face was sickly, clouded by dark circles that hung low under her eyes.Even in Rhae's presence in the tent, Aynyra didn't blink. She merely stared, lips slightly agape and grey in colour."Aynyra?" Rhae whispered, kneeling down in front of Aynyra. She gently reached out and grasped Aynyra's cold, dead fingers. Rhae grimaced at the cold that seeped from her usually warm skin.Rhae bent to the side and picked up the
Rhae had surveyed the camp a few times on the back of Diavel. He seemed agitated but wouldn't talk to her about what he had seen behind Aynyra's tent. Since then, neither of them had spotted anything unusual. Even Ambrose's Fae senses hadn't picked anything up.Rhae decided that it was enough and flew back down into the camp to sit outside of Aynyra's tent, keeping watch until she woke up."Did Diavel say anything else about what he saw?" Ambrose asked, climbing off his Draekon to sit beside her. Rhae ran her fingers through her dirty and matted hair, trying to pull it away from her face. "No, he has refused to talk to me since," Rhae whispered staring at Diavel, whose head was snapping around at the smallest sounds, searching the treeline for movement. "He needs to rest, but I don't think he will now that there might be a threat.""You need rest too, and a bath," Ambrose chuckled, covering his nose. "So do you!" Rhae laughed, lightly shoving Ambrose. Ambrose stood and held out his
"What the hell do you mean, they AREN'T DEAD!" A man with long fiery red hair and a scruffy beard yelled. He tapped his long fingernails on the wooden table in front of him. It appeared to be a repetitive action as there was a small dent in the table where he had slowly worn out the wood."They escaped. The monsters were too large, it made them slow. They couldn't kill two of those bloody so-called warriors." This man's voice was smooth and deep, rolling off his tongue. He oozed confidence and strength, hidden under a black cloak that covered his features. He was calm compared to the other's rage."So why weren't they in the Kingdom? Why weren't they burned with it?" The man with the scruffy beard yelled, his voice raspy and scratched."A number of the citizens managed to escape. The princess has grown powerful, she is able to use a large amount of her power so quickly.""It won't last forever, raw magic isn't as all-powerful as she thinks. Her powe
Ambrose, cradled Rhae's unconscious body, next to Diavel who grunted in pain every time he tried to move his torn wing. The two monsters still stood at the edge of the kingdom, blasting fire at the wall that blocked them from tearing down the city. It would fall in seconds. He couldn't stop them along, and neither could Rhae. One blast knocked Rhae off her feet. Who knows if that same blast would work on the monster who breathed fire itself? There was no choice, they had to evacuate with the citizens of the Kingdom.Aynyra? He called out in his mind, hoping she would hear him.Ambrose! I can't feel Rhae's mind anymore. What happened?We need to evacuate and now, have you all left?We have all made it out the gate. We are heading deep into the forest. Most of the Fae have abandoned us now, Aynyra whispered.I'm bringing Rhae to you now, I'm sorry we couldn't help further.Sometimes you need to know when you've been beaten, Ambrose. We will return with a plan.Ambrose remained silent, f
Rhae and Ambrose soared over the Kingdom. There were a few struggles below running for over who hadn't made their way to the square. Hopefully, they don't get in the way.Then Rhae looked up and towering over the wall were three great beasts. That was the only way she could describe them. They were amalgamations of many different creatures and bigger than anything she had ever seen. They were taller than the castle at full height. Full-blown monsters. Even Ambrose stilled.Diavel's voice popped into her head. You're magic is strong, but not enough for this. Ambrose can't help much. Rhae, we won't win."We have to try," Rhae growled, pushing forwards. "See if you can get close enough to get a blast in."Diavel grumbled but complied. Even he was a bug to the monsters before them. Before they could even get in range, the arm of the monster came down on them, swatting them away. Diavel barely managed to dodge.Ambrose's Draekon sent a blast of lightning from a distance before swerving out
"We need to make a statement," Valor slammed his fist on the long wooden table that the remains of the council sat around. There were a few old men from the old council, along with Aynyra's court. Rhae sat on Aynyra's right, Valor on her left. Beside Valor was Aerys, whose actions gave them the god's favour in the battle. So, he was offered a place in court. Besides Rhae was a sneering old man who was twisting away from the Fae ears that peeked through Rhae's hair. The rest of the council appeared equally aggressive. "We have all been recovering from the battle, surely they will understand," Aerys rubbed his dark eyes. "The people recognise the power vacuum. We need Aynyra to solidify our position," Valor retorted. An old man piped up, the man who sat next to Rhae, "Maybe the Princess is too young to lead us." Rhae interjected sharply, "You will address her as your majesty." "She is not Queen until the coronation ceremony, even then, she needs a King by her side." The other counc
Rhae's eyes burst open and she pushed herself up quickly, examining her surroundings. She glanced around, Aynyra lay unconscious beside her and Ambrose knelt on her other side, reaching out to support her. Icran; she had to find him, she had to end him.Quickly, she stood, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head and the dryness in her mouth. There was no more time to waste, nothing else to do, but end it here and now. Behind the pillar, that's where he hid before. Ambrose followed close behind her, his arms being held in her direction, ready to catch her if she fell. Her body was filled with only one burning desire, to kill Icran. Fate could be damned, bloody destiny could be damned. Only one thing mattered and that was ending Icran. She found him, cowering behind the pillar, a fool and a coward in his last moments. She grabbed him by his hair and threw him out onto the concrete, towering above him. Rhae felt the white fire burning through her and pushed it onto the surface of her
Rhae was surrounded by darkness, her mind empty. It was like standing in a void. Every time she moved, her body shifted, fading in and out of existence.Was this death? Was this her final punishment from the gods? It couldn't be. Surely, she wasn't doomed to float in a never-ending void forever.No, Icran wasn't dead yet. She couldn't end it here, not when she had so much to do, not when she had so much to return to.Her relationship with Aynyra had been rocky so far. They went from enemies to friends to enemies again. They had no time to talk to each other, spend time together, to develop anything.Yet, Aynyra had been by her side through it all. Without earning it, she had received unwavering loyalty. How did she repay Aynyra? By stabbing her.Rhae didn't deserve anything. Didn't deserve the love that constantly poured from Aynyra. She had betrayed Aynyra multiple times along the way, even abandoning her in an ancient city. She had been focused on revenge for Kaia, focused on keep
Rhaenyx was burning. She was fire itself; hot, bright and hungry. The fire ate her from the inside, consuming her body with rage. Finally, she was in front of the man who brought her so much pain and now she could end him, once and for all.The flames covered her body, bright and blue, all-consuming. Icran trembled in front of her, his wide eyes taking in the fury in front of him. He barely even noticed Aynyra standing behind Rhae, sweat dripping down her forehead."Rhaenyx, dear. Violence isn't the answer. Do you think the people will follow you when you storm into your own Kingdom and burn it to the ground? Do you think they want you as a leader when you bring in our enemy to slaughter us like lambs to the wolves? You're a fool. You had no real plan. This Kingdom will fall if I don't take place as its leader. You are the real traitor," Icran growled, his voice dripping with malice.Behind his anger, was fear and Rhae could taste it. "Shut up," she hissed."Have I hit a nerve? You kn