Thankyou for reading! Only the epilogue is left now! thank you to everyone who has accompanied me on this journey! It means a lot!
FIVE YEARS LATER…. “Aryan!” a woman's voice came, a child's laughter echoed in the halls of the palace. The boy who was not even five yet giggled as he hurried out through the open doors, past the guards who looked startled to see the young prince rushing through the halls. “Your majesty,” they said bowing to the young woman who was running after the prince. “The crown prince…” “Yes…” Layana said shaking her head, none of the guards could approach him without him zapping them with lightning. Like his father, he had inherited the bloodline of House Storm. “Aryan,” Layana said again her own eyes flashing as she stepped into the front courtyard, her pale pink dress billowing softly in the wind. The little boy froze from where he had been trying to escape, sensing his mother’s eyes on him. “I did not hear you calling me mother,” he said his large grey eyes looking innocent, an innocence Layana knew was not real, his dark brown hair fell in his eyes. “I am sure you didn’t,” Layana sai
The scorching heat of the sun burned down upon the green fields, the sweltering haze clear to the naked eye. The grass was long, reaching high towards the blazing sun, as the soft yet scarce breeze danced across the meadows like a soothing rhythm. A rhythm that was a stark contrast to the agonising screams of a woman in childbirth. For there was a small hut in the middle of these fields where a woman lay on a wooden bed, her eyes were stinging with tears of pain. "You are almost there," The elderly woman who was assisting with the labour, encouraged her soothingly, her eyes flitting to the sun in the sky. "I must hurry before the eclipse…" The woman on the bed cried in pain, her light blond hair sticky with sweat. "We cannot control the hands of time nor the cards of destiny, place your faith in God." The elder woman said, looking towards the handsome young man who stood in the corner. A rich navy cloak over his shoulders was the only thing giving away his wealth. But despite that,
Almost Fifteen Years Later... The Kingdom of Ehlesaar was known for its wealth and beauty. Across the oceans everyone had heard of the mines of diamonds and gold , riches beyond one’s dreams, oceans filled with pearls and lands as green and fertile as one could ever hope for. Whether it was the huge white snow-covered Altheyan mountains to the south, the glittering rivers and streams that ran through the lands, or the orchards full of fruits and flowers that adorned the gardens of the wealthy. The enchanting beauty of Ehlesaar gave birth to the name ‘Heaven on Earth’ and to those who visited it was nothing short of that. Each season brough t its own beauty to the land. Summer was the longest season, but despite the heat, the buildings made of marble and stone kept the heat at bay, and when winter came it was not hard nor too brutal for most. The people of Ehlesaar wore their wealth with grace and pride, showing it off in the forms of luxurious gowns, diamond jewellery, abundant mea
Meanwhile, not far from the outskirts of the capital of Odairo two men were travelling towards the palace. “Declan wait up!” a blond man in his early twenties shouted as he ran through the trees to reach the second man. “You’re too slow,” Declan’s cold husky voice came, he didn’t once turn to look at his comrade as his dark eyes scanned the area ahead. The colour of his eyes were not common in Ehlesaar who se people had lighter coloured eyes, with blond or brown hair and skin pleasantly tanned under the summer sun. Declan was the opposite of the warmth of the people of Ehlesaar, his pale skin and his dark black hair gave him a foreign look. He stood at six foot four, and towered over most, with a lean yet muscular build. He would turn twenty this coming winter. Declan was an orphan and despite his traumatic past, he remained composed and strong. However, behind those dark grey eyes he held secrets - pain and nightmares of long ago. His frown deepened as he looked at the palace
‘To my King, I hope this letter finds you in the best of health as I give my greetings to their royal highnesses. But I am not writing for pleasantries today. It is with a heavy heart that I am forced to relay this message to you, I am trusting two of my best men to get this to you swiftly and safely. The Forgotten lands have begun to stir. I took no notice of it despite the suspicions and the sense of foreboding that has consumed me over the slight change in the beasts and monsters that roam the land. If it was not for the men I have lost and the marks on their body I would not have believed it. Just like back then, it is the very same. The threat we had hoped never to face again has returned, he is not dead, and I fear he lay dormant regaining his strength over the years. But without a doubt, he is back and the promise of vengeance that was promised to us fifteen years ago when we destroyed him or so we thought, is clear on his mind. The last of my warriors who were attacked,
It was late in the evening and the four sisters were in the princesses drawing room, discussing the upcoming engagement. It had been a shock to them all as they were not expecting it to take place until December. The room was glowing warmly from the dazzling chandeliers above while the balcony doors were open, allowing the cool breeze from outside to enter the room. The distant hum of the bustling palace life faded away slowly as time went by and gradually everyone began to retreat for the night.Terania sighed softly, it was not often she let her emotions show. “Is everything ok Terania?” Layana asked as she completed another page of the punishment her father had set for. She still had so much more to write and her fingers were aching. “Of course it is, Lord Zephyr will be arriving in a few days and soon we will be officially engaged. I have barely spoken to the man since our proposal was put forth,” Terania reply her deep melodic voice sounded tired. “You will be ok, it's your du
The morning sun shone through the library's arched stained-glass windows. The stunning glass shards were in shades of browns and orange sending an even warmer glow through the large hall. From one end you could not see the other, rows and rows of dark cherrywood bookshelves covered the entire room, with certain areas left open for tables made of the same dark cherrywood and some chairs. Each table had a light at the centre. Chandeliers in browns and orange crystals hung from the ceiling spread out in rows casting their glow around the entire area. Along the shelves hung the occasional bracket of lights. The floor in between the shelves had long strips of woven mats in deep blue and right at the back of the library was the silver metal wall that reached the ceiling. It was this wall that separated the restricted area from the main library. It towered rather high, more than three-quarters of the way to the ceiling. Layana shivered as she looked at the centre of that wall from where
The Council meeting had given Declan a short distraction from Layana. Having spent the three-hour meeting filling in the council of ten high ranking nobles at the king's table of everything that had gone on at the border to the forbidden lands. From the dead livestock and other odd occurrences. Currently they had no idea what was linked to the dark lord and what was not. The king had shared the letter of the general too. Despite some of the council members being a little doubtful of the claims in it, the majority ruled they had to play it safe. One thing that was crystal clear was that none of the council liked him. The hostility was clear, but it didn’t bother Declan. After the council meeting, Declan and Aren had been invited to dinner with the royals. Much to Declan's annoyance, Aren on the other hand was extremely excited to meet all the princesses. Something Declan hoped he would be sorely disappointed with. Dinner with the royals also meant dressing more presentably, but D