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“ C ome on, Aviva, pick up the sword.”

I peered out across the large, cobbled terrace I stood on, watching as dark clouds began gathering to the north. Spring had just begun, but apparently the sky here wasn’t aware, as it was ready to continue dropping fresh snow on top of the ice still coating the ground from the storm last week.

I took in a deep breath of fresh mountain air, trying to soak in the rare opportunity to enjoy the outdoors without a downpour of some sort.

As I basked in the sun’s unforgiving rays, I leaned down to pick up the sword my lovely twin brother had tossed at my feet moments before, like he’d instructed.

“Good. Now remember your stance, and then…” I barely had time to get myself into position before he leapt forward, knocking the sword from my hands—for the third time in a row—in one swift motion.

“I surrender,” I groaned before lowering myself to the ground, splaying my wings out on the stone behind me.

In the North, wings touching the ground was generally not allowed, especially as royalty, and supposedly reflected poor character—but when it was just me and Dimitri, neither one of us cared all that much.

I also didn’t care in the moment that my gown would likely become filthy so soon before dinner.

“You know swords aren’t my specialty, Dimitri.

Now, add some daggers into the mix, and then we can have some real fun.

” I grinned up at my brother, hoping he wasn’t too disappointed in my easy defeat today.

Any day Dimitri had to spare, he insisted on dragging me to this terrace to train with me or practice a new maneuver he learned—as though he hadn’t trained me enough in our nineteen years of life together.

He shook his head, sighing, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You might be in a position one day where you won’t have your daggers, Viva. You’re more likely to find a discarded sword on the battlefield, rather than a dagger. I just want you to be prepared for anything.”

I wondered to myself what the point was, since females weren’t even permitted in our father’s army, but decided to keep that thought to myself.

He walked over to where I sat and took up a spot next to me, bumping my shoulder with his affectionately.

“I will have to take you up on the offer to fight you on your terms, though. Maybe it’ll help convince me you’re not completely hopeless after all.

” He said it as a joke, but to me, I knew there was a layer of truth to it.

Being the cast-aside princess of a kingdom at war wasn’t the easiest role to play.

It wasn’t a role at all, really. Our father resented me, although I couldn’t know for sure why due to the fragmented memories that made up my early childhood.

From what I gathered, I believed it was due to the fact that I was born fortunate enough to be able to wield all five northern zirilium, while Father’s only son, Dimitri, couldn’t wield any.

What Dimitri lacked in wielding, though, he made up for in swordsmanship.

He never needed to be able to wield ice or lightning, water or air, or even the weather .

Although, it wasn't like Dimitri knew I could wield anything, let alone all five Northern zirilium. He didn’t know why Father treated me the way he did. In the eyes of my brother, we were both powerless, so we should be on equal ground, right?

Due to Father resenting me for things I couldn’t control, he preferred to keep me out of the public’s eye.

I rarely got permission to leave the castle grounds, but I still snuck into the city often enough to be recognized by the townspeople if I wasn’t careful.

As Dimitri and I got older, though, he’d been able to sway Father more and more into giving me more freedom.

Though it was likely just to please Dimitri, more than anything.

I treasured those precious memories, especially on days like today.

One time, he convinced Father to allow me to accompany him to The Thousand Stars Festival some years ago, seeing as it only happens once a decade.

Father had told us once how much Mother had loved the festival—one of the only positive memories he ever shared about her—and I had been set on going ever since.

The night of the festival, Dimitri and I shared a floating lantern, as we shared everything, and wrote as many anxieties and fears on it as we could.

So many, in fact, I was surprised it was still able to float while carrying the weight of our burdens—but float it did.

And though my problems didn’t disappear that night, for just a moment, I had felt lighter.

“I don’t want to go to Father’s dinner this evening.

Can’t you make up an excuse to get us both out of it?

We could sneak into the city instead,” I suggested to my brother, trying not to sound too desperate.

I’d do almost anything to avoid such an uncomfortable night.

Not only was it a dinner with Father and his advisors, there would also be an ambassador from the South there.

The news about the ambassador had come as a surprise to us all.

The North and the South of Inphis, our continent, had been fighting since long before I was born.

Though, if the rumors were true, there was a new king in the South.

Rumor has it he was looking to find peace with us, instead of war.

I imagined I was only invited to dinner to play the part of the pretty, obedient princess, but even then, if I could avoid the whole ordeal, I would.

Not only that, but I also wasn’t sure I wanted to be anywhere near a Southerner. The thought of sitting at the same table with somebody who has likely committed war crimes against my people made my stomach turn sour.

“Please,” I said, turning to face him. “I hate having to put on such a facade for Father’s diplomatic purposes. I doubt I’ll even talk to anybody the whole night if I were to go. Nobody would miss me if I weren’t there, and we both know it.”

Dimitri sighed, running a hand through his snow-white hair, the color matching mine perfectly.

A Heartshire family trait that had been passed down from our late grandparents, and their parents before them.

“I’m sorry, Viva, I can’t this time. Father specifically requested your presence for tonight.

Aurora will be here any moment to help you get ready.

” He looked at me with a gleam in his eyes I couldn’t quite place, which was unusual for us.

Usually, I could read him like an open book.

I should have been excited at the news that my best friend would arrive soon. That was what I should have focused on. Yet all I could focus on was the fact that Father actually wanted me there tonight, along with the unsettling look Dimitri had in his eyes.

“Are you sure he was talking about me? Do you know why?” I questioned, my thoughts beginning to run rampant.

The only time I routinely saw Father was once a day, around midmorning.

He and Hugo, our royal trokav, visited my chambers every day to bring me my daily elixir.

The one I’d been taking for as long as I could recall.

Ever since the accident when I was a small girl, I’d willingly taken it.

Father said I was born with a slight defect, which was why the accident happened in the first place, and the elixir helped correct it.

Considering he found it important enough to personally see to the task every day without fail, I never pushed for more answers aside from the bits and pieces I remembered myself.

After all, one should be able to trust their own father.

Dimitri slowly rose from the ground, offering me his hand. “No, he wouldn’t tell me, but I can’t shake the feeling he’s planning something for tonight. Something big.” He sounded worried, the opposite of his usual bravado and confidence. The tone of his voice made my stomach drop.

“Please be careful tonight. Stay with Aurora if she’s permitted inside the room,” he said as I took his hand and rose to my feet.

“You know I will. But please, if you discover anything before then, find me,” I said, watching him as he picked up our discarded swords and placed them back on the racks that covered the stone wall behind us.

Just as Dimitri opened his mouth to speak, another voice called out, “Viva!”

A smile erupted across my face at the sound of her voice.

I spun on my heels and caught sight of Aurora descending from the sky, her smokey-gray wings elegantly pumping at just the right pace for a perfect landing.

A moment later, I found myself wrapped up in her, squeezing her tight and letting her cinnamon scent wash over me.

“I’ve missed you!” I said, pulling back after a moment.

Dimitri and I met Aurora the night of The Thousand Stars Festival after some older kids had broken the frame of her lantern, so it couldn’t fly.

We offered to have her light ours and help us send it off, and she’d happily accepted.

Together, the three of us watched our lantern soar high above our heads and join the other nine hundred ninety-eight.

Since that night, she’d been my best friend.

And although I didn’t get to see her often growing up, in recent years she had begun studying under Hugo to be the next royal trokav, so she resides in the castle now.

I was grateful that she lives so close now, as I used to go months without seeing her.

“I’ve missed you, too. When Dimitri mentioned the dinner tonight, I figured it would be a good excuse to tell Hugo in order to see you and help you get ready,” Aurora said with her usual small, mischievous smile playing on her full lips.