Prologue

There once was a legend about an ancient stone which had belonged for centuries to one man called The Warrior.

He had found it at the beginning of time and since then for many decades the magical stone had brought him victory in every battle he'd entered. Feared by all his enemies he'd started to rule the world as The King and The Warrior.

But one day the Ruby – the ancient stone – had been split in half. The Warrior had been swallowed by its power and the stone had been lost until now.

***

A little girl tossed and turned in her sleep when The King's servant entered her room. She looked at the girl and put a stool next to the room window. She climbed up the stool and reached for the golden curtain ring which had slipped from the cornice at night. The servant hung the ring back on the cornice and looked out of the window at the castle grounds.

The King's palace had once become her home and The King's daughter – her family. But she wasn't going to stay in the castle anymore. She had found a new home and someone to replace a family. And she was going to leave The King and his daughter to find a new life.

There was a loud crack as the servant fell from the stool. The girl woke up. The servant had risen from the parquet floor and left the room heading for the palace gates before The King came to see his daughter.