Page 1 of The Throne's Undoing

Prologue

KALLIE

Kallie tuggedthe cuff of her sleeve, pulling it over the blotchy purple and green skin peeking through. Every muscle in her body ached. Every time she took a breath, the corset squeezed her already bruised ribcage, sending a spike of pain coursing through her body.

Yet, as she stood on the other side of the oval table in the advisors' room from her father, Kallie tipped her chin up and pushed past the pain. She couldn't waiver, not now.

The bruises covering her flesh were nothing more than proof of her hard work and the work that still needed to be done to be perfect.

And Kallie would be perfect.

She had no other choice.

"Soon, this will all be ours," her father said, waving a hand over the map of Vaneria spread across the table. His blond hair was neatly swept back, and his impeccably tailored navy suit exuded an air of sophistication. "The seven kingdoms were never meant to be split into separate territories led by individual kings. But the future is near; I can feel it. I willbecome the king who reunited the kingdoms and pieced them back together."

Behind her back, she uneasily twisted her mother's gold ring around her finger as her eyes darted across the map. The small marble figurines representing the kings and queens of Vaneria stared back at her.

"What if the other rulers do not agree with your plan, Father?" she asked quietly.

"With you at my side, they will have no choice but to agree," he said, pressing his palms against the oak as he leaned over the table. "This is why the gods have blessed you, Kalisandre. You are the key to our success. Once you learn complete control of your gift, you will be stronger than you can even fathom."

Kallie nodded, yet doubt twisted her stomach.

They had been over the plan many times. She knew how important it was to strengthen her ability. If she wanted to be powerful, she had to be able to use her gift more than once or twice without suffering from debilitating migraines. Her next assignment would be a crucial step in achieving that, yet...

Releasing her bottom lip, she asked hesitantly, "Are you sure they will know how to strengthen my gift?"

The king sighed. "Yes, Kalisandre--as I have told you many times."

Kallie's gaze skimmed across her father's features. She did not know what she was looking for, for she knew she would find no comfort within his heavy, brown eyes. Yet she looked anyway.

Even though she had been training for months, she couldn't help but wonder if this was the right path.

"But how do you know?" The question slipped from her lips before she could swallow it.

Domitius straightened, and Kallie, unable to move, held her breath as he stormed around the table toward her.

She immediately dropped her attention to the floor, the shame dragging her gaze down.

Domitius snatched her face in his hand, squeezing her cheeks together as if she was once again a young girl running around the castle and causing trouble. "Do you dare doubt my wisdom?"

"No," Kallie whispered, dread making her voice sound hollow.

Cocking his head to the side, Domitius narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure? Because for someone who claims she does not doubt me, you sure have been asking a lot of questions."

Kallie's heart thundered in her chest. Her palms grew damp as her father arched a brow, awaiting her response. "I--I only wish to understand, Father."

His nose twitched. "Do you not trust me, Kalisandre?"

As his grip around her face tightened slightly, tears began to burn the backs of her eyes. Refusing to let them escape, she swallowed before saying, "Of course I trust you, My King."

The corners of his lips twitched upward, but the smile did not reach his eyes. It rarely did, though.

"Good," he said, loosening his hold on her. He patted her right cheek with his hand, pleased with her answer. "The choosing ceremony is in a few days. Until you marry the king, you must always be on guard, Kalisandre. Do you remember your training?"

Her answer was immediate. "Yes, Father."

"There is no room for error, nor room to question the plan. You were born to do this." Domitius's attention returned to the map and landed on the island on the northwestern coast. "Some kingdoms will be harder to convince than others, and war might befall us. But sacrifices must be made for the greater good.

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