As the man lifted his gilded visor, the Corlixin King and Queen could clearly see the familiar, rugged face of Ikelos Forgeborn, King of Drothmore.
“We’re trapped in here, Ikelos,” Benedict called back, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the stone window frame. “You need to save Naria, we’ll throw her down to you.”
“What?” Elowen gasped, almost choking on both smokeand shock. Horrified, her hands wrapped tighter around the wriggling bundle at her chest. “We are not throwing our baby.”
“We have no choice, it’s the only way out for her.” Benedict turned to stare into his wife’s now glossy eyes. He was trying to speak calmly, but his lower lip quivered with each word.
Keep it together, Benedict. For her.
Outside, Ikelos barked orders for his soldiers to enter the palace and find their bedchamber.
“We’ll extinguish the flames and get you out,” the Drothmore King called up to them after his soldiers hurried off. “No need to throw any babies.” He laughed as though Benedict’s suggestion was absurd, but his lightheartedness did nothing to calm them. The rising heat in the room was all the pair could focus on.
Despite the chaos, Benedict remained facing his wife. “Listen.” His hands clasped her shoulders. “I love you, and I know that you would never let any harm come to our sweet girl, but if we somehow get out through our door, it won’t be safe for her. It’ll be too hot. What if we collapse from the heat or the smoke? Let Ikelos take her. I trust him. He’ll catch her.”
But his words did little to slow Elowen’s racing heart. Her chest felt heavy as she glanced down at little Naria, who was trying to sleep but the smoke kept waking her. How could she drop her out of a window so high? How could she let her fall into the night? There was no guarantee that Ikelos would catch her. What if he missed? Deep sobs erupted from her chest.
“Let me do it,” Benedict offered as he tried to pry the baby away from Elowen’s grasp. For a moment, she gripped tighter until an intense wave of heat hit the side of her face. Immediately, the King and Queen reached for each other to avoid stumbling against the wall.
When Elowen could finally open her smoke-filled eyes, she felt her stomach drop as though it had jumped out of the window instead. Their once-grand door had melted away to reveal ablazing wall of fire. It illuminated their bedchamber in a fierce orange glow. And as Elowen stared at the flames, they stared back, stalking closer with every second.
“Please do it now,” she whimpered, loosening her grip on the bundle. “I love you so much, my sweet baby girl.” Her hand brushed Naria’s blonde curls one last time before Benedict passed her tiny body through the narrow window opening.
“Ikelos!” he announced, biting back a sob. “You need to catch her. Do not let her hit the ground.” His words were clear and powerful. A strong warning.
“Forge’s Flame,” Ikelos muttered, scrambling off his horse. He moved below Naria, his arms outstretched and poised to catch her. Above him, he could see the silhouette of a small baby wrapped in white, a stark contrast to the starry night sky above. She was so small, yet somehow, as her father held her out, she looked almost divine.
“I’m ready!” Ikelos answered, his voice tight.
“My dear girl,” Benedict said with a quivering jaw. Elowen hugged his waist, burying her red face in his back. “You will make us so proud. I love you. I—” There was so much more he wanted to say, but another wave of heat, too intense to bear, overcame him. It was so hot; he was certain he felt his blood boil.
Holding back a scream, the King spoke one final time before dropping her into Ikelos’s waiting arms.
“You are the next Queen of Corlixir. And you… You will rise like a phoenix from these ashes. We are already so proud of you, our sweet Naria.”
And then, she fell.
18 Years Later…
CHAPTER 1
Until that morning, I’d only ever heard about the Steel Palace in stories. Whispers around the village had told me some of the spires were so tall they reached the clouds. Someone else had stopped me to say there’s a hidden underground dungeon, where they torture faeries and misbehaving visitors, and that I should always be on my guard.
Seeing it in person, however, was a whole different story.
The spires weren’t so tall that they touched the clouds, but they still rose clearly over the trees, dominating the skyline. Colossal steel archways marked the front entrance, and as the horse trotted further down the forest path, pulling our carriage closer, I could just about make out the intricate metal patterns decorating the stained-glass windows.
It was beautiful. Completely majestic. And yet still, the longer I stared at it, the more I regretted leaving my anxiety powder in my dorm room.
“We’re finally almost here! You must be so excited,” theyoung woman sitting across from me chirped like a little bird. She’d arrived with the carriage, introducing herself only a few hours ago and insisting that I’d need her as a travel partner for the ‘long’ journey. At first, I was unsure, but I’ll admit that her bubbly demeanour did help calm my nerves a little.
“Thank you, Lady Raena. Excited is certainly one way to put it,” I answered, trying my hardest to match her refined way of speaking.
“Oh please, just Raena. There’s no need to be so formal.” She swatted a gloved hand towards me. “You know, I was so honoured when the King asked me to help you settle in here. Everyone’s been talking about you. The new Princess Naria… Though perhaps we should call you ‘Princess Star-ria’, considering how popular you’re going to be!” She squealed, then reached into her pockets to pluck out a hand fan. “They’ve even moved my room so that I’m right next to yours, isn’t that wonderful?”
I nodded, hiding the sinking feeling in my chest behind a tight smile.
It had only been three days since the letter arrived. Three days since I’d handed the cream-coloured envelope, marked with the Drothmore King’s seal, to the village mother, too fearful to open it myself.
