Prologue
Soft sobbing drifted from the dark cell as small grey bubbles. Following the grey bubbles, Ariaka's bare feet padded silently through the bars and the shadows. The trail of bubbles lead to a thin, scraggly girl curled up in a corner. Her smoky brown hair, matted with dirt and blood, slid away from her bruised face, revealing wary, unfocused blue-grey eyes.
"Veralidaine," sounded Ariaka's musical voice, laced with indigo treads. "He's dead. You are free."
Hope sparked in Veralidaine's eyes as they focused on the petite, frail looking girl that had been her only touchstone to reality and sanity. "He's dead? Ozorne is dead?" she croaked, her voice damaged from screaming. "I'm truly free? To go home?"
Ariaka hesitated. Crouching down by the wounded girl, she said. "Daine, there is a slight... problem." Her indigo eyes apologetic, she continued. "There is the situation with his successor."
"What situation?"
"The situation where he has named you his heir." Ariaka watched Daine's cracked lips form a small 'o'.
"I can't go home then?"
"Maybe we can work it out, but first, we have to call an end to the war."
"Okay. Help me up please." Daine lifted a thin arm to grab on to Ariaka's, whom had begun to stand.
Ariaka lead Veralidaine out of the cells, up the stairs and back to the surface.