Chapter 1: Taken in the Night
The moon hung low in a cloud-draped sky, casting an eerie light upon the rocky cliffs of Scotland. The wind whispered through the valleys, rustling leaves and carrying the faint scent of heather. It was this nightly tranquility that masked the horrors unfolding at Castle Suibhne. In the heart of the fortress, three-year-old Princess Sgàil lay curled beneath the heavy blankets of her bed, oblivious to the chaos that would soon change her life forever.
Outside, shadows moved with purpose. Silently, a group of cloaked figures approached the castle grounds. The kingdom was in the throes of war, and the cries of a grieving mother would not reach the ears of those struggling for power. A quiet spell was cast over the night, wrapping the castle in a dark lullaby. Before dawn could break, the intruders struck.
Sgàil awoke to the chilling sensation of hands gripping her tiny limbs as she was lifted from her warm cocoon. A muffled cry escaped her lips, but it was swallowed by the night. Panic surged through her small body as they carried her away, stepping carefully over cobblestones, out into the starlit night. Her parents’ cries echoed in the distance, but she could only see dark splotches beneath an indifferent sky.
Her life as a princess would soon flicker away, replaced by an existence in the shadows.
