Thank you guys for following along! Enjoy, and remember that I don't own anything here. Also know, that I'm going along with this story as well as you are and I don't know how anything will turn out. So I will be assigning Twilight characters, but many people might be killed off or end up as non-traditional couples. We'll see how it turns out together!

The fall of the kingdom of Trulia was significant in history. Scholars called it the Age of Demons. It didn't happen all at once, though. At first, many believed it to have been a tragic, but manageable, event.

The morning after the event found the entire royal family dead, and Aro was declared to be a hero as he led many guards against the attackers and saved several nobles. The attack was blamed on criminals, who poisoned the food and released the prisoners from the dungeons. The royal guards had been quickly overwhelmed and the castle was ultimately burned to the ground.

The surviving nobles gathered in the capital to decide who should rule Trulia. It took almost a year of deliberation before it was decided that there should be four leaders instead of one ruling figure. Three of the nobles present were declared dukes, and the kingdom was broken into four duchies: noble Brand in the Northern Mountains, noble Uddin in the Western Forests, and noble Eddo in the Southern Plains. Each was named for the nobleman ruling it except for the final duchy, Duma. Duma was given to the red-haired Victoria that murdered my parents for her invaluable intellect in the aftermath of a tragedy. She had been given the large castle on the Silver Sea to rule. The kingdom of Trulia was no more.

Six years later…

I never knew which young girl was found dead in that castle and passed off as me, but I supposed that it didn't really matter in the end. Once we reached safety, Sir Carlisle told me that before any alarms had sounded that night, he saw Consortium guards enter the castle and cluster around the Royal Treasury. He had rushed to the banquet hall to warn my mother and father, but he had been too late.

After I had a night of sleep in me, I wanted nothing more than to return to the castle and tell everyone the truth of what had happened, but Carlisle stopped me. He took the stones that I stole and told me that I needed to think everything through before I revealed myself. I realized quickly that he was right, and all of the nobles that supported my parents had been the ones killed or driven away into hiding. Many of the people that stood for my parents where found dead in that castle, though I never could find a definitive answer about what happened to Edward or his mother.

In the days after the murder, Sir Carlisle and I waited to hear word that Aro and the Consortium were claiming rulership, but they took the praise for saving the nobles and disappeared. The only sign of Aro were the men that combed through the newly formed duchies to look for me. I knew that I would be killed if any of them caught me. I am still thankful that Sir Carlisle advised me to not make any hasty decisions.

For the first few years, Carlisle and I spent the days in solitude and fear, travelling from town to town. We looked for quick work and food. We hid in what little shelter we could find and kept our faces hidden. I rarely even thought about my future, knowing that all of my attention was needed on the present to stay alive.

After several years passed, people forgot what I had looked like as a child. After my birth, many girls were given the name Bella, so I kept it. Sir Carlisle and I finally amassed enough money and security to have a small farm outside of Valen, a village in the duchy of Uddin. Carlisle was kind to give up his life of securities to provide for a princess with no throne, and we made a decent living on the tiny farm. When he wasn't working, Carlisle took the time to teach me swordplay, and my skills with a blade were very good for a girl living on a simple farm.

I never forgot about the stones that I stole from Aro, and it wasn't difficult to ask villagers since demon summoning became legal. The Academy still licensed demon summoners, but more common people began practicing the skill without proper training. It seemed as though the Consortium was actually encouraging this instead of trying to keep the power for themselves, though. My research never got me far on the subject. All I had learned was that the summoner would need a Demonstone and the demon's true name, which was written on the stone, and enough willpower to control the beast. I never heard what a dim stone meant though, and Carlisle kept them hidden and discouraged me talking about them.

Two years ago, I realized how short on money Carlisle and I were. I decided to take a job as a squire, in order to become a knight like Sir Carlisle was. I've been trained in weaponry and horsemanship, which is something I love. Carlisle never pushed me on way or the other, but he seemed very pleased that I was following his footsteps. The splitting of the kingdom didn't have much effect on the knights because they follow their ideals, not the government.

Valen was a small village, but Carlisle found a knight that was willing to take me as a squire. Sir Max quickly learned that I didn't even own a sword and gave me one of his, and he didn't care that I was one of the few women to begin the path toward becoming a knight.

I smiled, watching the sun go down in the sky. Tomorrow is Midsummer's Day, the day when everyone in the realm celebrates their birthday. I will be eighteen, which means I am officially an adult in the eyes of the guild. With little money or resources, the Adventurers Guild is the best way to begin my attack on those that stole my crown.

I still needed a few things before I went to the guild, so I made my over to visit Angela, the fletcher's daughter. She has very nimble fingers and makes makes arrows. She's also the best archer I've ever met. She is quiet and shy, but knows the best travel routes from listening in on people that come to buy from her. She looks up as I approach her work table and give me a smile. "Any luck with the Infinity Arrow?"

Angela shakes her head, working on the arrow in front of her. "Not yet, but it will get there." Angela had been working on a magical weapon that would be perfect in every way. The arrow could be fired toward a target and would never miss. It is something I believe that Angela could accomplish if anyone could.

"Think you could get out of work early today?" I asked with a grin.

Angela smiled back and set her work down. "How could I say no when it's your last day in town?"

Angela followed me from store to store as I purchased the last few things on my list. I had already purchased a sleeping roll, flint and steel for a fire, a water skin, and a backpack, but I needed some extra things with me. I purchased a dagger that would be good for closer combat, a lantern, a coil of rope, and a lockpick set. I also made a quick stop by the temple to purchase a holy symbol for my goddess, the kind Auriel. With only 45 gold left, I put my belongings into my pack and headed toward the tavern with Angela.

Many people spend Misummer's Eve getting drunk, but everyone turning 18 knows better than to risk their neck when employers will be watching tomorrow. We take a small table in the back, and I raised my hand to order one drink for each of us. The server came over and brought a hot meal as well. He smiled in our direction and I noticed that he was exceptionally good-looking. He gave me a wink and I smiled in response before turning to Angela. "I'm going to miss seeing you every day, Ang."

She laughed, tapping her mug against mine, "Likewise, Bella. You're my best friend."

I smiled, taking a bite of the food in front of me. Angela and I stayed at the bar doing nothing but talking and laughing until it closed and we headed to our homes.

XxXxX

I woke up the next morning bright and early, ready to make my way toward the Adventurers Guild. When I got downstairs, Carlisle was waiting for me at the kitchen table. I made my way over and sat down in front of him as he plopped the stones on the table. He cleared his throat and watched me, "It's time to talk about these stones you took from Aro. They're Demonstones and they are how Planewalkers summon their servants."

"What do you know about them?" I asked.

"The Somers crafted the original ones, but the Consortium learned that skill long ago. The stones have the true name of a demon inscribed on them, which is what allows a summoner to bring a creature into this world. The one that Aro stole from the treasury had been there for hundreds of years, but I don't think it had ever been used." Carlisle handed me a black bag, similar to the one that Aro had been wearing.

I dropped the stones into the bag and tied it tightly to my waist.

"This is a Consortium runebag to hold the Demonstones. Your parents were always against them, but this might be the only way to get back at Aro. When your parents ruled, the stones and runebags were illegal, but the dukes lifted the ban on summoning many years ago, as you know. It's safest to keep them in this bag."

I nodded, paying close attention to his words. "I won't use them unless I have no other choice."

Carlisle and I talked for awhile before it was time for me to leave. We put together information we gathered and discovered that Aro is still High Chancellor of the Consortium and rarely leaves the compound. James, the axeman, was the one responsible for gathering the men that attacked. Victoria is continuing to hide in plain sight so that she cannot be harmed, and her intellect is beyond measure.

I looked out the window and stood from my chair. "I need to go now, Sir Carlisle. Thank you so much for everything that you've done for me," I told him as I threw my arms around his neck in a hug.

Carlisle stiffened at the affection, but quickly put his arms around me to hug me back. "Be careful out there, Bella. Remember that you are always welcome back here. And please do come back by sometime."

I smiled and nodded before leaving the small farm behind me as I made my way to the guild.

People were everywhere and the streets were crowded. When I reached the guild, people were packing the building. I squeezed my way in, elbows digging into my sides as others fought their way through the crowds.

"Dammit all!" a voice shouted and I turned to find the largest man I had ever seen. He was huge with muscled clearly showing by his sleeveless shirt. He was clearly no stranger to the wilds with a massive Warhammer hanging from his belt. "Damn Midsummer Day!"

I looked toward the front and saw the problem. With everyone turning 18, there weren't enough jobs to go around. I tried to push my way to the front and ended up near the large man.

"Screw this," he muttered, pushing toward the opposite direction. I followed close behind, knowing that he must have some kind of plan. He turned around after a moment and sized me up. "What do you want?"

"A job. Clearly you know your way around." I told him honestly.

He scoffed at me before continuing through the swarm of people. He walked right out of the guild and made his way to the door of a farm building. After a moment of knocking, an old man answered the door.

"I want the caravan job," the enormous man demanded.

The farmer began to shut the door. "The job is posted with the Adventurer's Guild."

"Positions are filled, but you need me. I'm more experienced than the kids you will end up getting from the guild. I know the roads and what is out there."

The man looked him over and nodded, "I'll make arrangements. Another pair of guards might be a good idea."

The farmer shut the door as the large man turned to find me still there. He ignored me and left, clearly unfazed as long as he got the job as well. I turned to leave, nervous for what the job might hold but confident that I would do it. It would just be one small step on the journey to reclaim my throne.

Let me know if you guys would like the chapters to be longer, shorter, or if they are about good in length. I'm just trying to keep them around the same length right now, but I can definitely make the chapters longer or whatever because everything from here on out will really flow right together.