Chapter 1
My brother used to sit with me by the fire. His eyes would glow bright amber, a reflection of the fire burning at our feet. We would sit in silence. Watching the flames sway. They would dance and crackle yet we remained still. His hands would be clamped tightly together in his lap. His hair hung loosely damp over his face. I would watch him in silence. I didn't see it then. But his eyes were not merely reflecting the fire burning beneath him. They were a raging flame of their own. The walls melted in the warm silence. The fire grew so large and burned so deep. We would sit there until he would reach out and run his fingers through my hair. He would hold my hands between his as a mother would. "Victoria have I ever told you the story of the Shadow Queen?" My eyes would light up as he spoke. After all he was quite the story teller. I'd shake my head and he would chuckle a low rumble as his cheeks rose into a smile. His dimples on full display. "Well sis would you like to hear it?" I would shake my head yes already in the habit of staying silent even at such a young age. Such a shame. His eyes brightened a shade as he released my hands and patted his knee calling me to sit with him. He would hug me as he spoke, " The Shadow Queen was a powerful and determined woman." " She was treasured by her people. And feared by the world." He would shift his eyes to mine and hold my hand. " This fear drove many to try and rid of her. Fear drives many as it still does today." " She would fight off army's to protect her people. She would shoot her bow from miles away and take out the men one by one. " I looked at my brother with wide eyes as he continued to tell me her tale. " She did it all in the silence of the night." " Many would say this made her weak. They would say it made her a coward. " " Why wouldn't she face them in the day head on? They would say she was a foolish woman. They said this made her shallow and weak." He ran his hand over my head and wiped a tear from my eye. " But to me Victoria. To me this made her stronger. This made her clever and smart. She was the Shadow queen after all. The shadows are not fully gone during the day. They are never truly chased away by the sun. But they hide in the cracks and listen. They hear everything. They collect all of the knowledge so when the night falls and they crowd over the lands. They are that much stronger" He now would hold my hands again this time to his chest. " See Victoria you remind me of the shadows. You are smart and strong. Remember that night always falls and when it does you are that much smarter." I would nod still fascinated with the Shadow Queen herself. I was young and naïve. I didn't understand the weight of his words. He would set me on the ground and I would look at him for a moment. But just as I was to speak. Father burst through the door. His royal guard following behind him. He would look down at me in disgust. His face hard and edged he payed me no mind and looked to my brother. His golden heir. My brother would immediately be at his side and ready to listen to his every word. My servant would scurry in her head down avoiding any gaze that she may meet. My father would look at me now and it seemed to disgust him so deeply that I would never forget that gaze. "See to it that she is "handled" and without another word he was gone my brother right next to him. Once again my father had stole the only warmth in my cold frozen world.
