Cruel Throne (The Dark Storm Legacies Book 2): The Dark Storm Legacies, #1

By Bree De'leon

Amelia is the lost princess of Kindred. Her father—the Hollow King—murdered her mother and thousands of Kindred citizens, only stopped by Alexander. Now back on her home shores, Amelia must keep her head down to prevent showing any signs of treason. A daughter of Kindred was born, but a servant of Arisite she has become. With the head senator of Kindreds laws and the younger brother to Alexander, Raziel shows Amelia how little she is worth in their new rule without the Hollow Kings blood.

 

Morena finds her way on the shores of Kindred, days before her wedding to Alexander, where Lucille has started to become unstable. Her powers calm the ancient silver to him. She turns to Amelia for answers.

 

The Kindred Kingdom is consumed by secrecy and lies that they must overcome.

 

With growing tension between the two kingdoms, betrayal is seen in this court.

 

In the far North, the King of Lycans emerges, setting his eyes upon the girls. His thirst for blood and vengeance upon the two kingdoms that had imprisoned his valuable weapon.

 

Alexis rises an army unlike Arisite, and Kindred has seen in centuries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Prodigy Gold Books
• Release date: Jun 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734624472

Bree De'leon

Bree De’leon grew up in Phoenix AZ, always imagining adventures of fantasy worlds. She performed in many plays growing up and enjoys video games on her spare time. Her love of history and reading bloomed into creative writing, she is currently living alone with her cat, Esmeralda in their home in Phoenix Arizona.

Book preview

One

MONTH: TLEUSP, 26th AF

Year: 1511 AF-After Fall

The shores of Ai’w beach were all clear save the docks and waiting on the shore was the elite guards of Kindred. Amelia noticed the beauty of the sands—covered in crystal white grains, with the gates of Aegeus reaching into the sky, two angelic statues watched while their grace guided the ship to dock, The crew prepared to dock, horns echoing in the distance—The king was back, after many months away from his country. The air was fresh, smelling of pines and salt as the whitecaps of the ocean crashed against the sands.

Alexander’s eyes glistened, staring at his castle that reached high into the clouds, the mountains behind covered in lush green grass. Taking Amelia by the arm, his form still, he did not look at her, he kept his eyes on his city in the distance. She felt herself stiffen beneath his grasp, nervous watching the guards stand at the docks, in faultless formation, saluting to their King, one hand behind their back with the other in a fist above their hearts.

"These are my people, they do not kneel to you, daughter of the hollow king." He whispered, a warning to her, a reminder of her family’s failure—a reminder of where she is nothing but an image.

Stepping off the ship, Alexander escorted her, taking her peach colored hand in his and leading her towards a guard standing nearly 8ft tall, his eyes barely visible beneath the silver helmet. He kneeled before his King, placing his sword before his sovereign lord, accepting his duty—guarding Amelia. Motioning his elite guard to stand, he placed gloved hands upon his shoulders, nodding his approval. Amelia yearned to step back, away from this giant. Lucille stood close behind her, assuring her he was there to protect her, under the commands of their true ally—Morena Darkstorm.

"Amelia, this is General Gustov, my most trusted friend and ally. I am assigning him to be your personal guard." Alexander announced, stepping forward his words filled with authority. He walked over towards his warhorse, a large muscular beast covered in armor and royal silks. 

Amelia took in the sight, the two large gates with an angelic figure on each side, dressed in ivory robes, with wings spread out, accepting and welcoming all to Kindred. She had to strain her neck to soak in the grand beauty of the intricacy of the sculptures. She took note of their expressions, sorrow and solemn at the same time. It filled her soul with a strange feeling, as if she was missing something from so long ago, in a past she had long since forgotten. Alexander had mounted the white steed, decorated in royal purple and silver, its face covered with an armored helmet. The gates opened to the town beneath the castle, the citizens lined at each side, cheering for the return of their King. The leaves were an ember red with yellow littering the ground around the town.

With grace, he stretched out his palm, basking in the citizens’ praise.  Peering into their souls, he began to twist their souls—love into hate; their cheers falling silent as Amelia walked through the gates a few moments after, dressed in a simple gown, with a sheer silver trail decorated in the moon and stars, her shoulders bare, and her hair pinned in a braided crown.

The crowds recognized the girl instantly, her lavender eyes, silver-white hair, moonlit complexion, she was the spitting image of her mother, the late Queen Aya. Soon their souls were fully compelled with hate, and in a single moment, a single citizen in the crowd picked up a large stone with sharp edges, and with all his might, he chucked it at the girl, hitting her in the temple. She felt the liquid flow down her face, a shudder coming over her body. Gustov waived for a lower guard to arrest the man. But he could not arrest the remaining hundreds of thousands of people as they began to shout and curse her.  Following the lead of their fellow countryman, they found anything near them to throw at her—fruits, vegetables, stones, anything to insult the late monarchs. Shielding her, Gustov held his shield in front of her, with a massive armored arm wrapped around her waist and pulling her close to him, preventing anything harmful to contact the Princess.

Amelia gazed up from beneath Gustov’s arm, staring horrified at the sight ahead of her, a mob on both sides of her—what frightened her most was the walk to the palace, a large staircase that circled all the way to castle in the clouds. Her legs began to shake.  Forcing her feet ahead, she made the first step of a thousand; beside her Lucille blocking the remnants of the fruits and stones. Taking nearly three hours to reach the entrance, she was covered in bits of tomatoes and lettuce. She smelled of sour musk, fish and shame; holding her shoulders high, she held her tears back, not allowing herself to be weak in front of Alexander.

WAITING AT THE PALACE opalescence double doors—The Senate of Kindred, she bowed her head, her eyes watching the men in white robes watching her with contempt. She counted seven men. One stood out, his robes were accompanied with leather armor and decorated with a silver pauldron upon his shoulders that were lined with purple stone and a Fauld. With a circular belt and a crescent moon carved in the metal. His arms protected with pure silver gauntlets decorated in the royal colors, on his belt. He held close a large black book locked in place by a metal holster.

His emerald green eyes exactly like Alexander’s; his dark blonde hair was covered with his ivory robes, but there was no mistaking this man—Raziel Lothbrok, brother of the King, and head of the Senate. She had studied on the ship the council members of the senate and remembered the importance of the head council member. He ruled on behalf of the king when the king was away, and any permits of citizenships, any executions carried out in the country all must go through him. Amelia, being recognized as royalty, fell upon his mercy as much as her life depended upon Alexander’s.

Welcome, Princess Amelia, to the capital, Aegeus. You surely must be exhausted from your journey. Please come, let us show you to your apartments. His dialect was thick and rough, he motioned for her to follow them through the palace doors. He walked with elegance and grace. Motioning towards the walls, he began to speak to her of the paintings and statues through the grand halls, each one representing the first soulkeepers, and their decent to the earths.

Following the Senate through the grand halls, she noticed the differences between Arisite and Kindred. The walls held paintings and ancient wings that hung upon the ceilings. Simple and angelic statues were placed side by side along the pearl walls. The purple tapestries hung gracefully in two rows, with royal purple silk hung across the palace ceilings.

Raziel, with a single motion, opened the large deep brown oak doors to the throne room. Amelia gawked in amazement at the ivory granite walls curved to the ceiling; the black marble stone floor held small moon dust partials from when the hollow king first built this palace. And rolled down the middle of the floor, a grand purple and silver rug, leading up the throne itself. The throne sitting upon a platform with at least thirty steps, the two chairs were decorated in the finest fabrics of royal purple, and the arms of the silver chairs were carved into wings with circular diamonds decorating the sides. Imbedded into the throne were a symbol of souls and the guardians. Beside the throne’s platform stood two similar angelic statues as the ones that she saw at the gates of Aegeus, both wore somber faces, blessing the king’s reign.

The senate pushed her forward, leading her out of the throne room and outside through the gardens and lakes, the sun still shinning high into the sky.  She was entranced with the sirens that resided in the palace lakes, their colors and scales foreign to her, they were pinker and more purple colored with no capability of breathing the oxygen outside the algae filled water. Floating with no strings—but magic was a cylinder plate that rotated slowly, she felt a relief from the object. Leaving the gardens, they finally arrived at her private apartments, six rooms with over three hundred servants, with a personal kitchen.

This is for me? She stammered, unable to grasp the reality. The senate turned around, taking a moment to understand her surprise.

Of course, you are a princess of Kindred, you are to be treated as such. A stout senate member barked, his pink cheeks matching his eyes.

It is just...that I am not used—

Princess, these are your rooms now. We are fully aware that you were... He paused the bitterness of the words forming in his throat. Well to put it plainly, you were a servant and thus lived a simple life. Raziel said. Silencing her once more before she could utter in protest, A servant you are no more, but a royal Princess of a great and ancient country. Raziel finished. With a slight wave of his hand he motioned for the members of senate to leave without him. "And if I must say so, it is a disappointment you have returned. He spat, looking down upon Amelia. If you will excuse me, Princess." He bowed, turning away, walking away from her, not allowing her to speak.

CLOSING HER CHAMBER door behind her, the breeze of the autumn winds blew into her room.  Stepping out onto her balcony, she slid her fingers across the marble ledge decorated at both ends with two decorated lanterns. The sun was beginning to set, the sky above was now purple and pink, the clouds spreading thin. She felt her heart tighten, the loneliness beginning to take hold of her.  She leaned against the ledge, her fingers entwined together, as she looked down at the glowing city below. Her lower lip began to tremble, she felt the wind blowing her hair out of place, tears streaming down her face.

Rescue me. She whimpered, feeling her weight drag her down.

Two

CITY: CASAI, ARISITE

Month: Kruid, 3rd Year: 1511 AF

Rena laid in the gardens, her hair tangled with orange and red leaves, her dress shifting colors matching her surroundings, the flowers stitched into the brown silk with hints of orange. She smelled of grass, and peaches with a hint of cream. Her honey-brown shoulders bare, her eyes continued to read the words from a letter Amelia wrote to her of her short time in Kindred.  She wrote of the palace that reached the clouds and the beauties of their countries ivory statues; and that what kept her mind at ease were the gardens that were so vast, they held a lake within the palace where sirens sang and charmed the rooms and where the fairies were slender and mischievous. Rena’s fingers traced the scales of the ancient crocodile, reading the letter over again. She continued to daydream of her departure to her new home, and to her best friend. Slifer slept beside her, his large reptilian body circled around, guarding her. He stirred, a low rumble vibrating in his gut, his eyes darting towards the shadows.

"What is it Counceelmain?" She sighed, placing her hand gently upon the crocodile’s head, watching Drake emerge from the shadows, his skin like paste, his hair tied back. He stood stoic, watching the beast at her feet watch him. 

Your father wishes to see you. he replied. His lust rising in his heart, the wind blew her scent towards him and the smell of honey lemons filled his nose. He longed to kiss her, if only for a moment in her arms, he would be freed. His fingers twitched at his side, his lips sealed shut unable to grab her attention, she stood straightening her dress. Walking past him, he could not speak a single word of his affections; she was gone.

PAPA, YOU WISHED TO see me? Rena hummed, opening the study doors with caution.

Standing in front of her father was an extraordinarily beautiful man, his chocolate colored hair hinted with white violently straight and pulled off his chestnut brown face. He stood with a stoic expression, shoulders held high, with one arm behind his back and the other holding a staff only three inches shorter than himself. He wore copper leather bound garments that buttoned at his neck, fitting his slim body, with a yellow and sunset colored silk robe that fell past his boots and trailed behind him.

Yes, this is Theodore Familiar, King of Fleus and your—

Grandfather. Theodore interrupted, his foreign accent making her nostalgic, remembering her mother’s voice in the back of her mind.

Grandfather? I admit that I have heard many stories of the Familiar King, though I did not think he was my grandfather. Rena stammered, not leaving his sight. She curtsied; her head bowed.

Theodore smirked, elegantly approaching her while she watched him keenly; it was as if he floated on air, with no weight to him.

You are the child of my late daughter, Sonja. Stand child, let me see you closer. He took her chin in his thumb and index finger, and doing as she was told, she stood, her eyes still cast down. Look at me. He demanded. Her eyes meeting his, enchanted by the blue, he was taken aback—a feeling he had not felt for thousands of years, Purity.

Theodore, what is the matter? Sebastian stepped forward, placing his hand upon his daughter’s shoulder.

I wish to take her under my protection and teach her the Familiar holy sacraments within my kingdom. Theodore proposed, taking her by the chin, his eyes never leaving hers.

She is to be married to the King of Kindred in the city Aegeus in the month of Bison. Perhaps once she is married her husband will permit her to travel to Fleus for a time. Sebastian explained, swiftly moving between the Familiar King and his daughter.

Papa, I see no harm in my traveling to Fleus and then sailing to Kindred. Please, I wish to learn more of mama. Rena pleaded, holding her father’s hand in hers. Closing his eyes, he focused, an imagine of Sonja appeared, clear as day. Her hair tied up, covered in dough and alcohol. The image soon faded washing away into memory, Sebastian sighed, biting his cheek from frustration and looking at his only daughter. So much like her mother and yet so much like him.

Fine, I will have your belongings packed and ready by the day’s end tomorrow. His words trailed off, his face hollow. She could imagine what his thoughts were, he could have married her mother, they could have been a royal family of great fortune and love, but her mother hid the truth and lied to him.

I will be going, I must ready for the travels. I still have a lot I must prepare for. She kissed her father, leaving him alone in his study.

RENA ASSISTED THE MAIDS in gathering all her belongings. The trip to Fleus would take a month, then she would have to meet her father at the shores of Kindred’s main city, Aegeus, in just three months’ time. A smile and laughter escaped the maids’ lips as they played around with fashions of the latest in the Aegeus court. The girls folded the silk fabrics, neatly placing them in the large chest; her shoes were prepared in a separate similar chest. Her chamber doors opened; a famous jeweler entered—a centaur. In his hand, a golden pouch folded over, covering the piece of jewelry she had commissioned.

Your highness, may I present Arthur Shiloh, the most famous jeweler within the walls of Casai. A simple maid announced. Turning her head, she smiled.

Of course, sir, it is a pleasure to see you again. Rena embraced the man, placing her arm in his and leading him towards an empty table. Is it completed?

Of course, Princess.  Here, let me show you. He smirked, setting the pouch gently upon the table, opening the flap and removing the golden brooch within.

A ship made of pure solid gold, the sails covered in small individual diamonds with sparkles of blue and purple. Standing on the quarterdeck was a woman, and at the figure head a pure black diamond with a solid amethyst stone lodged into the middle—a rare and beautiful defect. Rena traced the brooch, amazed at the intricacy and beauty.

It’s perfect.  Thank you so much, Arthur. She embraced him once more, placing the gift into the pouch.

Shall I send it to his majesty Alexander? After all, I am sailing to Kindred in two days for another client. Arthur asked.

That would be most kind. Rena replied, sending the jeweler on his way. She sighed, anxious to be in Kindred.  She had yearned to see the country, and their politics and amusements. She sat on her mattress, remembering her love and his embrace. For it seemed so long ago that they had shared their first night together.

CITY: GAITA, ARISITE 

Month: Kruid, 10th  Year: 1511 AF

The mansion sat upon a black mountain, decorated in red and black stones. Inside, the interior was pure black with hints of red, and exaggerated paintings hung upon the walls. The nobles sat at a long black oak table.  At the head sat Drake, his portrait hanging behind him. The curtains were deep red, matching his ember eyes. He had left Casai for the fall like the rest, only to come back to his home to see his sons. Each one a resemblance of himself.

Counceelmain Trinity, why have you called us here? Ethan Solomere hissed, rubbing his temples.

I have a proposal to present to your lords. He chose his words carefully; his fingers circled the rim of the glass. Titano raised an eyebrow, interested in what the vampyre noble had to express.

What is it you wish to propose? Claud sneered, brushing his beard between two fingers. Drake smirked, cocking his head to the side, his gaze piercing through the stout vampyre.

From the shadows three silver slaves emerged, chained, and placed an envelope in front of each of the nobles. Their chains held by a large lycan, scarred and his arm severed. His yellow eyes watching the nobles faces.

Drake, what is the meaning of this? Claud stood, his orange eyes and fat cheeks bloated.

Sit down! Drake raised his voice, with a single motion the Lycan was beside the old councilmember, his claws digging deep into his eye. The screams echoed through the room as the rest sat in horror. Surrounded by a dozen of lycans. The blood trickled down Clauds face, a warning.

Do I have your attention then? Drake pressed, his eyes dark opening his black leather book.

City: Lilith, Fleus

Month: Sroe, 10th Year: 1511 AF

A servant had rushed through the halls searching for the Princess, finding her once again in the gardens beside the pond, trailing her finger in the water. He had handed her a letter, in a black and silver envelope sealed with the royal sigil of the Kindred crown, along with a small velvet pouch. Her face lit up, she opened the letter, her eyes reading each line with care. 

My Soul & Friend,

For a present so beautiful that nothing could be more so, I thank you most cordially. My heart aches when I am not in your presence. I surrender myself to you and