1 The Darkest Night

They came in the night.

Skyla was awoken by the screams of her servant girls. The sound of men yelling filled the halls of the castle.

"They are coming" the girls warned her.

She swiftly arose from the bed, throwing the covers across the room in her haste.

"Barricade the door". Her tone was unfaltering as she desperately stirred the courage to fight from deep within her chest. She threw open the drawer of the bed table to grab the jewel encrusted dagger hidden inside. The inscription at the handle read "be still and wait". It was a gift made for a princess given to her by her father on her 18th birthday. Now, in the shadows of the night, she clung to her only line of defense and prayed no ill fate would befall him.

She ushered the maids to be quiet as she peered through the slit of the grand doors to her room. Outside she could still hear the yelling. Her room was at the top of a large staircase that wrapped up the east wing of the castle to the second floor. Through the small crack the dim glow of torches began to appear.

Soon the sound of footsteps hastened traveling up the long set of stairs. Skyla turned towards the two girls standing behind her and mouthed "hide" in the dim room. The only light was a small glow of embers left in the fireplace.

Quickly they all moved flying into the dressing room. The princess pushed aside her hanging robes and felt along the back wall. When her hands found the seam of the hidden door they felt along the edge. The yelling was getting louder and the invaders were now at the door. She frantically grasped at the wall feeling for the latch. Her heart was now pounding as she tried to keep her composure in the darkness. Her servants cowered behind daring not to speak.

With a loud crack of wood and a thundering of metal hitting the floor it was too late. The girls were cornered and turned to face their captors as Skyla slid the dagger into her sleeve and recovered the escape route. From the light of their torches she could count 9 guards.

"Good evening your highness" one said. It is time to meet your new king.