It is the season for love and murder in the court of Ravaeryn.
After a chance encounter one winter night, Lady Catarina de Fontaine had fallen hopelessly in love with Julian, the Crown Prince. However, upon discovering his untruthfulness, she immedi...
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1712, De Fontaine Manor, Lorewell
The bedroom was empty when she awakened. The windows were wide open, allowing the cool afternoon air to fill the space. There was no Julian, no Tristan, not even Rosie. The bed covers had been changed to silk ones, thank God, though no one had bothered to put the grandfather clock outside.
For a moment, she lay perfectly still, wondering if all that has just happened was nothing but a dream. It couldn't be, Catarina thought. It was far too realistic to be a dream. She could still feel the sand crunching underneath the soles of her feet, and the crashing waves were still ringing in her ears.
She abruptly sat up. Catarina wanted to talk to someone-- anyone at all, truly. Her mouth felt dry and parched, yet instead of looking for water, she desired human interaction instead. As she was about to make her way out of the room, she saw a slip of paper jutting from underneath her pillow.
It was a letter, Catarina discovered. There was no envelope, no wax seal, only a message upon a slip of paper.
My dear Lady Catarina,
I solemnly beg for your forgiveness, as I am unable to be there once you finally awake. It is not my intent, and definitely not my desire to be apart from you. My duties as the Crown Prince of this kingdom have dragged me to the Kingdom of Amaris, where I shall aid your cousin Rafael to oust your uncle, King Anton. I do not know when I shall return, but once I step foot in Ravaeryn again, the first person I shall seek is you. I regret the manner of our parting all those months ago, and I intend to make things right. In my absence, do take great care of your health and safety. And please, I ask you to pray for our army's swift return.
Yours, Julian
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1712, Palace of Syrene, City of Azura, Amaris
On any other day, the Palace of Syrene would have been a sight to behold. Built along the western coastline, the palace was unlike anything that Rafael had ever seen before. Instead of being a singular yet grand building like Aethiel Palace, the Palace of Syrene was comprised of thousands of smaller buildings surrounding a castle in the very centre, where the king and queen would reside. Even more peculiar, these buildings were all built on top of the water. They were all connected to the main castle with bridges of marble and stone, like a complex, concrete spider web, yet some favoured to paddle their boats instead. In the green waters that surrounded the Palace of Syrene, there were hundreds, even thousands of beautifully crafted boats, their bows encrusted with opals and pearls.
