It wasn’t that her parents neglect her. But for the longest time, her mother had seven children to look after, and Bryony was near the bottom as the youngest for seven years before she finally birthed the son she’d wanted for many years. Now she spent all her time with baby Sage.

Her father was no better; a powerful man like him didn’t have time to play with her.

Seeing her distress, Gwenyth sighed and patted the seat next to her. “How about a story to pass the time?”

Her interest peaked, Bryony nodded and moved seats, settling against the older woman.

“When Valoren was young, and my ancestor was a tiny babe in her mother’s lap,” Gwenyth held two fingers with almost nothing between them, “it was in ruin.”

“Not a history lesson,” groaned Bryony, realizing where this was going.

“Hush.” Gwenyth started again. “Valoren was in chaos, with no royalty, no proper leader. Instead, we were ruled for over a century by an evil sorceress, one who cared little about the people. Her name is forgotten, but her actions won’t be. She’d kill without remorse, and only wished to gain more power. It was thanks to the Seven we are free.”

Bryony nodded with awe. The men and women who’d risen from nothing to save Valoren were both fact and myth; the seven warriors killed the sorceress and returned it to the people. Some said magic aided them, born with it or given to them by the gods depending on the story. That an Oracle gathered the warriors or the gods spoke to them directly. Or that magical creatures offered their help. Some stories contained several of those elements.

But they all shared one factor; after the sorceress was defeated, her magic became glowing stones, one given to each warrior.

“Valoren was divided into seven realms, one for each warrior to rule.” Gwenyth looked at Bryony. “Can you name them?”

“Calyda,” Bryony named her own first. “Niobe, Rialtha. Um…Avani, Embry, Ghitah and…” She struggled to remember the last.

“Zahara,” Bluebell finished, still reading her book.

“Correct. To ensure no one person would rule Valoren again, they agreed to meet every year and sign a magical document ensuring peace the following year. Their children were brought with them to strengthen future bonds as well.” Gwenyth gave Bryony a pointed look.

“I know this story,” whined Bryony.

“Oh? Then what happened to Zahara?”

Opening her mouth to answer, Bryony hesitated. Zahara, with its back to the northern mountains, no longer had a ruler come to the Gathering. The story spread through the realms was that a great sickness overtook the land, one that no one survived. No one could enter Zahara now, not only because of the sickness, but the monsters. “Only what I’ve been told,” Bryony finally admitted.

Gwenyth hesitated. “You might be too young to hear the other story…”

“Other story?” Bluebell finally looked up from her book. “Tell us, please? We won’t tell anyone.” She glanced to Bryony. “Right?”

Bryony nodded, eager to hear it.