PROLOGUE

"Beware of false prophets."

Somewhere along the way smiles had been offered and warmly received only to be thrown away half heartedly.

The Titan, as glorious and proud as she was, wavered curiously beneath the Queen's gaze in a way that flowers tremble beneath a hurricane. It was embarrassing and honestly foolish but when it came to love it made the strong woman weak. Unlike punching things to make it go away love and matters of selfishness and over indulgence were not her forte. "It's only a passing fancy," Madrigal would say to herself in a curt tone when she had sworn herself to be alone. "You'll be over it within days so ignore it."

But no, Madrigal couldn't ignore it.

She hated herself for it but hated her sister more for thinking that Riga's own weakness was an acceptable justification for also being churned beneath love's whims. Or any whims truthfully. Mirala may not have heeded the Traveler's call as Madrigal had but they both had their duties. Mirala to her Queen as royal guard and herself to the Light. Sometimes they would talk when they hadn't been fighting and they would discuss prickly matters through furled brows and dark grimaces. "I love him," Mirala would say when they brought him up. "I love him and he loves me. Can't that be enough for you or are you the only one allowed faults?"

They were sisters, they had rivalries to uphold, but when pissing matches went too far it was always Madrigal who was painted the bad guy because Mirala couldn't control herself. And when Prince Uldren came and magically "wooed" Mirala with no more than a passing glance it was Riga who had to be the adult about it. And, as expected, Mira retorted with some aspect of Madrigal's unrequited love for a Queen who would receive the Guardian with nothing more than coldness as hypocrisy. "It's different for me," Madrigal would say with clenched fists. "I know my love will never be anything, I don't act upon it. But you, you're too childish to realize that and do whatever it takes to make stupidity real."

Then they'd stare at one another for a very long and somber time. Somewhere out in the darkness creatures of shadow plotted to steal the light as two sister's fought over silly, selfish matters of the heart. Sometimes it was easy to forget that there were much bigger problems ebbing out upon a tide of bad luck. It was almost quaint to think about.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, sister," Mirala would say before turning her back to walk away. "You should return to what you're better at and punch your problems away."

Then through the frustration of not being able to get through to her only kin Madrigal would loosen her hands and stare out into the vast ocean of space. Reef-born or not it was obvious when she had overstayed her welcomed and decided to leave. Escorted by two other Awoken guards Riga had returned to her ship in order to sail back to her home for another long while. Family reunions, they always left a bitter taste upon her tongue.

She'd return of course, all Guardians would come to the cradle of the Awoken because her Queen would be betrayed by creatures of darkness who once served her. Except that wasn't the reason the Titan would return, not exactly really.

She'd return because her sister, with all of her whims and pointless follies, would have run off with those traitorous bastards. And like the good elder sister she was she'd search the vast and endless shores of space to get her back. Then demand reasons for such stupid actions because that's what sisters do. They act like the authority after it was clear their flock hadn't been harmed.

"There is no greater strength than love," their mother had told them once when both girls were young. "And there is no greater love than my love for you."

And of course, Madrigal had loved her sister and always would.