Prologue

It had been a bitter war – and everyone had suffered for the last fifteen years, but none more so than the four once friends of the Kingdom of Ensfall. No one knew the real reasons why the High Knight, Lian Bloodsbane left his post, but they were all hoping to find out in the biggest trial that had happened in centuries.

The old, beaten warrior once proud and garbed in gold, was now chained in silver and dressed in brown rags for clothing. His once straw colored hair had lines of white through it, and his silver eyes bore no shame as the woman above him stared into them.

"You stand accused of high crimes committed against the court, and the Kingdom of Ensfall. Your charges are many, and are deeply damning." The newly crowned Queen bellowed.

At one point, Queen Athellia, the fallen knight, his wife, and the now King Consort were all the best of friends. The had grown up together, and many thought that the four of them were going to somehow restore balance to the land of Ardel – but it never happened.

For so many centuries the folk of the light had been defending off the monsters of the darkness, who once were content with their share of the world. They had become rabid, and The Great War took many people. Thanks to the sacrifice of the brave, the monsters had been beaten back near their borders – and it would take a lot of time for them to recuperate their losses.

However, something had happened between the four friends while the chaos was at its peak – and all hopes of restoration were lost.

Lian sat chained to the glorious marble ground of the large, round royal court of justice. All sorts of classes of folk were jammed into the hall, most of them had looks of anger. There were jeers and boos until the queen held her hand up to quiet everyone.

It took a moment for the roil of voices to calm into silence, and when it did – she paused even still and looked upon the crown before she bellowed out loudly in her royal dialect.

"Lian Bloodbane, you stand accused of high crimes against the Kingdom of Ensfall.Your charges are all follows: Abandoning your post in war time. Failing to carry out royal orders. Theft and use of official knight garb. Disloyalty to the crown, and attempted regicide due to your negligence. Abandoning royal family members in war time. Neglect and abandonment of an infant of royal blood." She read on from a long scroll as if it were merely a shopping list.

The Queen was glorious and beautiful, even after she had returned from being a captive, impregnated with a child from the enemy – she stood proud and strong. The young prince was even in attendance, and slept soundly next to the new High Knight, which was Lian's fellow soldier, and best friend, Tyran who was now wearing the proud golden armor of his lost position.

She swept her gold hair from her face, and looked down to him with cold, unchanging blue eyes. "In most circumstances, these crimes would warrant a death sentence. However, in remembering your many years of service to the crown, and your help in maintaining the field line – you are subjected to the following punishments. Do you have any words of defense?"

Once more, Athellia paused and tried to read Lian's eyes – but they were filled with fire and rage.

He said nothing. He knew she understood exactly why he abandoned her – she had abandoned him first. All he had asked for from her were a handful of guards to help watch over his pregnant wife and farm – and even though she promised to, the queen never did. It led to the death of his unborn children, and the raze of their home. All whilst he was on the field, and fought to protect his home from those exact outcomes.

"Very well, your silence dictates your guilt and acceptance of punishment. You are banned from living in the High Capitol. You are barred from protection of the crown, and its forces. You are to be taxed at the same rate as a nomad squatting on Ensfall lands. Your children are to never be able to hold a high office, or a title of any kind. They may not inherit your land, but may purchase it from the crown upon your death. You are to be stripped of all accolades, honors, awards, titles, and your last name. Finally, to remember forever that you abandoned your Queen, you are sentenced to lose your right hand."

There were gasps throughout the court. Such a punishment wasn't unheard of – but to take a hand from a once celebrated knight was more than a slight – it was crippling, and a heavy insult. It meant he could never use weapons as efficiently as he once did, and that all would know he was a traitor.

Lian just stared up to Athellia and frowned. He expected banishment – perhaps being thrown into the dungeon or sold into slavery. Instead, she chose to be as petty as possible, and take that of which he had passion for – the fight itself. He held his head high, despite the cries of his wife from the defendant's box at the punishment laid down.

"Myza, you are to share all of the same punishments in losing your titles, your home in High Capitol, your assets and family riches from the Artletile bloodline, and your name shall share the same damnation as your husband. You may not own or sell property, and your children will not inherit your land at your passing. They may purchase it at full price from the royal court. You are no longer a member of the high court, or the royal family. However, you may keep your right hand for your service as a lady of the Ensfall royal court. You carried your duties out as expected, and retired with grace. Although you are not a traitor, you have chosen to continue to support one, and that is not tolerable."

The words were bitter to Myza's ears. The woman she once played in the gardens with was now condemning her and the man she loved to the harshest of punishments just below the death penalty. She didn't even have to be here – but she wanted to be to support her husband. The red-haired beauty was due to 'pop' any moment now, and had to be accompanied by her friend, Kyan to even make it with how swollen her belly was, and how much she ached from moving.

"Your punishment is to be carried out immediately. Before the court and all of the citizens of Ensfall – you shall lose your hand, and your dignity. From this day forward, you are known as Lian Wolfsbane the Traitorous.

"High Knight Tyran Ravenwing, please hand me the royal sword." The Queen commanded and then stood from her throne. She held her hand out to the knight in gold armor, but he hesitated.

She seemed to lock eyes through the helmet and to the man underneath it. It was clear he did not want to do this, but had no choice in the matter.

The knight slowly reached for the beautifully decorated hilt of a large, shiny sword. The hilt was a deep violet that had been crafted from 'dragon glass' – a hard stone that was not easily broken, and was rare to find. Only the finest swords had them, and it was said that the wild magics of Ardel could be channeled and harnessed in each hilt to empower the steel.

The blade was sharp, and had the royal insignia carved into it – a full sun that had 10 'arrow-like' points. Each 'point' of the sun was gilded in a different shade of golden metal starting from a bright yellow, and ending at a dull brass. Both the light, and the dark sat side-by-side at the top. The 'circle' of the sun was a glittering gold, and in the very center was a flourishing tree with some sort of green gem or metal that filled in the deep crevices.

Reluctant and sad, the High Knight did as he was ordered, and handed the sword hilt to his Queen. He lowered his head slightly, and focused on the infant next to him. He couldn't bare to see Lian punished in such a way – but he knew that it was better than the beheading Athellia wanted to enact originally. He spent days talking her down from it, and this was the best he could get her to agree to.

She approached the disgraced swordsman and stopped at a grand altar that was a slab of white marble with natural gold veins running through it. Athellia waited patiently until two guards came to hoist Lian up and escort him to the opposing side of the table of rock.

The straw-haired farmer gazed into the eyes of the woman he once protected with his life, and silently cursed her. He didn't even give her the satisfaction of asking for him to raise his hand – he raised it up on his own accord, and placed it right in front of her on the altar.

As the sword came down to remove his right appendage, Lian stared directly up at the Queen, and the only sound he made was that of a cry from the burning, throbbing pain the steel left on his nerves. It wasn't a long shout – but it was agonizing, and loud. It echoed for what felt like an eternity, and it sounded otherworldly in his ears.

He tried to keep himself standing, but the shock he was pulled into made his knees weak, and reality falter.

Both guards kept hold on either side of him, and what appeared to be a palace doctor came up from the right 'sideline' of the court and began to bandage his spurting stump that had even soiled the Queen's white and purple attire, which she didn't even notice as she focused on Lian's reaction.

"As it should have from the start, your right hand belongs to me, and always shall. Leave my castle, and never meet my eyes again." Arthellia said coldly and turned around to hand the sword stained with blood to Tyran, who wiped it on a cloth.

As he re sheathed the blade, Dias let out a sudden wail from the crib next to him, and Myza clutched her belly as she had broken her water just two hours ago while she awaited the trial. Undeterred from her partner's side, she waited and prayed to the Wilds that she could give birth at home, and with their father waiting for their arrival.

Blood seeped down her legs and into her shoes as her prayers were ignored and she could feel the first of her twins pushing his way into the world, despite his mother's wishes.

"Have the doctor attend to her – immediately." Athellia barked in haste.

Even if she was angry at her once friend, she was not heartless enough to allow any woman to give birth without aid and care. It was something afforded to all mothers, regardless of societal or criminal standing. It was one of her prized royal edicts, and it applied even now.

There was a commotion – a mix of Myza's shouts of pain, the that crowd erupted in a chorus of jeers, gasps, and surprised shouts, the feet that rustled across carpet and tile to reach her, and the sounds of babies' shrill cries as they entered a world full of chaos, and no hope for a bright future.