Forgotten Kingdom

by Stephany Wallace

  More guards entered the room and placed magic blocking bangles on Ash and Nyx, before they could fight them, seized them too. The brothers tried to fight them off, but they had managed to hold down all three brothers. The king looked at me, and disappointment entered his eyes.

  "What I say is true. I wanted a daughter after only having boys, and the seer assured me Alannah would give me one. The Duke accepted my proposal, and I made him my treasurer as payment for a night with your mother. He and Alannah got to raise you as their own, but my condition was you were to grow up in the castle, by my side.”

  "No! No…." I cried, desperately grasping to the words Kyr had shared with me.

  “You know what we felt… we belong to each other.”

  "No," I sobbed, as Estharis' arms wrapped around me. I could see the truth in King Laeroth's eyes. I clung to her.

  Nyx and Ash stared at their Father shocked motionless. Heartbreak transformed their faces, but like me, they knew he was telling the truth. When my eyes reached Kyr's, what was left of my heart shattered. He was broken beyond repair. He shook his head looking at me, but the pain exuded from him.

  “It’s not true, Avrielle. You are mine. You are my queen.”

  My hands flew to my face as the sobs wrecked me. I loved Kyr with everything inside me. It couldn't be true. "Please, please don't let it be true." I felt my chest constrict until I couldn't breathe, Estharis arms held me.

  “Take them to their rooms,” The king ordered motioning towards Nyx and Ash. The brothers began to fight the hold of the guards again, who tried to pull them towards the door. The Kings’ eyes settled on what was left of his oldest son. His gaze was cold and filled with disgust. “Take him to the dungeon, and flog him. He needs to pay for what he’s done to his sister.”

  “She’s not my sister. She’s my fated!” Kyr bellowed, desperate. “How can you do this? I have done everything you ever asked of me!” He thrashed about as the guards began to drag him away.

  “No! Please, my king. Don’t do this.” I begged to no avail.

  My eyes widened as anxiety rushed through me, they would take Kyr to the dungeon. I called on my ability.

  “Kahina!” I yelled, my throat tingling. The stained glass windows shattered all around us; gray, white and turquoise colored crystals flew everywhere as everyone covered their ears. “Kah!!” I yelled again, and the castle walls trembled as my Audiokinesis ability increased with my desperation.

  I manipulated the energy of the elements all around us, turning them into sound, and making sure my call reached every nook of this kingdom. I knew Kah would die for Kyr, and if anyone could help him, it was she. The king and the guards were on their knees, ears bleeding from the force of my sound wave. I took another breath to call again but Kah busted through the door, knocking out guards and heading straight for Kyr—she didn't even need to grasp the scene in front of her. Her arms wrapped around him as he looked into my eyes.

  “I love you,” I whispered, lips trembling, and watched them disappear into thin air.

  My eyes went to the others, and I screamed again, this time with the pain that incinerated what was left of me. The guards passed out instantly and the king collapsed to the floor, eyes rolling back. Before I could run, I felt a sharp blow on the back of my head, and I tumbled to the floor.

  My hand reached for the Dragon Breath crystal on my neck, as darkness replaced the light.

  EPILOGUE

  KYR

  * * *

  “What are you doing?!” I yelled at Kah as she teleported me to the Dragon Lord’s Temple. “Go back for her!”

  She instantly disappeared and I turned around. My trembling hands dragged down my face, my heart thundered in my chest. My wild eyes looked all around me.

  "Aaah!" Avrielle's scream of pain reached the cave. I rushed to the entrance, but before I could exit a blast of subzero air shot by me.

  Ice splinters went through my right arm and a wall of ice formed in front of me, blocking the entrance. "No!" I yelled, turning around and found Avra sitting regally behind me. My arm healed as I walked towards him. "What is this?! You can't lock me in here. Avrielle is in danger. Can't you hear her screams? I have to protect her!"

  He raised a claw, ignoring my demands, and hooked it to the cuffs around my wrists; they both fell broken to the ground.

  “Avra!” I yelled, and his eyes finally settled on me. “It’s a lie. He’s trying to keep us apart but it is all a lie. She opened up to me. Avrielle is my fated. She can’t be his daughter.”

  He remained silent as I whirled around. Kah had returned, but she was alone. "I'm sorry, they took her from your room, she’s not in hers either. I can’t find her.”

  “No!” I bellowed, turning towards the wall of ice that kept me from her. “Avrielle!!” I roared, feeling myself on the brink of insanity. "He's going to kill her. Father is going to hurt her just to take her from me." I turned towards Avra, and he moved closer, lowering his head to my level.

  “He won’t hurt her. She is safe.”

  His words slammed into me. "You have no idea what the Dark King is capable of!”

  Avra’s electrifying cobalt blue eyes bored into mine. “I know exactly who Laeroth is.” His voice filled with loathing as he said the name. The Dragon Lord’s intense gaze remained on mine for a few seconds, then he turned towards my friend. "Thank you for bringing him here, Kahina.”

  She bowed to him. “Of course, my lord.”

  “How do you know about him?” I asked her drily.

  "Kah is from my secret guard,” Avra answered instead. “Born and bread to serve me, as her father, and his father before him. I placed her in the castle. You were her mission all this time. She was there to protect you, and guard you when I couldn’t, to make sure you and your mother were all right.”

  I shook my head, slowly processing his words, but I feared they were lost on me. There was only one thing I could think about, Avrielle. Panted breaths left me as I paced barefoot on the frozen ground. What was happening? Avrielle couldn’t be my sister. It wasn’t true. I turned towards the entrance and sent my energy to the ice barrier before me. It slammed against it with a whoosh, but it didn’t even crack. I needed to get out of here. I had to go to her.

  "Aaah!!" I roared, fists trembling and began banging on the wall. Avra sighed behind me, while my whole world crumbled at my feet. "Please," I begged, falling to my knees, and holding my tormented head. "Please tell me she's not my sister."

  His gaze finally left me, and he motioned for Kah to move closer. "Continue to look for Avrielle,” he ordered softly. “She is in the castle somewhere. Please don’t return until you’ve found her.”

  “Yes, my lord,” Kah answered and disappeared.

  Avra’s head moved closer and nudged me slightly—sensing my agony. “I’m sorry. We will find her, but you must forget about her for now. There are much more important things at stake.”

  I placed my hands on him, and reached for the small horns on the crown of his head, letting him bring me to my feet. My forehead pressed against his. "I can't. If she is truly his daughter, then I need to die."

  “You mustn’t say that, Kyr. The whole realm depends on you. Your destiny is to carry on your grandparents’ legacy. Rebuild the kingdom they died trying to protect. Your training must begin at once.”

  “I can’t!” I roared, stepping back. My jaw strained as my chest ripped apart with each breath. “Can’t you understand? I’m dead without Avrielle.”

  “You must train, my prince. This is bigger than all of us.”

  “I don’t want to live without her.” I looked into his eyes. “Please say she isn’t his daughter. Please tell me it’s all a lie.”

  “I’m sorry. I cannot.”

  Rage and pain mixed through me, exploding out of my being. My skin tingled as the energy crashed against the walls, everything shook around us. The ice wall cracked behind me, pieces falling to the ground but I didn't care anymore.

  “Please kill me,�
�� I begged him, as the agony I thought I had left behind returned, burning through me.

  "Kyr, look at me," Avra ordered, and my broken gaze settled on him. "She is the king's daughter, but she will be yours."

  “How can you say that? You just told me she’s my sister!”

  The Dragon Lord straightened to his full height and is cobalt blue eyes bored into mine. "She will be yours, because Laeroth might be your king, but he is not your father.”

  To be continued…

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you so much for reading Forgotten Kingdom, the first book in the Winter Court Chronicles. As always, I left a piece of me in this story, so I truly hope you have loved reading it, as much as I loved writing and creating this new and incredible world. If you have enjoyed it, please show your support by leaving a review. Just visit my Amazon Author page:

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  Kyr, Ash and Nyx still have much to discover and overcome together, so please make sure to continue this journey with them!

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