Page 1 of Stolen Crown (The Emerald Realm 4)

prologue

Smoke filled my lungs as I dashed through the burning halls of the castle. Word of the attack had barely reached the other maids before the walls were set ablaze. I grabbed everything I could as I ran—candlesticks, gold décor, jeweled ornaments. Anything that might have held monetary value, I stuffed into my arms. The floor began to grow hot under my simple slippers, so I took that as a sign to leave.

The intruders must be after the royal family. Surely, they wouldn’t care about a simple chamber maid.

I directed my course toward the exit, blocking out the terrified screams that rang through the halls. The attack had come from nowhere. The citizens of Sybettal had always been immensely blessed with magical gifts, so it seemed impossible that such a large invasion could go unnoticed by the various mages—even the king was a sorcerer, with the gift of being able to feel the emotions of anyone in his kingdom. It wasn’t until the king had sensed a massive wave of hate and anger that he realized we had been invaded. But by then, it was too late…

Ashbourne was already here…

I dashed for the servants’ exit, trying to flee the castle before any Ashbourne soldiers took notice of me. It was unlikely that they would pay me any mind, but I didn’t want to risk running into them, either. I stopped just short of rounding a corner when an unfamiliar voice echoed from the exit. “No one leaves,” the soldier said grimly. “The mages come with us, kill the rest.”

My blood froze.Kill us? But there are so many servants here.My hands began to tremble as I recognized the level of danger I was truly in. There wasn’t an ounce of magic in my blood or a speck of silver in my hair.I’m dead if I approach those doors…

As my mind fought my fear, another mortifying scream rattled out from behind the wall. I tensed.I need to get out of here, now.With my arms still full of treasures, I ran for the guest chambers on the lower floor. I had cleaned every room of this castle, enough so that I knew the fastest way to move around unseen. The flames grew denser the farther back I went into the castle, and it became clear to me that the Ashbourne soldiers were intent on smoking out all those who were inside. I shuddered at the thought and pressed onward, dodging burning rugs and doors. Sweat dripped down my forehead from the sweltering heat, and the metal treasures I clutched stung my arms from their elevated temperature. My lungs burned for fresh air as I burst into the familiar guest chamber. I scanned the room, quickly regaining my bearings.

There, the window!

Using one of the silver candlesticks I had collected, I smashed the glass with a deafening crash. The shards fell haphazardly across the floor, and I stepped over them to peer out the new exit. The ground was only a mere five feet below the opening, so I dropped my bounty out the window first, then defenestrated myself after it. Once my feet landed on the cool ground, I sucked in an overwhelmingly clean breath of air.

No sooner than the air had filled my lungs, my breathing halted entirely.

Fire...There was so much fire…

As far as my eyes could see, bright orange enveloped the once radiant kingdom of Sybettal. It wasn’t just the castle that the intruders had invaded; the entire land was ringing with the terrified screams of its citizens.

With trembling limbs, I gathered my belongings and raced away from the castle.I need to find a safe place.My fear overran my adrenaline as I noticed more soldiers blockading the entrance into town. My eyes darted across the grounds, looking for another escape, and I noticed that the barley fields adjacent to the castle had only been recently lit aflame. Both ends of the beautiful yellow fields glowed red with heat and smoke, but the center of the fields had yet to be enveloped by the fire. The flames were spreading rapidly, so I didn’t take any time to consider the likelihood of being able to clear the other side before the fire reached me. Instead, I only ran.

I dove straight into the barley field, trying my best to ignore the encroaching flames on either side of me. My arms were beginning to ache from the weight of the treasures I held, but I wasn’t going to drop them. I would need the money to start a new life after this. As I made it halfway through the field, a new cry of fear halted my steps.

That wasn’t the cry of an adult…

I stopped for only a moment, quickly grazing my eyes across the barley.Maybe I had just imagined it?The flames were growing nearer, so I turned back to continue my run, but another cry made me freeze.

A...a baby?

Part of me wanted to keep running and ignore the cries, but a much larger portion of me couldn’t stomach leaving an infant in a burning field. With a heavy sigh, I turned back and combed the barley for the sound. It only took a few moments to find the tiny bread basket that contained the tightly swaddled infant.

A slight gasp crossed my lips.It was so small...Atop the baby’s tiny head was a cluster of short red curls, almost as bright as the fire surrounding us. The baby couldn’t have been more than a few days old...What was it doing in the middle of a barley field? As my thoughts tumbled around in my mind, I noticed the scent of smoke growing thicker.

Without a second thought, I dropped all the trinkets and jewels from my arms. I couldn’t hold both the treasures and a baby, so one needed to be left behind. With my freed arms, I picked up the basket, cradling it close to my chest. The baby let out a few gentle cries at the movement, and I shushed it soothingly. I tucked my apron over the basket in an attempt to shield the infant from the smoke.

The fire was closing in much faster, so I continued forward at a full sprint, running into the night with a far greater treasure than I could have ever imagined.

chapter one

Twenty years later, Ashbourne

The king sat impatiently upon his throne, tapping his ringed fingers on the chair’s stone arm. The sun sparkled against the stain-glass windows, allowing jewel-toned light to cascade across the expansive room. When a new presence entered the room, the king let out an audible huff at the sight of the infuriating man.

“You requested to see me, Father?” Prince Killian asked. He calmly approached the king’s jewel-encrusted obsidian throne, only kneeling when he was at the base of the steps that ascended to it.

“Indeed,” King Darius replied starkly. He scrutinized his son’s casual movements with a judgmental eye. “I’m sure you have been made aware by now that you have fallen vastly below your brothers’ current rankings.”

“Well, that hardly seems fair,” the prince scoffed, an unserious light in his thoughtful eyes. “You’ve given both Miron and Conan specific tasks to prove their worth, while I have been busy proving my value through other means. The difference between my brothers and I, is that I don’t require instruction to know how to strengthen my kingdom.” He raised his eyes to meet his father. The two passed a less than respectful glare for a quiet moment.

The king dug his nails into the arm of his stone throne, scratching the smooth surface. “I gave your brothers instructions because I knew they would follow them. You on the other hand…” He paused, sneering at the man beneath him. “You’ve never possessed the talent of obedience.”

Killian stood from the floor, cocking his head at his father. “You’re correct, I don’t obey,” he narrowed his smoky gray eyes at the king, “I lead. You didn’t raise me to be a sheep, Father; you raised me to be a king. But if you truly want a puppet ruling Ashbourne, then by all means, select Miron or Conan as your successor. It only seems fitting that a kingdom shrouded in shadows should be led by a coward.”

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