The Fire Beneath the Throne

Magic is forbidden. Love is dangerous. Prophecy is absolute.
Alex Corvus was born with a secret he cannot reveal-magic in a world that burns those who wield it. Hidden away in the quiet edges of Ravenwood, he lives between shadows and silence, watched over by his frail mother and the two friends who know the truth: Johnny, the reckless heir to a noble house, and Lyra, his sister, a scholar who believes in reason over faith.
When Alex accepts an apprenticeship under the mysterious Lord Arnaut, his life changes forever. Arnaut is brilliant, unsettling, and far too kind to be trusted. Yet in his dark halls, Alex finds more than mentorship-he finds belonging... and something dangerously close to love.
But the past never stays buried.
The old servant, Dot, knows what Alex truly is-and what he will become. The Goddess whispers to him in dreams, guiding his hand toward a destiny written long before his birth. Bloodlines are not forgotten. Curses do not die.
As the kingdom fractures and magic stirs beneath the throne, Alex's power grows-and so does something else, something alive within him, a secret too sacred to name.
By moonlight, a prophecy awakens.
By dawn, a king will burn.

Author's Note: This is the Beta Version of The Fire Beneath the Throne. Chapters will be updated and refined over time. Thank you for reading early and sharing your feedback!