In a land of magic on the brink of war, three stories are fated to meet.
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Lilac is being forced into a marriage she never wanted, for the benefit of her kingdom.
Lily is trapped in a life of servitude and endless poverty after her mother dies...
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The wind grew colder as the sun sank towards the horizon, lighting the sky aflame with rich oranges and reds.
"Are you sure you aren't cold?" Evander asked over the wind, sounding concerned.
Lilac had given me clothes to change into that morning, more practical than the tattered ball gown, and a warm cloak to wear.
"I'm fine, Evander." I answered. As much as I was glad for his concern, I could fend for myself.
"How far away do you think we are?"
I felt more than saw Evander shake his head, "Not very far. The kingdom is nestled in the mountains, on the very edge of explored territory."
We'd been flying for hours now without a stop. And the landscape never changed from the endless jagged, snow-covered mountains. There was a reason this place was called the Skeleton Mountains. The rocky peaks were covered in snow year-round and only the brave dared to venture through the range even during the summer.
"What do you think will happen when we get there?" I asked Evander, leaning forward and resting my chin on his shoulder.
He shook his head again, "There's no telling. But I do know this, Lily, Morgana won't go down without a fight."
A shiver ran down my spine. He was right, of course, but it was still terrifying to think about. Morgana had always been an unreachable evil, just an object we held in fear and was far from reach.
But now, she was a real, living person that we would face very soon. And like everything about this journey, that terrified me.
Just before we lost the light completely, the kingdom suddenly came into view, raising like mist from between two mountains. A sprawling place, with clusters of steeped houses dotted along the valley and the up the twin mountains.
"It's breathtaking." I breathed as we glided, slowly losing altitude as we began our descent.
I couldn't help but gasp when the palace came into view. Like the villages of the kingdom, the palace was sprawling and glittering in the sunset, with turrets and spires seeming to just spring from the side of the mountain. Then I realized that the entire palace was made of glass. It was beautiful, but deadly.
We couldn't just walk right into the palace, which begged the question of where were we going to find somewhere safe to stay?
Evidently, Lilac must've been thinking the same thing as she had Andromeda glide in wide circles to stall their descent. Our Pegasus followed suit.
I looked out over the valley and I realized just how widespread the kingdom was. The little clusters of villages went on and on throughout the next section of the mountains and valleys.
"Just how big is this place?"
"Big enough to be a threat." Evander murmured darkly.
"Evander, look!" I pointed towards the horizon, where bright sparks of red were hovering and skittering over the clouds.
