Chapter 2

“I was thinking Spring would make a beautiful date for the union,” Queen Victoria said, taking a bite of her grapes.

My mother’s eyes brightened with excitement. “Oh, wonderful! We love Spring. It’s the perfect season for celebrations.”

Athena cleared her throat. “I am sorry for interrupting your discussion, but whose union is this?” She asked the question we had all been wondering.

Queen Victoria smiled. “Yours and your sister’s, dear. You are both of age, Elijah and Sam are also of age. Did your mother not tell you this?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Diana.

Diana laughed nervously. “Of course they knew. They just did not know about the dates… right, girls?” She narrowed her eyes at us.

I was fuming. I did not answer her, but Athena smiled. “Yes… of course. I can get a little slow.”

Athena pinched my thigh, and I nodded my head. “Same. It’s a twin thing.”

Queen Diana laughed. “Oh, how cute. I have always wanted twins. You two are so interesting!”

I glanced at her sons, who had joined my brothers in a drinking spree. Nobody was paying attention to them, and they weren’t paying attention to anything either. I sighed. This union was a joke. Elijah and Sam weren’t bad-looking at all, but if I had a choice of whom I was going to marry, they wouldn’t be on the list of my options.

“Please excuse me. I need the restroom,” I said, standing up with a fake smile.

My mother waved me off and continued making plans with Victoria. One would think she was planning her own wedding union with the way she was so excited.

I rushed off to my room and breathed out as I removed the cape, letting my wings out. I stretched my arms.

“Damn them all,” I whispered to myself as I opened my window.

The night was beautiful. Stars filled the sky in the most magical way, and the moon cast a soft silver glow over the towers of our kingdom. Orania was beautiful under the moonlight. There was no denying that.

The air felt so good and less suffocating than it did inside this castle, where nobody had a say in their own life. Everything was planned for you before you were even old enough to understand what choices were.

If my parents had given birth to zombies, they probably would have been happier.

I flew out of the window, knowing exactly where I was heading.

The forest was dark, and any normal person would have been afraid of going there alone in the middle of the night. But I was already used to most things being afraid of me.

Dark energy surrounded me like a second skin. Most of my kind sensed me as a predator before they even saw me coming. Worse, my magic was dark. I hardly used it because it was not allowed in this kingdom.

Dark magic was considered a curse and an abomination.

My mother feared that if I used it, eventually it would take over me and I would go mad. I believed her, to be honest, so I never used it unless I had to.

The trees became thicker as I flew deeper into the forest. The sounds of the kingdom slowly disappeared behind me, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of creatures that only came out after dark.

I knew these woods better than anyone.

My grandmother had taught me every path, every hidden stream, and every place where I could safely land without disturbing the magical creatures that lived among the trees.

Soon, the familiar wooden building came into view.My grandmother’s inn.It sat deep in the forest, close enough to the wolf border that my parents had forbidden me from ever coming here. They had told me it was dangerous. They had warned me countless times to stay away.

I never listened.I had been sneaking here ever since my grandmother died.

She had been the one person who never looked at my wings and saw something wrong with me. She never cared that my magic was dark. She never tried to make me brighter, softer, or more like my siblings.

She loved me exactly as I was.She was the one who taught me how to control my magic, how to fly properly, how to defend myself, and even how to brew certain magical herbs. Most of what I knew, I had learned from her.

The inn was the one place where I never felt like the Dark Princess.

I landed outside and looked at the old building. It was made from dark enchanted wood, with vines growing along the walls and tiny glowing flowers scattered around the windows. Warm golden light spilled through the glass, making the place look inviting even in the middle of the dark forest.

A small wooden sign hung above the entrance.

The Moonlit Inn.My grandmother had chosen the name herself.

Inside, the inn was just as warm as I remembered. A large fireplace sat against one wall, its magical flames burning without needing wood. Long wooden tables filled the main room, surrounded by mismatched chairs because my grandmother never cared about things matching.

She cared about people feeling welcome.And everyone was welcome here.

Fairies, witches, elves, sirens, pixies, goblins, and even creatures that the rest of the kingdom called abominations had all sat at these tables.Nobody asked what kind of magic you had before giving you a place to sit.Nobody cared about the color of your wings.

Nobody cared if you were different.For a place so close to the border, the inn had become a little world of its own.I had kept it open after my grandmother died.Maybe because I couldn’t bring myself to let the place disappear.Maybe because it was the only place that still felt like home.

“Aliya!”

I looked up and smiled when Rita came rushing towards me. “What are you wearing!” she said looking at my dress

“It’s a long story,” I sighed

Rita was a tiny light fairy with a bright smile and small glowing wings. Rita had been born premature, which was why she was much smaller than most fairies her age. People often underestimated her because of her size.

I never did.

I remembered meeting her for the first time and immediately liking her. There was something about Rita that made it impossible not to smile around her.

“How many guests?” I asked as I walked behind the counter.

“Twelve,” she answered proudly.

I smiled. “Not bad for a place hidden at the border.”

“Not bad at all,” she agreed.

Only a handful of people knew about the inn. My grandmother had always kept it that way, and I had continued doing the same after she died.Rita poured us both some wine, and we sat near the fireplace.

I took a sip and sighed.

“Bad night?” she asked.

“You have no idea.”

I told her everything that had happened at the castle, from the dresses to the announcement about the union.Rita listened quietly, occasionally making a face whenever I mentioned something I hated.

“So they really want you to marry one of the princes?” she finally asked.

“Apparently.”

She frowned. “Aliya…”

“I know.”

“You can’t avoid it forever.”

“I know that too.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.We both knew there wasn’t much either of us could do about it. I was a princess, and with that came responsibilities I never asked for.I finished my wine and looked around the inn.

“I wish I could stay here forever.”

Rita smiled softly. “You know you can always come here.”

“I know.”

She stayed at the inn. She had made the place her home, and honestly, I couldn’t blame her. It was the kind of place where someone like Rita could belong without having to prove herself.

Eventually, I stood up.

“I should go before my mother sends an entire army looking for me.”

Rita laughed. “That sounds exactly like something Queen Diana would do.”

I smiled and hugged her before heading towards the door.

“Goodnight, Rita.”

“Goodnight, Aliya. Try not to get yourself into trouble.”

“No promises.”

I stepped outside and spread my wings.The forest was quiet now.

I flew back towards the kingdom, but before I could reach the familiar path leading back to the castle, I heard something.I stopped in midair.I listened carefully.There it was again.A soft cry.

I flew lower, following the sound through the trees until I reached the edge of the forest.My eyes widened.The border.I knew exactly where I was.

Beyond the magical boundary was wolf territory.We were forbidden from going there.I could already hear my mother’s voice in my head telling me how dangerous it was.I should turn around.I should go home.

But then I heard it again.A soft whine.Someone—or something—was crying for help.I stared towards the border.What if someone was really hurt?I knew I wasn’t supposed to cross.But how could I just ignore it?