Chapter 2

I push the creaking door open, the rusted hinges protesting with a screech that slices through the still air. My heart's wild drumbeat in my chest, curiosity and trepidation warring within me as I step into the abandoned house. The house I was found in back when I was an infant. The shadows cling to the walls like dark cobwebs, and I squint, scouring every inch for the glint of the royal emblem. The room smells of dust and long-forgotten secrets, and the weak light from the setting sun slants through broken shutters, painting everything in hues of gold and gray. I move forward, my boots stirring up ghosts of the past with each deliberate step. Echoes fill the silence, a haunting reminder that this place is mine alone to explore. Something catches my eye—a flicker in the corner, a whisper of light that dances across an object shrouded in dust. Hope surges, fierce and hot, as I edge closer. Careful, Davina. This could be it. The answer to the questions that haunt your dreams might just be sitting in the darkness, waiting.

My hands are steady, my spirit unbreakable. I've come too far to falter now. So I approach the dusty relic, drawn by its promise, ready to uncover the truth that has eluded me for so long. My breath hitches as my fingers brush against the object, a thin layer of dust clinging to my skin. It's heavier than I expected, the metal cool and unyielding. The royal emblem. At last. My hands tremble, not with fear, but with the weight of discovery. I lift it, the aged insignia catching the dying light, its intricate patterns etched deep into the metal. It feels familiar in a way that chills me to the bone—a silent whisper from a life I can't recall. I close my fingers around it, the solidness grounding me, anchoring me to this pivotal moment. Memories cascade through my mind, a torrent of images too fast to grasp. A grand hall, laughter, a melody from a lute—fragments that should mean nothing, yet they stir something deep within. A sense of belonging? No, more than that. A claim to something greater, something fierce and undeniable.

I press the emblem to my chest, willing the onslaught of emotions to make sense. Each heartbeat sends another wave of disjointed scenes—a flash of silk, the scent of roses, a touch that sparks both warmth and pain. My knees wobble, and I steady myself against the wall, the rough stones biting into my palm. This isn't just a history awakening; it's an uprising in my soul. A rebellion against the void of my past. With each pulse, the fragments knit together, forming the beginnings of a tapestry I'm not yet ready to see in full. But I will be. I must be. The room spins around me, a whirlpool of shadow and light, but I stand firm. Power surges within, a rising tide that won't be quelled. I am—lost, found, and on the brink of becoming something more. Something unstoppable.

Eyes snap wide, taking in the emblem's intricate design—a lion rampant encircled by thorns. The room fades, a backdrop to the lightning bolt of realization that strikes with unforgiving clarity. My fingers trace the etched lines, and images click into place—flags bearing this very emblem, whispers of a lineage thought lost, a throne that once stood strong. "Is it possible?" I mutter, not daring to voice the full breadth of my speculation. Truth beckons, a siren song amidst a sea of lies that have shrouded my existence. As I hold this blanket that once held a small poor infant child. Could the kings have something to do with my family's disappearance? Has fate played its cruel hand to cast me here, adrift in anonymity? The magnitude of discovery grips me, an anchor sinking deep into the ocean floor of my reality. Questions batter against the walls of my mind. Who am I truly? Why was I hidden away, my history erased as easily as footprints on the shore? Determination ignites within, a flame fed by years of uncertainty now ablaze with purpose. No more will I cower in the shadows of ignorance. The truth is a prize I'm owed, and I will claim it with both hands.

"From this moment," I whisper, conviction stealing my voice, "I will find out why the King's crest is on this blanket that once was wrapped around me and also prove to the king that we are not just scum or pawns in some scheme but people that have lives and feelings and families that need help and protection and peace." Power isn't just inherited; it's taken, forged from the fires of resolve and courage. And I am brimming with both. My chest heaves with a newfound fervor, each breath a promise to myself. I will unearth the secrets buried in my past. I will step into the light of my true heritage. This journey is mine, and mine alone. "Watch me rise," I vow to the silent walls, my spirit unyielding. The quest for answers begins now, and nothing will stand in my way. Fingers curl around the cool metal, the etched lion roaring silently in my grasp. This emblem, a tangible echo of royalty, ignites a rebellion in my soul. I clutch it, not just as a relic, but as a testament to the life that beckons beyond these walls. My past, shrouded in shadows, now demands the dawn. Each heartbeat is a drumbeat of resolve, pounding out a rhythm that spells freedom. "I will uncover every truth," I promise the darkness, "every secret locked within me." My spirit won't be shackled by unanswered questions any longer. I am the key; I am the seeker.

The weight of the emblem in my hand roots me to the spot, yet propels me forward. It is an anchor and a compass both, pointing toward a destiny I'm ready to seize. My future—a tapestry unwoven—awaits my claim. Rosalind's name surfaces in the tumult of my mind, a beacon amidst the storm. Trustworthy, wise Rosalind, with eyes that have seen sorrow and hands that heal. She'll stand with me, guide me through this labyrinth of lineage. Her cottage, a haven of hushed secrets and whispered wisdom, calls to me. "Rosalind," I breathe, the word a vow in itself. To her, I will reveal the swirling chaos of my soul, the emblem's weight, the burden of what could be my birthright. With her, I will forge a path through the tangled underbrush of my history.

Reverent, I tuck the emblem close to my heart, a silent pledge resonating within its metallic chill. Together, we will unfurl the scrolls of my ancestry, and decipher the codes of my existence. The journey is perilous, but I am undeterred. "Watch me," I assert to the stillness, a warrior preparing for battle. I slip the emblem into the pocket of my tattered cloak and push open the splintered door. The musty air of the abandoned house clings to me, a reminder of the secrets it harbored. I step out, leaving behind the shadows, as the last strip of sunlight claws at the horizon. My boots crush the dead leaves beneath them, a steady rhythm against the earth. Rosalind's cottage awaits, a sanctuary where answers might bloom from the soil of uncertainty. The forest swallows me whole, a vast expanse of whispering trees and half-seen movements in the periphery. I'm a shadow among shadows, a specter driven by purpose. My heart beats a fierce cadence, each thump a defiant drum calling me to war—a war for truth. The wind teases my hair, sending chestnut waves to dance with the night. With every stride, the emblem's presence is a weight and a promise, a symbol of the power I've yet to claim. My mind teems with questions, with fears, but they don't break my stride. They can't. I am Davina Soren—unbowed, unbroken. This journey isn't just a path through the woods; it's a march toward destiny.

Rosalind's cottage materializes from the gloom, its windows glowing like beacon fires guiding me home. My breath comes quicker now, not from exertion but anticipation. My fingers find the cool metal of the emblem, and I squeeze it once, twice, thrice—a talisman against the tide of doubt. I reach the door, solid and familiar in the sea of my tumultuous thoughts. Without hesitation, my hand rises and falls in a knock that resounds through the silence, a declaration of my arrival. The sound hangs between the trees, an echo of the change that's coming. I stand tall, ready to face what looms within and beyond these walls. My past is a puzzle, and Rosalind—with her knowing eyes—is the key. It's time to unlock the gates of my heritage and step into the legacy that whispers my name. The door swings open, and Rosalind's presence anchors the night. Concern etches her features as her gaze locks onto mine, sweeping over the emblem in my grip. "Davina?"

"Rosalind." My voice is a blade—sharp, sure. I step past the threshold, the warmth of the cottage wrapping around me like a cloak. "Tell me," she urges her wisdom a beacon in the tempest of my thoughts. I thrust the emblem forward, letting it catch the firelight. "This... it's the key, Rosalind. To who I am. To everything." The words tumble out, fervent, unstoppable. The memories crash against my mind—images, faces, whispers of a life stolen. She takes my hands, steadying me. "You're strong, Davina. You always have been. This journey..." Her eyes search mine, "It's just beginning."

"Help me," I say, not a plea but a command. "Guide me through this storm." Rosalind nods, her touch firm. "Together, we'll unravel your past and forge your future. Trust yourself, child of destiny."

"Trust," I echo, feeling power surge within. It's time to rise. Time to reclaim what's mine. Rosalind smiled with glee turned away and flowed into the back room, I could hear her rummaging for something in the wooden cover. I wonder what she may be looking for. Rosalind returned in a few moments and held up a bag, "In this bag, there are rations, a rumsack full of water, some medicine in case you need them and then also in the other room are two newly sharpened daggers that I just so happened to have hand on hand out of nowhere. Mostly because I had a starting feeling you would be needing them soon." 

 I grab Rosalind and hug her tightly and then make my way for the door, I look back at the old cottage that I once used to spend hours in cleaning and making potions for the royal family. And now I am looking back on it like this is the last time I will ever be seeing it. The look in Rosalind's eyes gives me the courage and strength to do this alone to keep fighting for everything and to never give up. And that is what I will always do. Not just for me, but for everyone.