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Chapter 1

A Spark in the Palace

Aurelia’s first memories were of warmth, laughter, and voices that spoke her name with endless affection.

“Mother, tell me a story,” she would demand at breakfast, her bright eyes fixed on Elisana. “A story about the stars!”

Elisana smiled, brushing a strand of auburn hair from her daughter’s face. “Very well, Aurelia. But remember — every story has lessons hidden inside. Listen carefully.”

Marcus, seated across from them, ruffled Aurelia’s curls, laughing. “I hope our daughter learns more from her stories than I did from my tutors,” he said, smiling. “Or she might surpass me too quickly.”

Aurelia giggled, clapping her hands. “I will, Father! I will be the greatest Empress of Salastian!”

It was not arrogance. It was a spark — a fire burning bright, even in a child barely old enough to walk. That spark did not go unnoticed.

By the age of seven, Aurelia could read and write fluently, wield a small blade with surprising skill, and perform basic magic spells under the guidance of the palace tutors. But it was her mind and courage that distinguished her.

One afternoon, while walking the palace gardens with Marcus, she paused by the edge of a fountain. “Father,” she said thoughtfully, “why do people fight for power?”

Marcus knelt beside her, taking her small hand in his. “Because some value ambition more than peace, Aurelia. But our family… We value love, justice, and responsibility. That is what makes us strong.”

Aurelia’s small brow furrowed. “Will I have to fight like that someday?”

Marcus hesitated. He remembered the battles he had fought — the ones within himself, the ones that nearly destroyed his marriage. “Perhaps. But you will not fight alone. You will have guidance, wisdom, and the strength to make choices not out of fear, but out of heart.”

The wind rustled through the cherry trees, carrying the fragrance of spring, and Aurelia looked up, eyes wide with determination. “I will be worthy of our family, Father. I will make you and Mother proud.”

Marcus pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You already do, Aurelia. You already do.”

But shadows lurked.

Through hidden corridors and whispered secrets, a noble named Duke Valerian, a neighboring kingdom’s envoy, watched Aurelia with thinly veiled interest. Her brilliance, her magic, and her presence as heir made him wary. “If the child grows unchecked,” he murmured to his council, “she will overshadow us all. And perhaps, she will be the tool that topples us if we are not careful.”

Aurelia, blissfully unaware of the schemes forming around her, chased butterflies in the palace garden, her laughter echoing. Yet every hero’s journey begins quietly, and every future ruler’s path is paved with both light and shadow.

The child of two suns was born. The kingdom rejoiced. But fate had more in store than anyone could imagine.