Kingdom of the Zodiac

Prologue

Solis, Court of Sun and Light

There were too many of them.

Fenrys Seron, Sovereign of House Leo, could no longer deny the painful truth as he glared at the sea of black stretching across the snow covered horizon before him.

The ancestors had foretold that this day would come, but that did little to prepare Fenrys for what he now faced. Their numbers were beyond anything he could have ever imagined, and if the legends of old were true, he knew that there was nothing he could do to prevent the prophecy from coming to fruition.

Despite their own considerable forces, the golden army of Solis would not last long against a legion of what he estimated to be fifty-thousand strong. Still, it made no difference. He knew his men would defend the realm until their last breath, as would he, but as one of the twelve monarchs of Solistium, otherwise known as the Zodiac Kingdom, Fenrys had to warn the other courts before it was too late.

Having discovered the arrival of the dark army just hours earlier, Fenrys had dispatched his fastest flyer in hopes that his warning would be received in time, but that was over an hour ago, and as the army marched closer the worry in Fenrys's gut grew.

Even though Fenrys had known of their fate for years, he refused to go down without a fight. If they had any hope of defeating the great army, they would need reinforcements. But with each court situated at least fifty miles past his court's boarders, Fenrys knew better than to rely on their arrival before the chaos of war ensued.

Thanks to their divine ancestors, all of the Zodiac Fae were blessed with strong, resilient bodies that could heal twice as fast as the humans who existed on the other side of the veil. Though, they were not impervious to death.

The direct descendants of the Zodiac Gods, Fae like Fenrys and the other court rulers, were also blessed with elemental magic. As a member of one of the original twelve ancestral lines, Fenrys wielded the power of his forefather, Aleius, God of the Sun. He could manipulate fire and light, an advantage that surely would be needed in the coming hours.

Glancing back at the gold and white fortress that towered behind him, he prayed to Arinya, the Goddess of Protection, that his wife and daughter did not remain in its walls. His heart ached painfully inside his chest at the thought.

They had managed to get the townsfolk out through the sewage tunnels below, but Fenrys knew that Elara would not leave until she made sure everyone else had made it out safely. It was one of the things he loved most about her, her selflessness. But just this once, he wished that she'd do as he'd asked.

The boundary spell surrounding the citadel was strong, but it would only hold for so long before it would give way. The siege on the barrier surrounding Solis began in the early hours just before dawn. It was hard to believe that not long ago he'd still been in bed, holding Elara tightly to his chest as she slept peacefully in his arms.

"Your Majesty!" one of Fenrys's soldiers yelled.

Tearing his gaze away from the castle, Fenrys turned his focus to the meteor that now hurled down from the grey sky. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that it was a friend, not foe. The messenger's giant wings spread wide, slowing his descent, until he landed gracefully on the ground next to where Fenrys was waiting.

"Is it done?" Fenrys searched his nephew's sweat covered face for an answer.

"Yes, Uncle." the boy panted, still catching his breath from his flight.

"And?" Fenrys pushed.

"Bellum, Geminos and Virginalis ride to our aid even as we speak, but I fear they will not make it in time," he stated as he bowed his head slightly.

"And what of our neighbors to the south?" Fenrys implored.

Tempestas was the only court larger than Solis, with an even bigger army, located not even 60 miles south of their borders. As Solis's closest allies, Fenrys hoped that they would swiftly come to their aide.

"When I left, his Majesty and the fourth and fifth battalions were just beginning to ride out," the boy answered.

"And what of his Royal Highness? Was he not with them?" Fenrys questioned.

Fenrys thought it odd that the future ruler of Tempestas was not in his own court during winter solstice. Such was a time to be around family and celebrate the gifts that each kingdom had been blessed with since the divine creation two thousand years ago.

"According to his Majesty, his Royal Highness was investigating a discrepancy at their own border when I delivered the news."

Letting his nephew's words sink in, Fenrys knew the answer to their problem was simple. Even though they had fewer numbers, they would need to do all they could to hold off the dark army until reinforcements arrived.

With a nod Fenrys spoke, "Very well. We hold the line as long as we can until the other courts come to our aid."

Without another word he urged his steed forward a couple of steps closer to the enemy that remained at the forest's edge before him.

"Let this be known," Fenrys boomed.

"Leave now, and you may live to see another day. If you choose to stay and raise your swords against me and mine, your lives will be forfeit."

When none of them so much as flinched, he knew he had his answer. With one last glance back towards the building that sheltered the ones he cared for more than anything in the entire kingdom, he sent one last thought down the internal bond he shared with his queen.

Elara, it's time. They're coming for her.

~

They're coming for her.

Those were the last thoughts Fenrys sent down the matebond to Elara.

Fenrys? Queen Elara implored down the bond.

My heart, please answer me.

Nothing.

Elara pulled the lapels of her night robe tighter around her chest to stop the deep ache that was beginning to settle there. Her heart was breaking but she could not, would not, let it disable her. She knew what they came for, and by the Gods, she would not let them take her.

Without another thought, she turned and ran, her silk robe billowing out behind her as she flew down the corridor. Her feet smacking against the cold stone floor was the only sound she made as she raced to last door on the right at the end of the hall. Stopping just outside her daughter's bedroom, she paused, hand resting on the handle, mentally preparing for what she planned to do next.

Though it broke her heart, it had to be done. She had to ensure her daughter's survival, not just for her sake but for the sake of the kingdom. Elara prayed that one day her daughter would understand why she did what she did. That it was out of the purest love she held in her heart. Drying her eyes with the back of her hand, she bowed her head as she whispered a quick prayer.

"Celena, great Goddess of the Moon. Please watch over the princess, for she knows not of the evil that seeks her out, nor of her fate."

Blinking through the tears, Elara raised her head to look through the glass ceiling to search the clustering of stars shining brightly above her.

"Mother, I beg you, keep her safe and guide her on her journey. For she is our salvation."

Elara could have sworn that for a moment Beta Cancri, the brightest star of the Cancer Constellation, shone just a little brighter, as if her mother had heard her plea.

"Thank you," she whispered once more.

Then, without another word, Elara slipped into her daughter's bedchamber.