Crown of Destiny (The Sepharon Chronicles #1)

Prologue

Hey all! It's good to be back on Wattpad after all these years! Coming back with a fresh take on a young adult fantasy novel!

Hope you all enjoy reading Rowena's journey as much as I did writing it!

Drop in any comments and feedback is always welcome :)

Enjoyy!

Prem K. Kaur

Rowena

The wind was thick and heavy with fog in Ladena. Rowena could almost taste the salt in the air. A storm was brewing; she knew it in her guts as she sprinted down the path towards the Castle grounds to visit the Crown Prince. A storm in her country was almost near impossible. And when the clouds did shower them with rain, it was a simple sign of danger ahead.
Rowena shook the thought off as she continued her race towards the Prince. Crown Prince Gare had called upon her. And there were only a few very daring souls who had the liberty of refusing an order. Rowena Haven, was not one of them.
She skirted down the bushes and into the huge doors that held The Rising Kingdom inside. Rowena was nothing more than an infant when she was brought here by an old, caring couple who handed her off to the guards for safekeeping. Years spent among the soldiers with swords taught her enough.
She sheathed her dagger into her pants as Carwy - her one true confidant let out a holler of greeting. She paused long enough to wave at him, watching his blonde hair curl with the force of the wind, and was off once more; leaving a trail of dust behind her.
The Castle loomed over her as she sprinted into the corridors. To a stranger, it was a sight from hell. The Castle was beautiful, no doubt. But it was cold, and dark. It was a torture chamber to enemies and a house to the Royal family. To Rowena, it was home.
Rowena could still hear the echoes of her childhood among the walls of the Castle. Could still feel the whispers of Carwy and herself that embedded themselves into the corridors. It was the only thing that kept her sane.
She pushed aside the thoughts as she the crossed the Court; a huge hall where the ceremonies took place. She flinched as she passed it. Memories in this room weren't something Rowena wanted to take to the grave. She had been whipped in here often enough as a child that Rowena had sworn to never step foot into the white marble flooring that made up the Court. Images of the whip splitting her skin and striking bone were gruesome enough that she shuddered and scrambled across the room without a slide glance.
The Castle was awfully quiet today. Rowena could almost hear her own footsteps that scraped across the floor. When, on other occasions, she couldn't even hear herself think. It was maddening.
After walking up a flight of stairs that never seemed to end and passing the same route she had known for years, Rowena was finally outside the Prince's door.
She growled when she realized who was guarding his entrance. She gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Kendrick."
Kendrick Regamaul was a tall man with chestnut hair and humongous eyes that covered almost half his face. He had done enough to make Rowena scowl with anger whenever the thought of him was mentioned. Kendrick watched her with a wicked grin and Rowena noticed as his eyes landed on her abdomen with glee. She snapped her eyes downward and groaned with frustration: the front of her shirt was ripped, baring the soft, smooth skin of her stomach.
Kendrick watched her with hungry eyes. "I'm afraid Miss," he began with a lazy drawl, "I cannot allow you to enter Prince Gare's chambers when I have no clue to the height of your intentions."
Rowena's cheeks filled with color but she held her head straight and looked Kendrick in the eye. "Don't be daft. It just happens that I was caught at a very unreasonable time."

Rowena had been sparring with Blain Curt, the Captain of the guard when she had been beckoned. She would have won, had it not been for the slight interruption, causing Blain to slit her sleeveless shirt. Rowena had been too occupied to slip into a proper attire, and now felt extremely foolish as she stood facing Kendrick. But she didn't worry, she had her dagger tucked into the front of her laced boots as well as another hidden in the pocket. If he tried a move on her like all the previous times, he would be reminded once more as to why she was known to be one of the greatest warriors of this country.
Kendrick chuckled. "I'm sure I could request the Prince into letting me be the one to beckon you the next time, in case of further embarrassments, don't you think?" He raised his eyebrow mockingly. Just as Rowena was about to strike from anger, the doors swung open, revealing Crown Prince Gare Asher.
"Ah!" He said smiling, as he watched the green-eyed girl stew in silence. "I thought I heard some commotion outside."
Rowena wiped all trace of fury on her beautiful features and forced a smile. "Your Highness." She bowed. As Rowena straightened up, she noticed the Crown Prince's gaze drop to the rip in her shirt and watched in embarrassment as an amused grin replaced his face. He shook his head in silent laughter and gestured for her to follow right in.
Just as Rowena passed Kendrick, she didn't fail to stomp on his foot as hard as she could with her own. She knew from experience what the weight of her heavy boot could do, and smiled in satisfaction as Kendrick howled in pain and shut the doors behind them before the Prince could hear his desperate cry of agony.
Once the doors shut with a thud, Rowena sagged in relief. The sight of Kendrick troubled her to no end. The prince spun around to face her and Rowena immediately stood up straighter; her posture rigid once more. "You called for me, Your Highness." It wasn't a question.
Prince Gare grinned and beckoned for her to sit on his plush couch on the opposite side of the room.
Rowena's face warmed, but she obeyed, just like she was supposed to. She gazed into the warm kind eyes of the Prince as she proceeded towards the red couch. She had always loved that specific ornament in his room. As a child, Rowena had wanted no more than to sneak into his room and forever lay on it. She had succeeded once, but the scars of the whip behind her back immediately reminded her of what her rank in the castle was.
Prince Gare had always been kind to her, though. He had once been a friend to her when everyone had shunned her away. He had offered comfort when Rowena thought she belonged to no one; when she thought she had no home. But as the years wore on, the gap between them had widened. Now, they were almost like strangers.
Strangers who had forgotten they had ever once shared a past.
It was the first time in years that Prince Gare had called upon her to his chamber and Rowena drunk the interiors of his room in like it was her last time.
The same maroon curtains with gold linings draped across his floor length window. His bed lay right in the middle of his room and... despite all these years, Rowena noticed, he still owned the same bedsheets that clothed the space on where he slept; the pink one with roses dotted around it, the one that she had picked for him.
Rowena plonked herself down extremely unladylike and immediately hid her face from embarrassment as the Prince chuckled. She attempted to cross one leg over the other when he stopped her.
"Rowena." His voice was almost like a sigh and she found herself gazing up at him. Years of friendship came flooding back to her like a dam had burst open. And to her surprise and dismay, Rowena realized for the first time that she had no intention of ever shutting the door that held such painful memories. But she knew she had to. Because with friendships came expectations. And she couldn't afford them, not after so many years.
Rowena Haven was a warrior. The greatest warrior Ladena had ever seen. She couldn't afford any emotions. Rowena had lost the right to call Prince Gare a friend the day she picked up a sword and attempted to wound a fellow guard.
She stared at his clear blue eyes and inkjet hair. Prince Gare had always been handsome, in a rugged way. But nothing like his younger brother who was three years Rowena's senior. Prince Aiden caused girls and ladies all around to swoon as soon as he walked past them. But he was what Rowena saw as infuriating, stubborn and arrogant. Not that she had ever attempted to say it right on his face. She was brave, but understood her restrictions well.
But now, as she sat facing his elder brother and the Crown Prince of Ladena, she could only bring herself to ask: "Yes, Your Highness?"
Prince Gare grimaced by her words. He sat beside her and Rowena immediately scooted away. He raised an eyebrow. "Must you call me that? The name's Gare. We've been through this countless of times." He sounded weary.
"And like I said over and over again, 'His Highness' suits me just fine." She shouldn't have been so bold, but God help Rowena, she just couldn't shut herself.
He turned around, heaved a sigh and faced her again. This time he was beaming. It was a sad attempt at a smile, but it was an attempt nonetheless. "I had just wanted to wish you a belated birthday. How does being eighteen feel?"
Rowena gawked at him. How in the worlds had he remembered? "I feel old."
He burst out laughing and Rowena allowed herself to shed a smile.
"Trust me," the Prince said smiling, "when you reach my age you'll probably be groaning."
She smirked. "Twenty-four isn't so bad."
"Says the girl who just called herself old."
They laughed for a few seconds and then were quite once more. Prince Gare's gaze turned serious. "I called you for another matter that had been pressing me to no end." Something in his tone made Rowena sit straighter. She was all business once again. She listened intently. "I had received a letter last week," he continued, "it was from an unknown source and the seal of the stamp hailed from Trachcher."
Trachcher was a neighboring country that had always been in war with Ladena since as long as Rowena could recall. "And?" She pressed, needing to hear more.
"It was a simple letter which summed up to them promising that my head was going to be a prized possession on their sword." Rowena wasn't surprised. Being the Crown Prince only meant that such threats were expected. But she had a feeling there was much more to it.
The Crown Prince shuddered. "I wouldn't have taken it literally, but one of my guards had been found dead outside my room last night." Rowena was shocked into silence.
"Dead?" She asked. "As in..."
"Organs fully spattered and flesh torn from his body."
Rowena wanted to gag. Just as she was about to say something, a servant knocked on the door, asking permission to enter. Prince Gare sighed and proceeded to let her in.
The servant bowed and swept in the room. She barely paid Rowena a second glance as she held a coat towards Prince Gare. "Your Highness," she began in a meek voice, "His Majesty has kindly requested me to request you to make your way towards the court immediately." She helped him slip on his brown coat that covered his tunic. Her black hair was exquisite. It was sleek and fell back towards her waist in long waterfall curls. Rowena wanted to throw praise, but bit her tongue.
Rowena watched as he grumbled and waved her away. "I'm afraid," he said once the servant had shut the door, "that I'm in desperate need by the King."
Rowena immediately stood up. She understood a dismissal perfectly well. She bowed. "Then we shall discuss this some other time Your Highness."
He let out a gruff sigh, and extended his hand to meet hers in a shake. "We shall." She dropped her warm palm from his and it was then when she noticed the Prince had dark rings around his eyes. It was almost like he hadn't slept in days. But Rowena chose not to utter another word. She began to walk out of the room and was at the huge brass doors before she spun to look at the Prince who was smoothening his hair. He watched her.
"Why do you still have those bedsheets?" She asked carefully.
Prince Gare smiled at her sadly. "It was the only thing that ever reminded me of you."
She didn't glance at him as she grabbed the handle and strode out, leaving both Prince Gare and his reply behind.
Rowena expected to find Kendrick there but to her surprise, no soldier stood in front of the entrance. That was exceedingly strange. The King would have the head of the entire guard if he had known no one was guarding the future heir to the throne.
She shook it off and continued walking. It wasn't her problem to deal with. Rowena was barely ten steps away when a blood curling scream sounded from the Prince's room and she didn't think twice as she grabbed her dagger, sprinted and flung open the doors.
Her heart stopped.
In the middle of the room lay the Prince; still as the night itself. His eyes were snapped open and his mouth twisted into a scream. Rowena trembled. She crouched down and held his pulse. Her body grew cold with sweat.
Rowena's friend was dead.
The Crown Prince of Ladena was dead.
Rowena gazed out the window and watched as the sky rumbled and the clouds burst, pouring rain.