heart of thorns

prolouge

"Again." his harsh words cut deeper than the steel of my blade, "Dad, I'm getting tired"

"Can you still hold the blade?"

"Yes."

"Then keep going, now get in position"

I do as my father tells me to, I have my right foot forward, left foot back, and blade up. The first thing I was taught was never strike first and if you do strike hard, hard enough to where the opponent can't get up.

We're circling each other waiting for one to give in, it won't be me.

My father lunges forward quickly but not quick enough. I dodge his attack, the blade crashing against mine, his strength surprising me, pushing my body to the ground. The sword pointed at my neck. The fear shows on my face and he pulls the steel away grabbing me from the dirt chuckling.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" he laughs out, "you would have peed your pants if I didn't stop"

"No! I wasn't scared!" I say voice unsteady

"Alright, whatever you say," he says sliding his arm over my shoulder, "son I want to tell you a story."

We get inside and I sit on the couch and he sits in his chair, "a story about a young boy, just like you." a smile forms on my face, there's not many boys like me, boys who were born girls. "he was about your age too, he had dark brown hair, that was almost black"

"Dad, are you just describing me?"

"Endri, not everything is about you, but this boy could see the future in his dreams. He would know what flavor ice cream his parents got before they got home, or what he would get for his birthday."

"That sounds so cool!!"

"Whilst this was a gift it was also a curse. He would see things that would never affect him, violent horrid things." my eyes got wide

"He would see death, war, famine, and many other awful things. The only way he could escape was by dying."

"But he could save so many people"

"That's the problem he didn't, he chose to use it for his gain and sacrificed the things and people he loved"

"Why would someone get this curse if it's so bad?" my mother walks in, "Thawn stop scaring the poor girl"

"Mom, I'm not a girl"

She sighs, "Whatever darling" As she walks out my dad pulls me closer,

"Son, you will be king one day, I promise."

"But what about Juliet? She's supposed to rule before me"

"Don't worry about her I'll take care of that" he says with his big grin.