Prologue

'Exiled from his native realm, a king will rise and unite with a common woman. This union shall bear the next gifted child of the north, and her reign will know no bounds.'

The words rang in the King's ears as he stared down at the child. The familiar message whispered into his thoughts as he gripped the slender, hexagonal crystal that dangled from his neck.

Trying to decipher the meaning of the words had been futile, for the events seemed fairly fantastic and too illogical for his taste. How would a king rise after being ostracized— and why would he marry a commoner if he did regain power? Then there was the last part, which implied that a woman would eventually rule and that was improbable at best. For women rarely held power of such magnitude, and if a royal female was the only one left to rule, she was usually forced to marry and her husband was the one who ultimately reigned.

Aside from those unlikely happenings, the enigmatic part about a gifted child of the north had been extremely inconclusive to even study, let alone try and put logic to. He'd read up on old myths and legends, tirelessly searching for clues, anything that would give him insight to this frustrating prophetic message.

He had come across stories about isolated peoples who once lived up in the extreme northern regions, and could manipulate the wind and ice— however, fables like these resided in children's fairy books, and were widely known to be fabricated fiction used to entertain the young ones.

Though just because it was improbable for a strong female to come to power, didn't mean he was against the idea, especially if her reign brought boundless peace and prosperity with it. Perhaps, just maybe, this child had something to do with all of that.

The crystal suddenly started to glow in his hand, which jarred him out of his thoughts— it had only done that once before, when he had been given the crystal long ago.

Since he had been given the crystal, the message had hummed in a remote corner of his mind, never truly leaving his thoughts as long as he had the crystal with him. He had listened to the words a thousand times over, memorized them, dreamed about them, tirelessly thought about them and now, as he looked at this child, they resonated and tingled through his whole body, stronger than ever before.

Researching and attempting to interpret the message had been as frustrating as a dog chasing its tail: he always ended up back where he started with nothing gained but a headache. For as frustrating as working out the message had been, he knew he had been given this crystal for a reason, of course he wasn't told why, only that it would guide him in the right direction.

He supposed that if he interpreted the message, that would be his guide, but perhaps he was looking at it the wrong way. Perhaps the crystal itself was somehow meant to guide him, not his interpretation of the words.

Just then, those same words began to take on a new meaning in his mind. It was oddly similar to solving those strange optical illusion puzzles. One would look at the image and see what was obvious to them, but when the picture was turned or one was told what to look for, they would begin to see a different picture.

He knew he should call someone to come deal with this abandoned baby, but the words in his head were humming louder with each breath, and the omniscient glowing crystal was hypnotizing, making it very hard to think about anything other than this child.

It was extremely desolate near the edge of the woods, and he couldn't begin to understand why someone would leave a baby out here— or why he had even wandered out here in the first place as he was nearly ready to sail home. The small settlement of people in this remote, northern expanse of mountains, were very humane and amiable and he couldn't see them disregarding a small child either. Yet there he was, a baby boy with rusty red hair, swaddled in blankets, peacefully sleeping in the autumn duff at his feet.

This would be his last visit to this northern settlement for quite some time, as his wife was expecting a child any day now. He was anxious to sail home and check on her, as she kept having chronic miscarriages and he prayed that this one would survive. She was far along in the pregnancy, but that was no great comfort as she had given birth to stillborns in the past and he was growing fearful that she would never be able to carry a child to full term.

It hurt him to watch his wife go through this time and time again, she wanted a child as badly as he did. Each time the pregnancy would fail, he could see her lose a tiny spark of life, and he was certain a part of him died each time as well.

He was lucky that he had been able to wed his true love and best friend, as few royals had arranged marriages that worked out as smoothly. He couldn't imagine having a child with anyone else, but the hands of time were still moving and he was not getting any younger. If this attempt failed, he would most likely have to take another in order to sire an heir and as much as that would pain him, he knew it would ruin his wife. His beautiful queen who he would lay down his life for, and knew she would do the same for him.

However, he could take this child, at least for the time being, and save them both the agony of him bedding another woman.

It was perplexingly strange that he stumbled on this baby at the moment he was fretting over an heir. He wasn't a man to read too much into signs and superstitions, but this coincidence was extremely hard to ignore.

If he did take this child, and his wife successfully delivered, still no harm would be done. He could adopt the child off to a loving family and all would be just as well. The decision was made; he would take the child home, and keep him just for now. He would wait and see what the pregnancy brought and then he would go from there.

As it so happened, the Queen lost the baby and the King raised the boy as his own. The situation was kept hushed, for the propriety of the Queen, so no one knew the boy wasn't the child that she had actually miscarried.

At first there were whispers from the staff and the general public, for it was odd that two parents with dark hair could have a son with hair so red. Though stranger things had happened and eventually the chatter died down.

The boy grew to be a quite a regal little prince and soon he had captivated the kingdom. He was enchantingly smart from a very young age and very talkative and cheerful. His red hair and hazel eyes matched perfectly together and across the bridge of his nose he had a light dusting of freckles; most of the women of the court suspected he would grow into quite a handsome king.

Though when not in the public eye his mischievous streak would show, turning him into quite the little prankster. He would pull harmless tricks on the staff at the palace in an endeavor to stifle his boredom. He'd put dead bugs in their shoes and soap flakes in the sugar bowls— which was almost his favorite trick to play, because just as people would spoon it into their drink suddenly they would all gasp and become shocked— for instantly, globs of bubbles would come spilling out of their cups and fill the air.

He would run and gleefully chase the bubbles around the room, and everyone would laugh at the precocious little prince.

Among his favorite playmates were two young servants by the names of Kai and Alvin. They were older than him by quite a few years but inside they were just as young. They would join in his games, assisting in his mischief and he loved them like family, for they were the closest things to siblings he had. The staff loved him and he the staff, and life was good for all.

Until one day, quite a few years later, when the Queen became unexpectedly pregnant.

"Father, I still don't understand…"

"You have a new baby brother my little Alexander the Great." The King smiled down at his oldest son and muffled up his red hair.

"I'm still your son though too, right?" Alexander had asked with confusion and concern.

"Of course you are and always will be; now I just have two sons." The King had said gleefully.

The brothers grew older and became rather close indeed. The younger was quite opposite from Alexander though it seemed, in just about everything from demeanor to appearance.

This child was louder and less refined, he had dark brown hair with a tinge of red and his eyes were a brown so dark they seemed black. The youngest idolized the older and tried to be just like him, but as the years went by and both boys grew older, it could be seen that Alexander was the more competent of the two.

"Alex, how did you do that?" Prince Vladimir exclaimed in a fit of irritation as he threw his bow to the ground. Alexander had hit the target three times in a row on the hardest archery range! He seemed to be good at everything, or at least better then Vlad was.

"Stop thinking about it so much Vlad, just let it happen."

"I'm afraid your brother is right sir, it just takes practice. Even he was quite atrocious when he first started." Kai said. Alex rolled his eyes a him.

Vlad doubted that. Alex was never atrocious, at anything. He loved his older brother, but it became harder and harder to suppress his growing jealously.

Alex was also smart and good-looking and one day he would be king. Vlad was decent looking and good with abstracts— he was always able to discern the most effective solution that would profit himself most, but he was awful at his studies.

Alex had always been different, his smarts were renowned— he could do logic and strategy and abstracts and anything he wanted and that just wasn't fair.

All the girls always fawned over him and it drove Vlad crazy. Not that he didn't have girls flock to him, being a prince as well, but they were never the kind of girls that would do anything for Alex— those girls were beautiful.

It was the way Alex handled it though, that drove him completely mad. He never would kiss them or court them at all; he would politely talk with them and never anything more. It made no sense to him, as these girls were not ugly, and when he finally asked him the answer was even stranger.

"Vlad, you don't court a girl simply because she's pretty. I want her to be smart and caring and beautiful as well, but looks aren't everything. Don't you want to fall in love someday?"

Vlad had pondered this for a brief moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted love or not, he just wanted to be better than Alex and that meant getting prettier girls than him.

"Nah, not me, but if I ever do get married she just better be beautiful."

Alex had rolled his eyes, as he so often did at Vlad, and this irritated the heck out of him.

"Where are you going?" Vlad said as he rushed to catch up to his brother.

"I still need to get ready. The wedding, remember?"

The wedding. Prince Thomas. He had forgotten. Vlad had always secretly disliked the man, it seemed like every time he came around Alex would forget that he existed. Thomas was older than Alex by a couple of years and they would always do things together, it was as if Thomas suddenly became Alex's new and improved brother and it ate at his insides. They never actually left him out; it was just so difficult to keep up with them.

"Oh right, I forgot about that. He's getting married to what's-her-name." Vlad said dejectedly.

"Primrose. You could come too you know, you don't have to be in the ceremony to attend." Alex said and put a hand on Vlad's shoulder.

A sour taste came to his mouth at the thought. He had absolutely no desire to take the long trip south to Corona and attend the wedding of the great Prince Thomas.

"How could I forget, with the whole uproar he's caused by marrying a commoner with no money." Vlad said bitterly.

Alex rolled his eyes at him once again as a long exasperated sigh escaped his lips. "He loves her, Vlad. I don't see the problem."

Vlad hated when he would talk down to him like that, like his opinions were so stupid he had to be regarded as a petulant child.

"Well I just don't think it's right, that's all." It was the only thing he could think of to retort.

Alex turned and looked directly at him. "Who's to say what's right? Titles and status are foolish if you ask me. All they accomplish is forcing marriage between two people who aren't in love, and creating a more pronounced imbalance between the rich and the poor. Everyone is human and deserves an equal chance, its not right."

He could feel that familiar rage bubbling under the surface that he felt every time Alex started preaching his sophisticated nonsense like this. He was the one who didn't understand— titles are what made people better then others. They were a birthright and those who weren't lucky enough to be born with a title, well that was just too bad for them. Without titles he wouldn't be a prince, and if he weren't a prince he would have nothing, no girls no wealth or power— nothing. He would be nobody— a commoner like everyone else, and why would he want that? He knew what that was like because he felt like a nobody whenever Thomas and Alex got together, and he hated it.

"Well have a good time at the wedding with your precious Prince Thomas." Vlad spat as he turned on his heel and marched off. He glanced back and could see the hurt flash in Alex's eyes like he had just slapped him, but he didn't care. Did he even know how much it hurt him every time he would go romping off with Thomas? Let him go to his perfect little wedding, he didn't care.

Corona was truly a beautiful land, very warm and sunny and full of hope, Alex mused, as he walked down off his ship onto the cobblestone dock. It was the first time he had been allowed to sail on his own and the excitement of his newfound freedom was intoxicating. He had always been disappointed that Thomas always came to visit Weselton and he never got to come to Corona, but finally he was the visitor, and he couldn't wait to explore.

If he wasn't in line for the crown, perhaps he would have become an explorer— then he could sail to all sorts of exotic lands anytime he pleased.

Corona was, in a sense, a tall island with a magnificent palace that sat at the top. It was so different from Weselton, the land he had grown up in. Weselton was huge and largely spread out and the palace was grand there too, but something about this small cobblestone kingdom surrounded by the sea, was beautiful and magical to him.

"Alex?" He heard a disembodied voice call out from the bustle of people.

He scanned the crowd and, towering over everyone else, he spotted the dark brown hair and hulking form of his best friend.

"Thomas!" Alex called out and ran over and the men embraced. Right now they weren't royalty, just two very good, close friends.

"I expect your first trip went excellently." Thomas said with a slap on the back. "Or did you sink the ship with those antics of yours?" He said in jest, comically looking over Alex's shoulder to check if he could see a ship.

"Everything in order, sir." Alex said joking back as he saluted.

"Well come on then boy, what are you waiting for? After tomorrow I'm an old married man, let me show you what Corona is all about!" He said as he slapped Alex on the back again.

Alex could feel the tingle of excitement in the pit of his stomach that he always felt with new things, and eagerly followed Thomas into the town. It was just like old times, as Thomas showed him around— he always knew exactly, what the most exciting things were to see and do.

The town was abuzz with jubilant talk of the coming royal wedding. Most importantly it seemed, was the topic of what the brides elegant gown was going to look like— from what he could decipher anyway. It seemed like these people were speaking a different language: Florentine, décolleté, flounce, a-line, sheath... half these words he never even knew existed, and decided it was probably better to keep things that way. But their happiness was infectious nonetheless.

Everyone was milling about, running here and there— it seemed like every person had a hand in the wedding preparations. He hoped one day that his subjects would be as happy and intimate as this, like a large close family, one kingdom united for a joyous event.

Thomas happily introduced him to ale for the first time, which was probably a large mistake, but it sure made the festivities a whole lot more fun— and talking to women much less daunting. Though the loss of coordination brought with the ale was certainly not helpful, and Thomas seemed to find flagrant humor in this.

After many drinks and participating in all sorts of exotic activities, they finally returned to the palace. Alex tried to clear his head but everything seemed so foggy and funny that he gave up trying.

As they walked up the stairs to the palace it suddenly seemed like a brilliant idea to try and wrestle Thomas. He had always been bigger and bulkier than Alex, but he was confident now was the time he would finally be able to take him down. So he snuck up behind him, grabbed him in a headlock and tried to bring him to the ground.

He thought he was winning for a moment, but then realized the force of the headlock had caused a drunken Thomas to slip, and both men went stumbling through the doors of the grand entryway, falling, rolling and eventually sprawling out on the granite floor. Nearly all the staff that were making preparations inside stopped awkwardly and turned, unsure of how to react at the spectacle.

Thomas got up with a stagger and managed to slur out, "I apologize, youmayall go back to your business now thank you."

Alex stood up as well, abruptly realizing how ridiculous they must look. That's when he saw her, a beautiful woman with long dark hair that was braided to one side of her neck and two sky blue eyes. She had on a simple blue dress a shade darker than her eyes; it covered her arms, but exposed her neckline and had white puffy shoulders. He stared at her for the longest time as she and another woman approached them, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't take his eyes away from hers.

"There she is! My beautiful bride!" Thomas said as he walked over to the lady standing next to the enchanting woman he was fixated on.

In a trancelike state he followed Thomas, still staring at this captivating woman. Somewhere a voice was telling him how inappropriate it was to be staring, but at this moment he didn't particularly care and shoved the voice aside.

"Ladies, this is my good friend, crown Princess Alexander of Weselton. Er, Prince, Prince Alexander." Thomas said correcting his slur and slapping Alex on the back.

Alex smiled, not because of the slip, but because it caused the woman to smile and he didn't think he had ever seen anything so wonderful in his life.

"Alex, this is my betrothed, soon to be Princess Primrose of Corona and the love of my life." Thomas said as he kissed her hand. She smiled and Alex bowed his head. Looking at her for the first time he could see the striking resemblance to the other woman, though she looked slightly more mature and had very different green eyes. Her long brown hair was also a shade lighter then the other woman's, and was pulled back halfway.

"And this is her lovely sister, Lady Rendella." Thomas said gesturing to the slight woman next to Primrose. Rendella. Rendella. Her name sounded like music in his head.

He didn't know if it was the ale's doing, because usually he was not so bold with girls, but something about this woman made him feel like he could do anything. So he gently grabbed her hand and brought it up and kissed it, like Thomas had done. "My lady it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." There was something in her eyes, a spark of life and intelligence that he had never before seen in a woman and it enamored him.

"Your Grace." She said timidly and curtsied.

He hated these titles and never would understand them, for why should a woman like this be curtseying to him? If he had it his way, and he hoped he would, she would never be bowing to him again.

Just then Thomas swayed and the soon to be princess' eyes widened. "Why don't we get you to bed, tomorrows the big day after all." Primrose said with a hint of amusement. She took him by the arm and Alex watched them walk away, though she glanced back over her shoulder for a minute, for what reason he had no idea.

Alex cleared his throat; he had never been very good with girls. There were many interested in him it was true, but he was always very poor at small talk with them. He would start rambling and his mouth would start saying things before his brain had time to edit them properly and words would come out a tad jumbled. Fortunately for him she started the conversation.

"So how was your trip from Weselton?" She asked in a quiet voice. He tried to remember how the trip had been but his head was really growing foggy. He wished she'd keep talking though, her voice sounded as smooth as silk felt and he just wanted to keep listening.

"Um, I'd say it went good— went well I mean. It was my first trip on my own and I didn't sink." He said awkwardly. He really was bad at this.

She chuckled and smiled a half smile that immediately put him at ease.

"May I run you to your room? Walk, walk you I mean?" He asked, attempting to sound composed and salvage himself. Something about this woman seemed to turn him into a bumbling idiot— or maybe it was the ale, or a combination of the two?

"I think I would like that." She responded with a smile and took his arm.

He made sure to walk slowly so he wouldn't trip, in his state the hallways looked uneven, and he had no idea where he was actually going. Fortunately she seemed to.

"May you save me, er, may I save you… will you dance with me after the ceremony tomorrow?" He finally managed to get out as they reached the door.

"Of course, I would love to."

Her smile was hypnotizing and for a moment he just stood there, blissfully staring at her. He must have looked ridiculous but he didn't particularly care, she was so nice to look at. "You're absolutely gorgeous." He finally let slip and realized quickly how inappropriate he must sound. Fortunately for him she seemed immune to his maladroit. "I mean, I'm sorry that was incredibly forward of me. You are, it's not that, I just mean— I apologize." He said trying to recover, as his cheeks grew hot and probably beat red. It had always been a curse of his.

All she did was smile, which continued to make things worse for him.

"Well, goodnight. I look forward to your dance tomorrow— our dance I mean." He said as he slowly backed up.

"This is your room."

His face must have looked puzzled because a small smirk curved over her thin lips and she continued before he could respond.

"You seemed somewhat lost, and a little… Well, this is your room. I'm right down the hall so it was no trouble."

"Oh. Thank you." He said feeling embarrassed. He could feel the blood rushing into his cheeks again. He was quite sure he wasn't spinning, but the hallway suddenly was.

"Are you alright?" Her eyes had suddenly grown wide.

He was pretty sure the hallway shouldn't be rotating like it was, or maybe he was? He couldn't be sure but he needed to compose himself, or he'd never get another chance with her.

He felt something light grab his arm and then suddenly he was in the large room, which was still whirling like the hallway was unfortunately. Then he was on the bed, not sure how he'd moved over there, and laying down made the pirouetting room move faster, so he was forced to close his eyes.

He didn't want to shut them though, he needed to know if she was still there, so he tested one eye and then opened the other and could see two concerned looking blue eyes gazing back at him. He tried to keep his eyes open, it seemed like he could get lost in the sky if he just stared at her eyes long enough, but black was creeping in at the corner of his eyes and finally it took him over.

"Wake up princess! It's time for a wedding!" Thomas roared as he burst into Alex's room.

The sound of his voice pierced through Alex's head and left a ringing noise in its wake.

"So I hear you are quite enamored with my soon to be wife's sister, eh?"

What was he talking about? He couldn't form a coherent thought today, let alone remember last night. Then it hit him, all at once— her long dark hair and pretty blue eyes and he felt butterflies in his stomach followed shortly by remorse. He had acted a fool in front of her from what he could remember.

"How are you awake and this chipper?" Alex mumbled.

"Answer the question, no deflecting." Thomas said as he threw open the drapes, causing Alex to swiftly pull the covers over his head.

"How could you possibly already know about that?" He mumbled from under the blanket.

"Word travels fast around here, you have obviously never lived with two women before have you? Two sisters I might add." Thomas said dryly.

He supposed Thomas was right, unless his mother or the ladies on staff counted, and he knew quite well how chatty they all could be— they always seemed to know everything instantly. He could never figure out how they all seemed privy to some collective vat of information and gossip that he could never keep up with. He cringed, if Thomas already knew, the whole palace must know by now about his ridiculous behavior the night before.

"I made an idiot of myself in front of her, I'll be lucky if she ever looks at me again." Alex said shamefully.

Thomas walked over and ripped the blanket off him. Alex groaned and curled up into a ball, putting the pillow over his head as he tried to shield his eyes from the accursed light.

"That's what wedding receptions are for, killer." Thomas said as he bunched the blanket up and tossed it back on the bed. "Now get a move on, I can't get married without my best man!" He called as he walked out of the room slamming the door behind him.

He was such a subtle man, Alex thought dryly. But the mention of the reception did trigger another memory that sent a happy nervous flurry into his stomach. She had agreed to dance with him; perhaps it was not yet too late to win her over. With that as his motivation, he got up to greet the suddenly beautiful day.

"You look beautiful." Rendella said as she gazed at her sister in awe. She had on the loveliest white gown, and looked every inch the princess she was about to become.

"Thank you Ella." Primrose said and pulled her sister into a hug. "Now why do you look so different this morning?" She said with a knowing smirk. "Could it have anything to do with our dear Prince Alexander?"

Rendella could feel her face grow hot. Her sister always seemed to know exactly what was going on in her head— and heart apparently.

"Out with it Ella you know I can always tell."

"He just walked me back to my room last night, it wasn't a big ordeal— or rather, I walked him…" She smirked and shook her head at the memory. "Then he asked me to dance with him at the reception today."

Primrose let out a squeal that was very out of place with the regal dress she had on. "I knew it!" She laughed. "So?"

"So what?"

"So… do you like him?" She said it like it was the most obvious question in the world.

"Well, yes I suppose so, though I don't really know if he'll even remember that he was with me last night." She said as she started adding pins to her sister's hair. He had been very cute though, even his awkward words had been heartfelt and endearing.

"Thomas was out of sorts last night too." Primrose chuckled, than turned to face her. "Ella listen, I love you very much, and I just want you to be happy and cared for you know that. But you really need to open up and give a little bit more to the men who are courting you, give Alex a chance tonight."

She didn't think she hadn't been open with men; it's just that so few of them could hold her attention for very long. Most of them were pompous or rude and incredibly self-centered and she never really felt like she could be herself around them. Whenever she would try to interject about an interesting book or anything having to do with her own opinion, they would talk over her. She didn't even care to marry a wealthy or titled man; just one that could carry on an interesting conversation that wasn't all about himself or his assets.

Since her sister had gotten engaged, those types of men had suddenly flocked to her, presumably in an attempt to raise their own status by affiliation— and she could always see right through them. However, Alex had seemed different, even in his inebriated state, and she was actually quite excited about seeing him again.

"I will, I promise."

Alex stood at the front of the church just to the right of Thomas, waiting nervously for the music to start and the ladies to come down the aisle. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, the ceremony would be easy enough— he wouldn't have to talk to her. If he didn't have to talk he didn't have to worry about the garble of gibberish that might spill out of his mouth. Though he did get to see her, and that was probably the source of most of his excited nerves.

"Why do you look more nervous than I feel?" Thomas whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"What? I'm not, its fine just— shhh."The choir had started singing; she would be walking down the aisle momentarily and the anticipation was causing his knee to jiggle. He quickly suppressed it and tried to compose himself.

The large oak doors slowly opened in the back of the church, and there she was. He was sure his heart had leapt up into his throat because that's where he could feel it beating now.

She had on a plum colored dress that accented her slight frame perfectly. It plumed out just below her waist into a lighter shade of purple, with a yellow floral pattern vining its way around the lower portion. Her arms and shoulders were exposed, save for two off the shoulder straps that draped down her upper arms. She was probably wearing some exotic style that the ladies in town were chattering on about, but even those fancy words seemed inadequate to describe how beautiful she looked.

She carried a bouquet of purple and yellow crocus flowers that cascaded down like a floral waterfall, and her single braid was swept up into an elaborate style on the top of her head with tiny flowers tucked in it. It was the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen in his life.

But it was also how she was walking down the aisle that threatened to throttle him. He knew she and her sister were from a very common family, but if he didn't know any better he'd say she was a queen. She walked with her head held high and astute. Her shoulders back with perfect posture and a calm and steady gait. Titles, he thought, were for the birds— for this common woman looked more regal than any queen he had ever seen in his life.

He also noticed a slight timidity to her demeanor as she approached closer, something you would only catch if you were looking for it. Her eyes were shifty and it was almost as if she was extremely uncomfortable with all these eyes on her. How strange, he thought, since most women usually enjoyed when attention was all on them.

There seemed to be a strength in her too, as if she were determined to suppress her fear and carry on as regally as ever. He had no idea how so many different things could exist in one woman, but he knew one thing—it was fascinating.

When she was close enough he saw her eyes flick over to him. He thought his heart might just jump out of his throat, but he quickly recovered and gave her a quick warm smile. He just wanted to reassure her if he possibly could, and save her from all the eyes that seemed to be causing her disquiet. Her eyes returned forward but a small smile spread across her lips. He realized he had been jiggling his knee again and he once again stifled the accursed nervous habit.

When she reached her place to the left of where Primrose would stand she finally glanced back over at him. He smiled again in a reassuring way and this time she smiled a half smile directly back at him. Those half smiles of hers were astoundingly ruinous to his composure, because he nearly dropped the ring he was holding and jerked awkwardly to quickly keep it from falling to the floor. Thankfully Primrose had already started down the aisle and no one seemed to notice his slip.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, vows were said, promises made and all the while he couldn't stop himself from glancing over at her. She must have finally caught on because one time he caught her smirking at nothing in particular and her eyes glanced back at him as well.

After all was said and done and the newlyweds took their leave, he offered his arm and she lightly took it so he could escort her out of the church.

Outside there was a bustle of people who had stopped up Thomas and Primrose on their way out. As he emerged from the church with Rendella, a sea of enthusiastic people started to descend upon them as well. He felt her stiffen beside him, so he put his arm protectively around her shoulders and prodded and shouldered his way through the swarm of people.

He looked up over the gaggle of bobbing heads and saw Thomas gesturing to a pair of carriages partway down the street. Thomas' other hand, he noticed, was shielding Primrose in much the same way he was shielding Rendella. He scanned the crowd for some type of a path, but saw there wasn't one; they would have to make their way through the absurd mass of over zealous subjects.

"The carriages are that way, we have to make our way through these people, will you be alright?" He said closely to her ear and she nodded. He could feel her trembling slightly.

Luckily for them, people seemed more interested in getting a glimpse of the royal couple than of them. They just had to fight their way up a stream of densely packed people. He held her close and used his free hand to keep people away and shield her from their frantic movements. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they made it to their carriage.

The guards opened the door and he escorted her in first and then quickly climbed in himself.

Once inside he could finally see the abject terror written on her face. She was trying to control it but he could see it all over her eyes, so he took both of her small hands in his. It was fairly warm out, but her hands were freezing. "Are you alright?" He asked with concern.

Her breathing started to slow down. "Yes, I'll be fine. Certain situations just make me uneasy." She said in a surprisingly calm voice.

Uneasy was probably an understatement for what she seemed to be experiencing. His face must still have still looked worried because she continued. "Really, I'm fine. I just get a little startled when I feel trapped or confined." She said with a smile, seeming more relaxed.

He squeezed her hands. "Someone like you should never be caged in like a bird anyway." He said with a smile. "You deserve freedom and so much more."

Finally back at the palace he escorted her up to the ballroom where the reception was starting to bustle— or rather, she escorted him. He still had no idea where he was going in this place.

Thomas and Primrose eventually arrived and then all four of them were announced, signaling the official start of the reception.

The newly wedded couple had just taken the floor for their first dance, when over Primroses' shoulder Thomas discreetly gestured towards Rendella. Momentarily embarrassed by this, Alex knew what he meant. He wanted them to join on the dance floor.

Her sister looked stunningly beautiful in the arms of Thomas, twirling around on the dance floor like a couple that were ice-skating and not just dancing. She couldn't have been happier for her, and knew someday she would make a great queen.

She noticed Thomas make an odd gesture at her, and she wasn't entirely sure what he wanted. He was something like an older brother to her and he was always poking fun, so she assumed it was some joke of his that she had missed the punch line to.

Suddenly, Alex turned to her with his hand outstretched and softly asked, "Remember you said you'd dance with me?"

She gave him her hand and smiled up at him. "I didn't think you would remember." She said in jest.

He smirked and then took her in his arms and twirled her out on the dance floor and for a few brief minutes before others joined in, they were the only ones out there except for the bride and groom. She had been right in her assumption that dancing was like ice-skating, for that's what it felt like now. She smiled and laughed as she never had before and the freedom she felt was liberating.

After dancing for what must have been hours, but felt only like minutes, Alex took her by the hands and led her out onto the balcony that overlooked the sea.

The night summertime air was cool and refreshing and the view of the kingdom was absolutely spectacular, the lights on the water looked like fireflies dancing in a sea of darkness. The crickets all around sounded like music to her ears and the starry sky was crystal clear. She couldn't remember ever feeling this happy and never wanted to let it go.

"Rendella, what are you thinking about?"

"Please, just Ella." She said with a smile. "I was just thinking that I've never felt this free and happy in my entire life."

He turned to her and took her hands in his. "I could tell, it shows in your eyes when you're happy and when you're afraid. Ella, I wish you could be free and happy for the rest of your life to walk or run or fly and do as you please. I only wish I could come along for the ride."

She couldn't help but smile. That was quite possibly the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to her and the one thing she had longed to hear for so long. He didn't care that she had been raised in a common family nor did he see her as some way to attain status through her sister— he loved that she was just she.

These feelings were new, and really quite strange, the tingling in her whole body. She wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't care because she knew it meant something good. She'd want him there, needed him in her life— he needed to know that and so she said, "There is no ride if you're not with me."

The next thing to happen surprised her the most, but then this had been a night full of new things. He leaned down and kissed her and that was when the entire world stopped. It stopped and all she was aware of was his warm gentle touch, and oddly the smell of flowers from the surrounding garden. When they broke apart she knew he was it, the one she would always love, and there was never more a doubt in her mind.

So after the wedding and some time had passed, she packed her things and prepared to leave with Alex.

"I want you to have this." Primrose said as she produced a leather journal. The cover was embossed with a large sun, and from the suns rays sprouted flowering vines that crawled over the entire journal. "Write down everything and that way you'll always have a piece of Corona that you can share with your children someday."

Rendella could feel the hot tears burning her eyes. "It's beautiful… but… what if I can't do this? What if I need you?" Her face felt hot and she suddenly wasn't so sure she could leave her sister.

"Take this too." Primrose said as she removed a necklace. The necklace was half the crest of Corona, a golden sun encased in a circle. She placed it around Rendella's neck and then pulled out the other half that was around her own neck. Rendella took her half and matched it to the half in her sister's hand; the pieces fit together creating a whole golden sun.

"When you feel the sun shining on you, know that I will feel the same warmth from the same sun and will be with you. No distance can ever keep us from being sisters, just like no distance can ever stop the suns rays from shining on us both." Primrose said with tears in her eyes. "You love Alex, I know you do. You have to go Ellie."

She hadn't called her by that name since they were children and it felt like a knife going right through her heart. She threw her arms around her sister and they both stood there crying and holding each other.

Rendella promised to write and that she would see her again soon at a wedding of her own. Alex and Thomas had also reassured them that they would make sure they visited each other as often as possible.

Alex then reached down and plucked a yellow crocus flower, placing it in her hair. He said that no matter where they went, Corona would always be in her heart and his. So they got on the ship and waved a bittersweet goodbye. She would miss her sister dearly, but knew she loved Alex and could feel she was doing the right thing.

She spent the journey home writing in her new journal, she wrote down everything— every thought, feeling and event that had happened to her since she had met Alex. When she had written down everything she could think of, the journey to Weselton was nearly complete.

When they got off the ship it was somewhat overwhelming. Weselton was enormous compared to Corona. Instead of a small town there were large buildings spread out all over the city, and when they arrived at the palace it was much larger then the one she knew from Corona. It was grand to be sure, but secretly she missed the homey feel of the palace back home to the large emptiness of this one.

"Welcome back your Highness!" A portly man with reddish hair greeted them as they entered the palace.

"Kai, it's great to see you old friend." Alex said to the man as he shook hands and embraced with him. "May I introduce the love of my life and bride to be, Lady Rendella."

She could already feel her face getting hot as the man's eyes widened. "My lady, it is a pleasure, may I extend my deepest congratulations!" Kai said, clearly ecstatic over the news.

Immediately she liked him, he seemed genuine and jolly like an old friend would be. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She said with a curtsey.

Alex and Kai exchanged glances with a smirk. She scrunched up her eyebrows, unsure of what private joke she had just missed, and briefly looked to Alex, but it was Kai who spoke instead.

"My lady, you are the queen to be— there is no need to curtsey to a someone like myself."

This threw her for a minute. She knew Alex was a prince and by default she would become a princess when she married, like her sister had, but the thought of one day being a queen was suddenly extremely daunting and mildly alarming. It was always a nice thought to think of Primrose as a queen, but she never really imagined the same situation of herself.

"My love, it's true, you needn't bow before anyone, including myself. You are my equal, my partner and friend." Alex's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

"However if you should like to curtsey to Kai do not let me be the one to stop you, as I think titles are quite pointless indeed." He then dramatically got to one knee and bowed his head to Kai.

"Do get up sir, or I shall have to tell your father on you." Kai said with a hint of amusement as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm grown now Kai, you can't play that card anymore." Alex said with a wink.

"You do not wish to test that sir." Kai said sternly.

She had never before met a man as amusingly humble as Kai and it was the most refreshing thing to be around someone like him.

"Speaking of my father, where is he? I want to introduce Rendella."

"This way." Kai said as he led them into the palace.

"You know, I had the most curious incident occur just after Prince Alexander departed for Corona. I awoke to the disturbing discovery that all my pairs of shoes were mysteriously each missing a partner." Kai said to Rendella. "It was certainly a conundrum, as I had to walk around for days with mismatched footgear until I successfully located the misappropriated shoes." Kai said as he glared at Alex.

Alex glanced at her and made a guilty looking face.

"Now I said to myself, I just know this couldn't be the doings of our noble Prince Alexander, as he is far too old to be playing such childish pranks."

She couldn't help but smile at the entertaining look on Alex's face; it was something between embarrassment and amusement.

"Here we are." Kai said as he opened the door to a large study. "I am still missing three." He said under his breath.

Alex shrugged innocently and led her into the room.

As soon as they walked into the room she could tell they had interrupted something uncomfortable, the three people in the room abruptly cut off talking and stared at them.

"What's going on in here?" Alex asked in a confused voice, breaking the harsh silence.

"Nothing son. It's great to have you back." The King said as he and the Queen walked over to embrace Alex.

"Yes, actually. Something is going on." Came the bitter voice of the other person who was in the room. Rendella looked and could see a darker haired man standing off to the side. He looked to be a little younger than Alex and she assumed it must be his brother Vladimir that he had spoken about.

"Vlad, what is going on here?" Alex asked, clearly alarmed by the outburst.

This time it was the King who interrupted. "Nothing is going on, who is this lovely young lady?" He said turning to face her.

Alex still seemed bewildered at the way his family was acting, but he covered it quickly. "This is Rendella. She's to be my bride." Alex said with a tone of pride.

"My dear! Congratulations!" The queen spoke as she hugged her.

"Congratulations my dear." The King said as he bent down and kissed her cheek. "You two met at the wedding then I suppose." The King asked with a proud and knowing smile.

"Yes, Princess Primrose is my sister." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she could see all three of their faces drop. She suddenly wished could retract the repellant words.

"You brought back a commoner?" Vlad asked incredulously as he pointed a finger at her.

"You will watch your mouth little brother." Alex quickly spat with a tone of menace she had never before heard come out of him.

She was all at once very uncomfortable in this room with them all staring at her like she was some kind of diseased animal that must be quickly eradicated. Alex must have sensed it too because he immediately started escorting her out. "You don't need to stand here and listen to this." He said as he ushered her out of the room.

Her face must have shown her embarrassment because Alex's face quickly softened. "Let me just speak with them for a minute alone. Kai will you please show her around and get her settled in?"

"Of course."

"I'll find you when I'm through." He said as he quickly kissed her cheek and turned to go back into the room.

She stood there momentarily bewildered trying to process what had just transpired.

"This way my lady." Kai gestured for her to follow.

She followed him mutely. How had she been so stupid? Primrose had gone through something similar, although not as directly as what had just happened to her. Thomas never really much cared what anyone thought of anything he did, and had made it clear that her lack of social status mattered not and was not a subject of open discussion. Most of his subjects had obeyed, as Corona was fairly tight-knit and they all adored the royal family, especially once they got to know her sister more as a person, it had all been but forgotten.

There had still been the occasional outsider who would come in leering at Primrose, as if they knew something she didn't, but it was quickly made clear that that was inappropriate behavior and it was dropped. She had always hated those people though, and wished they would go back to wherever it was they came from if they frowned upon it so.

Though it had taken the King and Queen of Corona some time to accept that Thomas was not marrying another nation or even into wealth, but Thomas was extremely staunch in his beliefs and as their only son, they had no choice but to accept his decision. They actually ended up being very nice people and really came to like Primrose and herself, once they moved past the issue of social status. Perhaps Alex's family just needed to get to know her better as well. She could make them see that she was a good person, worthy of marrying Alex, if they just gave her half a chance.

Frankly, she never understood what the uproar was really even about. Of course she and her sister had relatively no wealth, but Corona was very well off and judging by the size of the palace alone, so was Weselton. Why were royals so obsessed with amassing even more riches than they could ever possibly begin to spend in one lifetime?

Royals marrying other nations royals were sometimes arranged for alliances and political purposes, she knew that, but why did these people need to use marriage as a tool for that? Couldn't they work out their own political problems like adults and not throw that pressure onto their children?

Half the time she felt like royals only reproduced so they could advance their kingdom by creating another chess piece in their twisted game of power. Pawns, that's all royal children were to them, a piece that can be used and sacrificed for a 'greater' purpose at the expense of the child's happiness. She would never understand that way of thinking and was glad Alex and Thomas had rebelled against that tradition, if unknowingly. She would never, ever allow her child to become a pawn.

"In here, is the royal library." Kai said as he opened two large wood doors.

She hadn't been paying attention to his tour, but the mention of a library had peaked her interest. The library at the palace in Corona was huge and one of her favorite places to get lost in.

The first time her sister had taken her in there she almost fainted, never before had she seen so many books in one place. This library was just as vast and grand as the one in Corona and if anything, it was even larger. She couldn't shake the growing feeling of excitement at the prospect of so many new books to delve into.

"May I stay in here? I'd like to browse the shelves."

"Ah, I sense a bibliophile." Kai said with a wink. " 'Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.' "

She smiled at the familiar quote.

"John Locke, one of the most forward thinking idealists I have ever had the pleasure of reading about."

"An intelligent woman too, I suspect you will make an outstanding future queen. I shall let Prince Alexander know where you are."

"Thank you." She smiled at Kai as he turned to leave. His words were a small comfort; at least he had faith in her, even if the rest of the kingdom might not.

She marveled at all the different levels in this library; it always felt like she was entering another world when she would set foot in these colossal places of information. The amount of knowledge and imagination that was just lying around her, waiting to be discovered was mind-boggling. It was also always unsettling to think of how much of this knowledge would probably end up unused and lost with the passage of time.

As she walked further into the depths of the main area, a large leather bound book sitting on a desk caught her attention. She walked over to see what this person had been reading, she had found some great books in the past by stealing looks at what others had been delving into.

She found that this book had strange writing on the front that she couldn't read, so she opened it and curiously paged through, discovering that the whole book was written in that same odd dialect. She could make out some of the words, but it was as if parts of an older language were thrown in with the phrases she did understand, creating what appeared to be a very confusing sublanguage.

She continued to page through it, interested by the hand drawn sketches of mountainous geography, forests, different types of foliage, strange maps and diagrams and there was even an interesting section with strange creatures she had never seen before. The small creatures were holding odd shaped crystals and looking up towards the lights in the night sky. She decided it must be a fictional book of some sort and closed it, disappointed that she couldn't understand it.

When she closed it a small piece of parchment paper flew out of it and landed on the floor at her feet. She picked it up and turned it over, written on it was a small excerpt, presumably from or about the book. It was translated so she was able to read it— someone else was obviously frustrated by the odd language as well.

'Exiled from his native realm, a King will rise and unite with a common woman. This union shall bear the next gifted child of the north, and her reign will know no bounds.'

A king uniting with a common woman, how appropriate— a fairy tale attuned with her current predicament. How predictable that the king is cast out, most likely because he chooses to defy the royal chess system, she thought bitterly. Though even if the couple didn't get a perfect life, it seemed as if their child would do well for herself at least, and that was uplifting.

It was nice that a story seemed to have a strong female protagonist for once— she always hoped she would have a daughter some day— and quite frankly she tired of reading the same old fables that always depicted men as conquering heroes or the ones who had to swoop in and save the day. If that passage was any indication of what the book was about, she was even more disappointed that she couldn't read it.

She realized that she was still holding the journal Prim had given her, and decided to jot down the small excerpt. It was rather pretty, almost like a small poem and she wanted to remember it and the hope it gave her. Perhaps she could find a translator, or learn the odd dialect and eventually read the book herself— the child in her wanted to know what kinds of special gifts the daughter had and if the couple would get their happy ending.

She decided that the passage was a perfect segue into a new journal entry, so she slid the large book aside and started to write.

Alex closed the door to the study behind him. "You will never speak to her like that again do you understand me?" He said authoritatively directly to Vlad. "Any of you for that matter." He finished, looking up at his parents.

"I am still your King and you will not speak to me like that." The King said menacingly, then softened slightly. "Unfortunately, there are other pressing matters we need to discuss right now." Alex noticed how jittery his father seemed. He was usually calm and collected and it was disconcerting to see him so unhinged.

"I don't see what could be more important then convincing you to accept the woman I love." Alex said defiantly. "Title or no title she is going to be the queen one day, that is, unless you plan to usurp me— and let me make myself perfectly clear, if you do not respect her as my bride and as the future queen, I will abdicate." He didn't know where these words were coming from, he had never spoken to his family like this in his life, but their reaction to her status had felt like blunt betrayal. He knew they wanted him to marry a well off woman, but he hoped that when they saw her, saw how much he loved her, that they would relent— apparently not.

"Just calm down a minute son, no one is usurping you or abdicating." His father was nervously fondling the crystal he had always worn around his neck— a habit Alex recognized that always pervaded when his father didn't want to disclose something.

"Why exactly is that father? In light of recent news that you failed to share with the both of us, I think it's perfectly valid for him to abdicate if he so chooses." Vlad spat harshly.

The room was silent. Vlad's odd words took his mind off of the Rendella scenario for a moment.

"What is he talking about? What's the matter with all of you?" Alex asked critically. Something more was going on here then just their displeasure over Rendella, he could see it in their faces.

"I think you should be the one to tell him father, tell both of us really, since I had to uncover this clandestine information on my own." Vlad said with a pompous undertone that irritated Alex.

For the first time in his life Alex could see fear, or was it anxiety, in his fathers eyes and it made him uneasy. Whatever this was it was bad. "You're all making me nervous, is something wrong? What is it? Just say it." Alex said, his alarm rising.

The King glanced around as if looking for some sort of escape, when he realized there was none he took a deep breath and looked directly at Alex. "Vladimir is the true heir." He said in a dejected, almost imperceptibly disappointed tone.

The room grew silent again.

"I don't understand... What?" Alex finally asked, breaking the deafening silence.

"Listen to me Alex, you are and have always been my son. Nothing has changed, nothing is going to change that." The King said as he walked over and put his hands on Alex's shoulders.

The alarm inside of Alex was growing and he could feel his ears beginning to pulse. "What are you talking about?" He asked quietly, not sure if he really wanted to hear this or not.

"You are my son in every way that matters. Every way… except by blood." The King said sounding defeated.

Alex didn't understand so he stayed silent, though he wasn't sure he could speak if he wanted to, his throat felt constricted.

The King bit his lip unsure of how to proceed. "I found you, as a baby. This was when we thought your mother wouldn't be able to carry a child. I found you, this little blessing in our time of need and I took you in and fell in love with you." He said, his eyes beginning to water. "I raised you as my own and have only ever wanted the best for you, for both of you." He added as he glanced at Vlad.

Alex wanted to run away. He didn't want to hear this, or see his father beginning to cry. He just wanted to get away, away from the sadness and betrayal that was suddenly ripping his heart apart. He wished he were with Rendella now and not here in this room as his whole world was collapsing around him.

"As I said, nothing has changed. You may not be an heir by blood, but you are still the rightful heir, at least as far as I am concerned. You will still be our next king." He said as he put his hand on Alex's neck and squeezed.

Alex didn't give a damn who the next king was going to be, all he could think about was that his family, that he had loved and trusted his entire life, were not really his family. They had blatantly lied to him for years— he was practically an orphan… His brain was doing flip-flops— this didn't seem like reality. Maybe he was dreaming and soon he would wake up from this nightmare.

"Except I don't understand why you are still so adamant that he becomes our next king. Everyone could always tell Alex never really wanted it anyway. He always rambles on about his dreams of exploring; well let him go do it! I will be king, I rightfully should be and I actually want to do it."

Somewhere in the foggy distance he could hear Vlad's sharp words and they stung him, but he couldn't say he was completely wrong either. He would never have turned down his duty to his father, to his kingdom just so he could go off on a whim. But it wasn't entirely untrue that if given the option, he had no desire to take on the burden of being Weselton's next King. He wanted to help the people, that was true, but for himself he had sometimes wished for another future: one that wasn't predictably structured and planned out for him, one where he was free.

"Besides, once word of this gets out, you can imagine how the church will react to an illegitimate heir ascending the throne, the scandals will be unrelenting."

He knew Vlad was right, he had seen it happen before. The church was adamant when it came to legitimacy, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to deal with. Politics and scandals, drama and exploitation, he was always so sure he could right those corrupt wrongs when he became king, but now he realized he had no more control over them then a dog did. His high ideals of fairness and morality were a childish fantasy that would never be realized in this corrupt world— and he had no desire to deal with any of it anymore.

"Listen to me now, both of you." The King roared. "There is not going to be any scandal because word of this is not going to get out. Nothing has changed. Alexander is still going to become our next king and Vlad, you are still going to take over the northern outpost as we have always discussed. That outpost is a military base I have been grooming for years. I need you to strengthen and fortify it so can grow into its own self-sustaining satellite.

I've been upfront with both of you on all economic matters, it has not been kept secret that our resources have been dwindling year after year and trade has been decreasing proportionately. This outpost is important to the future of Weselton so we can harvest and export goods from that area. You know how important this is Vlad, I do not want to argue about this again."

"So instead I'm treated like the bastard son, who gets thrown a modicum of the kingdom and I'm just supposed to bow and say thank you to the great King Alexander? I'm so tired of this, you have always favored him even though I'm your blood and the rightful heir!"

"That is enough!" His father yelled and slammed his fist down on the desk, causing their mother to jump. "You have never had respect Vladimir, for me or for your brother, and that is your biggest problem. Rulers must learn respect in order to earn respect and that alone is why you are unfit to be king, not because I favor you any less."

For once Vlad had no sharp retort or snide expression, he looked genuinely hurt and slightly rattled at their fathers harsh words.

"This is why this was never meant to come out, look at what it is doing to all of us." His father said dejectedly, then turned to face Alex. "Son, Weselton is suffering, we are out of resources and money, you've known this. I've told you that it is imperative that you marry a well off woman with either blood ties to a wealthier nation or a dowry at the very least. I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to marry Rendella."

More betrayal and pain, the realization of how callous they were cut through him with alarming pain. Why was it up to him to sacrifice his happiness for the kingdom? It was asking more than any one person should be forced to give, it was more than a father should ask of a son. "I love her. That means nothing I suppose." He said flatly.

Alex could see the hurt flash briefly across his father's eyes, but it was nothing compared to the agonizing pain of betrayal that was ripping a hole through his heart. That pain suddenly morphed into anger, at all of them. If they really loved him they would not be asking him to give up his true love.

There was still one thing left in his control, a decision. He knew what he wanted, what he was going to do, and he didn't care what anyone was going to think of it.

He turned and looked Vlad directly in the eye. "You want to be king? The crown is yours then." He said as indifferently as he could muster. "I have news for all of you, I am marrying Rendella whether you approve of her or not, and if that among other things makes me unfit to be your next king, so be it."

Vlad stood there with a shocked and bewildered look on his face. He could visibly see his father's shoulders sag as the disappointment and despair shot across his eyes. Somewhere it hurt Alex too but he didn't see another option, they weren't giving him a choice.

"I will still take over the outpost, if that is what you want." He added unemotionally. He couldn't abandon his father completely no matter the circumstances.

His father nodded almost imperceptibly then sat there, clutching his crystal, looking shattered and defeated while his mother tried to cover up her tears. Vlad still stood silently in the corner without saying a word, though he looked pleased with himself. Let him have Weselton and all it's problems if that's what he wanted. Let him know the burden of choosing an acceptable bride that he doesn't love, maybe it would force him to finally grow up, though Alex doubted it. He was done, he just wanted to take Rendella and run away from everything.

"If there's nothing else then, I suppose I'll leave at once." He said dully. He waited briefly for a response but when none came, he opened the door and walked out.

His mind was still reeling, it felt like he had just been punched in the chest and couldn't catch his breath. Suddenly it was all gone, everything he had ever known or cared about, evaporated into thin air—everything except for Rendella. He needed to find her, to look into her blue eyes and know that everything was going to be all right. She would give him the strength to do what he knew he needed to do— leave.

As he walked he realized something else was there too, rooting its way through his chest… As soon as he said he would abdicate, a growing sense of freedom and relief spread over him. He could do it. He could start fresh and new and run his own small kingdom like Thomas had done, with Rendella by his side.

They would run it together, fairly and justly, and they could be left alone and free to be together without the scrutiny of the world bearing down on them— the thought was liberating and he knew it had hold of him. The prospect of going away and doing things his own way suddenly made his chest tingle with nervous excitement and he knew there would be no going back.

The large doors of the library creaked open and in walked a very defeated looking Alex. Rendella closed the journal and stood up.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, her concern rising. She had never seen this look of pure anguish on his normally lively face before.

He said nothing, only walked over and embraced her. She held him tightly as they stood there, wondering what had just happened down there.

They pulled apart and he took her face in his hands. "I love you so much." He said, then leaned down and kissed her. "Come, walk with me and I'll explain."

They walked down to the garden and he recounted the conversation he had just had. The more he disclosed, the more she couldn't believe what he was telling her. She also couldn't help but feel as though it was her fault.

"Alex, I'm so sorry, if— if this is my fault, please don't do this for me." She said sadly. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like if she were suddenly told that Primrose wasn't really her sister. She would be hysterical, that she knew, and to abdicate the throne on top of that— she didn't want him to throw his whole life away just for her.

"Don't you know I would do anything for you?" He said with a smile. "We're on this ride together, remember? Besides, I couldn't stay here anymore, not after finding out the truth. Let Vladimir have the throne, he wants it more than I do and I'm just not up to constantly arguing with him anymore."

She was mildly surprised by how well he was taking the news that his younger brother had just usurped his future from him.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked skeptically.

"This is more than I could have ever dreamed of. We can build a life together Ella. We can live together in peace and freedom any way we please, with our own rules, for as long as God allows."

She couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm, it was infectious and she knew she'd follow him anywhere he wanted to go. "I can't think of anything in the world I'd want more."

They kissed again, and she suddenly smelled the same flowers she smelled when he had first kissed her on the balcony in Corona. She looked around and discovered that the part of the garden they were standing in was filled with purple and yellow crocus flowers.

"Looks like these little flowers are becoming something of a good luck symbol for us. They're always around us at significant times."

Alex smiled at the realization.

"Lets go now then." He said, his excitement building. "Right now, our things should still be packed on the ship! Let's start our new life right now, who are we to ignore a sign from the mighty crocus flowers!"

His eyes were excited and dead serious at the same time, he really was ready to do this.

"This is mad…" She shook her head slightly but couldn't hide the smile forming.

"That's what makes it so perfect, come on!" He said as he led her back into the palace.

"Your Highness!" The voice of Kai stopped them up. "Sir will you please tell me what is going on? There is talk that you've abdicated and that Prince Vladimir is the heir to Weselton." Kai said looking alarmed.

"Yes, the rumors are true, I am now taking over the northern outpost. We're leaving at once."

She could see the sadness spread over Kai's face at the news. "Sir I don't under—"

"It's a long story old friend, one I do not particularly wish to recount at this time, just know this is for the best, the best for everyone." Alex said sincerely.

Kai's bearing quickly shifted from alarmed and confused to witty sagaciousness, like a veteran skilled at assessing then handling an unpleasant situation.

"I would argue the point if your stubbornness wasn't so well renowned." Kai said flatly. "I suppose I shall get my things."

She could see Alex's face light up all at once. "You're coming with?"

"Someone has to keep you in line sir, and why should I break precedence on that matter now after so many years carrying that burden." Kai said with a smile.

Alex smiled and reached out to squeeze Kai's shoulder. "Meet us at the docks, we'll leave as soon as you arrive."

They were nearly at the front doors when another voice caused them to stop.

"Wait, please." It was the voice of the Queen who was briskly walking towards them. "Alex please, you must know that we all still love you very much." She said with tears in her eyes.

Rendella looked up and could see the sadness in Alex's eyes, it looked very similar to how she felt when she had left Primrose in Corona.

"Of course I do mother, but I feel in my heart that this is for the best." He said as he embraced her. "You will always be in my heart."

Rendella looked away, she knew she was part the reason for the Queens grief and had no idea how to make this right for them.

"Just please be careful." The Queen said over his shoulder.

She then turned to face Rendella. "Take care my dear." She said quietly before covering her mouth and turning around to quickly walk away.

She wanted to say something, anything to express that Alex was not lost to them, but she couldn't find the right words, so she silently watched the Queen walk away.

As they approached the docks, the King was already there, waiting for them.

"Goodbye father." Alex said stoically, but she could hear an undertone of remorse in his voice.

The King glanced at Rendella. "Son may I speak with you before you leave, in private?"

She looked down and pretended not to notice his disdainful glance and remained as silent as she was with the Queen. There was nothing she could say or do that would help this situation.

"No. If you have something to say, you may say it to the both of us." Alex said with a tone of defiance.

She appreciated how Alex was always quick to defend her, it was one of the first things she had fallen in love with about him, but she understood the need for a private goodbye.

"Really, the least I can do is give you both a moment alone." She started to pull away but Alex put his arm around her waist, keeping her in place.

"What did you need to tell us father?" Alex spoke unemotionally.

The King relented. "I want you to have this. I was going to give it to Vlad when he took over the outpost, but, well since you are now handling that, this should go to you."

He handed Alex a large leather bound book with the strange writing on the front— it was the same book she had seen in the library earlier.

"What is this a book of?" Alex asked curiously as he flipped through it.

"It's a detailed recount of my expeditions of the northern outpost. That land is rich son, not only with resources but… magic… strange creatures inhabit those mountains."

Visions of those frightening little cretins from the book, alive and crawling through the trees, caused her to shudder.

"Magic creatures?" Alex asked with a skeptical look.

"Up in the highlands, I came across a dominion of… of trolls. Little critters that look like rocks to the naked eye, and harness the power of crystals. They were benign as far as I could tell, but powerful. Should you ever need assistance, I would suggest seeking them out." He said in a low voice.

Rendella glanced up at Alex who was obviously as disturbed by the King's report as she was.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I think you should take this too, I don't believe it belongs with me anymore." He took off the crystal necklace and held it out to Alex. "The creatures— trolls, they gave it to me, long ago when I first ventured into the area and stumbled upon them. It's meant to guide, and perhaps you can figure out its meaning where I have failed."

As soon as the crystal touched Alex's hand it glowed for a brief moment, and she could see his eyes glaze over as if he was listening to something distant.

"Alex?" She asked growing alarmed.

He blinked and seemed to snap out of the strange trance he was in.

"Did you hear something?" The King asked expectantly.

Alex blinked as if straining to listen again, than nodded.

"I'll be damned, no one else has ever been able to hear the message!"

Rendella had no idea what was going on, she hadn't heard anything unusual, but the King looked livelier than she had seen him all day.

"What does it mean?" Alex asked with a look of astonishment and disbelief.

"I have never been able to interpret it, but if I were to guess, I think it has something to do with you, son."

Alex's brow furrowed like he was working through perplexing puzzle. "But I, I've just abdicated… It talks about a king rising…"

"Like I said, it's just a theory. Perhaps you will be able to decipher the meaning better than I have."

"I don't… know what to say." Alex said quietly as he stared at the crystal.

"No matter what happens, you will always be my son and be welcome here. I've discovered that I can control destiny no more than I can interpret it. Go fulfill your dreams son, the world awaits you." He then embraced Alex, and with another quick glance at her, he turned and walked down the dock.

"One last thing. I was told to keep it dry, the crystal. I have no idea why, but I wouldn't chance it." He said as he turned back towards them one final time. "Goodbye son."

Alex stood there holding her hand as they watched him walk off. Even if they still didn't approve of her, she was glad Alex was at least leaving on a better note with his parents.

They sailed north until the auroras became a permanent fixture in the night sky. "They're beautiful." She said, gazing up at the sky in awe. She had heard about the colorful lights that illuminate the sky in the north, but she never dreamed she would actually see them.

"They're almost as beautiful as you." Alex said as he put his arms around her so they were both leaning against the bulwark of the ship. "Where we're going you'll be able to see them nearly every night." He said as he kissed her cheek.

She liked the idea of that; she never thought she would tire of gazing at their mesmerizing beauty.

"Speaking of that, I think we need to come up with a name for our new little home."

She thought about it for a second, but decided she had no skill at creating names. "We'll use whatever you want."

"Mmm, well if you're leaving it up to me I choose to name it Rendella." He said with a smirk. "Rendella, the quaint outpost of the north."

"Anything but that." She stated dryly and rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm out of ideas, it's your turn."

She thought for a minute than smiled, he had given her an idea. "How about Arendelle?"

"Arendelle?" He tested it out.

"Arendelle, for Alexander and Rendella, a combination of our names." She saw his face light up and knew he liked the name.

"Arendelle, a blending of us just like the place itself will become. It's perfect." He leaned over her shoulder and kissed her.

She liked it too, it sounded strong and beautiful, everything she hoped their new home would be.

The leather book—journal, that the King had given them, still lay open in her arms. She had been flipping through it trying to gain a better sense of the land they were going to, but she couldn't take her focus away from the section on the terrifying little creatures— trolls.

Now that she knew they were not a work of fiction, but inhabited the very mountains she was soon going to live near, she needed to know everything about them— or she quite possibly would never again get a good nights rest. There was no way to discern if they truly were benevolent, only the word of the King, and that was not going to comfort her if she saw a strange shadow scurry across the woods or heard a peculiar noise in the night.

Perhaps they had given the King the crystal in an attempt to drive him mad, or to get him to believe a false message to further their own ends. What if they suddenly were to decide they no longer wished for people to inhabit their realm and cursed the land? It was all quite disturbing to contemplate and she wished she could read the ridiculous dialect so she could find out more about them.

"This is such a curious book, why is it written in such a strange language?"

"My father wrote it in old Norse, so not just anyone could read it. He had all of his private documents written that way for secrecy. He taught Vlad and I how to read and write it also."

"So you can read it?" She asked excitedly. "What does it say here about the trolls, are they malicious, friendly, deceitful?" Her tone sounded more anxious then she meant it too.

Alex smiled at her as if he thought her unrest over these little cretins was amusing, but he read it to her anyway.

"Alright it says here, 'These ancient creatures might be found in the Valley of the Living Rock, but only if they want to be found. Trolls are masters of minerals and yielders of the night sky. Their skin is as tough as rocks, but they mean and love well.' "

That eased her mind a little, they seemed like they enjoyed their privacy and kept to themselves. Also, any creature that respected the elegance of the night sky couldn't be that horrible.

"Does it say anything more about the crystal they gave your father?"

Alex scanned the book.

"I don't think so. It cites the many different types of crystals they have at their disposal, but there's no specific mention of this one. It seems my father disclosed to us all he knew about it.

This is interesting though, it says here that all crystals have the ability to store energy. It would seem they can transmit energy in the form of thoughts, emotions and memories, among other things. It says the trolls respect the crystals because they harness sacred energy supplied by the earth and auroras and this gives them an almost cognizant awareness."

"So the crystals are alive?" She asked in awe. She had never heard of this kind of magic in her life, it was intriguing and unsettling to try and comprehend.

"I don't think they're alive like you and I are, but it does seem they have some kind of awareness, yes. Though it says they don't commune with everybody, only those whose intentions are selfless and directly connected to the information they wish to transmit. Apparently their purpose is to keep everything in balance. They all hold different types of energy and can bring destruction upon those who are greedy, selfish and wish only to use the crystals for their own means."

He finished reading and closed the journal.

Living crystals that could discern people's intentions and transmit energy— suddenly the trolls themselves, didn't seem so unnerving.

"Alex, what happened when you touched the crystal? You looked so far away, it was frightening."

He paused for a moment, looking lost for words.

"I heard a message, words hummed in my head and spread throughout me about a king who will have a powerful daughter. It was very strange, but don't let it frighten you, nothing ill came of it." He said with a smile. "In fact, why don't you give it a try? See if you can hear anything, it might help us solve this riddle."

She wasn't sure she wanted to. Alex had looked disconnected from reality when he touched it and it had been unsettling to watch.

Corona also had its share of magical folklore: old sorceresses who would cast evil spells and do unspeakable things to keep from aging. Magic was something she never had a desire to dabble in— though she had to admit, she was curious about what it might tell her. The selfish part in her heart that longed for a daughter wanted more information about this powerful daughter of a king that kept cropping up in cryptic messages.

"I'll try it." She said, holding out her hand and gesturing towards the crystal.

Alex looked surprised, but held it out to her.

Her hand was shaking slightly, but she slowly reached out took it from him.

As soon as she grabbed it a blinding white flash shot through her mind, and she no longer felt like she was on the ship. Reality seemed to melt away and she felt as if she was floating in the clouds. Looking closer, she could see that the white was actually a blizzard of snow that was swirling all around her. Momentarily disoriented, she looked around trying to see something, anything, to gain her bearings, but all she could see was white.

Then, in the distance, the silhouette of a person started to emerge from the whiteout. Her curiosity once again overtook her fear and she squinted to see who or what was approaching her. As it came nearer, the spectral figure of a woman began to materialize, and her features slowly started to become more apparent.

She was very striking, nothing about her looked remotely commonplace, except maybe the single light blonde braid that blew behind her in the wind; it was the same style Rendella regularly wore her hair in. There was definitely a majestic presence emanating from her, intimidating but not threatening, more regal, elegant and controlled— perhaps she was a queen.

Though quite possibly the most striking thing Rendella noticed, was the hauntingly sad look in her eyes. Looking into her eyes was like looking through a window to this woman's soul and something about those blue eyes was extremely familiar, like she had known her forever. With one look she sensed all the pain and suffering this woman was dealing with, and felt a strong sense of empathy towards her. Though even eyes so sad, still somehow added to her arresting beauty. But behind the pain, behind the beauty, elegance and control, she could see a woman of great kindness and vulnerability, and felt an overpowering desire to comfort her.

'I can help you' Her own words came out as thoughts instead, but she instinctively knew the woman had heard her, because she smiled slightly as a tear rolled down her face. The longer she observed this seemingly bereaved woman, the more she appeared to be no more than a girl, a girl who looked very alone, lost and defeated. The innate urge to comfort and help the young woman was only growing stronger, so she slowly walked over to her.

'Everything will be alright' She spoke with her thoughts. The woman didn't seem alarmed by her at least, but the words caused more tears to cascade down her face, and she worried that she had somehow made her feel worse. Through the blizzard she could tell that the woman was staring at her with a pleading look. Her eyes looked so desperate and confused, like she wanted to say or do something but didn't know what. So Rendella did the only thing she could think of, she reached out and hugged her. She hugged her tightly, like the world depended on it, like her sister would do for her when she was crying, and tried to soak the pain right out of her. She didn't understand why she felt so close to this woman, but it felt incredibly natural and right to be comforting her.

Abruptly, the blizzard receded into the distance and the snowflakes halted in midair. Rendella looked up and saw that the subsiding blizzard revealed a sunny, green, lush kingdom covered with flowers and forest, surrounded by beautiful mountains and sparkling water. They were standing on top of the tallest mountain looking down at the land.

Rendella had never seen such a beautiful place. It looked like paradise, and she wondered if that's where they suddenly were, though the woman seemed unfazed by the changing landscape, and instead still clung to her like a lifeline, sobbing into her shoulder.

'Look. It's beautiful' She mentally spoke to the woman. She wanted her to see this alluring place; perhaps it would ease her suffering. The woman finally released her and turned to look at the paradise below them. She still seemed unfazed by it and Rendella couldn't understand how she was not more uplifted by this gorgeous view.

'Don't let your agony blind you from this paradise. Savor its beauty, let it heal your pain and allow yourself to be happy.'

The woman still stared unemotionally out across the kingdom, but Rendella could sense that she was struggling desperately with some unseen internal demons. The blizzard was creeping closer again, and the girl shut her eyes and squeezed her head between her hands. Rendella quickly grabbed her hands, forcing her to open her eyes and face her.

Up close and away from the blizzard, looking at her was almost like looking into a mirror though not quite exactly, and she realized why. Her blue eyes were similar to her own, but what made them nearly identical was not just physical: she recognized the same panic in this girl that plagued her. It was the fear of being inadequate, unworthy, and trapped in front of everyone while they ridiculed her for her innate shortcomings— shortcomings, like her status, that were entirely out of her control. Ultimately, this had forced her into trying to become someone she was not, to confine herself to the expectations of others. At its core, it was the desperate fear of losing grip on who she really was, and she could see that same fear reflected back at her in this woman's eyes.

'You can't allow the fear of others scrutiny control who you are or alter how you live, worry only about what is, not what might be. You can create your own beautiful destiny if you let it go and just be you.'

At this the woman smiled slightly and the blizzard slowly started to recede again. It receded even further until it finally disappeared completely. With the blizzard removed, they looked out and could see many different kingdoms spread out before them stretching all the way out to the horizon. These other realms however, were all much smaller and less magnificent then the original paradise that still lay before them. She could see a bright white aura suddenly spread out from the large original kingdom and infiltrate all the smaller ones, linking them all together.

None of this made any sense, and the woman seemed as surprised as she by this new perspective. They stood there gazing at the awe-inspiring sight and Rendella could finally see a spark of hope in the woman for the first time.

She was still gripping Rendella's arm, but turned away from the view to face her with a pleading look in her eyes.

'Don't leave me, please.' She heard the woman think.

She smiled reassuringly and nodded her head, letting her know she would never abandon her. Tears came to the woman's eyes again and she reached out, hugging Rendella tightly again.

All at once the landscape and woman dissolved and she was abruptly back on the ship.

"Ella? Darling, are you alright?" It was Alex's voice. She was sitting on the deck now, leaning against the side of the ship with Alex gripping her shoulders. It was disconcerting to be back in such a plain reality after where she had just been. She almost felt a sad longing to go back there, wherever it was, if it even was a place.

"Rendella say something, are you hurt?" She was so bewildered that she had forgotten to answer him.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. What happened?"

"As soon as you touched the crystal it glowed brightly, then you slumped to the deck. I caught you, but you seemed unconscious for a moment, are you sure you feel alright?"

"Yes, no, I mean I feel fine but I'm not sure… I think I went somewhere else just now..."

"What? Did you hear the message also?"

"Not exactly… I think… I saw a message." She said as she started to stand up. Alex helped her, she didn't feel dizzy or sick, the vision must have come from the crystal.

"What did it show you?" He asked warily.

She took a deep breath and looked up at the auroras, then out across the water. The lights illuminated the surrounding mountains and hilly forests. She realized they were sailing into a fjord, not unlike the one she had just seen in the vision.

"I think… I think I saw our daughter."