With a group of unlikely allies, Alethia must become an unstoppable force to let go of her haunting past and save the Four Kingdoms.
Two years have passed since Queen Liliana broke the Peace Treaty with the Gera Kingdom and began a deadly war. Howev...
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"I could say the same thing to you," Alethia answered, quickening her steps and shoving the memory of that night to the side. The elder's tent was fast approaching. After declaring their training complete, they had told them to wait until midday to come to pick up their parting gifts before continuing their journey.
They had spent their time packing for the trip and gathering the necessary supplies. Midday had come, and Alethia told Ren her plan to attack the queen before the army moved.
He'd shot it down, which came as no surprise to her. She told the rest of the group, which led to nothing but pointless conversations to influence her decision.
They drew closer to the tent. The perceptive twin, Kai, stepped out of the flap, and the desert lion that had been resting on the ground stood, rubbing its big head against Kai's leg. Kai twisted and adorned hand in greeting, his silver rings flashing in the blazing sun.
"They are ready to see you," Kai said, politely holding the flap open for their entry.
Alethia nodded, walking in first. Like always, the simple tent contained a low table surrounded by rusted gold pillow cushions. Piles of striped purple and grey rugs covered the sand. The elders sat at the far end of the table with their usual game board of black and white spaces with round red tiles painted with indiscernible golden symbols.
She took a seat at the other end of the table where the map of the Four Kingdoms rested. Alethia folded her arms and peered at the elders--Naevia and Argan.
The rest of the group settled on the nearby cushions and observed the pair. Silence filled the tent except for the occasional clatter of Naevia's wooden spoon in her steaming teacup.
Ren's jaw tightened with each passing second until finally, he spoke, "You've been drinking that cursed tea for two years. Would you start talking?"
"You truly have something against the tea, young man," Argan stated, squinting his dark eyes at Ren.
"It's bloody disgusting," Ren rebuked, slouching as he rested his palms behind him.
"Two years," an amused grin stretched across Naevia's face as she continued, "And you have yet to learn the art of patience."
"You can't teach a low-life commoner good manners," Aydin interjected with a smirk. "He's a lost cause."
"Be careful, little princeling." Ren directed his scowl at Aydin. "Or this low-life commoner will beat the smirk off your face."
"I dare you to," Aydin snarled as he leaned across the table toward Ren.
A slow smirk tugged on Ren's lips as his eyes glinted. He leaned forward until he was only a few breaths away from Aydin. "Already have, or did I pummel you so much, you don't remember?"
Aydin rolled his eyes. "You won once and barely at that."
"And you barely survived," Ren rebuked. Aydin's face reddened with anger at the reminder. Ren turned his head around toward the elders, dismissing the furious prince. "Tell your savior that her plan is ludicrous."
