(the shadow crown book draft) chapter 1;2

It was almost night and the moon was already high in the evening sky. The world was quiet tonight and the wind, slowly rocking the trees, was the only thing making any sound. The young princess stood on her balcony and was looking up at the sky. She was trying to see at least one star but the clouds were hiding them all. She put her hands on the cold marble and let out a deep breath.

Suddenly, she spotted a black raven flying into her direction, she looked at it without blinking, waiting for it to approach. The bird landed gracefully beside her and looked at her with one eye, head turned to the right.

Wind was pushing her dark hair out of her face as she observed the raven, eyes wide open. She stared back at the black bird for a while in silence, as if having a conversation without words.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly. The raven took off that very second. For a moment, she remained in the same spot and looked ahead to the forest that spread far into the darkness. Seconds later, she was on the move. As she entered her rooms, she swiftly picked up a crimson coat and put it over her plain white shirt she was wearing. She looked down at her silver dagger that lay on the couch, as if thinking whether she should pick it up. It had a red rudy on the handle that sparkled slightly even without light.

She exhaled and headed for her large wooden door. She reached for the handle and with a single push opened the door.

“Go and find Alexius and Andros.” she said, addressing the guards outside her door. “And tell them to meet me at the front gate.”

“But, Your Highness, we are not-”

“I said go.” She cut off one of the guards who was trying to disagree. There was no time for arguing. The guard bowed with his head and both of them abruptly left. The princess started walking quickly in the opposite direction.

As soon as she reached the castle gate, two shadowy figures were already waiting for her. As she approached, both of them bowed deeply.

“You summoned, your highness?” One of them spoke, the night hiding his face.

“Yes,” she answered. “We have an unexpected company to attend to.” her lips turned into a faint smile.

CHAPTER ONE

Two people were making their way through the dark forest. The lack of stars this night was both helping them and making their quest much harder.

“Are you sure you know the way?” the girl spoke up. Her clothes appeared too large for her, as if they did not belong to her. Silver hair tied back in a single braid revealed her slender face. Her porcelain skin managed to glow even in the darkness of the night, however it also carried a natural warmth, accentuated by a soft, golden undertone. Her celestial blue eyes reflected the little light that managed to get through the deep trees.

The young man only nodded, without looking back at her. He seemed determined as he moved forwards silently, without making a sound. A branch suddenly snapped and he whirled around.

“What where you step, Reyna.” he hissed at her. “We don’t want anyone to hear us.”

“I thought you said this way would be safe.” she hissed back at him.

“I said safer, not safe. Don’t be a fool thinking any journey would be safe. I have warned you.”

They continued walking in silence. Reyna struggled a bit to keep up with her tall, dark haired companion. She couldn’t help observing his every move as it was done effortlessly and with this otherworldly grace. His skin appeared almost flawless, exuding a timeless youthfulness that spoke of his immortal nature. For the entire time she had known him she could not stop admiring his beauty, even though she didn’t quite enjoy his personality.

She was deep in thought and nearly ran into her companion as he abruptly came to a stop.

“What is it?”

He just put up his hand, silencing her.

“We are not alone.”

Chills ran down Reyna’s spine. She has heard of the monstrous beings that dwell deep in forests. She looked around anxiously trying to see something in the dark. But she saw nothing, heard nothing.

“Are you sure?” she whispered as quietly as she could.

He just nodded slowly, then took a few steps forward. There was a small clearing in betweens the trees ahead, so they slowly reached it.

All of a sudden, a shadowy mist appeared, surrounding them. Reyna hold herself from clutching to the young man beside her.

“Oh gods,” she said under her breath.

“Well, well, well,” a female voice spoke from the trees. Reyna felt her companion stiffen.

“We did not mean to intrude.” His voice sounded harsh, yet confident.

A female shadow stepped into the faint moon light and Reyna saw a girl, perhaps only a bit older than herself, looking at them. Her skin, pale as moonlight, seemed almost translucent and lacked the warmth of life, appearing as if touched by the shadows themselves. The shadows seemed to cling to her, embracing her. Her hair, flowing in waves, cascaded down her back like a waterfall of shadows. It appeared almost as if it were woven from the darkest strand of night itself. Following her immediately were two male figures who lingered behind, but she couldn’t make out their faces. They stood behind the girl, guarding her, protecting, ready to strike at the first sight of danger. The girl stepped closer. Her attention was focused on the male beside Reyna.

“Caerwyn, what an interesting surprise to see you lurking in my forests.” Her voice sounded so silky, almost as though she was purring at him.

“Deianara,” Caerwyn spoke again. “We were just passing by.”

Deianara. That name was so familiar, Reyna was sure she had heard it before but couldn’t quite remember. Instead, she just stood there looking very confused.

“It is the middle of the night.” she pointed out, still not paying attention to Reyna. “I am sure if the prince of Cimbelia wanted to merely “pass by” he would do it in the proper manner and perhaps in broad daylight.” She waved her hand in the air as she spoke.

“I assure you, -”

“Please, spare me,” Deianara interrupted. “You can tell the rest in my castle.”

“We really don’t have time.”

“I insist.” Her voice was calm, yet there was something threatening in it, something that makes you want to obey. The girl, surrounded by the shadows, didn’t utter another word as she turned and started walking away, the two figures following her closely. Reyna looked at Caerwyn but he did not meet her gaze, as he was staring intensely in front of him,where Deinara just was. He shrugged a bit, as if trying to shake off a memory, then gestured Reyna to move.

“Who is she?” Reyna quietly whispered.

“She is the daughter of Venkalth.” Reyna went quiet. “That is the name of the shadow lord.”

“I know.” Reyna breathed. She tried hard not to start shaking. With fear or with rage she did not know. “You decided to go through the lands of the shadow lord? Are you insane?” She could barely see straight.

“Calm down, I can hear your heartbeat from over here. These lands belong to her, her father gifted them to her a few years back, so technically, we are in her domain, not his.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? She is his daughter, her lands are still his and you know that.”

Caerwyn didn’t reply and she had nothing else to add, so they followed the princess in silence. They didn’t walk for long and soon Reyna noticed a beautiful castle standing on the edge of the mountain. It was hidden by the forest and hills before, but now she could see the glory of it. Perched upon a cliff, the castle rose against the backdrop of a desolate landscape. Its imposing silhouette pierced the sky, reaching towards the heavens. The castle seemed to be surrounded by shadows, as if the very essence of night has claimed it as its own. The walls were crafted from dark, weathered stone. It was absorbing the light and casting that eerie pallor over the castle’s surroundings. Intricate carvings of twisted serpents and thorny vines covered the walls, hinting at the dangers lurking within. Despite its scary looks, it didn’t feel evil, only disturbing and Reyna was amused as she had expected it to be more terrifying.

As if reading her thoughts, Deianara turned to face her and for the first time looked her in the eye and said, “Not so bad, huh?’’

Reyna reluctantly looked the young princess in the eye and felt a sudden wave of coldness, as if someone had just touched her soul. Deianara chuckled as if amused, then continued walking.

“Tonight you will be my guests,” Reyna heard the princess speak yet again as they reached the gates of her castle. The guards, standing on both sides, bowed shortly and opened the large wooden gates, letting them in. A wave of warmness and a nice smell of bread and ginger hit her. She looked around at the people who were talking, laughing and walking around, doing their jobs. Nobody seemed to pay much attention to them. Reyna didn’t expect the daughter of the ruthless shadow lord’s castle to not be this cheery and welcoming. They headed towards a small door that led to a dimly lit passageway. If Reyna knew any better she would say that the princess was trying to sneak them in without people noticing. Footsteps echoing on the stone floors they were still following in silence. Soon enough they reached a tapestry on the wall. Deianara pulled it aside and disappeared behind it. One of her, who Reyna assumed were personal guards, gestured to them to follow. A bright light hit them as they emerged on the other side, the guards followed.

As Reyna’s eyes adjusted to the light, she saw a rather small room with a long, wooden table with chairs around it. Deianara was already standing next to a window, looking out into the night, as if checking to see if nobody was out there.

“So, now that we are in private, would you explain yourself?” she spoke with authority in her voice, but still a little quieter than you would expect.

Caerwyn slowly moved forward and slumped in one of the chairs not taking his eyes off the young princess. She was also observing him carefully, not even glancing in Reyna’s direction.

“I told you, we were just passing by and this route happens to be the shortest,” he shrugged.

Deianara let out a short laugh. “Don’t make a fool out of yourself. Why should I believe you? You can easily pass our lands yet you chose to sneak at night and I don’t see any guards, any companions, except for one girl.”

“It is your choice to believe me or not. I do not need to explain my actions to you” Caerwyn hissed at her, moving forward in his seat. Deianara didn’t flinch at the sudden movement and only moved closer, tracing her fingers along the table.

“These are my lands and it is my business, so yes, I do expect an explanation.”

“It was urgent.” A short, brief answer. Deianara sighed as if understanding that she would not get much out of the prince.

It was Reyna’s voice that broke the uncomfortable silence. “We needed get to the Iron mountains”

Deianara’s eyes switched to her immediately and Caerwyn turned his head to her, “do not say-,” he began.

“Stop,” Reyna interrupted. “She won’t let us go until she knows where and why we are going.”

“Smart girl,” Deianara kept her vision fixed on the girl.

Reyna wanted to continue, but it was Caerwyn who stood up and proceeded talking, taking the princesses attention off of Reyna once again.

“We need to get to the Iron mountains, to the healers.” Deianara raised one eyebrow. “My father is sick and I need the healers that live there to come up with a remedy, we all know they are the best. I am travelling in secret because the information of my fathers sickness is not something I want to become public, that much you should understand. I knew that the best chance of getting there is through your lands, it is the quickest.”

“And you thought that if I caught you I would let you go.”

Caerwyn just nodded. “For old times sake. These, as you have repeatedly stated, are your lands, you are in charge and you can let us go, without mentioning this little encounter with anyone.”

Deianara hummed to herself and started pacing back and forth. She changed directions suddenly, moving past Caerwyn to Reyna.

The two girls looked about the same age. Reyna was a bit taller, yet as the young princess approached, Reyna seemed to have shrunken.

“How old are you, girl?” This was her interrogation time.

“Eighteen.”

Deianara looked back at the fae prince in wonder. “And what would you want with a scrawny child on your way to such an important mission?”

Deianara was looking him straight in the eyes as if trying to physically get into his head, the prince however seemed unbothered. “I met her on the way and it happened we were headed in the same direction, so out of my pure kindness - I offered an escort.”

“How kind of you, indeed.” Deianara looked back at the blonde girl and looked her in the eyes. Reyna felt cold shivers go down her spine under that cold stare. She was scared to even draw a breath. Yet she held her ground and never looked away.

“Interesting,” Deianara murmured. “I didn’t catch your name.”

Reyna coughed a little. “Sereia.”

“Sereia.” Deianara repeated the name as if amused. “Sure.” She eyed Reyna up and down, as if evaluating her, judging. “Okay, well, I frankly do not care what you and Sereia do.” This time she was addressing Caerwyn. “I can arrange for you to stay this night, have some food and then you can be gone. No one will know you have been here.”

“Thank you,” Reyna whispered.

“Oh, don’t thank me.” The sentence sounded more like a threat than a pleasant response. With a smile that didn’t feel genuine, Deianara moved towards the door, when it burst open suddenly, startling everyone.

In the doorway stood a tall, young man, curly black hair untamed. He smiled at the small chaos he made and leaned on the doorway.

“Hello, sister,” the man smiled wickedly, showing all his teeth. The smile was so unsettling that Reyna felt the urge to stumble back a little. Deianara was the first to come to her senses as she straightened her jacket and cleared her throat.

“Sylvan, what a pleasant surprise,” the words came out dry, too dry and the man in the doorway moved forward, his eyes darkening. “Are you not happy to see me, sister?”

“You know you are always welcome here, however, I have told you before that I would prefer you notify me in advance of your arrival.”“So your little raven spies still haven’t learnt to detect me, huh?”

As Deianara opened her mouth to answer, the newcomer's attention switched to the other two people present. His eyes slowly moved across the room, stopping for a second on Caerwyn, then fixating on Reyna, who stood at the opposite end of the table. Her face was somewhat hidden by the shadow as little to no light came from the window and the light from the candles could not reach her enough.

“Now who do we have here,” with a smirk, Sylvan started to move closer. Instinctively, as if they shared some telepathic connection, both Deianara and Caerwyn moved closer to each other to block his path. Their shoulders barely touched, yet they seemed extremely uncomfortable with even such slight interaction.

“Sylvan, it has been a while,” Caerwyn spoke, drawing the attention to himself as Deianara stepped aside a little.

“Ah, yes, you, the little prince,” Sylvan's black eyes now stared into Caerwyn with nothing but pure disgust. “Not so little anymore. I am surprised to see you here. What brings you here at such a late hour?”

“Business.” Caerwyn kept his answer short. “None that concerns you.”

“Ah, but if it concerns my little sister, it sure would interest me.” Deianara scoffed. “What is it, darling? You don’t think I care for you?” Sylvan's voice was sweet as poison as he put on the fakest smile one has ever seen. Deianara ignored him and only rolled her eyes.

“What do you need?”

“I have a message from father.” the overly nice entourage had been dropped immediately.

“So he still only keeps you to send his word? It must really be the only thing you are fit for.”

Sylvan’s face turned red with pure rage as he hissed. “You think you know what father thinks of me? You do not. You are not even around to know.”

Deianara didn’t answer, she looked bored, as if she had been used to little outbursts like these. “What does he want?”

Sylvan didn’t answer as he pulled a gold envelope from the insides of his velvet coat. It had a large, black seal in the middle. “You are invited to tomorrow's ball.” Sylvan then turned to the prince. “Father was not expecting visitors, however, I am sure he would be delighted to see you there as well.”

As Caerwyn did not seem as though he was going to respond, Sylvan looked back at his sister. “I shall head back tomorrow, with you. No need to worry, I shall find myself a room for the night.. Take care.”

Without another word he walked out of the little chamber, slamming the door a little too hard on his way out.

Reyna let out a breath she did not know she was holding. The room seemed awfully quiet as everyone remained in the same spot they were when Sylvan left. Caerwyn was the first to make a noise, as he slumped into the nearest chair with a huge sigh and looked up at the princess, who still was on her feet. Reyna noticed the tense look on Deianara’s face as she crossed her arms. Before, the young princess has never shown any signs of worry or nervousness and Reyna was taken aback at the sudden visible expression of both of those things.

“We do not have to go, do we?” Reyna decided to speak up.

Caerwyn rubbed his hands on his face, stretching it out. He closed his eyes, breathed out and finally said, “We do.”

“Why?”

“Because now he knows you were here.” Deianara looked at the girl with what Reyna thought for a second was pity. The gentle gesture disappeared from her eyes in a second. Her eyes turned back to that cold, calculated stare that pierced Reyna. She abruptly turned away.

“We leave in the morning, I will have rooms arranged for you.” And that was that, she moved to the door and without looking back, exited the room. Caerwyn met Reyna’s gaze and she could see the worry and disappointment in it. He didn’t say anything but it was clear what was going on in his mind. Tomorrow they are going to walk into the house of a very dangerous man, the man of whom the whole realm was terrified and they had to act as if they had nothing to hide.

CHAPTER TWO

The sun was already high up in the sky as a small procession was moving on open land. The heat of the sun was slowing them down. Deianara seemed to be the least affected by the blazing sun rays. Her black coat was buttoned all the way up to her neck and the collar stood high, almost hiding it all. She was sitting straight on her black horse and seemed to not pay attention to her brother whining about the heat.

Reyna has not yet spoken today. It was not because earlier today Deianara almost threatened her to stay quiet and not draw any attention to herself, but because she just knew better. Reyna didn’t need anyone to start asking questions as for now she was simply a brief companion of the fae prince. Caerwyn was next to her in all his royal glory. He was squinting to keep the light from blurring his vision. Reyna wondered if his fae eyes were not designed to be exposed to this much sun.

After a while, they reached the beginning of another forest. Sylvan stopped under a pine tree, jumped off his horse and slumped on the ground.

“Let’s take a break.”

Deianara remained on horseback as she approached where her brother was laying in the shadow. “Since when can you not handle a little heat?” Sylvan raised one brow at her, but decided not to reply.

“There is a small river not far from here, if you need to drink some water,” Deianara addressed the other two behind her. When neither of them moved, she turned to face them and with a little smile said, “I promise I did not poison the river.” She expected at least some reaction, but rolled her eyes when she received none.

“Sereia, follow me, you clearly need a drink, you look terrible.” Deianara jumped off her horse and gestured to Reyna to follow her. Looking for reassurance, Reyna looked over at the prince, who was watching them closely. He nodded, so Reyna quickly jumped off her brownish horse and hurried up to catch up with Deinara.

They walked in silence and sure enough, not much time passed when Reyna heard the sound of water splashing somewhere nearby. It was a little stream and in the light that managed to get through the thick trees made the water look completely transparent. Reyna bent down and put her palms together to gather some water to drink. After she has had enough she noticed that Deianara has not touched it.

“Did you actually poison it?”

Deianara chuckled a bit, however the smile was quick to fade from her face. She didn’t utter a single word as she looked up to the trees. There was a small breeze here and the tree tops were moving ever so slightly. As Deainara looked at them, her face changed from her usual stiff, emotionless expression to something alive. For the first time Reyna thought of her as just another young woman who seemed to be admiring nature, and not the princess with deathly shadow powers.

Deianara caught Reyna’s gaze on her and looked down again. In the sunlight the girl crouching on the ground could finally notice the greenness of Deianara’s eyes. They were like two emeralds looking down on her.

“You don’t like me.” Deianara suddenly spoke. Reyna swayed a little as she stood up, now facing the princess. “What?”

“An observation. You don’t like me. Interesting.”

“Why do you keep repeating that word?” Reyna’s tone rose a bit as she started to get agitated.

“Interesting? Well, I don’t know, perhaps when I find that something is interesting to me, I say it.”

“And what is so interesting about me?” Reyna almost hissed.

“Oh, I don’t know a lot of things. Your name being one of them.” Deianara smirked a little as if she enjoyed inflicting panic and confusion on the girl in front of her. “You need to learn how to hide your emotions better.” She turned on her heel and started walking back. “We should get back to the boys before they rip off each other’s heads, don’t you think?”

With that said she started marching in the direction where they left her brother and Caerwyn. With every step she took, rage filled Reyna. She remembered why she did indeed not like the princess, that there was a reason to hate her and her family, despite her being somewhat nicer than she expected her to be.

Reyna felt a burning in her chest, the feeling she knew all too well, the emotion that was burning to be let out, yet she couldn’t allow it. Not now, not yet. They can’t know.

Deianara was walking away, leaving the heavy breathing girl behind and Reyna never saw the subtle smile that the shadow princess had on her face. The smile of success, as if something had just been proven. Reyna has to be more careful. Deianara thought to herself, before erasing her smile as she approached her brother and the young prince.

Caerwyn’s eyes were fixed on her, following her every move, studying, observing. He had always been like this, trying to understand every small thing about one’s behaviour. Too bad, Deianara was aware of that and would never let him know what was going on inside. She couldn’t trust him, anyone for that matter. Her gaze met the hazel eyes of the prince and for a second there was a moment of peace, as if there were no troubles in the world and only they existed. One moment.

The footsteps behind Deianara made both of them look away abruptly. Sylvan was too busy searching for something in his pocket to notice that one moment between his sister and the fae prince.

“We should get going if we want to make it on time,” Deianara’s voice sounded a bit hoarse. Nobody replied and for the rest of the journey nobody spoke another word. Everyone seemed to be in their own world inside their heads, as if in a trance, not paying attention to their surroundings.

⇹

It was almost nightfall when they reached the castle. In the shadows of the evening it looked even scarier and menacing than usual. The towers, like skeletal fingers, were piercing the sky, their pointed spires reaching towards the inky darkness above. The ominous structures. The place seemed lifeless, as if no human being with feelings had even set foot in this place.

Caerwyn swore under his breath. He hadn’t been here for at least a decade and had forgotten how this place affected him. Sylvan and Deianara were not gaping around, however, even they seemed more dull and emotionless than usual.

“This place feels like it sucks your soul out, doesn’t it?” Deianara said without looking back. Nobody answered but she knew she was right. Deianara recognised this place for what it was - a soul sucking, taking the desire to exist, place. She hated coming here,

As they approached the entrance everyone could sense the numerous eyes that were following them, yet there was no creature in sight. They managed to cross the bridge rather quickly on horseback. Sylvan slid from his seat and approached the four guards standing in front of the massive iron gates. Recognising him immediately, they shouted something in a language Reyna did not understand and the gate began to slowly rise.

Once it was high enough, Sylvan entered first and the rest followed him. Reyna noted that this castle was nothing like the one they had just been in. There was no sense of joy or happiness. They were now standing in what appeared to be the front yard. The horses were already taken away by several young boys and they were left standing in the cold wind.

One of the doors swung open and a rather short, clumsy man struggled to go down the stairs. Reyna couldn’t tell his age however assumed he was old enough as his hair was silver grey.

The man limped ever so slightly, approached the siblings and bowed deeply.

“It is a pleasure to have you back and such, such a pleasure to see you again, your highness,” he seemed to be paying more of his attention to the princess, so Sylvan looked visibly annoyed.

“I see you brought guests, how wonderful! Please, do follow me inside, it is getting rather chilly outside. The night promises to be ever so cold!” The man seemed to murmur something else to himself. He turned and started limping back to the stairs.

“We know the way, old man,” Sylvan pushed him out of the way and the poor man swayed on his feet. Caerwyn’s jaw clenched, Reyna looked taken aback and only Deianara looked unfazed as if she expected nothing less of her brother.

They finally entered the castle and despite its gloomy looks, a wave of warmth hit them. As soon as they stepped inside the grand main hall, Reyna was immediately struck by the majesty of her surroundings - the towering ceilings were supported by ornate columns, and the walls were covered with intricate tapestries depicting battles and creatures that Reyna has only heard of in the books she read as a little girl. The scent of woodsmoke, that came from the roaring fire in the massive stone fireplace, filled her nostrils. Reyna glanced to her left and saw a wide staircase that was leading up to the second level. To her right a hallway stretched into the distance, lined with doors leading to what she assumed were various chambers.

They walked through another set of doors, beautifully decorated with gold embroidering, and walked into what Reyna quickly realised was a throne room. It was a grand and spacious chamber with extremely high ceilings. This was a much darker lit place. The walls were adorned with more tapestries and paintings and the polished floors reflected the little light that there was.

At the far end of the room sat the throne. Made of rich, dark wood with intricate carvings and gilded accents it immediately brought all the attention to it. It was a very old throne and Reyna wondered why the Lord of the shadows decided to keep it, instead of replacing it for something more… suitable and grand.

The chamber was empty and for a second Reyna felt like she could breathe again. Before she could draw a breath, a side door swung open and a figure entered. Concealed in the shadows, the figure slowly moved. He approached his throne. Standing at a formidable height, he was an embodiment of power and dominance. The piercing, cold eyes, like shards of obsidian, seemed to stare right into the souls of his guests. His gaze was so intense, that Reyna couldn’t help but avert her eyes.

Now that Reyna had seen the Lord of the shadows she noted the striking resemblance both Deianara and Sylvan shared with their father. Especially the princess. It was as if they were mirror images of one another, with subtle differences that distinguish their genders. Both the lord and his daughter possessed that regal air that demands respect and strikes fear into people. The colour of their eyes, although far from identical, echoed a similar coldness and detachment from reality, as if they all have been kissed by death.

After what seemed like years, the Lord of the shadows began approaching, gelding towards them and every bone, every instinct in Reyna’s body was telling her to run, to get out of there, to find shelter. But she would do no such thing.

Deianara beside her seemed to have tensed up herself and Sylvan, the brash young man, who always seemed so laid back and nonchalant about anything that was going on around him, put on a serious face and stood perfectly straight. The young princess was the only one who dared to look her father in the eye and she did not break. Every single time her father would stare this intensely at her she knew he was trying to get into her head but she knew not to look away. She let him see it all. All the memories he needed, all the information he wanted to gather without question. This submissive act was the perfect way for her to hide the things that needed to stay hidden.

“Deianara, daughter, it has been too long,” even though the words would appear welcoming and charming, there was a certain coldness in his voice. Or perhaps Reyna was just prejudiced. Deianara’s father held out a hand and took his daughter’s hand into his. Squeezing it tightly he continued talking. “I am so glad you were able to join us but you brought guests.”

“It was not planned, father.” Deianara’s voice was distant. “You have met Prince Caerwyn before.” She gestured back to where the prince was standing.

“Ah, yes, you, no wonder I thought I recognised you.” He knew who the prince was the very second he laid eyes on him. “I haven’t seen you, well, too long! So many years have passed!” There was an undeniable charm to him. He was smooth with his words and the way he said them felt genuine. Even though one thing Reyna knew for sure was to never trust a man with mind power abilities.

“Now, children, I am glad you are not too late, as today there is a ball and I would be delighted if you all could attend.” He never paid Sylvan nor Reyna any attention and this seemed to be the only time he actually acknowledged their presence. Sylvan bit his lip, but nodded slightly. Caerwyn murmured something about it being a pleasure, but the lord seemed not so interested in their responses, as his last words to Deianara were, “Try and behave tonight.” before he turned and marched away, leaving the group standing in an empty throne room.

“Well, that was intense,” Deianara broke the uneasy silence. Sylvan dropped his posture and shook his shoulders. “You know, you really should stop slouching even when father is not around.”

“I hope your ravens eat you,” Was the only response she got from her charming brother as he strode off. Deianara didn’t seem surprised by such behaviour and as Caerwyn followed Sylvan out of the room with his eyes, she turned to face them. “You will have to excuse him, he gets cranky after long travels, or should I say just rude and unpleasant.”

“Isn’t he always that way?” Caerwyn asked, his brows raising. Deianara gave him a faint smile. “I will arrange with the servants that you get proper rooms and Caerwyn, I believe there is no way out for us, we have to be at the ball.” She looked annoyed. “You, however,” she pointed to Reyna’s direction, “can stay in your room if you wish.”

“Perhaps, that would be a wise choice,” Caewryn sided with Deianara.

Reyna felt conflicted, she wanted to see how majestic this ball could be, but it would be dangerous. She just nodded, not feeling like saying any words. And she didn’t speak as she was brought up to her room and the door shut behind her, leaving her all alone.