Agnar Academy: A Lady Knight

Prologue

The night was silent and the sky clear. There were thousands of stars twinkling especially bright due the lunar eclipse, hanging above the kingdom. Each one shining as if they were facing towards the castle, for it was a night that would change the course of destiny evermore. For tonight, the savior to the kingdom was to be born. The one worthy of the throne to Avalon, chosen by the Stars and gods combined. 

There was a spell of silence cast around the tallest tower of the castle, invisible to anyone who may look. For the child was to be a secret; their true identity to be kept a secret until Fate has spoken otherwise.

“You’re doing amazing, my dear. Just a bit longer now,” the gentle voice of a man soothed the woman screaming in agony. He took a damp cloth to her brow, whispering comforting words to her over and over. He was wearing a robe in the deepest color blue that reached to the floor, the hood lay down his back to reveal his face. He looked to be in his thirties, his ebony hair sprinkled with white and sprawled in every direction from his fingers running through it anxiously. 

Another agonizing groan left the woman as the wave of pain took over, quickly developing into another scream. When the wave of pain subsided for the moment, the woman took a few deep breaths and let her head fall back on the pillow in exhaustion. Her long pale hair was sprawled across the bed, completely drenched in sweat. She opened her eyes and gazed at the man beside her, her sage green eyes meeting his sapphire blue. “You can’t let him know…” Her voice was barely a whisper now. 

“But.. my queen,” he held her hand close to his face, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb as he scrunched his eyebrows together with worry.

“You must.” Her voice was a command, what left of her energy she had to put force behind the words. “Promise me.” A look in her gaze that said there was something she wasn’t telling him. 

The man opened his mouth to respond, but before he could she let out another scream. This one slicing through the air like a sword against rock, sending a jolt of power through the room. The man looked around as books began to fling open, their pages flipping rapidly. His hair whipped across his face, the wind picking up stronger as the queen screamed louder. What was this? 

In another moment it was silent. The man lifted the sheets to see the newborn baby, its cries replacing the screams of the queen. “A girl!” The man cried in delight, bringing her to her mother. 

“Her name… is Amelia…” the queen’s fingers brushed the baby’s chubby cheeks, with her last bit of energy she lifted her head to leave a kiss on the baby’s brow. “Emrys, take care of her…” Inara’s breathing began to slow, her hand falling to the bed. “Promise me,” she spoke again with a breath, her chest falling with her final words. 

“Your Majesty?” the man, Emrys, questioned worriedly. “Inara!” His voice raised to a yell, “INARA!” It was too late. She was gone. His eyes widened with confusion and panic as looked at the baby in his arms, her eyes the same sage green as her mother’s. His teary eyes didn’t leave hers as he spoke, “I promise.”