Chapter 1
Ravenbern bustled with activity. The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air as it wafted from the bakeries. Horse hooves clacked on the ground, chattering merchants hawked their goods and trinkets, the buzzing of townspeople going about their daily business--I basked in this early morning noise on my way to the Wednesday market. Tall, timber-framed buildings lined the narrow cobblestone streets, their upper stories jutting out over the walkways below.
This was an old stronghold with towering stone walls that encircled the inner city and a majestic castle looming high above the rest of the buildings, next to which stood the most impressive church I had ever seen. It was the Cathedral of Saint Matheus, which dominated the skyline with its bell tower and intricate stained-glass windows.
The city also boasted a bustling port, where ships from across the kingdom would dock to trade their wares. The sound of seagulls could often be heard overhead as sailors unloaded their cargo and merchants haggled over prices.
I made my way through the crowds, carrying a basket of handkerchiefs and coin purses on my arm. I weaved in and out of the people, trying to find a good spot to set up my small stand. As I searched for a place to sell, I couldn’t help but notice the many guards that patrolled the streets. They wore heavy armour and carried sharp swords, always on the lookout for any signs of trouble. I tried my best to avoid them and continue on with my business, but their watchful eyes seemed to follow me wherever I went.
Ravenbern was not without its darker corners. The narrow alleys and shadowy corners of the city were home to a seedy underworld of thieves, cut-throats, and smugglers. These unsavoury characters would often prey on unsuspecting travellers or the wealthy nobles who passed through the city. So I dismissed the guards’ behaviour as them simply doing their duty.
Today, as I was packing up my things, a group of guards approached me. My heart sank as they grabbed me roughly by the arm and dragged me to the castle. I didn’t know what I had done wrong, but I was terrified. I had heard stories of people being thrown in the castle’s dungeons for even the smallest of offenses.
The guards surrounded me, and as I walked through the streets, I could feel the eyes of the townspeople on me. They whispered and pointed, as if I was some kind of criminal. I was just a seamstress, trying to make an honest living. But I suppose that didn’t matter to the crown.
I stood in front of the magistrate, my heart pounding in my chest as he administered the law. I wondered what I did wrong. He looked down at me from the raised platform he was sitting behind.
“Young woman, you are exiled to the Island of Azura, where you shall marry and you shall remain there for the rest of your days.”
As I listened to the magistrate read out my sentence, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair wash over me.
“Umm, Sire? I think there’s been some sort of mistake. You’ve got the wrong person,” I babbled while ripping the skin open around my cuticles with my index finger. A drop of blood appeared on the wound, and the pain soothed my racing thoughts.
“Are you, or are you not Ellen Strand, eighteen years old, who resides on Palmer Street, number two hundred and four?” he asked in a high-pitched tone, raising an eyebrow that reached under the fringe of his oversized wig.
My heart leaped into my throat and I swallowed heavily.
“I-I am,” I stuttered.
“Then there’s no mistake. According to the law, all maidens of age from unfortunate households are eligible to be sent over to the Island of Azura.”
“Still Sire, I don’t—”
“A certain Georgina Strand came in and offered your hand in exchange for the one hundred gilded coins reward.”
“Mother?” My eyes widened in shock. “She wouldn’t do that! Not without—”
“The paperwork doesn’t lie.” The magistrate exhaled. “She signed it and stamped it with her blood.”
“No!” I struggled in the clutches of the guards. “Let me go!”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My family agreed to ship me off to Hellhole? How could they do this to me? I had never done anything wrong in my life. I was just a young girl from a small village, trying to make an honest living as a seamstress. I was selling handkerchiefs and embroidered coin purses in Ravenbern to keep my family fed. But apparently, that job wasn’t providing enough tax for the crown. They needed more cheap work-force, and they didn’t care where they got it from.
The benches around me screeched on the hardwood floor as I restlessly tried to free myself. But it led me to yelp out in pain because the guards fastened their grip on my arms.
“Young woman, if you keep resisting, I’ll be forced to lock you up to protect the crown’s investment. I’ll give you two days to pack your things and say goodbye to your family. If you run away, they’ll be charged with deceiving the crown and punished according to the law. If you all run, you’ll be hunted down and executed on the spot.”
As it turned out, I hadn’t done anything wrong. The crown just needed more able-bodied workers for their fields and mines, and they didn’t care where they came from. They used to send only prisoners to that island. Even for petty crimes like stealing bread to feed one’s starving family. But now the same laws were extended to the poor as well. As if being poor was a crime. My heart shattered. We’ve become truly expendable.
I tried to be strong, to keep a brave face, but inside I was screaming. I didn’t want to go to that island, to be forced to marry a stranger and spend the rest of my life there.
As I walked home, my head hung low in shame, I could feel my tears starting to fall. I was being ripped away from everything I knew and loved, from my family, my friends, and my home. I was being forced to marry someone I had never met, and to spend the rest of my days on Hellhole. The streets were crowded with people going about their daily business, but none of them spared me a second glance. To them, probably, I was just another criminal being punished for my supposed crimes. But I knew the truth; I was innocent, and I had done nothing wrong. All I wanted was to be back home, to continue my life as a seamstress, but that dream was now shattered.
