Chapter 1

Elena Castillo Flores, crown princess of Avalor, sat on a hillside overlooking the beautiful Avalor City. It was her favorite view of the city and her favorite place to come when she needed a few moments of solitude –– away from the hustle and bustle of the palace and her duties as crown princess. The hillside was beautiful; lush green with tiny flowers sprinkled among the grasses; towering Avaloran oaks providing cool shade; and the sea sparkling like a thousand diamonds in the sun, dotted with colorful ships alongside the humble fishing boats. The sounds of birds calling to one another and the gentle roar of a nearby waterfall were calming and peaceful. The princess let out a sigh as she rested her chin on her knees which she had hugged to her chest, and gazed wistfully at the kingdom that was hers to rule and protect.

Elena reflected on the events that had lead to her becoming crown princess –– the recent and the not-so-recent. After the evil sorceress, Shuriki invaded Avalor and killed her parents, she had gone after the rest of Elena's family. Elena confronted the witch to buy Alacazar, the royal wizard at the time, enough time to cast the spell that would magically protect her grandparents and little sister. Shuriki turned her wand upon Elena, and the amulet of Avalor –– Elena's amulet ––protected the princess by pulling her inside where she remained safe but trapped for 41 years.

After such a long time inside that amulet, Elena hadn't been sure that she would ever be free again until her amulet found its way to a special princess, Sofia of Enchancia, who came to her aid with the help of a young Avaloran wizard-in-training, Mateo. Elena smiled at the thought of the –– now royal –– wizard who had become one of her dearest and most trusted friends in the short time she had known him. How could he not be, having played a key role in her rescue from the amulet.

Elena's thoughts turned to the new friends she had been blessed with since becoming free of the amulet. There was Naomi Turner who was one of the best friends she had ever had. It was funny how life would occasionally throw serendipity things in your path that can change your life in the blink of an eye–– Naomi was one of those things. Elena had been visiting the Via Mercado on her first day as crown princess, searching desperately for something she could do to convince her family–– specifically her grandfather and cousin–– that she was, indeed ready to be queen, when she met the harbormaster and his daughter, Naomi. Naomi was quick to inform Elena, in no uncertain terms, that there were ships being stolen and that the palace needed to do something about it, which Elena heartily agreed with. They ended up on an adventure together to find the lost ships and managed to solve the mystery behind the disappearances. Through that experience, Elena realized that she needed to slow down and take advantage of the wise counsel available to help her learn how to rule the kingdom as crown princess until she came of age. She needed someone as practical and confident in her opinions and advice as Naomi, and, naturally, selected her to join the grand council. In the months since Naomi's appointment to the grand council, the girls had become dear friends and close confidants.

Lieutenant Gabriel Nuñez, a junior member of the royal guard and known as "Gabe" to his friends, had become Elena's personal guard and accompanied her on much of the business she had to attend to outside of the palace. He had become a dedicated friend and a fierce protector of the crown princess. Gabe was loyal and quite funny, though sometimes Elena wondered if he had become a little too close–– suspecting that he may harbor romantic feelings towards her, feelings that were not mutual. She hoped that she was mistaken, for –– in her mind –– it would be a terrible loss for such a thing to drive a wedge between them and harm their friendship.

And then there was Mateo de Alva, who was–– perhaps–– her closest friend. Elena felt comfortable around him, like she could tell him anything and he would listen without judgement. They had spent many afternoons together–– simply talking. Mateo told her of growing up under Shuriki's rule and how he had studied magic in secret. He admitted that his 16 years had been nothing compared to the 41 years his mother and countless others had endured, however, that short time was bad enough. He described the years that laughter and music and dancing had been outlawed and anyone caught participating in such activities was punished–– sometimes it was just a severe warning, sometimes it was far worse. It really depended on what kind of mood the so-called queen was in that day. Elena told him of the long years she spent in the amulet and of the many kingdoms she had seen and the princesses she had tested. Elena also learned that Mateo struggled with confidence in his abilities as a wizard, which surprised her as she felt the exact opposite. Her belief in his potential and the great destiny that he had ahead of him was so strong that she appointed him as her royal wizard–– a position that, while he was honored to accept, he did not feel he was equipped to accept–– especially since he had his grandfather's reputation to live up to. On the night of his induction ceremony he had felt particularly discouraged, but Elena took him by the hand, looked him in the eye and insisted that she believed in him and that he was destined to be a hero to them all. She wanted him to do his best–– if not for himself, then for her–– because she needed him by her side on this journey as crown princess, and, eventually, as queen.

Mateo was the grandson of Alakazar and, because of Shurki's decree banning all magic in the kingdom aside from her own, had studied magic in secret for the last 8 years. It was clear to Elena that Mateo possessed the talent to become as great a wizard as his grandfather –– if not greater–– and had come quite a long way on his own. This was impressive for a wizard who had no mentor and no formal training; he was a gentle soul and had a kind heart, which, in her opinion, was infinitely more important than the talent. Kindness of heart would protect him from seeking power for the sake of power, which was a path that had led many fine wizards throughout history to dabble in dark arts and to seek things that were not theirs to take–– as in Shuriki's case. She stole the kingdom of Avalor from Elena's family because of her arrogance, pride and delusions of grandeur. She was not kind and the kingdom suffered under her rule for 41 long years.

It was odd for Elena to realize that most of her friends and acquaintances from before she was trapped in the amulet were either 41 years older and had moved on with their lives or were now deceased. A lot had changed in Avalor during those years, but a lot had stayed the same. She was glad to see that the spirit of her people had not been broken by the evil queen; suppressed, perhaps, but not broken.

Elena's thoughts turned to the reason she had been drawn away from the palace to seek this moment of solitude. Ever since her release from the amulet, Elena had felt odd. Almost as if some force was thrumming beneath her skin. There had been several instances that led her to wonder if she possessed some type of magic, the type that did not require years of study or concentration to manifest –– it was now a natural part of her. For one, she could see spirits without the assistance of a wizard. The power beneath her skin had become especially noticeable when she was in possession of the royal scepter –– the Scepter of Light.

The scepter tended to glow whenever she took hold of it and would release magical power at unpredictable times. Elena had learned, with the help of Mateo and her spirit guide, Zuzo, that there were certain keywords that would trigger various magical effects, such as "glow" or "blaze" and assumed that there were other words that would trigger the scepter's magic. Using the scepter was physically draining, as she had learned during the recent solar eclipse. At the apex of the eclipse, the moth fairy, Orizaba had appeared, intent upon bestowing eternal darkness upon Avalor.

Elena triumphed over the moth fairy and banished her back to the spirit world, but the scepter drained so much energy from her that she collapsed and didn't stir for two full days. She later learned that Mateo carried her back to the palace and placed her under the care of the palace physicians. He stayed near her bedside the entire time she was asleep and was one of the first people she saw when she woke. When she heard the story of what he had done to help her, she was eternally grateful–– not just for the role he played in the defeat of Orizaba, but for his steady companionship and the deep friendship that they shared.

Elena, Mateo, and Zuzo discussed the magic possessed by the princess at great length. They knew the scepter was powerful and that it channeled the magic to some extent. Zuzo thought that, perhaps, the scepter was the only way to channel the magic into a tangible force. The three agreed to work together to learn as much as they could about Elena's power and the scepter of light.

Elena wondered if there were other ways to harness this magic that seemed to be as much a part of her now as her left arm. She could feel the power building up inside her, wanting to be released, but felt helpless to do anything about it without endangering herself. There were odd moments where she had felt the magic seeping out that were outside of her control. For example, if she engaged in a particularly passionate disagreement with the council, or–– more often than not–– with Esteban, she could feel the magic radiating from her, a slight breeze would fill the room and the teacups on the table would rattle ever so slightly. She could pass it off as natural causes but it unnerved her that the magic could escape without her consent. Most of the time when things like this happened, those around her had no trouble attributing it to natural causes. The key phrase was "most of the time". She knew that Mateo, her resident magical expert, was suspicious of her secret. Her subtle magical manifestations typically resulted in a raised eyebrow from her friend, if he was around.

The princess was not interested in pursuing control of the magic for the sake of power. She believed she needed to learn to control it before something significantly less subtle happened. After Shuriki, she was afraid that her people would not accept another magic-wielding queen. It was one thing to be chosen by some mystical force to wield a powerful, ancient artifact; however, it was quite another thing to have the very essence of magic running through her veins. She needed to learn to control this magic in order to maintain her secret. Elena felt very alone in this and wondered what she could possibly do. This secret had been plaguing her for months and the burden of the secret had become so great that she finally slipped away to think in peace.

"What am I going to do?" the princess asked herself as she rested her forehead on her knees.

Elena jumped about a foot off the ground as a voice near her ear asked, "Did I hear someone asking for spirit animal guidance and wisdom?"

"Zuzo! You startled me!" Elena said in surprise as her spirit guide popped up–– seemingly out of nowhere–– and glided on his back in lazy circles around the princess.

"My apologies, princess, but you seem to be a tad bit out of sorts, so let me give you some spirit animal wisdom to guide you on your way, 'The strength of the jacquin is in the clan but the strength of the clan is in the jacquin'."

"Wait, what?"

"Good spirit animal advice never makes sense at first, consider these words and eventually you will understand. See you later princess!" Zuzo said as he disappeared with a pop.

"The strength of the jacquin? What does that even mean?" Elena murmured to herself, perplexed.

Standing up and dusting off her dress, Elena decided to head back to the palace before she was missed. As she started down the path, she heard a cheerful voice, "Hola princessa! Need a lift?"

It was one of the jacquins, magical flying jaguar-like creatures that were the national symbol of Avalor. This particular jacquin's name was Skylar and was another friend of Elena's. He and his companions, Luna and Migs, played a crucial role in freeing Avalor from the clutches of Shuriki. Elena considered all three of them to be good friends, but she was particularly close to Skylar.

"I would love a ride, mi amigo! Thank you!"

She hopped onto Skylar's back and he launched himself into the sky. Elena felt a thrill of exhilaration whenever she flew through the air on the back of a jacquin.

"What brings you so far from the palace alone, princessa?" Skylar asked.

"Oh, I was desperate for a few moments alone with my thoughts -– away from crown princess duty."

"I can understand that; why do you look so glum then?"

"Well––" Elena looked uncertainly around before continuing, "It's just that I'm having a problem that is magical in nature. It's pretty serious and I have no idea how to go about fixing it."

"Hmmm…well, it seems to me that if you have a magical problem, you should ask a magical expert for help. I think you know at least one of those."

"No. This is something that I need to deal with on my own. I don't want to burden anyone else with this problem. "

"That sounds familiar. Remember that time when you decided to confront an evil witch on your own because you believed it was a burden you needed to shoulder alone? How did that work out for you?"

Elena laughed, "That is true, but I hate the idea of casting my problems onto the shoulders of my friends. They don't need this kind of burden."

"In my experience, the privilege of being able to help a friend is never a burden but a joy…or is that how I feel about napping in the sun?" Skylar said as he turned his head and winked at her over his shoulder.

Laughing, she gave Skylar a good scratch behind the ears, and said, "That's certainly how I feel about helping my friends, but I still wish I could figure out a way to do this on my own."

"You are strong, princessa, but one of the things that makes you strong is having that pack of friends."

"Pack?" Elena mused, "Like a clan? What was it Zuzo said? The strength of the clan . . . Perhaps you're right. I should seek the counsel of my friends, or at least one of my friends. My friends are my greatest strength! Can you take me to the palace please?"

"As you wish princessa!" Skylar said with a whoop, promptly followed by a swoop as he set his course for the palace.

––––––

Mateo de Alva busied himself about the wizard's workshop hidden within the palace–– the workshop that had previously belonged to his grandfather. The young wizard still had a long way to go before he would achieve true mastery of the magical arts; however, he was making good progress, and as the official royal wizard of Avalor, he had a list of magical tasks entrusted to him by the grand council and Princess Elena herself. He was especially eager to please his friend and to prove that her faith in him and his magical abilities was not misplaced.

He was working on a variety of healing potions to treat the sick around the kingdom of Avalor. It was Princess Elena's idea to serve her people by finding new treatments for various illnesses–– magical and otherwise. Mateo was more than happy to use his magic for the good of his people. It brought him great joy to know that something he had created from his will and the abilities he had spent so long honing was making a difference in the world.

The potion he was working on was, thankfully, one that he knew by heart and could mix with little attention, for his thoughts were far from his task. As he absently reached for a vial of essence of aloe, he considered the drastic turn his life had taken in a short amount of time. The past year had been a whirlwind of activity, starting with freeing Princess Elena from the amulet and defeating the evil queen to being appointed the royal wizard of Avalor and many adventures in between.

Before all of that, he considered his life to have been somewhat dull and unexceptional–– in his eyes. He had been born under the rule of the evil sorceress, Shuriki, and while he had heard the stories of the kind and benevolent royal family who came before her rule, he couldn't truly imagine what life would be like if the kingdom was free from her tyranny. From a young age, Mateo knew that he would be willing to do anything to undermine her rule, even if it had to be in secret. He had never met his grandfather, Alakazar, as he had disappeared almost 42 years ago, but he knew that his grandfather had been a great wizard and was, in fact, the previous royal wizard of Avalor. It was common knowledge that all magic aside from Shuriki's own magic was outlawed in Avalor, but Mateo was determined to learn the magical arts at any cost. At the age of 8, Mateo discovered his grandfather's original wizard's workshop in the basement of his home. It was inaccessible from the house, but, as a curious child, Mateo had found a loose stone behind his house that lead to a tunnel that lead to the workshop. It was there that he used his grandfather's journals and scholarly books to study magic in secret for the past 8 years.

It amazed him that the small choice he had made in defiance at such a young age led to his playing a major role in securing the freedom of princess Elena, the surviving members of the royal family, and –– in essence –– the entire kingdom of Avalor. He helped change the future of his people. Truthfully, he still had difficulty accepting praises from those that would refer to him as "a hero". Mateo felt entirely too young and inexperienced to be the royal wizard, let alone a hero. He smiled at how Princess Elena would vehemently reject that idea and would defend him from anyone who said otherwise–– especially himself.

The best change of all was the unlikely friendship between the young wizard and the crown princess. He appreciated her quick wit and her wisdom beyond her years, though–– to be fair–– she was technically 57 years old and had nothing but time to observe and to think during 41 of those years. That was bound to have an effect on her. He also admired her kindness and her determination to always do the right thing, even when it wasn't easy. Their friendship had developed rapidly over the past few months–– exponentially so once he was appointed royal wizard and started spending so much time in the palace. In spite of their busy schedules, the young wizard and the princess managed to find time to talk. It was becoming tradition for them walk together through the palace garden most evenings just to talk –– about their days, their hopes, their dreams, and, well, anything really.

Recently he had noticed a few strange things about his friend. He had his suspicions but did not want to draw attention to the oddities for two reasons: in case he was wrong, or –– even worse –– in case he was right. He knew that if his suspicions were true, it could possibly have severe consequences for Elena and the future of Avalor. He honestly wasn't sure, however, he hoped that she would trust him enough tell him if she had a problem because he truly wanted to help. He would do just about anything for Princess Elena.

As these thoughts were playing in his mind, he absently added 5 drops of aloe to his potion and gave it a quick stir while maintaining the magical fire beneath the cauldron and then hurried across the room to the shelves and cabinets containing a multitude of potion ingredients. Mateo crawled into one of the lower cabinets in search of the clove oil extract he was looking for.

"Lose something?" an amused voice asked from behind him.

Mateo knocked his head against the shelf above him, "Ouch! Elena, you startled me!" Still on his hands and knees, half inside the cabinet, he looked over his shoulder and saw Elena standing in the middle of his workshop with a grin on her face, her arms crossed and one hip cocked to the side.

Elena giggled with a hand over her mouth, "So sorry Mateo. What are you up to down here?"

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Right now, I'm working on that list of healing potions that you asked me to make."

"Oh wow! How is that project coming along?" she asked eagerly.

"Once I found the right recipes, it's been quite simple. The ingredients are easy enough to come by, but the secret is in the magic," Mateo finished, his voice a little muffled from inside the cabinet.

Mateo found the vial he was seeking and got to his feet. As he turned towards Elena, he paused and took a closer look at the princess. He couldn't help but notice that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. It was as if she was having an internal struggle –– she looked nervous. He knew her well enough to know that she was putting on a brave face when there was, in fact, something bothering her. He also knew that she hated asking for help and would prefer to do everything alone rather than burden a single soul.

Concern filled his eyes as he took a step towards the princess, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?" she asked evasively.

Crossing his arms and raising a reproachful eyebrow at his friend, he said "That's not an answer." Mateo saw the princess' countenance fall ever so slightly, sorrow looking out of place in her usually warm brown eyes. Much to his surprise, she crossed the room and collapsed into a wing-back chair, burying her face in her hands.

"Mateo! I'm in trouble. I think there is something seriously wrong with me," she sobbed as Mateo crossed over to where she was sitting and, kneeling down, placed a comforting hand on her knee.

"Elena, what's wrong? Please. Tell me so I can help," he pleaded, though he thought he had an idea of what the problem was.

"I-I want to tell you, but I'm afraid."

"That doesn't sound like the brave princess that I know. The princess I know is fearless and won't let anything stand in her way," he countered.

Elena raised her tear-stained face just enough to look Mateo in the eye. She took a deep breath and said, "You're right. I need to be brave and face this problem as I would any foe." She smiled at him, a hint of the warmth he was used to peeking through the sadness, and he couldn't help but return the smile –– he found her smiles to be contagious. She continued, "I have felt odd since I was released from the amulet. I know it's been 41 years but I don't feel like myself. Something is off."

"Well, obviously I didn't know you 41 years ago, so I can't tell you if you are different now than you were then; however, I could tell that something odd has been going on with you."

"Wait, What? You knew something was off? Do you think anyone else has noticed?" Elena said with a panicked expression.

"Honestly, no I don't.," Mateo said earnestly, "But, Elena, I know you well enough to notice such things and I possess a certain skillset and knowledge that you may find useful in solving this particular problem that you are having," he finished with a crooked smile that Elena found endearing.

"What is it that you know about my problem?"

"Well, I don't know anything for sure. I just have a theory based on evidence I've seen when I've been around you in certain situations."

"Such as?"

"I don't know for sure but I think you have been gifted with an innate magical ability. We've seen how the scepter of light reacts to you and how you are able to harness its power when no one before you could. But I've also noticed subtle things happening around you when you are feeling something deeply –– passionately. For example, when you were so upset and crying a few minutes ago, I could sense the magic radiating from you and the candles were flickering. It is subtle and I don't think many would notice it if they weren't well versed in the various forms of magic."

Elena sighed, looking at the floor, and said, "Yes, you're right. I think that during the time I spent inside the amulet, I absorbed it's magic. But the magic is unlimited. The magic within me is not finite, it is infinite. It didn't cause the amulet to lose power in any way. It's almost as if it multiplied when I was inside and "gifted" me with the excess. If you can call it a gift," she finished bitterly.

"Elena, I'll admit that I had hoped I was wrong because I wanted to spare you from the difficult times you may have. However, while this may seem like a terrible thing, it doesn't have to be. If you can learn to master it, you could do amazing things for your kingdom. You were already doing amazing things and now? The possibilities are endless!"

"But do you honestly think that the people would accept me as queen if I was magically gifted? After Shuriki, I wouldn't blame them!"'

"It might be difficult at first to convince them, and, then again, it might not. But I think you have already proven in the past few months that you are brave and kind and fair. It's obvious to anyone paying attention that you are not prone to excessive ambition and that you truly care about this kingdom and the prosperity of the people–– not for your own benefit but for theirs."

"I still don't know what to do. It sounds like this magical gift is pretty rare. How will I ever learn to master it?"

Mateo gave her his best crooked smile and said, "Well, you may know someone who knows a thing or two about magic and is willing to help you along the way."

"Perhaps, I do know at least one person," Elena laughed.

"I will help you in any way that I can. We will research and practice together. You won't be alone in this. I promise," Mateo said earnestly, placing a hand over hers. Elena felt better already.

Mateo got to his feet, offered a hand to Elena and helped her to her feet. Much to his shock and–– if he was being honest with himself, which he wasn't–– delight, Elena threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder as he patted her back awkwardly.

"Thank you, my friend," she whispered, turned and walked out of the workshop with her head held high and her heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.