Prologue

The snow fell from the pure white sky like colourless confetti in a wintry ballroom. It alighted on Reyna Callisto's face, as softly as her mother's kisses, but it was cold, very cold. Her tiny gloveless hands were numb as she tightened her fingers around the grip of the wooden sword, struggling to keep balance on her two awkward legs when she was freezing. Her mother had told her time and time again to never go outside without her gloves. But Reyna would rather lose her fingers than lose her weapon in a duel.

Her brother Egon stood a few feet away, a sword in his hand, mirroring her fighting stance. Reyna was eight. Egon was ten and a lot stronger and faster. Their father, the King of Isolde, took so much pride in Egon’s sword skills that it was all he ever talked about. Meanwhile, Reyna had only been known for being ‘the King’s daughter’. She was small, thin, and a girl, so it was almost impossible for her to beat her brother. She couldn't do that indoors let alone outside while it was freezing. She could only hope she would last longer this time.

"On guard!" Egon shouted and charged at her like an arrow. Reyna managed to swing her sword just in time to shield her head from her brother’s wooden blade, but as he continued hitting, she started stumbling backwards until one hit in the stomach sent her to the snow-covered ground.

"This is why a girl should not wield a sword," Egon said with a smirk. The tip of his sword was just an inch away from the tip of Reyna’s nose. "You can't fight, little sister. You only get yourself hurt."

As Reyna lay there, catching her breath and falling snowflakes, the world had never been so quiet. For a moment, it felt as if she was high above staring down at herself. She could imagine herself lying on her back, long black curls fanned out on the snow like ink spilled on a sheet. Hair so black against skin so white. The features that never let her forget she was a true Callisto. She was her father's daughter, and she hated that, especially when she was lying on the cold hard ground, covered in snow and accepting defeat.

Letting out a smoky breath, Reyna propped herself up on her elbows and watched her brother lower his weapon and turn away, content with his victory.

"Can I try again when we get back?" she asked.

Egon looked over his shoulder, a corner of his mouth quirked up when he saw her struggling to get up as her feet were sinking into the snow.

"Sure," he said condescendingly. "Then I can beat you up again and Mother can't say anything about it."

Watching Egon race back to the castle, Reyna heaved a sigh and came to pick up her sword. The cold that had seemed mild at first was now almost unbearable. She must return home before she began to freeze, or worse, before her father realised she had left her chamber.

.

.

.

"Reyn! You are late!"

"I'm so sorry, Mother. I was—"

"Fighting again?" King Willem’s booming voice instantly silenced the distinct chattering of his men. All they could hear now was the desperate howling of the wind through the portcullis. All eyes fell on Reyna, for whom they had been waiting in the awful cold.

Reyna fidgeted with the fur on her white coat, her eyes glued to her feet, too afraid to look up into her father's angry eyes.

"Please forgive me. It won't happen again," she pleaded, despite believing she'd done nothing wrong. If she hadn't had to take a bath, change into a dress and wait until the maids finished braiding her hair, she wouldn't have shown up late. But she knew every word she said now would only get her into more trouble. It was better if she stayed quiet, like a lady should.

Meanwhile, her brother Egon was already sitting in his carriage with a mischievous smirk on his face. She knew it was him who had told their father where she'd been. Of course, he must have purposely forgotten to mention that he'd been with her the whole time. But even if she'd told the truth, her father would rather believe she was lying than punish his perfect son.

"Get the horses ready."

The King turned away and the crowd of guards and servants scattered at his command. The cold that was spreading across Reyna's skin was nothing compared to the look her father had given her before he headed to his carriage. If it hadn't been for her mother's sympathetic smile, she would have burst into tears.

Queen Meira kneeled down in front of Reyna and held her tiny face between her palms. The gloves felt so warm against Reyna’s cold flushed cheeks. Her mother’s touches were always so comforting.

"Remember what I said, darling?"

Reyna sighed and nodded. "A princess should always be punctual. I know, Mother. It won't happen again."

Reyna knew that her mother knew she would break that promise again, one way or another. But just like all the previous times, the Queen let Reyna get away with it.

Gracefully, she stood up tall and squeezed Reyna’s gloveless hand. "Come, my dear. Let's not give your father more reasons to be angry."

.

.

.

Every year, the Callistos would travel to the Kingdom of Theros in the South to attend the annual summer festival. Edgar Connell was Queen Meira's younger brother and also the King of Theros. It was he who had taught Reyna how to wield a sword, and he was probably the only one who loved her more than Egon. Reyna liked to believe that Uncle Edgar hated Egon, which was another reason for her to enjoy this visit. Egon couldn't lay a finger on her during their stay in their uncle's castle. Besides, the South was so much better than the North.

In the South, Reyna could stand under the sun and feel the warmth of those brilliant rays of light every morning when she woke up. She could also dance on a cushion of green while watching the strands of grass move in the breeze as easily as her hair.

Here in Isolde, it snowed all year round. Winter, spring, summer, fall, no matter what season it was, it was always snowing. Reyna guessed as you lived too long in the cold, your heart would begin to freeze until it reached a point where you could feel nothing at all. That was why most of the people in this kingdom were so dull and sad.

Thanks to the Gods, she was blessed with a warm heart like her mother, a true Southerner. Queen Meira had grown up in Theros. It was only until she’d been married to Willem that she had moved to Isolde. She always said Reyna was more like her, while Egon was a Northern man like their father. That, and being a boy, had made life so much easier for Egon. He could go anywhere with his sword and fight anyone he wanted. But of course, Reyna didn't want to be like him and hurt innocent people for no reason. She just thought it was unfair that he was praised for violence while she couldn't even be seen anywhere near a toy weapon.

One time, the King had caught Reyna fighting imaginary enemies with a stick, and so he’d broken the stick and locked her up in her chamber for two days. If her mother hadn't convinced him to change his mind, who knew how much longer she would've been punished? Nevertheless, Reyna didn't think she was wrong. It wasn't her fault that her father had never shown affection for her. He probably wouldn't have treated Egon the same way if Egon hadn't been a boy.

Reyna had overheard some servants in the castle call her father a heartless monster who cared for nothing except for himself and the crown on his head. And even though Reyna understood why they’d said something so cruel about her father, she knew it wasn't true.

The one thing King Willem loved the most wasn't himself or even his crown. It was the woman who had been by his side ever since they were children.

"It was love at first sight," the Queen had told Reyna. "Your father was everything I'd ever wanted. He was kind, patient and prudent. But to put on that crown, he had to leave so many things behind, one of which was that young boy I fell in love with. I love your father dearly, and yet, sometimes, I still miss the person he used to be. That's the price one has to pay to wear the crown, Reyna."

It was a lot for an eight-year-old to take in, and Reyna had been told too many times that she would get it when she was older. But even if she didn't, it still wouldn't matter. It was Egon who would inherit the crown one day, not her.

.

.

.

It took about a month to travel from Isolde to Theros because the King and his court had made a few stops here and there before arriving in the South. King Willem hated delays. But for every annual trip to Theros, he allowed one more stop by the Vidarr river right outside the castle. That was where he had met his Queen for the first time.

It had been fate. They were supposed to meet in the castle, but Prince Willem had decided to explore the foreign land alone on that beautiful summer afternoon, and Princess Meira had decided to go to the river and pick some flowers for her mother's birthday. Their love story had been almost perfect.

Reyna knew one day she would marry a prince as well, and hopefully, it would be someone who was just as madly in love with her as her father was with her mother. And of course, she would make sure that her husband stayed kind even after becoming king, the one thing her mother had failed to do.

Hopping off the carriage, Reyna turned a blind eye to the warning look her lady-in-waiting was giving her, and stretched her limbs like she'd normally do before a fight. Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was the smell they didn't have back home. The smell of flowers, of fresh dewy grass, of mud, of freedom, of summer. Real summer. So while her parents were lost in their own romantic world and reliving the good old days, Reyna decided to sneak away from her lady-in-waiting and follow Egon into the forest.

Together, they raced along the riverbank until they found a large tree and were far enough to be the only two there. The river was green this season. Darker in the shadows and paler in the light, but still green. Reyna got onto her knees and flicked the water with her hand to watch droplets scatter like rain over the surface. Just like snow in the South, there was no such thing as rain in the North.

Both Reyna and her mother loved the rain. It rained a lot in the summer in Theros so she got to see it every year. Meanwhile, many people in her father's kingdom had lived their entire life not knowing what rain was. Reyna felt so lucky to be born with such a great privilege, which she always had to remind herself every time her brother made her feel miserable.

"What are you doing?" asked Reyna when she saw Egon stripping off his shoes and stepping into the river. "You cannot swim, Brother. Neither can I. I won't be able to save you if you fall into the deep end."

"Does this look deep to you?" Egon sneered and spread his arms, his knees hadn't even gone beneath the surface. "Join me, little sister."

Reyna shook her head without a second thought. "We should probably get back."

"Get back?" Egon snorted. "Go ahead. You're such a girl."

Those four words were all it took for Reyna to kick off her shoes and stand barefoot on the sun-warmed grass like a ‘girl’ she should be. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all, she thought before holding up her dress and taking careful steps into the river. Once the water was flowing around her limbs and drinking away her body heat, she thought she could just stand there all day long.

But then, she felt something soft and mushy around her ankle. She tried to brush it off with her other foot but—Was it...moving?!

A loud scream tore through her tiny body as she collided with the surface and sank deep into the dark green water. Her arms and legs kicked out desperately as she tried to swim up but she couldn't. The water swirled around her, trapping her. Her head was throbbing and her lungs felt like they'd been set on fire. Where was Egon? Why hadn't he pulled her up? Those were the only questions she could ask herself before she felt a hand clasped around her wrist, dragging her upward to the daylight above.

It took a moment for her vision to clear, and a shadow towered over her, blocking the blinding southern sun.

"Can you hear me?" the stranger asked, his voice echoing in her head. And when she felt the warmth and softness of the grass beneath her body, she realised she was still alive and jolted right up, her forehead bumped into her saviour’s. Both pulled back and gasped in pain.

It was a boy. A kid, just like her.

"There, there," the boy said while rubbing Reyna’s back as she coughed uncontrollably and spat out the water she'd involuntarily drunk. "Why did you go swimming when you couldn't swim?"

Reyna wiped her mouth and shot the boy a spiteful glare. "I didn't. I fell into the water. There was a snake!"

She expected him to be scared or at least shocked, but he only laughed and said, "There's no snake in this river. Maybe it was a fish."

Embarrassed, Reyna decided to ignore him as she pushed herself up and looked around, trying to recall which path would take her back to her family.

"Well, a 'thank you' would be nice?" said the boy as he jumped to his feet and wrung water out of the dirty old shirt he was wearing.

Reyna almost told him to get lost and stop wasting her time, but after taking a whole second to eye him up, she shyly mumbled, "Thank you."

She wasn't a monster. She felt bad for how miserable he looked because of her, but she supposed she didn't look any better. She was drenched, her dress was stained, and her hair was once again an unruly mess. She didn't look like a princess anymore. She looked like...him.

With a smile, the green-eyed boy brushed his wet brown curls out of his face and extended a hand for her to shake. She only stared at it, and then at his face.

"Not a handshake person then?" he joked, yet she only responded with a shrug.

Normally people would bow when they met her or at least kiss her hand. This boy didn't know she was the princess, so she couldn't blame him. But it didn't mean she wasn't slightly offended.

"What's your name, peasant boy?"

"Peasant boy? I just saved your life!" The boy chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not telling you my name. You sound like that mad lady in my village."

His comment made her roll her eyes. "How old are you?"

"Ten. I don't know what you could do with that information but—"

"So you're the same age as my brother Egon," she said, giving him a once-over.

The boy was taller than her, so he must be older. What surprised her was how he was nothing like her brother at all. He talked differently and behaved differently, and he had just saved her life when her brother had left her to drown.

So it was true then. Not every boy was the same.

"I'm eight," she told him at last. "And you are very strange."

"Me? Strange?" He pointed a finger to himself, looking quite amused and surprised. "Have you heard everything that came out of your mouth?"

Reyna gave a slight shrug and ducked past him to follow the path she had recognized. "Leave me alone. My family won't be so happy to see you."

"Why? I saved you, didn't I?"

"Yes, now it'd be nice if you saved my time by leaving me alone."

"That was rude," said the boy as he fell into steps beside her. "And I'm not following you. I'm playing hide and seek with my best friend."

"Hide and seek?" Reyna stopped. The look on her face as she turned around made the boy cackle.

"What? You've never played hide and seek before?"

She had, with the maids, who were all older than her and always let her win. Egon had never played and would never play this game with her, for he believed it was made for the girls. So, no. Reyna had never played hide and seek, not properly at least.

"Of course I have! All the time!" she lied and waved him off. "Now leave me alone and get back to your friend. He must be worried."

"She. Her name is Kenny. She's pretty like you, but much nicer."

"Your friend is a girl?"

"Well, she looks like one.”

"Is she your betrothed?"

The boy tilted his head and pursed his lips. He seemed confused. "What is a betrothed?"

Reyna could not help but smirk. "How can you not know what a betrothed is? It’s someone you'll marry when you're older."

"No one has taught me that word!" The boy shrugged. "I don’t know if she’s my betrothed. Haven’t thought about it yet."

“What will happen to her when you get a betrothed then?”

“I don’t even know if I want to marry her!”

Reyna’s jaw fell slack as she slapped a hand against her chest. “If you want to?!” There was no such thing as ‘want to’ or ‘don’t want to’ in Reyna’s world. Her parents told her what to do and what not to do, and she must obey their orders.

Calmly, the boy smiled. "Why should you marry someone you don't want to marry? It doesn't make sense."

It took Reyna a long moment to process that. She had always thought everyone was betrothed to someone when they were small and eventually fell in love with this person their parents had picked out for them. So it didn't work this way then. Interesting...

"Crow! Where are you?!"

The voice from the distance made them both turn their heads.

"Oh, that's Kenny!” said the boy with a bright smile on his face. “I must go now!”

"Crow?" Reyna smirked. "Your name is Crow?"

"No,” the boy said, then ran away without a goodbye.

Reyna thought she was insane for even considering asking to come along. He might have been slightly annoying, but she really wanted to play hide and seek like a normal child for once. But then the thought of her angry father reminded her that she must get back immediately; otherwise, there would be severe consequences.

"Oh, hello there."

Reyna almost screamed when she faced the person she’d just bumped into. It was a woman, young and beautiful like her mother, with piercing grey eyes and icy silver hair. Her face was white, corpse-like white, and her lips were as dark as the colour of her cloak. As she flashed a smile, her golden front tooth turned Reyna to stone. Reyna took a step back when the smile on the woman's face slowly disappeared.

"Are you lost, Your Majesty?" asked the mysterious lady.

Reyna felt a rush of chills down her back as she gathered her fingers into fists. "Wait, how do you—"

She didn’t get to finish the question when a loud piercing scream tore down the serenity of the forest. Slowly, the beautiful lady stepped aside to make way for Reyna.

"You should get back before it's too late," the lady said, smiling again.

Frightened and confused, Reyna started running. She sprinted as fast as she could, following the scream which she had recognized and didn’t look back. The screaming got louder as she got closer, and by the time she'd made it back to her family, it was already too late.

She knew there would be consequences, but this was even worse than she'd imagined. Her legs gave in as the whip cracked down on the girl’s back. Reyna’s lady-in-waiting was screaming and begging the King to spare her life, but King Willem just kept on whipping until the girl’s light blue dress was stained with fresh blood.

"Reyn!"

The whipping stopped.

The whole scene was silent when the Queen dropped down to her knees and pulled Reyna close. Catching his breath, King Willem dropped the leather whip in his hand and told the guards to take the Princess’s lady-in-waiting out of his sight. She was unresponsive when two men dragged her away.

"Is she...is she dead, Mother?" Reyna asked. She was shaking in her mother’s arms.

"No, she just...she just fainted..." said the Queen, but she sounded just as afraid.

The King stopped in front of them, his face red with rage. "Where have you been?" he asked.

"Willem—"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"I-I fell into the river, father!" Reyna burst into tears while clinging onto her mother in fear of being dragged away just like her maid. "Egon was there! He left me there to drown!"

"She's lying!" Egon pushed past the guards and rushed to the front. "I was looking for her but I couldn't find her so I came back to tell you, Father!"

Willem put a hand up to silence Egon, his glowering eyes still on Reyna. "The princess will stay in her chamber for the rest of our stay,” he ordered. “No one is allowed to speak to her except for the maid who brings her food."

"Father, no!"

"Willem, please..."

"And you." Reyna’s father turned to her mother. For a second, Reyna thought his voice was going to break. "If you say one more word to defend her, you'll be locked up as well."

When he stormed off, Reyna looked up at the Queen. That was the first time she'd seen Queen Meira cry.