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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Seeing the palace brought a cascade of old memories.
For a moment, Arjen was five years old again, sitting beside his sister on a branch high in a tree, the sparkling beauty of the imperial palace flooding their vision. It was a world they could not touch. The people there lived in the warmth of the day, while the twins huddled in the coldness of night. However, the view had allowed them to take their minds off their real home, a place of darkness, fear, and hunger. Just for a few minutes, Arjen had let himself dream of what it would be like to always be in the light of the palace. He had felt he should be in that light.
That was when he still had a smidgen of hope that things might change.
But, now, he felt nothing. It surprised him, really. He had expected fear to cling to the back of his throat, or for bitterness to gush forth in a geyser and he would spit his anger at the people who had abandoned him and his sister. But he didn't feel anything. The sight of the palace was one he had already seen a million times, and now his soul was numbed against it.
Luther sidled up beside him and looked through the branches of the trees they stood behind. Pale yellow light leaked through the boughs. "This is a good spot. If we get a little closer, we should be able to see better."
"Are you absolutely sure this is alright?" Arjen asked.
"We're still far from where the guards patrol. They won't care. It's obvious we're just commoners, right?" He shrugged. "The guards don't care that much as long as you're not trying to break in."
Arjen again regarded the seaside palace down the slope. To make it here tonight, he and Luther had met for an evening meal, just two guys hanging out. Arien had agreed to it because she gone out earlier that day with Frieda. But they couldn't be gone for long or she else would fret. Arjen had promised to be back before bedtime.
But aren't I being selfish for keeping this from her? We don't keep secrets from each other. But the secret was only temporary. He would let her know his plan after tonight. Even so, he felt guilty. Wasn't he always the one trying to stay far away from the imperial family? He had gotten on her case the other day about asking too many questions about them. Now, here he was, standing in view of the people who had turned whole towns upside-down to find them.
I'm looking right at them, and they have no idea. There was some satisfaction in that knowledge. It was like a mouse running circles around a sleeping cat. He smiled. Arien and I succeeded. They'll never find us.
Luther led him through the foliage until they came to a small ledge. The brightness of the palace almost washed out the stars and moon. How the glow wasn't visible from Aramore was anyone's guess. Arjen was certain it was visible from space.
Luther sat on the ground and Arjen lowered next to him. Together, they watched the carriages stream in through the entrance until the guards closed the gates. Nobles milled about in the garden and on terraces. Every single window was illuminated.
