The uncontrollable power lurking beneath Princess Alethia's skin can either be the savior of the Four Kingdoms or its destruction.
Princess Alethia was raised on three principles: (1) Mercy is for the weak, (2) Emotions are an unwanted distraction...
A/N: The gang is all together now, yayyyy! But don't get your hopes up, they're in for one hell of a ride :)
Helpful glossary:
lisanhos - brothers
bura ouras - wise ones
phom - fun
doas - dear
ruyas - lover
rak aro - lost one
yhiehsil - youngster
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Aydin tightened his grip on Sephirah's sweaty hand. His feet dug into the bottomless sand beneath him, while mages flashed through his mind in an endless loop of torture. His stomach churned as his tongue burned with the desire for a drink.
One sip could make it all go away; the pain in his chest, the memories ripping him apart from the inside, and the cloud of despair and grief that clung to his skin.
One moment he was staring at two distant figures, and the next, he was watching his father die in front of his eyes all over again. The sound of his father's dark words and raspy voice poisoned his mind like a plague.
This is all your fault, son. How can you be king when you couldn't even save your own flesh and blood?
Blood mixed with sand, pooling out from his father's prone body. His father's light brown eyes were filled with disdain as he raised a black accusatory talon. It trembled as he pointed it at Aydin, repeating the same words over and over again.
Queen Liliana stood over his father, a wicked grin on her face as she held his mother in a chokehold. His mother's soft chocolate eyes held enough terror to freeze him in the sand, his spear shaking in turmoil. The queen drew a dagger from her side and waved it mockingly in the air before slowly dragging it across his mother's throat.
The queen's voice was cold as she spoke to him, "You will never be king. You are nothing."
Aydin had collapsed to the ground, the shock of the words and images stabbing him in the gut and ripping his aching heart clean through his chest. It had been merciful when the illusions stopped, but they clawed their way inside of his mind, repeating themselves like a desperate prayer.
His stomach clenched again, and he stumbled, straining his eyes to see through his blurring vision. Tears leaked from his eyes unwillingly. Sephirah pulled on his hand, guiding him through the sand and anchoring him to reality.
Through his hazy sight, he noticed her leather boots pause for a brief moment. Her usually confident voice came out uncertain as she asked, "Aydin, are you okay?"
Aydin swallowed the lump in his throat. "I can't do this, Rah."
Sunlight blared down on him as he lifted his head, peering into her comforting, golden eyes. They glistened as they stared at him, her hand squeezing the circulation out of his own. She stepped closer to him, and the scent of foliage and berries drifted into his nostrils. Her rosy lips pulled downwards into a contemplative frown.
