A royal bloodline gets divided by rebels' attempted regicide, casting Alvina from her throne and into hiding, as Quinn, the bastard brother, is forced to take her place.
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Alvina was supposed to be queen, but when her coronation is abruptly stopp...
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Everything was pain. Everything. I didn't exist in a realm that wasn't pain. And I didn't know how long it lasted, but it felt like it was months. Years. My arm was on fire. It was throbbing and burning, and I thought I begged someone to just cut it off. But I couldn't remember what actually happened and what was just dreams.
I had a lot of dreams. Especially about the explosion. And of Quinn. His face was the last I saw before everything just turned into pain. Now it was the only face I saw in my dreams. And he kept exploding too. I just wanted to wake up. I didn't want to sleep anymore, and I know I cried. I know I cried out for someone to wake me up.
I did wake up. I woke up when someone picked me up from the floor and stuffed me under what appeared to be those tables on wheels. I cried out in pain and someone told me to be quiet. It went black again and I woke up on the floor of a moving car. Dy was there. She was wrapping something very tightly around my arm. I cried. I remembered the wetness on my cheeks.
"I know it hurts, but I've got to do this." Dy's words rang out in my head as if she was screaming at me.
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The fog cleared slowly. I realised I was awake the second someone spoke my name and I recognised the voice. Was it all a dream? Because Dy was there. She had been there. She had smiled at me from the bottom of the steps, giving me a small wave. I had returned her wave with one of my own, before seeking out my brother, sending him a smile. He had looked so proud. But then so many other images flashed through my head and I was so confused.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked up into a pair of very brown ones. Almost black.
"Hey, you're here." Dy smiled a little and then rose to her feet. I wanted to ask her to stay, but I was too tired. I was so exhausted after having just opened my eyes.
Dy returned with another woman on tow. She knelt down beside the bed I was laying in and took a deep breath.
"Your Highness, my name is Naaja. I've been tending to your wounds."
"My brother," I whispered.
"Alvina... You need to listen right now," Dy said and sat down at the foot of the bed.
