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Prologue
THE PROPHECY
Robyn
The day my twin brother, Ramiro, and I were born, a seer came to visit my father, Rian the Brave, King of IronHaven, House of Berxley.
Archaic traditions were still held all through Storms Vale. It had become customary for seers from all over the realm to visit the rulers of each kingdom whenever a new heir was born.
The seers were men and women who had the gift of foresight. They were held in high regard by the crown because their visions always came to fruition.
Some visionaries would tell tales of love, glory, and ambition, while others saw death and destruction, foretelling the rising and falling of many empires past.
Unlike the times of the past, only one seer had come to IronHaven on the day Ramiro and I were born. This in itself was odd.
For many reasons, my father was hesitant about hearing what the seer had to say. Unsure what he would do or how he would feel once he had the knowledge, he tried to send the seer away.
With knowledge comes great power, and with power, comes great responsibility. He was a man with the weight of the kingdom already on his shoulders. King Rian didn’t want the burden of knowing his child’s future.
Once you hear the visions, there’s no going back. Good or bad, the knowledge is yours, and there’s no changing it. Many have tried and many have failed, or so it has been said.
King Rian witnessed firsthand what this type of information can do to someone. His own father, King Ryvis, and mother, Queen Mortianna, resented their son to the point of despising him.
My father was prophesied to be the greatest, most-loved king in IronHaven history. This didn’t sit well with my grandparents, especially my grandmother. They were envious of their own son and what would be his place in history.
King Ryvis was an arrogant man who scoffed at the simple thought that anyone would be a better ruler than him.
Queen Mortianna was more devious and manipulative with her ways. She didn’t believe that being the most-loved king was something she wanted for her son. This didn’t scream of a man attributed with strength and power. In fact, she thought it made him weak, so she treated him as such.
King Ryvis and Queen Mortianna washed their hands of their son. Whispers about my father’s upbringing have flowed freely throughout the castle my entire life. My parents never confirmed or denied whether they were true or not. Anyone with eyes could see the rumors were true. Even in later years, after King Ryvis had passed and my father had taken the crown, she was constantly undermining his every decision.
After some convincing from my mother, my father reluctantly gave in to her request.
They agreed to speak with the seer, but only in private.
He foretold the story of a child.
The child would be born to the greatest, most-loved king IronHaven had ever seen. A man who was mighty but brave, ruling with wisdom and compassion, a king who would always put IronHaven above all else. It was clear that man was my father.
Then the seer foretold of the great king’s fall.
Treachery and dark magic would destroy everything the king once loved, but from the ashes a queen would rise.
She would become the first and only woman to ever rule over IronHaven. The woman would have loyal knights by her side, fighting to protect not only her namesake but every man, woman, and child in the kingdom.
The seer foretold my future, not my brother’s.
Chapter
One
Robyn
Wiping away the sweat trickling off my brow as the crisp, hot air of IronHaven fills my lungs. I take a deep breath, raising my trembling arms back up. I release the string between my fingersand watch as my arrow skirts the side of the target for the countless time.
Shit!
“Again,” Dominic demands. My head swings to the side at the sound of his husky voice, leveling him with a wicked glare.
