Page 21 of Winter Gods & Serpents

Kingdom of Solarya and Hanai, more from fear than like, maintained neutral to his decisions. But Adriata and Eldmoor shut their connections with Isjord and took a cold position to their plans, fearing the intentions of King Silas. When he had then attacked Olympia after his union with their princess, massacring all its people and their royals at their most vulnerable time, fear had grown twofold. His intentions had come in the clean, he was looking to produce an heir, a weapon only his to wield and toward whom was very clear to all.

For generations, Aura diluted their powers by mating with din-Aura, humans. Even the union of two identical gifted magic wielders often amounted dangerous for their children due to the power they would channel. To mix two Auran bloodlines was cursed, forbidden by god given laws.

Astrum liber, our sacred book spoke of very few hybrid Aura. They were described as powerful monstrous creatures that drowned in their powers unable to control them. They had raged war and destruction upon our lands. Ybrises, creatures of doom.

Olympians were powerful, if not the most powerful of the elementals, their people blessed by one of the most divine gods. Legends spoke of blessed powerful enough to command skies, winged beings able to fly that had descended from his realm Caelum and those that could crack clouds, air and land with lighting. Silas had gone rabid to seek what heavens punished.

Fifteen years later from the union, he and Queen Serene had three children, and to their fathers’ displeasure none displayed any signs of either of their parents' gifts. They had inherited humanity. Had gods and heavens taken the living side, was everyone’s question.

However, twelve years ago, the council and the whole of Adriata had suddenly received news anonymously that all of king Silas’s children had in fact displayed great powers from both their parents and were being trained like soldiers readying for war, hidden away from everyone’s eye. Unease and fear grew strong amongst the spiritual lands. The council had gathered for decision and attacked merely days after the news. In their rashness, they had not only failed to kill all the heirs, but found out the truth that none had in fact possessed magic, instigating conflict between our two kingdoms and killed thousands of innocents and three innocent royals.

Scorching sun heated earth and my air. It was warm, too warm, while our south was about to drown in frost our lands never saw before and the west constantly under the eyes of storms and thunder. It was too quiet, while our east clouded and crawled by monsters from the sea of the dark and our north under constant need for attention to honour the agreement of the Highwall, a physical border built to separate our kingdom with Isjord. Not only rock and steel but magic laced and protected, an impenetrable fortress who had left our kingdom stranded. Before stranded, now imprisoned by cursed waves of natural and unnatural disasters that for almost two years straight had relentlessly costed us hard work, attention, tens of villages and even lives.

The hay dug on my hands, scratched the surface of my callused palms, the weight of the large pellets almost weightless as I moved them around the stables. Besides the swish of loose hay on the ground being stepped on by me, the neigh of horses and the summer breeze, there was nothing but silent peace.

A low whistle came from the gates disrupting the strike of calm. My brother leaned in all smug observing me. “If you are looking to charm a stable girl, I’d take the trousers off too.”

So much for my peace. “I don’t have the nerves for you, Mal.”

“I’d feel bad for poor you if you were not the biggest prick.” He pushed from where he leaned and stalked to me. “She is back.”

Her, the only one whose name felt forbidding to speak out loud, the Winter princess. She was back and soon she’d be here, in Adriata.

I halted dropping a pallet and turned to him. “When?”

“A few days ago. Moon court has called for a meeting.”

I picked up the last pallet and said, “I will be there.”

He did not budge despite my words of dismissal. “You know we do have stable people who look after them. Will I be finding you in the kitchens next?”

“If it keeps my ears with blessed silence you might even find me with the sewage workers.”

He cringed. “There are other hobbies you could acquire. Like drinking.”

I scoffed. “You will not get your delicate nose near any of those places, and you will keep away from me. I thought the stables were good enough, but apparently I’ll have to rethink my hiding spots.” It had taken him exactly a week to figure out where I’d chosen to spend my time of rest.

“Gaining a sense of humour in your old age? Get your funny arse to the meeting, I will not sit there on my own and hear the old bats grumble.”

I threw him a withering glare and he backed away in a small jig. How was this man-child my brother? How many times had I asked myself that per day?

I faded to my room. The magic used to bring guts to my throat but now it was as swifts as the click of fingers. Sometimes I’d thought of fading myself to the bottom of the ocean or the top of a mountain, but I’d been taught not to run from my troubles and somehow each time I tried I ended up being reeled in place, that thought had stuck like the worst glue.

Tearing my clothes off, I dipped under the cold-water surface of the bath and pulled all shadows around me clouding the room in total darkness. Quiet. Silent quiet.

A knock sounded at my door and I let out a long breath of frustration. I knew quiet, the quiet did not know me.

“Kilian,” Driada’s voice called, moving about my room. “Are you decent, son?”

Barely pulling my body out of the water, I wrapped the robe around me. “Is there something the matter, Driada?” Mal’s mother, my stepmother.

She shook her head, her hands nervously lacing on one another. “I heard the princess is back. I wanted to hear from you if she was alright.”

“I heard from Mal also,” I explained, offering her to sit down. “Also, not sure if she was alright, to us if she is alive she is alright.”

A frown gathered on her brow, more worried than perturbed. “She is to be queen of Adriata. How is that not a concern of yours, is a concern of everyone’s.”

It was my concern, just not how it was for the rest. I flickered a hand through my soaked hair. “In title, Driada, only in title. That creature is not anyone’s queen.”