MILAMy dreams were getting worse.Every night, I was haunted by a series of images. I saw Felix exploding with light on the battlefield, only this time, it was him who was flung backwards in a broken heap and not his brother. I saw Felix’s body being overtaken by the curse, bit by bit, until he cou
“But I don’t need his protection,” I argued back, stirring the glaze forcefully. “I just want to help my husband.”Esmeralda extended a gentle hand to me, and I reluctantly handed over the now slightly abused glaze.“Felix loves you very much,” she said. “He also just watched his parents suffer thro
FELIXI spent most of my days in my study, trying to devote the little energy I had towards running the kingdom.My coronation had only been a few days ago, but there was still much to do. I tried to shove my personal problems away to focus on my people, but it was proving to be more difficult than
FELIX“No.” My voice was flat. “Absolutely not. We are not sacrificing Mila to save my life.”My mother and father exchanged a knowing glance.“Let’s think this through before we make any harsh decisions,” my father said slowly. “There is a lot to consider here.”I whirled on him. “There is nothing
MILAThere was something Felix was not telling me. I could sense it deep in my soul, that despite everything, there was still some sort of secret my husband was refusing to let me in on. When he looked at me now, there was a deep sense of haunting in his eyes, like he was looking at a ghost.I knew
MILAFelix’s condition had become unbearable. He was in constant, searing pain, and his paralysis was happening more frequently, now lasting hours instead of minutes.I was sick with worry. I spent every waking moment taking care of him, either attempting to spoonfeed him food or doing my best to so
“Does Felix know about this?” I asked, my eyes darting between Ivan and Rowena. “What are his thoughts? I’d like to speak with him before I make this decision.”Rowena’s face tensed for a moment, but she said, “Yes, he knows. He thinks it is the right thing to do. For the good of the kingdom. Freson
FELIXMy sleep was dark and dreamless. Quiet, as if I was underwater. I could vaguely hear someone saying my name in the distance, but it was so far and it was so peaceful where I was…“Felix. Felix. Wake up, man, you have to wake up.”Somewhere in my dream, someone was calling my name. There had ne
MILAOur baby boy, Samuel, was born in April, a few days after Felix’s 31st birthday. He was named for the first King of Fresonia and to commemorate the love that had brought his parents together. As the future King of Fresonia, he had an official naming ceremony in front of the entire kingdom, and
CHARLESLife in exile was surprisingly calm.Despite our conversation before being sent to this remote island, I’d had a harder time adjusting to a relationship with Isabella than I once thought. Perhaps it was the sadness I felt at being away from my home kingdom, or maybe I did not like the vulner
FELIXWhen I was growing up, I never imagined that I would enjoy being King.The whole thing looked dreadfully boring to a young boy. Although I knew I was the heir to the throne and would someday take over for my father, I always had far more interest in hanging out with Ignatius and running around
MILAThe last few weeks had been a blur. Meetings, ribbon cuttings, speeches. I spent countless hours in the countryside of Fresonia helping to relocate people who had been displaced by either the war or the dissolution with Abernathy. I cooked meals for homeless shelters and taught magic to young c
FELIXThe King of Abernathy had been placed in a highly-protected magical prison deep in the Dragon’s Teeth mountains, locked away with no hope of escape. His advisors and various family members were locked away with him, all facing sentences for their crimes against magic.The leaders from the othe
FELIXThe King was clearly shocked by my challenge. He slowly put down his wine glass, his eyes darting between me and Mila. I could tell that the idea intrigued him, as much as he wanted to seem disgusted by the offer.The curse might have been broken, but I could still feel the panic and tension s
FELIXIt was time for me and Mila to travel to Aberenathy. We could delay it no longer–although the magic across the kingdoms was safe and protected, time was still of the essence when it came to the civilians in Abernathy.We were concerned about what the King was doing to his citizens. Based on Is
At the nearest chance I would ask Mila to take me to that famed Library of Magic so that I could learn about the powers that now flowed through my veins. Although I was thrilled, I was also terrified. I had gone twenty-six years of my life without magic.What would change now?I was exhausted, ready
ISLAI had been waiting in the war council room with Joseph when the magic came surging back into the kingdom. In case anything went wrong, we were instructed to stay in the below-ground chambers and monitor any potential problems with the magic.I had no idea what to expect when the magic returned,