In a brutal world where living to thirty is the exception, a teenaged Faery girl has to face the consequences of loving a man out of her league.
Daphne loves Brandon.
The Duke of the Faery Court living in the Onyx Labyrinth is fated to marry a princ...
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Shivering, Daphne got dressed in Guardian leather. Between the absurd cold and the horrible nightmares she couldn't escape, her night had been absolutely dreadful.
As she walked through the Onyx Labyrinth she saw, despite the cold still tormenting her, that the stone had healed nicely after the attack by digmoles nearly a week before.
Angry mutterings filled the Labyrinth, but knowing it had to do with the strange temperatures she didn't pay any attention. Especially since the living stone wasn't toying with her as it usually did. She was able to take a direct route to princess Calliope's chambers.
Odd indeed, Daphne thought as she opened the door.
'Good morning, Princess,' she greeted when she entered.
'Oh, good morning, Daphne,' princess Calliope said distracted.
She was staring at the various flower arrangements, place settings and other wedding day samples the wedding planners had left for her.
Daphne made sure that her face, even her eyes, stayed emotionless. She had to be extra careful after her idiotic breakdown when Brandon nearly died along with the onyx stone. Though both had survived, she'd still lost control of her emotions. Luckily only Ruhan, the Guardian who already knew of their forbidden feelings, had borne witness.
The princess seemed a little off, not at all her usual happy self.
Probably the cold, Daphne thought as an ice breeze went through the room. She stifled a yawn, knowing that she would've pried into the princess's glum mood if she had slept better.
Two elves, Shahnaz and Cola, entered the room bringing warmth with them.
'We apologise for the cold.'
'It's a side-effect of the Labyrinth rebuilding itself.'
'Don't worry about it,' princess Calliope said, adjusting her fur cloak a little.
The elves went around the room, stroking the onyx stone as far as they went. Daphne could see magic flowing from them into the walls. She looked away, disturbed at what she was able to perceive. Things had certainly changed between her and the living stone of the Onyx Labyrinth since it had almost died.
A brisk knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. One of the elves scurried to answer.
Four Guardians dressed in storm grey cloaks stood outside the door. They weren't from the Onyx Labyrinth.
Daphne swallowed. They were from the High Court.
Even the new warmth emanating from the walls couldn't melt the cold dread she felt in that moment. She watched them, frozen.
They were the Guardians of the Ruler of the entire Labyrinth. They were the enforcers of the rules governing them all.
