Here's the latest chapter for you all. Thank you for the amazing reaction to the prologue. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 1

Present Day

Skyelynn was an island nation in the middle of a vast sea. So vast, that even the fastest steam ship took nearly a month to reach it. While it had technology that rivaled any other nation, the cities and villages were made of buildings that had been around for centuries, lending to its otherworldly charm.

The isolated locale made its fortune in trading spices and precious gems, which kept the ships arriving at regular intervals. Goods needed from the mainland supplemented what they couldn't produce themselves on the island.

It was a simple life.

Isabella Swan was the daughter of Charles Swan, the chief of King Jasper's council. Her mother had been lost to them minutes after the birth of her brother, Emmett. He'd been sickly and Charles had feared for his son as well, but Bella had picked up the infant and rocked him, demanding he live. And like any good little brother, he did as he was told.

No one would think of him as sickly now. At sixteen, he was already a fierce guard for Queen Alice.

Bella had chosen the path of a healer, learning from Marcus in the bowels of the castle. When she set up her own shop, it stood on the edge of the forest that bordered the capital. Charles had wanted her to take over the role of palace healer, but Isabella liked the independence her shop offered, and Queen Alice supported her wishes. With the queen on her side, not even her father could object.

Emmett visited her frequently, bringing his sister both supplies and news from the castle. Being so close to the queen, he overheard a great deal, and shared that knowledge with his sister.

Her business did well, and people would travel from all over the island to seek her healing. On occasion, and only with the queen's approval, Isabella would ride out and visit other villages. She would set up at a local inn and see those who needed her care. While there were other healers, none were as good at making tinctures, salves, and concoctions to ease their patients' suffering.

Many of the healers asked her to send them those medications, so they could give them out to the people they treated. A few were granted that privilege, and contracts were written up.

This worried Charles, because those who had not been bestowed the honor could retaliate against her. She assured him that many who had not received the privilege were not versed in medicine and herbs, only physical ailments and surgeries. Those physicians were more than capable of making what they needed themselves.

And so Isabella grew her trade, splitting her time between the castle, where she studied with Marcus, and her shop.

King Jasper sent some of his men to expand Isabella's dwelling. They added onto the small stone building with plaster, wood, and stone, giving her private quarters that were not easily accessible to those who visited her. A result of this was two-story bookshelves on two walls of her shop in the front of her home, room enough for any book she could ever want or need. The shelves were broken up by halved tree trunks, adding to the woodland feel of her shop. It was a detail Isabella appreciated, though she wished the tree didn't have to be cut down to create the look.

Her collection of books grew as Marcus sent her home with boxes of them, all carefully organized for her to locate quickly when needed.

With the work on her home and shop complete, Isabella was happy to return there to do her work. The palace had been her home as a child, but the freedom of being so close to nature was hard to beat.

As Isabella returned to her home, she felt something stirring that she couldn't quite place. More worrisome to her yet, were the dreams that came almost nightly. Fire and flashes of light, dark woods and a pair of mossy green eyes.

After days of these images jolting her awake, Isabella relented and rode to the castle. She left her carriage with Brady in the stable, knowing he would take good care of her horses, Amber and Turq. She traveled the passages until she entered the stairwell that led to Marcus' rooms.

Her mentor was hard at work when she entered, but stopped when he saw her. "Isabella, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I came for a book or three," she told him.

"You might as well take the lot of them to your newly completed workroom. They'll be more useful to you there than collecting dust here."

Isabella studied with concerned eyes the man who had taught her everything she knew. "I haven't offended you, have I, Marcus?"

He turned to her. "No, child, I'm just feeling my age today. I am serious about you taking the books, though. My time is coming to an end, sooner rather than later. I make almost as many drams for myself as I do for others these days."

"You still have years left, Marcus."

"Not if my dreams have merit," he countered.

"And you believe they do?" she asked.

"Whether they do is something you will learn in time. The ones of mine that are worth believing have all been connected to you. I've lived my life, Isabella. I've seen great things come to this nation and the world beyond. In many ways we are still in the past, but in others..." he held up the tablet on his work table to emphasize his point.

"It is an odd mix to travel by horse and yet have a library's worth of books at my fingertips."

"Having the world beyond arm's reach is a blessing. Never forget that."

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like my father."

"Spices and stones are how this country makes its way in the world. The monthly ships bring more than we could hope to produce on our own. We would survive without it, but our lives are richer for it. If it were more accessible, I fear our people would expect it rather than cherish it."

"I suppose."

Isabella turned to the shelves and collected the books she needed. With them in her satchel, she turned to leave Marcus to his work.

"Farewell, Isabella."

"Good day, Marcus."

Isabella once again made her way through the lower passageways of the castle. One of the kitchen maids stopped her as she passed to give her a basket to take home with her. She found her horses and carriage ready for her. Brady helped her up before returning to his other tasks.

In the late spring sunshine, the ride through the village and past the first farm was enjoyable . Upon her arrival, she was met by the hulking appearance of her brother.

"Is this a social call, Emmett? I've just returned from the castle."

"It is, but not mine." Emmett didn't say anything else, but once he'd helped his sister down, he took her horses to the small paddock so they could settle in for the afternoon.

Isabella entered her home to find the queen sitting on the sofa closest to her fireplace. She placed her satchel and basket on the table and moved to sit beside her. The queen's eyes were glassy, but focused, not distant as they sometimes grew. Few knew, but the queen was a seer. A rare gift, and one Jasper had come to rely on as much as her wit.

"My Lady," Isabella said. The informal title few were allowed to call the queen in public caught her attention.

"Do not bother with making tea or a snack. I will not be here long."

"Was there something you needed from me? Surely you knew I was going to be at the castle this afternoon, if we had some business."

"This needed to be said in private. Your father is a dear man, but he worries."

"He has reason to. He lost my mother and almost lost Emmett."

"I know, only by your command did my guard live. And I'm grateful for it. But there are more pressing issues to discuss."

"I'm listening," Isabella told her.

"Skyelynn used to be a magical place, before the last blood war."

"Blood war?" Isabella questioned.

"The Great Massacre, the one that led to the passing of the Women's Protection Acts."

"Oh, okay," Isabella responded, not knowing where this was leading.

"My homeland is on the sea, it is one of the countries that trades with Skyelynn. I was an oddity there. My visions were not something they were used to. When Jasper came seeking out a bride, he saw the magic my people couldn't recognize. He was already in love with me by that time, but he told me I would not be ridiculed in his country, even if the magic had long been forgotten." Alice picked up a book of legends from the end table and handed it to Isabella. "I had a vision of you reading this."

Isabella's confusion was clear on her face as Alice stood up and patted her hand. She remained seated as the queen moved towards the door.

"Don't be afraid of the woods," the queen said as she left Isabella alone.

That statement gave Isabella pause, because her father had always warned her away from the forest, especially at night.