CHAPTER 1
“You are now crowned Queen of the Dawn Dynasty.”
As the crown settles on my head, all I can think about is how I don’t want it. How this life has been chosen for me, and I was told it will protect me in every way possible, that there could be a future for the Dawn Dynasty with me as its new queen. But all I see is a chain wrapped around my head and tying me to a generation of people I don’t share blood with. I am a daughter of the Moon Dynasty, the firstborn, and yet everyone decided my fate lies in the Dawn Dynasty... even when there is hardly anyone left in it. Mazzis smiles at me as he lowers his hand away from the crown he just gave me, one he had made on the day I was born. It’s a stunning crown, suns and moons woven together in bright oranges and yellows. The colours of dawn. It’s nestled in my black hair now, the warm colours a contrast to my pale complexion and general darkness. I prefer the night to the dawn, and no crown is going to change that. Mazzis is my grandfather, as he married my grandmother, and I smile up at him. He has always been in my life, gifting me books and sharing knowledge. He also never fails to bring me sweets on my birthday. He and my grandmother traveleverywhere, and I usually end up with a huge bag of different sweets from new towns.
The room comes back to me as the cheers rocket off the walls of the chapel, the stained glass barely holding in the noise. This chapel, like everything else, was built by my parents. Every inch of it is designed to show off the Moon Dynasty, from the crescent moons on the white tiles below my feet, to the walls and ceilings which are covered in painted stories of dragons, stars and the ever-changing night sky.
The Moon Dynasty is ruled by my parents, King Ziven and Queen Story. A romance of legend, spoken about by everyone. Both of them stand proudly, clapping and cheering in their fancy clothing. I don’t see my mother in dresses often; she prefers leggings and one of father’s tops, but now she is in a tight black dress that clings to her. She proudly stares at me, and I look away, to my little brother. They say I was born with the darkness of the moon but my little brother? He was born with the fire of a dragon. He has my father’s face, but my mother’s red hair, and looks far more like them than I do. I might be their firstborn, but I am not the heir to the Moon Dynasty, or the Sun Dynasty for that matter. No, that is my amazing cousin, Hettie, who’s off traveling the world to get to know the towns she will rule over. A letter appeared a week ago, explaining she couldn’t get herself back here in time with the heavy storms to the south. No ships were sailing, and it wouldn’t be safe. Without the use of dragons to fly us, it takes weeks, if not months, to travel, and it is always dependent on the weather. I know she’d be here if she could; her letter said as much. Hettie might be the only person that understands the pressure I am under — she had the same pressure for her entire life. The child of two dynasties.
My grandmother comes over, touching my hand. “The crown suits you, my darling grandchild. It’s beautiful and we all knowyou will lead the Dawn Dynasty into a new era. Many will follow you, cherish you and find peace in your new lands.”
“Thank you.” I swallow down the sickness rising up my throat. No pressure. I wish the crown came with instructions on how exactly to be a good ruler. How can I tell them that I don’t want it? They’re gifting me the lands of the Dawn Dynasty, the lands my father, uncle, and many others have spent years building for me. I’ve never even seen the new Dawn City; only heard it is where all the important books are kept and managed. There are around a thousand fae and vampyres living there now, all sworn to King Mazzis... and now me. The rest of the lands are still in ruins, a mess from the dynasty war. I feel ungrateful if I say a word. It’s no secret what my mother went through: born in a slave camp and then a blood slave to a prince who hurt her. I’m lucky. I just have to tell myself it a million times and maybe it will feel true at some point.
My father catches my eye, and I swear he can see straight through me. He has always been able to do so since I was a kid. His shadows were always following me around, catching me when I fell over, bringing me food the minute that I felt even remotely hungry. He was just there, and he was always such a good father. My mother — she’s just everything a mother could be. Loving, kind, even when she wakes up screaming in the night sometimes, even if she will never tell me about the terrors and horrors that are whispered throughout the court. She saved the fae and vampyres — and they adore her for it. When my parents look at each other, it’s as if the world disappears and it’s just them. They sacrificed a lot to be here, and as they look at each other, a slight bit of envy hits me directly in the chest. I mean, it’s my twenty-first birthday today and I’ve only kissed one boy, a friend, and I felt nothing. There are several okay guys within the Moon Dynasty, but all of them see me as a way to become a king. In truth, I want what my mother and father have — a mate bond.They are drawn to each other, and have a bond not even death could take. I want that.
No. It’s better if I stay alone, especially considering my powers, and there is zero chance I’ll find my mate when everyone I meet is controlled by my mother and father. For my safety, I don’t leave these lands... and it will still be years before they will take me to the Dawn Dynasty. Years before I will be away from their protection.
The clapping, the cheering are still continuing as I walk down the middle of the path, my parents following behind me. People bow instantly for them, and it’s not from fear. It’s from pure respect and love. Everyone’s welcome here in the Moon Dynasty, once sworn to the royal family. There are now hundreds of thousands of people that live through the lands, and all come willingly. Most of our population is split directly between the Sun and Moon Dynasties, a mix of vampyres and fae. My uncle is the King of the Sun Dynasty, and I smile at him as I pass. He nods once at me, his daughter just in front of him with his hands on her shoulders, her long blonde hair radiating like the sun. He’s always been a good uncle to me, and he is Dad’s friend.
The minute I get out the door, and no more eyes are on me, I suck in a deep breath of relief, my shoulders dropping. I’ve always hated being in the limelight. My eyes drift up and I find my reflection in the mirror. My black hair falls to my waist in perfect curls, twisting over the dark orange, sunset-colour ball gown that is tight around my chest. Glitter dust sparkles on my skin, and with the crown, I look every inch the queen they want me to be. “I will go to my room and refresh for a minute before the party.”
“Do you want me to come?” My mother touches my arm, her eyes soft. She is my friend, just as much as my mother she is, but I need to be alone. “I can feel that you’re anxious. It’s a lot,in front of all these people. Being a ruler is a huge responsibility, and if you need?—”
“I just want a bit of time to be me.” I cut her off. “I don’t need anyone for that.” The truth is, there isn’t a single person in this castle who knows what I really want. Who knows me, really.
A flash of understanding echoes in her eyes. “All right, if that’s what you want. I’ll come find you in a few hours. We have an amazing firework display set up. You’ll love it.”
My father wraps an arm around her waist, and she gazes up at him. “Let’s distract our guests so the new queen of Dawn can have a moment.”
I flash them both a thankful smile before I leave. I walk slowly to begin with, but the second I’m out of their view, I run. I’m not running from them. It’s not that I don’t love my family. I do. I’m just not like them. They fit into the roles of being royal so easily. People look up to them; they look to them for advice; they look to them for understanding, and for so many things. But me? No, I can’t even control my water powers. Even now I can feel the power humming underneath my skin. Every drop of water calls to me, and it’s irritating, maddening, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Everyone says control will come in time and I’m still so young... yet nothing. I reach for the power, and it reacts like a tidal wave.
I might be able to breathe underwater, but no one else can. I learnt that when... I close my eyes and shake my head. No, I can’t think of what happened. I press forward, finally sliding into my room and shutting the door behind me, pressing the back of my head against it. My safe place. There, at the bottom of my bed, is the only thing that’s piqued my interest and the only thing I want to learn about. When I was a kid, I found it in the water. A purple, shining dragon egg that should not exist. Even now it shines, just like the day I found it. But dragon eggs are pretty much unseen without their parents around, and noone can hatch them. I have no idea why it came to me. Why, most importantly, it doesn’t hatch. Dragons are almost myths to me and my friends. We know our parents rode them and then they went off to have their lives, their own families. My mother and my father often speak of their connection to their dragons in their minds. They can hear them sometimes, even now, but I wish to see one more than just an egg.
I walk towards it, placing my hands on the scales, feeling its coolness. My mother once said that she felt a dragon egg should be warm. She doesn’t understand why mine is so cold or purple, and why no magic can help it hatch. “Admiring your stolen treasure?”
I’m still staring at the egg when a man steps out of the shadows of the balcony. He’s huge, with wide shoulders that strain against his shirt and thick legs planted wide. Powerful. He is in all black, except for a long purple cloak that falls from his shoulders down to the floor. He’s littered with weapons, everything from a glistening purple sword to many, many daggers clipped around his waist. His hair is shaved on one side; the other side, dark black locks fall across his forehead, and his face looks as if it were carved out by the gods themselves. A scar runs over his bottom lip, which has a looped piercing around the bottom of it, as he looks me up and down. There is a paleness, a stillness that makes me wonder if he is a vampyre, but there are no normal signs. His eyes aren’t the right colour for one — they are as purple as his cloak. His hair is too dark for one. “Who in the name of dragons are you?”
“Let me guess, you’re some pretty princess of this world?” He drags his eyes over me. Assessing. Something flickers in them. I guess at this moment, I do look like a helpless princess in a gown and crown.
“A queen.” I slide in front of the egg to protect it and quickly grab a dagger hidden under my bed. One thing my father taughtme is how to defend myself, and my mother taught me how to hide weapons wherever I might need them. I hold the dagger out between us. “And you need to leave my room before I make you bleed all over my rug.”
“Hmm.” He barks out a deep laugh, and I shiver as the sound echoes in my ears. He takes a step forward, never even glancing at the dagger. I have a feeling I’m a duck out of water compared to this man. “I can’t do that and I don’t intend to waste my blood on your rug. They’re going to want to know who you are because they’ve been looking for that egg for a long time. They hired me to come and find it.”
“Who are they?” I only have to keep him here a little longer. My father will know someone uninvited is in the castle the moment he senses my fear.
“The dragons.” He walks towards me, quickly closing the space. “Though they’ve abandoned this world and they are furious, thief.”
Even with his intense stare, I don’t lower my dagger for a second. “Why do you keep saying this world?”
“You’ll see.” He is close enough now that one more step and my dagger will be in his chest.
“I won’t, because you’ll be bleeding out on my floor in five seconds flat.” I snarl. “You walked into the wrong castle.”
He runs his tongue over his bottom lip. “That’s doubtful. You’re tiny… in a weighted dress, and even that crown looks mighty heavy on your head. I’m pretty sure a perfect, pretty little queen like you is going to have no chance against me. If you’re waiting for someone to come and save you, like your father perhaps, that isn’t happening. My magic has this room locked down.”
There’s such arrogance in his voice, such conviction. He honestly feels like no one can beat him. I can hear it in his tone.I grip my dagger tighter as a little panic fills my chest. “Try it, asshole.”
He smirks before he moves. He moves fast — as fast as a vampyre can. I just about trace him before he’s in front of me. A dagger’s somehow in his hand that I didn’t even see him pull out. I barely manage to fend off his blow as he goes for my throat. I don’t know whether he’s going to actually kill me for a single second, and in that second, all I want to do is plead for him to let me live. I barely manage to push him off and I spin, the stupid dress catching on my feet. Because he’s right, this dress is a hindrance. That mistake is all he needs. He grabs me again, his hand wrapping around my throat, and he pushes me straight into the wall. His other hand grabs my dagger and slams it above my head with a bang. Someone had to hear that. Someone has to come. He doesn’t hurt me, not exactly. But it’s clear I can’t move, not as I struggle in his arms. He smiles, revealing two sharp canine teeth, and he leans into me. “What’s your name?”
