Prologue

The soft pitter-patter of rain falling onto the windows echoed the frantic sound of running footsteps upon the marble floor. The squeaking of footsteps didn't slack speed as the running figure came to a large, open corridor, pausing to look. The corridor was thirty feet long, large marble pillars built parallel on each sides. The walkway was wide and led directly to the large set of white and gold doors at the end of the corridor.

Lightning struck. The figure waiting at the top of the corridor bolted. It only took a few moments for the thunder to follow, the castle trembling in its wake. The blinding light from the lighting briefly illuminated the figure's face. It had revealed the terrified face of a six year old girl. Her features were struck with immense fear, her blue and gold eyes lined with tears. Her delicate hands trembling as she clutched her beloved teddy bear.

The lightning struck again. The girl ran faster to the approaching doors. She ran and did not stop until her hands reached out to touch the golden handles. She trembled with effort as she creaked open the heavy door. She slipped into the room on the other side, the darkness engulfing her as the door clicked shut.

Inside the room it was dark, the girl noticed. Only a small candle remained lit, placed on a desk covered in paperwork. The small and fragile flame flickered when the heavy door closed but remained bright as the girl peered around.

She glanced around at the shadows warily, cautiously. The blanket of darkness shrouded every corner, every surface with its dark grasp. The girl eyed the darkness, tears threatening to fall, as if she was expecting something to jump out and snare her. She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Once the girl laboured her breathing, she closed her eyes and buried her small head into the teddy bear she clutched to her chest.

It's still there, she thought, tears spilling down her cheeks. It's all still there. The memories, the nightmares. All of it.

War, fighting, blood, evil creatures from another realm. The nightmares had all felt so real, and yet all the treatment and therapy hadn't helped in the slightest. Ever since the girl had known, she had suffered from terrifying nightmares revolving around a cruel, wicked man. He bore a crown made of the darkest evil, studded with jewels for every life he had taken and controlled his soldiers using un-tame demons from another world. Horrifying and unholy creatures prowled her dreams, awaiting for the moment to strike the girl, to seize her up with their claws and teeth.

Blood, fighting, death, it was every six-year-old's classic nightmare. But these constant night-terrors had never faded as she had aged from a young child. It had seemed as though she were born with these nightmares, the memories she never recalled. This problem caused the girl to fear sleep every night, where she would face her everlasting nightmares that never failed to occur.

Lightning flashed again, and even through her teddy bear's soft fur, she could see the blinding light. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out when the thunder rolled, muffling her whimpers. And amiss the growl of the fading thunder, the girl heard a soft sound of movement from the room, like the sound of blankets being pushed aside. Then the sound footsteps approaching, gentle and quiet.

The girl snapped her head up. Light flooded the room, chasing the shadows away to the bleakest corners. She blinked, then gasped in realisation as the light turned to fire, as the flames danced around the room. But the girl didn't look at the fire. She looked at the figure now standing up, a few feet away.

Standing at the edge of the large bed to the girl's right, was a woman. The girl knew her mother at sight, as she took in the sight of her. She wore a beautiful silk nightgown, its shape covering her shoulders and reaching down to an inch above her knees. Her unbound blonde hair touched about her shoulder blades, her pale face pitched with worry and concern. Her name was Aelin, and she was Queen.

Aelin wasted no time rushing to her daughter, and before the girl knew, her mother was crouching before her. Her soft fingertips pushed back a strand of hair behind the girl's ear as the Queen gazed at her daughter.

"Oh, Alia baby, come here." She cooed her daughter. From those words, the internal barrier inside Alia to stop herself from breaking snapped. She crumbled into her mother's arms and they immediately wrapped themselves around her. Alia's emotions all spilled out at once. She sobbed hard into her mother's chest, letting her body be racked by the sobs. Aelin silently held her weeping daughter in her arms, cradling her child back and forth.

Alia cried and cried, spilling out all her fear, sadness and trauma through her violent sobs. Aelin remained crouched on the floor, letting her child cry into her arms. Before long Alia ceased her crying, with no more tears to spill. She had cried so much that she felt nothing but bleak emptiness inside her. Still cradled in her mother's arms, Aelin gently lifted her daughter from the ground and walked back over to her bed.

Alia watched silently as her mother slowly carried her back towards the bed she had been sleeping in. Alia's tear-rimed eyes flickered to the flames of fire dancing around the air, igniting the room with light. The little flames moved in patterns, its array of colours spilling out in small bursts. Alia watched in silence as her mother settled herself on to the bed, her arms still wrapped around her.

Aelin gently placed herself down onto the bed, setting herself with her back against the wooden bedhead, crossing her legs neatly. Not once did Aelin loosen her grip on her daughter as Alia gazed up at the roof.

It was quiet, the silence hushed away by the rain that had quietened to a gentle rhythm. Aelin didn't need to ask if it had been one of Alia's nightmares, she had watched as her daughter had grown for six years living with these nightmares. She had watched as her child had cried almost every night, fearing the sleep that would promise dreams of darkness. And so the mother and her daughter sat in silence, listening to the rain repeatedly cascade onto the windows.

Alia sat up. Aelin let her daughter slowly adjust to sitting in her lap. But she did not let her daughter go, never released her protective hold on her only child.

Her daughter, her only child.

Aelin had always wanted a family, a child to raise with her mate. When Aelin was younger – oh how long ago that seemed – from the time she had known Rowan was her mate, she had always known he would be an amazing father. A kind, loving, gentle brute, Aelin had always imagined. Despite calling his Buzzard all these years later, Aelin had watched Rowan play with their daughter with such gentleness and love, that his real strength seemed impossible.

Aelin remembered when had fallen pregnant, at the worst of times, during the Dark War. Only Rowan had known, and he had been heartbroken when she had been taken by Maeve. Aelin remembered those emotions, those awful memories, clouded with the thought of sacrificing herself for the Lock, how willing she had been to do it. But it had been Rowan that had saved her, and together they had found an alternative, saving Aelin. She was glad that bitch was dead, along with the Dark Lord Aelin had sent back to his realm.

Aelin pushed away those thoughts, thoughts of agony and pain and loss.

Instead, Aelin glanced over to the sleeping shape of her mate lying next to her. His bare back was facing her, his powerful arms folded onto of the sheets that cover his torso and body. His pointed ears were visible, and Aelin felt her mouth twitch into a smile at the time when she had bitten those long, pointed ears.

Aelin would never forget that night.

Alia sniffed loudly, her nose stuffed with tears. Aelin turned her attention back to her daughter cradled in her arms. Using her thumb, Aelin gently wiped Alia's wet cheeks, wiping away the tears. Alia watched as her mother cleared her face of tears, a motherly gesture.

Aelin finally spoke, gazing down into the eyes of her daughter as she did.

"Oh, my baby…" she cooed Alia. Her voice was as soft as feathers, as smooth as velvet. Alia blinked as she gazed up at her mother. Aelin spoke again.

"I might know something that could help the fear..." Alia said nothing. Aelin gave a small, sad smile.

She said softly. "When you ever feel scared or sad inside, there is something you can always say to yourself, and I promise, it will always make you feel better." Aelin pressed a tender index finger to Alia's chest.

"You will always know in your heart when to say this. When you do, you take in a deep breath." Aelin paused to breathe deeply and Alia did the same. When they exhaled, Aelin looked down at her daughter.

"Do you feel better?" the Queen asked and Alia nodded.

"Now you tell yourself: my name is Aelin Galathynius, and I will not be afraid." Alia listened to her mother, her ear rested against Aelin's chest, silently listening to her quickening heartbeat. Aelin's eyes were distant and sad, and she gave her daughter a smile that told her she had experienced heartbreak.

But, of course, a six-year-old wouldn't understand that pain yet. Aelin couldn't blame her, but she hoped that her daughter would be spared of the pain and heartbreak when she was older.

Aelin blinked away the tears and the memories. She had kept them tucked up in the folds of her broken heart for so long, she couldn't let them out in front of her daughter.

"Now you try and use your own name," Aelin told her daughter. Alia hesitated for a moment, her mind drifting off to all the sadness and trauma she had experienced previously. She didn't feel the terror she had felt before, didn't feel her hands shake uncontrollably. Her head felt clear and light, the images of darkness, pain and monsters she was unable to recall.

So Alia opened her mouth to speak, and when she did, she felt all her fear lift as she heard her own voice, strong and clear.

"My name is Alia Galathynius… I am the Princess of Terrasen, daughter of Queen Aelin and consort King Rowan. I am six years old… and I will not be afraid."