The land of Halcyon. Once a beautiful and peaceful place for creatures of all kinds. From dragons of the skies to serpents of the seas, all manner of beasts could be found there. Countless forests and vast plains covered the land. Animals of magical origin resided over the entirety of the continent. But that secluded land couldn't stay untouched forever. Humans discovered Halcyon. They saw how fruitful and prosperous the land was. The fertile soil was perfect for plant growth, animals could grow strong and healthy, they even discovered rare minerals in the earth beneath their feet. They had everything they needed to flourish, and flourish they did.

But as time went on, things changed. The people gave in to their greed and began to take more than was necessary for their survival. They ventured out, slaughtering and stealing from the creatures that resided there before them, nearly driving them to extinction. The small villages the people had built became grand cities and towns that spread over Halcyon. Soon enough, the people even began to fight amongst themselves. Wars broke out and many were killed. The battles raged on until five siblings stepped up to stop the fighting.

"If we cannot coexist peacefully," the eldest sibling said, "then we shall spread out and each take a portion of the land for ourselves."

The people agreed and followed the five to separate corners of the continent. The eldest sibling took those that followed him to the highest cliffs so that he may look down upon his younger brothers and sisters across the land. The second eldest isolated her people in the frigid mountains where she believed her siblings would never venture. The third led his people to the wide, windy valleys where he could have the largest of cities. The fourth sibling took those that followed her to the most prosperous land filled with minerals and ores, giving her people an abundance of riches. The youngest of the five, being fearful of his older siblings, hid his people away in the deepest and darkest of forests where he hoped his brothers and sisters would never find him.

The five siblings divided the land and built up their cities. They became rulers over their kingdoms, never associating with their siblings for the remainder of their lives. To this day, the land and its people are still separated.

"Princess, if you are finished reading the section about Halcyon's history, then I would like to proceed with a pop quiz."

The young princess lifted her eyes from the book on her desk, gazing up at the grey-haired man pacing before her. He stopped and stood in front of her. She gave a faint smile and a small nod for him to continue.

Winston cleared his throat. "Name each of the five kingdoms and their capital cities." He grew quiet, awaiting an answer from the girl.

"Well, our kingdom is Goldcrest, and we live here in the capital, which is Corundum," she began, remembering quite clearly everything she had learned about. "Our neighboring kingdoms are Windvale to the west, and Whitecliff to the east. Their capital cities are Mistral and Alabaster, respectively. In the northwest is Snowhaven, where Hailstone resides. Then Shadowhedge lies in the northeast with Penumbra as its capital."

A wide smile spread across the man's face. He gave an approving nod. "Correct. Now onto the next section."

Situated in the enormous library of the castle, Amelia Gold, the crown princess of Goldcrest was busy studying with her tutor, like most days. The towering shelves all around the room were lined with books from history to nature and everything in between. There were plenty of desks and chairs used for reading, writing, or working. The library was often a quiet place, perfect for a few lessons from teacher to student. Amelia was not only an excellent learner, but also a kind and beautiful young woman. She had natural, fiery red hair that was straight and smooth to the touch, hanging down to her elbows in length. She had fine facial features with a thin, delicate figure to match. Her eyes were the brightest of blues and always filled with kindness and joy. She was nearly always dressed in the most gorgeous and luxurious dresses made especially for her, and currently wore a light blue dress adorned with gold patterns.

The girl's attention was interrupted by the sound of one of the large library doors. She turned her head, seeing the door open ever so slightly. A guard poked his head in and quickly whispered something to the knight stationed by the entrance. The knight gave a nod to the guard, who quickly disappeared, shutting the door behind him. The red-haired princess watched with curiosity as the young man approached her.

With his hand over his armored chest, he bowed respectfully. "Princess Amelia, Her Grace would like to see you in the great hall."

"Well I guess that ends today's lesson," Winston said with a small sigh. "We'll pick this up tomorrow, Princess."

"All right," Amelia replied with a smile while standing from her chair. "Thank you, Winston."

She left the library with the knight by her side, escorting her as he always does. Amelia Gold, the young princess of nineteen, had known the man at her side since childhood. Being only two years older than her, Alan Sentry was tasked with watching over and protecting the girl as her personal guard. Being a knight, he had trained hard over the years, and his thin but muscular physique made that clear. Despite being in the palace, he had a rather messy head of dark brown hair. It was short, yet his bangs often hung down just above his eyes, which were a light brown hue. He had a thin, cleanly-shaven face that gave him a bit more of a youthful appearance compared to many of the soldiers. He was covered in silver armor from the neck down, a sword sheathed on one hip and a dagger strapped to the other.

"You appear to be quite educated, Your Highness." The quiet walk down the many corridors was abruptly interrupted by the knight.

Amelia looked over at him and smiled. "Oh, but that was just simple history," she said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Maybe so," he replied, "but you are quite intelligent, nonetheless. You'll make a great ruler someday."

A slight giggle slipped from the girl's lips. "Thank you, Alan. You're very kind. Just talking with you always brightens my day."

The two made their way to the great hall where the queen awaited them. The large, rectangular room was one of the largest rooms in the castle. It had long tables with rows of chairs around each of them for everyone to dine at. Columns encrusted with gemstones lined the room. Large, stained-glass windows adorned the walls with dozens of beautiful paintings of the royal family and their ancestors below them. Hanging from the ceiling were two huge, gold chandeliers.

Amelia approached Queen Sophia in a calm, respectful manner. "You wanted to see me, Mother?" she asked.

The queen had been sitting at a table alone, her red hair and blue eyes reminiscent to her daughter's. It was clear to see where Amelia got her looks from, her mother was almost just like her in every way. Her hair was currently pulled up in a half bun, with the under layer of hair hanging down over the top of her back. She wore a dark green dress with a soft, velvet material, and had a small, gold crown atop her head.

With a smile, the queen stood and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I did. Amelia, walk with me to the chapel."

The princess nodded with a small smile spreading across her lips. She walked alongside her mother while Alan quietly trailed behind. The three exited the castle through the large, sturdy doors and into the noblemen's quarters. There were rows of large, fancy homes where all the wealthiest of citizens lived. They passed by many soldiers and nobles who bowed their heads in respect at the sight of the queen and the princess. Arriving at the chapel, Queen Sophia pushed open the ornate doors and went inside with her daughter slightly behind her. They walked up the aisle of the chapel, passing by rows of pews and strolling to the far end of the room.

A short man with a grey beard and dressed in a black robe awaited them. With a welcoming smile, he bowed his head. "Welcome, Your Grace, Princess. What an honor for you to visit us today."

"Thank you, we're happy to be here," Sophia replied. "Amelia, darling, let's pray and pay our respects before we head into town."

Amelia nodded and followed her mother. The two stood before a large stone statue of a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair. Above the statue was a rounded, stained-glass window of the same woman with a rainbow of colors added in. Amelia copied her mother and closed her eyes, clasping her hands together. Everything grew quiet as Amelia listened intently to her mother's prayer.

"O, great Goddess of Life, I ask that you offer safety to my family and to my people. That all their needs be met, and they continue to prosper. I also pray for my daughter, Amelia. May her future be bright and fruitful. I ask this in your name, Evelia. Amen."

Amelia muttered the amen before opening her eyes and unclasping her hands. She watched her mother offer up a few gold coins to the Goddess, placing them on the small table in front of the statue. The queen turned and began to leave with her daughter and the knight right behind them. The three made their way out to the commoner's quarters, which was much like the nobleman's quarters except with many more, smaller homes and quite a bit of farmland and shops. Crowds of people flocked to the royals to get a glimpse of the queen and the princess. Though this treatment was always expected, Amelia still couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by everyone. But she wore a calm smile and kept her composure, just the way she was taught for many years.

The people crowded around, telling Queen Sophia of their troubles and asking for solutions. Sophia quickly responded to every plea in a way that brought happiness and comfort to everyone. Amelia listened and watched her mother in admiration. The queen was always so calm and had an answer for everything. The girl hoped to be just like her one day, as it was always the queen's duty to take care of the peoples' troubles while the king took care of the more political matters.

The crowds slowly dispersed with each person leaving in satisfaction of Sophia's answers. With fewer and fewer people around, Amelia noticed a couple of small children push their way through until they stood right in front of her. They grinned and gazed up at her in awe. Amelia smiled and bent down to look at them, noticing how they were practically shaking with excitement.

"Princess Amelia, you're the greatest, most beautiful princess in the land!" the young, brown-haired girl happily told her. The girl looked to be no more than eight years of age and seemed extremely excited to see Amelia. "I want to be just like you someday!"

"Why thank you," Amelia replied to her. "I'm sure you'll grow up to be one of the noblest, most intelligent young ladies in the city."

The girl seemed overjoyed by Amelia's answer. She clenched her tiny hands and bounced with happiness all while making a high pitch squeal of glee. The young boy who stood beside her looked to be slightly older, with short, brown hair just like the girl's. They looked like siblings.

"I want to be an elite knight when I grow up, just like Sir Alan!" the boy said. "I'm already learning how to use a sword!"

Amelia took a quick glance back at where Alan stood. She could see a faint smile on his lips while his brown eyes gazed down at the boy, all while he still stood vigilantly. She knew that he'd heard what the young boy had said. She turned her head to look at the child in front of her and smiled gently down at him.

"I think you'd make a great knight," she said. "Keep training. I'll look forward to seeing you in the castle one day. Here, I have something for you both." The two children held out their hands eagerly. Amelia reached into the small satchel tied around her waist and grabbed a few coins. She pulled her hand out and dropped a couple of coins into each of the children's small, outstretched hands. The two gazed down at the gold-colored coins in their palms with awe. "I hope you'll buy yourselves something nice."

The children both happily thanked Amelia before darting off down the street. Amelia watched them leave with a joyful smile on her lips. Amelia spent hours out with her mother, visiting and helping the many people of Corundum. Between her duties as princess and her lessons with her tutor, Amelia often felt weary by the end of each day. But she pushed on, knowing it was her responsibility to follow through with everything her parents expected of her.

With the sun beginning to disappear beyond the horizon, Amelia followed her mother back to the castle. She knew the daily routine and inwardly sighed upon feeling the emptiness in her stomach. The red-haired girl quickly found herself within the castle once more. The three went to the great hall where King Edmund was already seated at one of the long tables. Amelia and Sophia joined him, sitting with him to await their meal. Edmund was a tall, yet kind-looking man. He had neatly trimmed blackish-grey hair and a short beard. His pale blue eyes held both authority and kindness. His robes were always colored in reds and golds, and his gold crown situated atop his head showed his status.

"Sophia, Amelia, how was your day?" Edmund asked. Before his question could be answered, three servants approached and set down an assortment of small dishes on the table and poured a drink for each of them.

Amelia gazed at the food in front of her, picking out a couple of things for herself. "It was fine, Father," she finally answered him before taking a bite of her meal.

"Amelia's been learning so much and doing such a great job of her duties," Sophia explained. "I believe she'll be more than ready to take over the throne one day."

Amelia found herself smiling at her mother's statement. She then grabbed an apple from one of the many plates and held it up for Alan, who stood quietly at her side. He graciously took it from her and took a bite out of it. The king looked at his daughter for a moment and gave an approving nod before returning to his meal. The family carried on with small conversations while they ate their dinner.

However, their meal was soon interrupted by a loud screech. Amelia immediately jerked her head around to find the source of the noise. She quickly caught sight of something red and fixed her eyes on the large bird flying in through one of the open windows in the room. She recognized the crimson-feathered bird that swooped down and perched on the arm of her father's chair. The tall bird leaned its head down to Edmund, holding out an envelope in its beak. He smiled and took the piece of paper from it, ripping it open and reading the letter inside. The bird was a rare phoenix, a legendary bird of fire and rebirth.

Amelia grinned happily upon seeing the return of the royal messenger. "Ember! Nice to see you back!"

The phoenix turned her head to look at Amelia. She flapped her large, powerful wings and flew over to Amelia, now landing on the arm of her chair. "It's nice to be back, Amelia. I don't mind being a messenger, but I would like a break from time to time."

Amelia smiled upon hearing the words of her phoenix friend, watching as the beautiful bird began cleaning the feathers of her wings. While Amelia could easily hear the voice of the messenger bird, others could not. This was an ability unique to the young princess. The power seemed to come with the strange, plant-like marking that resided on the girl's right hip since her birth. Her parents knew of her mark, but she had never told them of that ability she had – that ability to understand animals. This led the princess to make the most unlikely of friends.

Amelia took a quick glance at her father, noticing a grin on his lips. Once he had finished reading the letter, he handed it to his wife, who took it and began reading it. Amelia thought it was odd that her mother had a frown on her face. Her father had seemed happy about whatever was written on that paper, yet her mother seemed worried about what she was reading.

Sophia finally lifted her eyes and looked to Edmund, worry still etched on her face. "Edmund, do you think this is a good idea?" she quietly asked him with evident concern in her voice.

Amelia decided to ask, "What's a good idea?" Both of her parents turned and looked right at her.

Edmund eagerly took the letter from Sophia while smiling over at his daughter. "It's nothing to worry about, Amelia. It doesn't really concern you," he calmly told her.

"It does concern you, Amelia," Ember quickly said to the girl, instantly earning her attention. "I saw your name in it. I'll tell you about it later if you like." Amelia gave a faint nod to the bird, unable to answer her verbally.

After finishing her meal, Amelia stood from her seat. She said a quiet "goodnight" to her parents before leaving the great hall and heading to her room. Almost forgetting that her guardian, Alan, was still following her, she dismissed him for the night and went to her room, the questions about that letter's contents still swirling around in her mind.

A/N: I hope this piqued your interest! This is the first chapter of my first self-published book available digitally on Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and more. There's a link to it on my profile page if you'd like to check it out.

Also know that this was one of my earliest works that I fixed up, so it's a little rough around the edges. But the second book is on the way and I promise it's even better than the first!