prologue
Twenty years ago, the attack on Sybettal.
“Lock down the castle! Round up the mages and slay the rest! We’re not leaving until it’s all burned to ashes!” King Darius commanded his ruthless army as they stormed through the doors of the Sybettian palace.
Cries rang out from every corner of the stunningly crafted halls, but the king’s eyes were narrowed on the ornate doors of the royal chambers. King Darius unsheathed his glistening sword and in a swift yet powerful movement, he slammed the hilt into the door’s handles. The polished brass door knob cracked instantly, echoing loudly off the glittering quartz tiles. The king kicked against the oak doors, sending splinters flying in all directions as the entrance broke open.
A panicked scream emitted from Queen Violet as the dark king strode confidently into the royal suite with his elite guard filtering in behind him. King Ivan stood bravely in front of his wife as he stared down the invading king with a deathly glare. The Ashbourne soldiers circled the monarchs within seconds, keeping their swords pointed directly at the cornered royals.
King Darius matched Ivan’s intense glare, then curled his lips into a devilish smile. “It’s good to see you again, Ivan. I’m so sorry if I woke you and the missus. I just couldn’t wait to visit after your last message.” He laughed darkly, mocking the Sybettian king as he positioned himself protectively in front of his wife.
“What do you want, Darius?” King Ivan questioned valiantly as his eyes darted around the clustering soldiers. “We have been nothing less than accommodating to you and your kingdom. Why have you come to our peaceful kingdom wielding weapons of war? Have we done something to offend you?”
King Darius huffed out an amused chuckle, then took a threatening step closer. “It’s not that you have offended me, but you possess a resource my kingdom is in need of.” He paused, relishing in the terror that lingered behind the once mighty ruler’s eyes. “Mages,” he whispered fiendishly.
King Ivan furrowed his brows. “Mages? But why? It’s true that a large amount of our citizens have been born with magical gifts, but they are not a resource, Darius. They are people. Their talents are their own to use; they aren’t under the control of a higher power.”
King Darius rolled his head back in a sudden burst of twisted laughter. He thrust the point of his sword to the floor, then supported his weight on the jeweled hilt as he regained his composure. “That’s why you’re a fool, Ivan,” he spat. “You have access to people who can perform acts of god, yet you allow them to roam free. Their power is wasted under your care. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to make better use of their potential.”
The queen’s breathing grew heavy and thick tears rolled down her cheeks as she quaked behind her husband. “No... y-you can’t,” she sobbed, pressing into Ivan’s back.
Darius narrowed his eyes on the woman, watching her intently as she tightened her wrap around her shoulders. A dark light flashed through the villain’s eyes, and he turned to his guard. “Bring me what the queen is hiding. She’s shrouding something in her arms.”
A flash of terror tore through both the royals’ faces, and King Ivan reached for a lit candlestick to hold up in defense. “Stay back! Don’t you dare touch her!”
The guard approached the panicked king without pause, easily ducking around his frantic thrashes. The candle’s flames jumped to the long velvet curtain, which quickly spread along the frame of the broad window. The queen let out an ear-splitting scream as the guard pushed past her husband and snatched the bundle she had so desperately tried to conceal.
“No! Don’t take her!” Queen Violet shrieked, thrashing violently against the soldier who gripped her in place. “That’s my baby! Give me back my Estelle!”
The Ashbourne soldier handed the swaddled infant to his king with a gentle movement. King Darius accepted the child tenderly, then moved the blankets that veiled the child’s face aside. Desperate pleas rang out from the infant’s parents, but the king didn’t hear a single word of their cries. Instead, he stared at the sleeping child with a wicked smile flickering in the light of the smoldering room.
“Excellent work, soldier. Please, take the child back to the defensive line. I shall rejoin you once our task here is completed.” The king passed the sleeping infant back to the soldier, who accepted her carefully before he fled the smoking chamber.
“Darius, you monster! Bring her back at once!” King Ivan shouted furiously as he struggled against the hold of three soldiers. Queen Violet sank to her knees, crying frantically as she watched her daughter disappear through the flaming doors.
“Don’t worry, Ivan, I’ll take good care of the girl. I always ensure that my weapons are properly sharpened, don’t I?” He wrapped his hand snuggly around his sword hilt, shifting his knuckles comfortably around its hold before yanking it out of the tile. He held the blade up to the spreading fire’s light and admired the sword’s grim point. “I suppose you might like a demonstration?”
chapter one
Present day.
My fingers laced around my ivory hairbrush as I slowly combed through my lengthy locks. The morning sun warmed my skin as it poured in through the only window, reflecting its rays off of my glittering silver hair. The thick mane hung to my hips, which made it difficult to keep untangled. I sighed as I blinked my dark brown eyes in the mirror. The king had always warned me never to cut my hair in case the amount of silver reflected the strength of my power, but I had never felt a difference in my magic as the years passed. The power always worked the same, and despite knowing that my pure silver locks were a sign of my sorcery, I didn’t fully believe they had any effect on my magic.
Nonetheless, I let it grow. I would never dare disappoint the king. My fingers worked smoothly as I twisted the mass of hair into a thick, even braid. I flicked the braid in the sunlight so I could watch the light dance off the prismatic sparkle. In the daylight, the silver strands reflected rainbows and dancing colors, and in the evening, it glittered like diamonds and pearls. It wouldn’t surprise me if the king requested I grow it out solely for the purpose of enjoying its beauty—it certainly was fascinating to observe.
I flittered around my room energetically, tidying up the clutter as I scampered across the stone floors. The king was going to pay me a visit today, like he did every week, but today was going to be special. My excitement swelled inside me, and I couldn’t stop myself from emitting a giddy laugh.
The tower that I had called home had been my sanctuary for my entire life. I knew I was born special, and it would be nearly impossible for me to ever live amongst ordinary people, but my dreams had spiraled, nonetheless. For twenty-one years, I had lived in this one room, and my window did little to ease my curiosity about the outside.
To be fair, it was a lovely space. The stone walls and floors had always been a little cold and gloomy, but over the years, I had been given luxurious carpets, dyed-silk tapestries, and stunning artwork to adorn my space.
There were two doors to my tower—one was the servant’s entrance that Mabel used and the other was used exclusively by the king. Between the two doors was a plethora of space and comforts. The entire room was squared, so two of the walls possessed doors, one had a window, and the fourth was where my bed and washroom were cornered off by silk screens. Most days I stayed by the wall with the window, usually watching the sky or people below as I crafted with clay.
My sculpting supplies had occupied the entirety of a small closet, while my previous creations had filled many shelves around my space. The wall that housed the servant’s door consisted of a seating area for my meals and to do my studies, while the wall that had the king’s door was only faced by a small table with two opposing chairs where I met with the king. I polished the sandalwood table with extra care, ensuring that not even a speck of dust lingered on the sparkling surface.
I had fallen asleep by the window last night since there had been a full moon, so I had to clean up the clutter of cushions and blankets that I had left strewn about the space. After I’d gathered up all the pillows, I tossed them onto my bed giving them an extra fluff. I briefly considered making the bed, but then decided against it, and instead only pulled the privacy screens further in front of the mess. The king never went past the table, anyway. Once the room was to my liking, I turned my attention to my wardrobe. It was nearly time for Mabel to arrive with breakfast, and I was still only wearing my pink nightgown.
How silly of me... I better hurry if I don’t want to pick out an outfit blindly.