"Ashen Everdain, from this day, you are banished!"
Silence blanketed the royal courtroom. The new king, James Everdain, sat on the throne—Ashen's older brother who had claimed power after their father's death.
Ashen, along with his siblings, had been competing for the throne. Yet now, he had lost.
How could this happen?Desperation clawed at his chest as he looked around the room. His gaze landed on his fiancée, a striking woman with sapphire-blue hair. His heart sank. She was against him too.
Shock and despair weighed heavy on him as he stood there, rooted to the spot. He had nothing left. No allies. No home. No future.
The murmurs of the nobles began to fill the air, whispers of intrigue and betrayal.
James scoffed from his throne, his lips curling into a cold smirk. "Take him away," he ordered the knights.
The armored knights advanced without hesitation. They seized Ashen and dragged him out of the castle. Through it all, he maintained a calm facade, though inside he felt hollow.
Thrown to the cold stone outside, Ashen stumbled before standing upright. He dusted himself off, his white hair catching the light of the midday sun. His red eyes glimmered faintly, their uniqueness stemming from a rare illness that had plagued him as a child.
He turned his gaze to the towering castle—once his home. Memories rushed back, of playing in the gardens under his mother's watchful eye, of laughter that now felt like it belonged to someone else.
Letting out a resigned sigh, he turned and began walking. He didn't know where he was going. He only followed where his eyes led him.