Hope is all he has left...
Prince Kian is supposed to be dead. He was only 8 years old when the Dark King came into his home and slaughtered his family. Now 21, he lives in hiding, grieving the family and the kingdom both lost. With no magic left...
Anders was quick with his sword, but I was faster. I ducked as he swung it at my head, striking out with my foot to trip him. He jumped, narrowly avoiding it. I rolled out of the way as his sword slammed into the ground where I had been only a second before. While his blade was still stuck in the ground I rose to a stand and released a throwing knife with deadly accuracy. Had I been aiming to kill, Anders would've been a goner. Instead, he clutched the wound in his thigh. I pulled his sword out of the ground and tossed it to Areis who caught it easily. The remaining council members who had gathered around sheathed their weapons, deciding not to continue the bloodshed.
Everyone in Stockgrove had gathered around our brawl. Now they stared at me, obviously not knowing what to expect.
"So, now that I have your attention, let's talk," I said, sheathing my dagger. "I have not come for revenge," The crowd visibly grew calmer, "I have not come to win back my position as your leader. I have come to offer you the one thing we all want and need."
"And what's that?" Anders snorted from where he was crumpled.
"Freedom." I motioned for Kian to step forward. "You are probably wondering who these people I have brought with me are. Kian, would you like to introduce yourself?"
Kian's expression was calm, warm even. But behind his eyes, I saw the boy who could convince anyone to do anything. The part of him that was calculating what angle to work even as he spoke. Kian may have been naive about some things, but when it came to anything courtly he was lethally intelligent and as cunning as a snake.
"My name is Kian Vienna and I am the true heir to the throne of Drimore." The crowd erupted into chaos. However, with a simple hand gesture, Kian had somehow managed to silence them all. I watched him in astonishment. His expression exuded both truthfulness and charm. He had finally decided on what role he wanted to play: the humble prince, the boy who would do anything to free his people. I looked to Areis, who now stood beside me.
"Are you sure Kian doesn't have magic?" he whispered. I rolled my eyes.
"Try to keep your jaw off the ground Areis."
We watched in awe as Kian told the story of how he met us, of all that had happened to him in the last thirteen years. By the time he had finished, Stockgrove was bursting with questions. Though it took him over two hours to answer all of them, Kian did not complain once. He spoke with grace and charm, making everyone he met fall in love with him. Though Anders and the rest of the council seemed terrified of Kian and how he could easily take away their power, the people forced them to allow Kian and his men to stay in Stockgrove. In fact, by the end of the night, the council had been overthrown entirely. Many people came to me with profuse apologies, I just told them that what had happened to me wasn't their fault. I would forgive my people, but I would not forget how quickly they had turned on me.
"The leadership position is yours if you wish to have it back Zora," said Vick Hallows, who was representing the people of Stockgrove.
"Of course, I accept," I grinned, taking the small bronze circlet out of his hands. I had missed the familiar weight of it on my brow. I turned to Aries. "Have Anders and the rest of the former council placed in the infirmary. Make sure it is well guarded. I don't want any unpleasant interruptions," I instructed him.
Kian and I would make our plea for aid in the revolution tomorrow. If everything went smoothly, then we would return to the caverns with an army. However, I had seen how easily the councilmen could sway a crowd, the last thing we needed was for them to convince my people to stay in Stockgrove. I would not take any chances.
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It was strange to be back in my old cabin. It was even stranger to have Kian in it with me.
"So this is where you've lived for the last thirteen years?" Kian asked, looking out the window. He didn't seem to like heights which was strange for someone who lived in the mountains.
"No," I corrected him with a chuckle, "I moved in here when I became chief. Let's just say I've moved around quite a bit." Kian stretched out on the long sofa.
"So tell me, who was the great Zora Stone before she made a name for herself?"
I shrugged, "I came here with my mother and half-brother."
"You had a brother?"
"His name was Aiden, he was two years younger than me," I smiled sadly, it hurt to think of my family so I tried not to do it much. The only thing that connected me to my mother was blood. She had ripped Aiden away from me. So I built myself a new family, with Tyri and Areis and Cayra. "Anyway, when we first came to Stockgrove we lived in tents. The tree houses were still being built. Two years in, I had an incident with my magic, mother was ashamed and called me a monster. She took Aiden and left Stockgrove, the last I heard of them they had fled to Venarden. After that, I stayed with Cayra and Areis for awhile."
"Cayra and Areis were allowed to live on their own?" Kian asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Areis was ten and despite how he might act now, he was very mature for his age. His father died when Areis was eight. No one else was willing to take them in, so as long as Areis could earn his keep they were allowed to live on their own."
''Eyre North was the leader at the time and he had taken an interest in me after seeing what my magic could do. A few weeks after I had settled in with the Knights, he came and offered to take me in. He taught me how to fight and how to suppress my power. He made me his heir."
A loud crash sounded from below. I ran to the window, and saw flames. Someone was burning the staircase to my cabin.
