Chapter 1

The bright sky slowly turned dark, the more it got dark the more Althea’s heart beated fast and she increased the speed at which she ran. She didn’t need to turn around and look back to know that the people chasing after her are getting closer. She is not surprised as to why the sky kept on getting dark even when it’s the early hours of the day since the people chasing after her are no ordinary people just like she isn’t, although she is not a shapeshifter like they are or could make the sky go dark but she possessed some powers that she had to keep hidden away from everyone since the day she was born.

The kingdom of the North is a great nation but is a land that isn’t filled with magicians, sorcery or supernatural beings just like the neighboring nations, but there were few individuals that were born with immense power that were seen as a gift to the people until those people gifted with such powers end up being evil and misusing this gift. People lost loved ones and family members through the brutal hands of these so-called gifted individuals and because of the people’s grievances and anger her grandfather, the late king, put a decree that anyone born with such power will be killed.

And then years later she was born not as a ordinary child like the rest of her older siblings but as a child gifted with powers. When at the age of five her powers began to reveal themselves, her parents panicked, her father who was now the king could not sentence his own child to death so they had to keep it a secret from everyone and to keep it a secret, she had to stay indoors and under the strict watch of trusted and loyal royal servants. She was to be in her chambers at all times, never to leave or play with her siblings.

As the 7th princess she had her duties to her people, but she was not to perform any duties and stay indoors always. But from the age of twelve she decided to master her own magic and learn martial arts secretly in an underground room below her chamber that nobody knew. The only people she showed were her right hand maid and her personal knight who helped train her in martial arts and assisted her in mastering her powers.

Althea jumped a falling tree and increased the speed at which she ran, she ran deeper and deeper into the woods, and turned her direction occasionally to make the people chasing after her to lose her.

It was the first time she was putting her power into good use. If not for her heightened speed, she was sure they would have caught her already. The people chasing after her were the Barons, not the royal knights.

If it was the royal knight they would have lost her already and would have long ago got tired of running since they were mere humans. But the Baron’s men were not ordinary guards, they were shapeshifters with immense strength and heightened speed(werewolves) which explains how they are able to keep up the chase after her.

She jumped through bushes and rocky areas, she is glad she had put on pants and boots before escaping the castle.

Thinking back to what made her run away from the castle, Althea’s eyes watered and her heart ached.

Flashback

Her parents had promised her that she was going to celebrate her 20th birthday in a grand way, everyone was going to be invited in the kingdom to her birthday ball.

Today it was finally her birthday and she woke up excitedly for her big day and the day that was supposed to be her happiest turned the saddest when her father the king and her mother the queen came to her chamber with a sad and horrific look on their faces.

She inquired as to what was wrong and it took a whole 3 minutes of silence before her father held her hand and told her that she was not going to celebrate her birthday anymore, that instead she will be getting married today.

Althea widened her eyes in shock of what she heard not knowing the greatest shock was yet to come.

“What do…. you mean I will be getting married?” she had asked her father and looked towards her mother whose head was down and was shedding tears.

“Mother” she had called and her mother slowly raised her head and looked at her.

“I’m sorry” her mother’s tears fell

“We are both sorry” her father said

“What do you mean by me getting married today and that you are sorry?” She pulled her hands away from her father’s.

“Today…..is supposed to be my birthday celebration and now you are telling me that I’m getting married, what do you mean?”

“Yes today is supposed to be your birthday celebration, we have been preparing for it for months, but…”

“But what? So now I’m getting married!? She looked at her mother

The queen swallowed and held her shaken hands then looked at her husband “Go ahead and explain to your daughter!!” The queen said in anger

Althea looked at her father “Why am I getting married all of a sudden and who is it?”

She remembered how her older sisters got married, their marriages were all arranged. As princesses they can’t just marry anyone. The first princess had gotten married to the crown Prince of East kingdom while her other 5 sisters were arranged to marry high ranking officials sons in different countries. Her father wanted connections all over the world which is why they got married to those people.

Six of them got married at the age of twenty which is the same as she presently is. Her dream is to marry the person she loves not to be in an arranged marriage, but she had also prepared her mind for the worst.

Now the question is, who has her father arranged for her to marry? And why do they look scared and sad about it? She doesn’t remember them being sad or scared when they married their other daughters away, so why are they being like this in her situation?

Her father was still silent, she wondered why he was taking so long to tell her why she will be getting married on her birthday and to whom. Are they scared that people will know about her power when she leaves the castle after getting married? Is that what they are afraid of?

“Tell me who it is, father ?” She wants to know who it is so she can go discourage the person about getting married to her, she can tell him how worthless she is and how she won’t add value to his life when she marries him.

“Father is sorry”

Althea’s heart started beating fast, she suddenly became scared, feeling that what her father was about to tell will shock her more than the news that she was to get married.

“Just tell her Fredrick, the more you delay the more impatient that man becomes”

Althea looked between them “What man are you talking about mother?”

The queen held her shaken hands again “The one that came to ask for your hand in marriage, he came this morning with hundreds of men and demanded to marry you, according to him he has being waiting for this day to come so he could finally marry you and take you away.

Althea clenched her fist “Then go back and tell him that I princess Althea Reddington the 7th princess of the North will not marry him”

Her mother shakes her head as tears roll down her eyes “It’s not as simple as you think Althea, he is not just anyone, this whole country will be in chaos if you refuse to marry him” her mother said in a shaken voice.

Althea’s face changed “What do you mean? Who exactly is this person?” Althea could not think of anyone that had more authority than her father in the whole nation, so who is this person she could not refuse?

“Both of you should talk to me, who is it!!” Althea shouted as she had completely lost her patience. This is the first time she will be speaking to her parents in this manner but she could not help it in this situation since they were keeping her in suspense.

Fredrick looked at his daughter “The Baron of Westland”