Aria Thorn stormed through the castle corridors, her long, curly brown hair bouncing behind her like a wild animal. She was furious.
Her mother, the queen, had just informed her that she would be attending the annual Silvermist Ball, and Aria was having none of it.
"I won't do it, Mother," Aria spat, her green eyes blazing with defiance. "I hate those stuffy old parties, and I'm not going to pretend to be some kind of princess just to make you happy."
The queen's face turned icy cold, her pale skin seeming to glow in the dim light of the corridor. "You will do as you are told, Aria," she hissed. "You are a member of the royal family, and you will behave accordingly."
Aria rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Because being a member of the royal family has worked out so well for me so far."
The queen's eyes narrowed. "What are you insinuating, Aria?"
Aria shrugged. "Just that maybe being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe it's just a fancy title for 'prisoner'."
The queen's face turned white with rage, and for a moment, Aria thought she might actually slap her. But then, something strange happened.
The queen's expression changed, and she looked almost... scared.
"Aria, listen to me," she said, her voice low and urgent. "You don't understand what's going on. You don't know what's at stake."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Mother?"
But the queen just shook her head. "Never mind. Just be careful, Aria. There are things in this world that you can't even imagine."
And with that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Aria feeling confused and more than a little concerned.
What was going on? What secrets was her mother hiding?
Aria was determined to find out.