Determined to take control of their fates, Arjen and Arien escape Derolina Castle at the age of sixteen after their cruel mother dies. They adopt new names and find a home in the city of Aramore, while the Emperor of Yuriana searches for his missing...
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Arjen had never been to the temple before. Called Lorenia Temple, it was the primary place of worship in Aramore, larger than the smaller temples and shrines that dotted the city.
He'd never had reason to visit one. Arjen didn't believe in God, or gods, or whoever, although he couldn't explain reincarnation, magic, or the other things he had seen in this world. Maybe what he didn't believe in was God's love for him. Why else would God allow someone born to the imperial family to suffer, when he supposedly loved the imperial family above all others?
As he, Arien, and Alec entered a large hall, he noted the fabulous architecture of the temple. Motifs reflecting nature and trees dominated throughout. The clean white marble and stone, accompanied by the many large glass windows, gave the atmosphere a light, airy feel, exactly what Arjen expected of a temple.
An entry opened to his right. A wide set of stairs led to a huge flowering tree. The petals fluttered down to litter the floor in a carpet of blue. A staircase beside the tree wound up and around to a second level. The light from the windows on the back wall spilled shafts of sunlight, and somewhere, the sound of tumbling water echoed over the stone walls.
'Arjen, keep up.'
He jolted back to attention. He clutched the sword's case in his arms. 'Oh. Sorry.' He hurried to rejoin Arien and Alec.
They turned again down another hall, this one lined with pillars and skylights. Plants and vines grew over the pillars, their pink flowers absorbing the light filtering through the ceiling. Tucked between each set of pillars was a door under an archway.
Alec stopped at one of the doors. A strange symbol had been carved in the arched stone above it. "This is the one," he said.
They entered a spacious bedroom with a huge bed. Heavy drapes framed the windows, and the glow of magic lights granted the room an ethereal quality. The style of the room resembled the rest of the temple.
Alec gestured. "The door over there leads to another bedroom. It's identical to this one."
"You mean we get our own rooms?" said Arien.
"Yes." He tilted his head, as though confused by her question.
"We've never had our own rooms, not even when we lived at the castle, because a certain someone wouldn't let us."
Alec blinked. Was it hard for him to fathom that? Of course, it was absurd. Derolina Castle had had many bedrooms, but the twins were only allowed one of them. Somehow, Rurahel had thought this a perfect insult to them, to force her near-adult children of different genders to share a room. They only shared a room in Aramore because the apartment was so small. Not long ago, Arjen had discussed with his sister about finding a new place to live that was bigger. But now all that planning had gone "up in smoke," so to speak.
