Th13rteen

Prologue

TH13RTEEN

Prologue

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Thirteen years ago...

"Hurry, Your Highness, it is coming."

The Princess and her husband sped as fast as they could through the corridors of the castle, following far behind the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Captain." She breathed out in pants, struggling to keep up with the professionally trained, and fast, man. Running in a gown was one thing, but also trying to carry a seven year old child was another.

The Captain stopped in his tracks. "Hand her to me." He urged, carefully scooping the young princess into his arms. "Now, we must hurry, they will be upon us soon."

Somewhere in the distance, a loud bang was heard, followed by a scream of anguish. The sound was abrupt, blaring through the empty halls, causing the Princess to stumble over her dress in fright. More screams and shouts filled the air, forcing the three to push faster.

"Where is it?" The Prince questioned urgently. "Please tell me they have finished!"

"It is a few rooms away. We will make it."

The Captain proved to be correct when they rounded a corner, and burst into a room. Upon entering, Captain Harold quickly slammed and barred the door, giving them a little extra time. The Princess took her daughter back, and let her eyes wander the room quickly. She recognized it as a servants quarters. It was tiny, with very few objects in it. Her main concern was the bed, and what lay on it.

Her eyes widened as she gaped at the tiny body. She moved until she was hovering over it, staring down at the, identical to her daughter, being.

"What is it exactly?" She heard her husband ask faintly. He was not of the 13th Kingdom, and was still learning the extent of it's magical abilities.

"'Tis a replica body, fashioned to look just like your daughter. It will contain all of her magic, and allow her to live normally, undetected. It is merely a capsule, meant to hold in her true form. It will never find her in this form." The Captain explained.

"Are you positive?" The Prince asked in return.

"Yes, I am sure. As long as Aurelia is kept inside of this capsule, she will be safe. And I will always be with her, incase anything unexpected occurs."

The Captain's words did nothing to soothe her. Putting her daughter inside of another body was meant to keep her safe?

"I do not understand. How is this meant to work?" She couldn't help the tears that started welling in her eyes. She wasn't far enough along in her training to understand how these created bodies worked yet, and it frightened her.

"Her soul is what her powers are truly connected to. Her soul will be transferred to this decoy, and it will act and function just like a normal body would, while her true form will be hidden where no one will find it." It was only then that she noticed a small gold box on the floor.

Box was an understatement. To her, it looked like the equivalent of a casket. That thought made her heart clench even more.

The Captain explained a little more, as quickly as he could. The box was enchanted with magic. It would provide all the things necessary to keep her daughter alive and growing as normal, so one day when her soul returned, it would fit back in perfectly.