The morning sun spilled over the horizon, gilding the spires of Dawnvale Castle in warm light. Princess Elara stood by the balcony of her chambers, her hands resting on the cold stone railing as she gazed out at the rolling hills of her kingdom.
The wind carried the scent of jasmine and pine, but it could not soothe the anxiety twisting her stomach. From today, she would have to consider departing for Draven, a kingdom of shadows, for a king she had never met. What made her angry and sad was the fact that the supposed groom could not even come for her, but she had to be sent to him like a sacrifice sent to be slain.
And her heart was breaking when she remembered how she was going to leave without seeing him, the man she'd fantasized about marrying.
Lyra's voice broke her reverie. "Are you ready, Elara?"
Elara turned, her emerald eyes bright with unease. "I do not know if I am ready," she admitted. "I have been trained for duty, yes, but no one prepared me for… him, for Kael.
For what it means to step into a kingdom where every shadow is a blade."
Lyra stepped closer, gripping her hand. "You are brave, Elara. You have always been brave. The princess who can outwit the council, who can calm a frightened village with words alone… You will survive this."
Elara's gaze dropped to her hands, her fingers twisting the folds of her traveling cloak. "But surviving is not the same as accepting," she whispered. "I will not bow blindly. I will not… yield to someone I have never known."
King Alden and Queen Isolde appeared at the chamber door, their faces etched with both concern and determination.
"Elara," her father said, his voice firm and unyielding, "the union with Draven is essential. Your refusal is no longer an option. This is for the safety of our kingdom. You will go."
Her mother stepped forward, voice soft but insistent. "You may think yourself in control of your fate, my daughter, but one day you will see that the crown demands sacrifices no heart can ignore. Do not force our hands with rebellion.
Do not test the patience of Draven."
Elara's chest tightened, defiance and fear warring inside her. "I am not your pawn," she said, her voice quivering yet strong. "I will not go willingly."
King Alden's eyes darkened. "Do not tempt me, Elara. You were born a princess. You will obey. Or face the consequences—not just for yourself, but for Dawnvale."
Lyra stepped beside her. "We will face it together," she whispered, and in that moment, Elara realized she could not fight entirely alone.
Days past and now Elara came to a conclusion, she had to accept it for the betterment of her country. After she was born a princess and her country comes first.
The carriage awaited, black and silver, its wheels clattering over the stone courtyard. As they departed, Dawnvale slowly receded behind them—its golden sunlight fading into misty hills and dense forests. Hours passed, the landscape shifting from sunlit meadows to shadowed forests where the air grew cooler and heavier with each mile.
Elara watched the horizon, her mind a storm of thought. She thought of Kael, the stories she had been told—the King of Shadows, feared across the north, a man whose anger could summon storms. And yet, a strange curiosity tugged at her heart, unbidden and troubling.
Lyra, sensing her unease, spoke quietly. "Remember, the north is not our home. Observe, learn, and do not underestimate him—or the people who serve him."
The journey took them over jagged mountains, through valleys where sunlight was muted by dense pines, and along rivers so cold their breath fogged in the morning air. Every mile north seemed to carry them further from comfort and closer to destiny.
At last, the spires of Draven pierced the horizon. Towering obsidian walls glimmered faintly in the sunlight, as though the castle itself were carved from the night. Guards clad in black steel lined the path, their faces hidden behind polished helms. The air here was colder, heavier, and every breath felt sharper against Elara's lungs.
Elara's breath hitched imperceptibly. There was no fear, yet a strange, fluttering sensation she had never felt.
As the carriage doors closed behind them and the northern wind swept over the courtyard, Elara took her first step into Draven.
A kingdom of shadows, a king of mystery, and a fate she had not chosen awaited. The threads of destiny had begun to entwine, stronger and more intricate than ever before, and somewhere deep inside,
The next update will be tomorrow.....thanks for waiting my lovely tale trekkers....