Princess Khaline entered the grand dining hall, her footsteps echoing softly across the polished marble floor. The morning light spilled through tall, arched windows, casting golden rays that seemed to catch on every surface, lending the space an almost magical glow. She felt a slight thrill of nerves as her gaze fell on Queen Adelina, her foster mother, who was already seated at the head of the long dining table, waiting for her.
Queen Adelina was a vision of grace. Her silvery hair was swept elegantly back, and though she was dressed simply for breakfast, there was an undeniable regal presence about her. Khaline, despite having spent years in this palace, was struck by the Queen's beauty, and the words escaped her before she could stop them.
"You look beautiful, Your Majesty," she said softly, a hint of awe in her voice.
Queen Adelina looked up, a warm, gentle smile gracing her features. "Thank you, Khaline," she replied, her eyes crinkling slightly. "I might say the same for you. Beauty becomes you, my dear."
Khaline felt a flush rise to her cheeks, and her heart lifted at the Queen's words. She was about to take her seat when Queen Adelina's gaze shifted to the two young women standing behind her—Ceecee and Mimi, who had been her companions for as long as she could remember. Their eyes were lowered respectfully, but Khaline could sense their discomfort.
The Queen's gaze softened as she took them in. "And who are these lovely ladies with you, Khaline?"
Khaline felt a surge of pride as she answered, "These are my friends, Your Majesty. They've always been by my side."
A flicker of surprise crossed the Queen's face, but her smile only grew warmer. "Friends, is it?" she said, nodding with approval. "How very rare, how very… noble." Her eyes sparkled with something Khaline couldn't quite place, and she motioned for them to join her. "Please, all of you, sit with me."
Ceecee and Mimi exchanged glances, momentarily unsure. It was highly unusual for them to sit at the royal table, but Khaline gestured for them to take the seats beside her. Gratefully, they did, casting her shy, appreciative smiles as they settled down.
Once they were seated, Queen Adelina looked between the three young women with a tender expression. "I apologize if I speak too much," she said, her voice lilting with quiet laughter. "But I've waited a long time for this morning." She reached across the table, her hand clasping Khaline's gently. "Now that I've finally met you, my daughter… it feels as though I could live just a little longer."
Khaline felt a pang in her heart at these words. She knew that Queen Adelina had endured years of grief after the loss of her only son, an event that had cast a shadow over the palace for more than a decade. There were nights when Khaline had heard the Queen's quiet tears echoing down the hallways, the sound of a mother mourning a child taken too soon. But now, seated across from her foster mother, Khaline didn't know how to offer condolences for a loss that had happened before her own birth. She lowered her gaze, unsure, and kept silent.
A small procession of maids entered the dining hall with silver trays laden with food. Despite their professionalism, Khaline noticed some of the maids shooting resentful glances toward Ceecee and Mimi. Khaline bristled at the sight, but Queen Adelina, ever perceptive, noticed as well. She held up a hand, her voice firm but kind as she addressed the servants.
"Let it be known that Ceecee and Mimi are my daughter's cherished friends," the Queen said, her gaze sweeping the room. "They are to be regarded with the same respect."
The maids froze, their faces paling. They offered low bows and murmured apologies, the air now filled with a renewed sense of deference. Khaline felt a rush of gratitude toward her foster mother, who had so effortlessly defended her friends. She wanted to thank her, but before she could speak, Queen Adelina waved a hand gently, dismissing her attempt.
"No need to thank me, my dear," she said with a faint smile. "If anything, I owe you my apologies."
They ate in comfortable silence, and though the food was exquisite, Khaline found that it was not the taste that made her feel so satisfied. Instead, it was the warmth that filled her as she sat there with the woman who had taken her in, who treated her not just as an adopted heir but as a cherished daughter. It was a feeling unlike any she'd ever known, a contentment that touched her to the core.
When they finished, Queen Adelina rose and motioned for them to follow. She led them through a side door into a small, hidden garden. It was a place Khaline had never seen, and she marveled at its beauty. Delicate, fragrant flowers bloomed everywhere, and exotic plants of every shade and shape adorned the winding paths. A low stone bench sat in the center of the garden, partially shaded by a flowering tree that swayed gently in the morning breeze.
They took their seats, Khaline sitting close to the Queen. Ceecee and Mimi hesitated at first but joined them, sitting a bit farther back. The Queen smiled at them, her expression kind. "You don't have to go, my dears," she said softly. "As Khaline's friends, you may also be considered my children. There's no need for formality here."
Ceecee and Mimi glanced at each other, surprised but touched by the Queen's words. They settled into their seats, clearly more at ease now.
Queen Adelina took a deep breath, glancing at Khaline with an expression that was both wistful and determined. "You must be wondering why I said I have so much to apologize for, my dear."
Khaline nodded, a faint frown creasing her brow.
The Queen's gaze softened as she began. "Have you ever been told why you were adopted, Khaline?"
"No, Your Majesty," Khaline answered, her voice tentative. "I only know that you…chose me."
Queen Adelina nodded slowly. "Yes, I did. It was a decision made with love and a promise, but not lightly." Her eyes took on a faraway look, as if she were recalling a memory from long ago. "When I was young, I attended the academy with your mother. We were the best of friends. Back then, I hadn't yet married the King, who was already a legend in his own right, though he remained youthful in appearance due to his gift. Some people in this world possess what we call the 'old blood,' an ability to live for impossibly long years."
Khaline listened intently, feeling the pieces of her history begin to fall into place. She had heard of these powers—how some lineages could bestow incredible longevity upon their heirs. She had even heard whispers of the King of Seer, a prophet said to be over a hundred thousand years old, though she'd never truly believed such a tale.
"We made a promise, your mother and I," Queen Adelina continued, a faint smile softening her features. "If one of us bore a son, and the other a daughter, we swore that they would one day be wed. And if one of us could not raise our child, we promised to care for each other's children as our own." She paused, her voice growing more solemn. "Years passed, and I did marry the King. Time and duty separated your mother and me, and we lost touch after graduation."
Khaline felt a pang of sadness at the Queen's words, sensing the sorrow that lay beneath them.
"It was many years later, when I was finally Queen, that I saw your mother again. She… she wanted to break our promise. After all, her child—her daughter—could not be expected to marry a prince. A royal heir could not marry just anyone, she told me. But the old blood does not forget such promises, Khaline. It binds us in ways we cannot undo."
Queen Adelina's gaze grew distant, and her voice softened. "I was pregnant at the time. So was your mother. But tragedy struck, and I lost my son before he could be born."
A sudden wave of grief washed over the Queen's face, and Khaline, overcome with emotion, reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Queen Adelina's hand was warm, and she looked up at Khaline with a sad smile.
"You look so much like her, my dear. Your mother was a woman of beauty and strength." She touched Khaline's cheek gently. "Adopting you was my decision, Khaline, but making you my heir was… fate's will. Your blood was strong, stronger than most in the kingdom. Only the King, his brother, and now you, possess such a high concentration of the old blood."
Khaline's heart pounded as she tried to process the revelation. She had always known she was different, but to hear it laid out so plainly, to know she was bound by promises made long before her birth—it felt like the weight of the world had shifted onto her shoulders.
Queen Adelina's gaze softened as she leaned closer. "Do not fear for your gifts, Khaline. At the academy, you will learn all that you need. Learn all that you can, for our world is restless. The peace we know now is fragile."
She brushed a strand of hair from Khaline's face and smiled. "You are my daughter in every way that matters. I could not have loved you more
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The morning sun rose over the caravan as it trundled along a winding path that cut through rolling hills and fields of wildflowers. The road to the Capital was more traveled than any Nimrod had known, with soldiers posted at intervals along the way. Towering oaks lined parts of the path, their branches forming dappled patterns on the ground, and here and there, wild animals darted across the trail. Travelers and traders passed them frequently, their wagons laden with goods from across the kingdom.
Nimrod sat quietly, his gaze drifting out over the landscape, but his mind was elsewhere. Sitting beside him, Cara was animated, talking and laughing with Leylie, whose easy charm and quick smile seemed to keep the whole group entertained. Nim found himself glancing over at them more than once, a strange discomfort tightening his chest whenever Cara's laughter rang out in response to something Leylie said.
He frowned, a little puzzled by the sensation. He'd been on the run, hunted by wraiths, for months now, and yet, this feeling was different from any fear he'd felt. Something about seeing Cara so at ease with Leylie—so close to him—stirred an unfamiliar ache within him. But he brushed it aside, telling himself it was foolish to dwell on it.
Leylie turned, catching Nim's eye and raising a brow with an easy grin. "Thinking deep thoughts over there?"
Nim felt heat rise to his face and quickly looked away. "Just…taking it all in."
Cara laughed and leaned over, nudging his shoulder. "Give him some time to warm up, Leylie. He's not used to all your chattering."
"Ah, but he'll get used to it soon enough," Leylie replied, winking. Nim forced a smile, though his mind was already drifting back into his own thoughts.
As the caravan rumbled onward, he couldn't help but feel a mounting sense of dread. What if the wraiths found him here? He imagined dark figures slipping through the trees, lurking in the shadows, drawn to him by some unseen force. Could they track him this far? And, more troubling, was there some remnant of his past as a wraith that left him vulnerable to them? Nimrod clenched his fists, silently vowing to find a way to rid himself of whatever it was that allowed them to find him.
But even if he could escape the wraiths, he worried about the academy itself. Would the instructors sense what he was, or at least what he had been? Though he wasn't a true wraith, he knew his training had left its mark—he had learned to fight, to think, and even to move like them. What if he gave himself away by accident, exposing some buried instinct or movement? He imagined the other students staring at him, suspicious, and a shiver ran down his spine.
For a fleeting moment, he considered turning back, abandoning the journey entirely. But he quickly dismissed the thought, taking a deep breath. This was his only chance, his one path toward freedom. If he wanted to escape his past and carve a life of his own—perhaps even discover his true identity—he had to go to the academy. There was no other way.
As they continued down the winding road, Leylie's voice drew him out of his thoughts.
"Nimrod, do you know why they call it the Academy of the Gifted and Knacked?"
Nim shook his head, realizing Leylie was watching him with a look of amusement.
Leylie leaned back, his hands clasped behind his head. "It's because there are two types of abilities: knacks and gifts. A knack is something everyone has, an ability that awakens after the ceremony. It can be anything from flying to super strength, unique to each person."
Cara leaned in, intrigued. "And gifts? Are they different from knacks?"
"Very different," Leylie said with a grin. "The gifted are those who possess multiple knacks. At first, only wizards were considered gifted since they could wield many types of magic. But as time passed, other people with multiple knacks were discovered, so the term expanded to include them."
Nim frowned, still a bit confused. He thought of the wraiths, each with incredible strength and speed, but he knew they had been created, not born with those abilities. "So, does that mean wizards and warlocks are just people with multiple knacks?"
Leylie nodded, but there was a glint of something sharper in his gaze. "Yes, but wizards rely on spells and training to use their magic effectively. There's power in that, sure, but warlocks are something else entirely. A warlock's powers are raw, instinctual—something that can't be taught. It's said they're born with a connection to the ancient magic of the world itself, and some people say that makes them stronger."
One of the quieter boys in their group, Jaric, glanced around and then leaned in closer, his voice a low whisper. "But even a warlock's power can be matched. My older brother once told me that the Sun King is the most powerful man alive. They say he's untouchable, even to warlocks. Some people believe he's one of the fabled Sword Gods."
At this, a hush fell over the group. Leylie's face grew solemn, and he raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. "Best not to mention his name lightly. They say the Sun King can feel it when he's spoken of."
Nim shivered, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He glanced around, half-expecting to see someone watching him from the treeline. For a moment, he thought he felt the brush of a distant gaze, but when he turned to look, there was nothing but shadows.
His heartbeat quickened. The Sun King's power, the warlocks, the academy—it was all so vast, so far beyond anything he could have imagined in the wraith's shadowed world. But instead of fear, he felt a strange excitement rising within him. The academy was his chance to be part of something greater than himself, to step into a realm where he could discover who he was meant to be.
The caravan traveled slowly, the day stretching on as they drew closer to the Capital. Nim kept mostly to himself, glancing now and then at Cara, who laughed and chattered with the others, her face bright and animated. He told himself he shouldn't care, that it was better this way. Yet the sight of her with Leylie stirred an ache in him, one he didn't quite understand.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the landscape, Leylie fell back, sitting beside him with an easy smile. "You're quiet, Nimrod. Thinking about the academy?"
Nim gave a quick nod, glancing away to hide the emotions flitting across his face. "Yeah… It's a lot to take in."
Leylie chuckled, nudging him playfully. "Don't worry, we all feel that way. The academy's like nothing you've ever seen. It's where people come to find out who they really are, what they're truly capable of."
A flicker of hope sparked within Nim. "Do you really think…someone like me could belong there?"
Leylie raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Of course. The academy welcomes all kinds—the skilled, the strange, even the secretive." His grin turned mischievous. "And between you and me, I think you've got something interesting lurking under the surface."
Nim managed a half-smile, though his mind was still tangled with doubt. They spoke no more of it, and for the rest of the journey, he listened to the others' chatter with one ear, trying to imagine the life that awaited him in the Capital.
Night had fallen by the time the caravan reached the outskirts of the city. As they passed through the towering gates, Nim's breath caught. Even at this hour, the streets were bustling with life, vendors calling out their wares, and people laughing and talking as if night had no hold on them. The lights of countless torches lined the streets, illuminating the grand towers that stretched toward the sky like silver spires.
Cara caught his gaze, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Welcome to the Capital, Nimrod. This is where it all begins."