[POV: Ralph Silvaine]

  The soft features of Vienna Thorne wouldn’t let the king go. He sat in his study, his mind worlds away even as he perused the recent census.

  Time was quickly approaching when in the previous time-line, he’d turned back time.

  Lady Adeena Nesrin was so sure it was because she asked for it never knowing he’d been studying for more than a year on how to do the same. Ralph Silvaine looked out his window overlooking his city and hummed beneath his breath, it was coming time to check how the core was doing. His aide had given him the recent readings their artifacts gave, but still no movement, just like the time before.

  Leaving behind his study, he shrugged on one of his warmer formal robes it could get colder down in the caverns.

  He walked through the stone-columned hallways and through the windows that were above the waterfall bridge down below.

  Everything was for his people.

  He wandered down the spiral staircase at the back of his palace and when he reached the bottom the guards checked his hands for any camouflage rings before letting him through the two-story double doors plain in comparison to what they kept hidden on the other side.

  As he stepped through the doors he paused waiting for them to close and lock shut behind him before continuing down the aisles of glimmering stones. The walls inlaid with crystalline and rare Pōrteacaleum in its most raw form.

  The dim light from the rows of glowing stones reflected off the crystalline stone hanging like stalagmites from the ceiling.

  The deeper that he went in the more the glow faded until he stood at the base of the stairway, at the top was a multi-faceted core stone. Its faces were like windows looking into an opaque night where the stars seemed to have vanished from the skies. A shiver ran down his spine, but he shook his head looking back down at the readings over the last couple of years. No movement, no static, nothing.

  He looked up to see what looked like a spec of dust on one of the faces, he brushed it aside but as soon as his fingers brushed against it the core stone shuddered. Ralph Silvaine fell back a couple of steps as he felt an odd resonance spread through his bones and then up and up until it felt as if a loud bell was ringing in his mind. He rubbed his temples.

  Later that night as he lay down to sleep, his dreams showed a familiar cobblestone street he’d seen when he visited the capital of Wofford. A cloaked figure in an alleyway ran in a hurry through an alcove only for a figure in black to jump in her way…

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  [POV: Ravven Basilius]

  He had just fallen asleep, he watched through his gaze as he followed after a petite figure who ran away from him. He sped up after her, worry in his chest and something like anger. Only for it to dissolve into fear as he saw the person he pursued let out a shrill scream as a figure jumped in front of her brandishing a knife. A pained cry came from the maiden as the figure lunged barely missing her neck and his blade ripping a sleeve. Crimson dotted the torn sleeve.

  He ran forward, brandishing his sword quickly to get the figure away from the one he protected.

  From the corner of his eyes spun golden hair fell around a tear-filled gaze...

  [Zephyr Soren]

  The dream was odd.

  He sensed it was from his Other Self’s memories from the other timeline.

  He had just seen a maiden he recognized as Lady Adeena Nesrin nearly get harmed by a man with a knife. The prince brandished a sword to protect Adeena and the black-clothed man tried to flee. Zephyr was quick to use his affinity, ice covered the ground making the man slip. As it receded with each of Zephyr’s steps he grabbed hold of the man’s arms, who began to mumble non-stop.

  “She’ll get you next time. You won’t escape, Adeena Nesrin.”

  “Who sent you?”

  The man let out a laugh, “A flower with thorns is a dangerous thing.”

  [Killian]

  Killian’s first clue that it was a dream was when he saw himself kneeling, head bowed before the crown prince.

  “What have you found?”

  From his side he brought forth a knife laying flat upon his hands, “The blade was forged on the Thorne estate. I even have a witness who gave testimony of Lady Vienna Thorne issuing the order for the weapon to be made.”

  “Why would she do such a thing to me?” A voice came from the hallway and the crown prince rose from his throne.

  “I told you to rest, you haven’t healed from the ordeal yet.”

  Killian watched sourly with an ironic smile upon his lips as he watched the crown prince lean down and kiss the lips of Adeena Nesrin. Lips he had once kissed.

  “I will make sure she can’t lay a finger upon you ever again.”

  [Vienna]

  Vienna tossed and turned as she lay in her bed. Fingers grasping at her blankets, she whispered ‘no’.

  In her dream she was being taken away by the prince’s loyal shadow knights, Killian himself placed restraints on her tightening them far too tight.

  She was brought before the royal court, but the king and queen were nowhere in sight instead the prince sat on one of their thrones. Adeena Nesrin sitting regally at his side.

  “You are charged with treason and the attempted assassination of the soon-to-be crown princess, Lady Adeena Nesrin.”

  She wasn’t allowed to speak, her voice coming out choked and dry.

  “You are hereby sentenced to death. Let this be a lesson for the rest of the kingdom so that no one dares to harm my future queen.”

  “Please, no, Your Highness I would never try to harm her. You have to believe me.”

  “I have believed you for too long and look how you’ve repaid me. Take her out.”

  A crowd had gathered, faces of shock watched as Lady Vienna Thorne was carted up to a stand.

  Vienna’s eyes shot open just as the blade was about to come down on Lady Thorne’s neck.

  Her body was wracked with shivers. “No, no, that won’t happen. That was only a story, only a story.” She pulled her knees up and buried her head in her arms. “Just a story. It won’t happen, I’m going to be ok.” The shivers would not die down until dawn arrived and her cheeks were wet with tears.

  [End of POV: Ralph Silvaine, Zephyr Soren, Killian & Vienna Thorne]

  [POV: Adeena Nesrin]

  A strange giggle came from the desk beneath the grand bedroom’s window. Hands furiously wrote disregarding the ink that began to stain their fingertips. Low mumbles came from the woman, “Yes, yes, of course.” A deranged giggle came from wide grinning lips, “If it happened once I can get it to happen again.”

  [End of POV: Adeena Nesrin]