As soon as Visara was born, she was worshipped. When people saw her, they knew that she was the child of a god. Her skin glowed when she was happy. Her eyes would shine with joy. As she grew up, she had visitors from all races come to meet her. She was, after all, the last remaining connection to the gods. Her mother never let the fame get to her daughters head. Instead, she taught Visara kindness and forgiveness. She taught her what was right and wrong.

Visara grew up stunningly beautiful. Not only on the outside but inside too.  By the time she was an adult, she had thousands upon thousands of followers. That, however, was not enough. It wasn't enough to stop the slave trade. It wasn't enough to stop the war between the races. She would spread messages of peace and few would listen. None could come to an agreement and blood continued to be shed.

The leader of the humans grew tired of Visara. His name was Tane and he considered himself the King of the Humans. His people loved him. For he was cruel but his cruelty brought them riches and power. As humans were the only race with no magic of their own, they needed other means to rise to the top. Visara was getting in his way, so he decided to send her a small message. Whilst she was preaching peace in the land of the Lupine, he visited her mother.

Even twenty years after giving birth to Visara, her mother was still incredibly beautiful. So King Tane had his way with her before beating her to death. He hung her body on a post in front of her house with a note on her stomach. Held there by a golden dagger. When news spread to Visara, she rushed home and found her mother. She screamed and ran to her mother's body, gently pulling her down from the post where she had been displayed. As she sobbed, she realised there was a letter. It was written with her mother's blood.

"Let this be a warning to you. There are no gods in our world now, little girl. Your birth alone is hardly enough to be able to stop me. If you cross me again, I will do the same to you and everyone who claims to follow you." She screamed then and she felt rage and pain she had never felt before. Her mother had taught her of forgiveness, but Visara's mother was gone. Not only had the death of Visara's mother caused most of Visara's followers to abandon her, but it had also awoken darkness within her. The wrath of a god. So as Visara screamed she vowed that her mother's murder would not go unpunished. For in her world, painful deaths awaited those who raped and murdered others.

~The  History of the First War of Vivelle. Book One. Chapter Ninety-two, verse Seven.

The crowd continues to roar as my warhorse troats out to me. I manage to gather enough strength to climb onto his back. He knows where to go. He leads me from the arena into a different passage than the one I entered. The sound of the crowd still echoes behind me. Once I am out of sight, I slump down with exhaustion. The pain really hits me and my eyes grow heavy. I feel the horse going up some stairs and then I hear my fathers voice along with my sisters. I try to sit up but I am too weak. 

"Get her off the horse," my father says as I enter the room. I manage to open my eyes. Fallon walks over to me and grabs me roughly, dragging me off the horseback. She whispers harshly in my ear.

"Let's hope your stunt worked," she growls quietly, making it look like she is continuing our little feud. "Because Rayana failed her test." She lets go of me and I slump to the floor. She walks away and I am left to think about what she just said. Rayana failed. That must mean she is badly injured or maybe even dead. No, she can't be dead. I haven't heard the Cannon. Even so, I feel my stomach flutter with fear.

"Very good show Illyana," my father says as I figure out where we are. We are in a small room which looks out over the arena. It is very private though, meaning none of the crowd can see in. I realise that all my sisters would have seen my performance.

"We thought you were going to fail for a second there," Shaelyn says whilst she runs a hand along her throat. I can't say anything. Everywhere hurts too much.

"Yeah, how did you get that man off you whilst you being strangled?" Cordelia asks sceptically. I frown as I look at them. None of them has any signs of injury. Surely they must at least have a few scrapes. Where is Rayana? She's the only one not in here. Though if she was dead, the others wouldn't be as calm as they are now. I hope so anyway.

"Enough girls," father says and they quit. "We need to get her patched up," he says as he pulls a small glass jar out of his robes. I gasp when I see it. Father walks over to me and tilts my head back, forcing my mouth open. He lets one drop of the liquid enter my mouth before letting me go and putting the lid back on. I feel it slide down my throat. It doesn't take long before I start to feel stronger. I look down at my ankle where the sword went straight through. The wound is healing. In fact, every cut or bruise is healing and the burning in my throat is beginning to stop.

"Sirens tear?" I ask in shock. Father grins. A single drop of a Siren's tear can heal anything. A few can even bring someone back from the dead, but only if they've just died. It is because their tears are so valued, it is incredibly hard for Sirens to cry.

"The Fae let us have some just for the trial. They got them from the Sirens they rescued," he smiles. So that is how father was planning on keeping us alive during these battles. I shake my head in disbelief. We both know that the Fae did not rescue the Sirens they hold. They were the ones that captured them. I think about Si. Are these her tears? Did they come from when they cut out her tongue and stopped her from being able to sing?

"Where's Rayana?" I ask, trying to make my voice sound casual.

"She's unconscious. It is going to take a little longer for the Siren's tears to work. She was dead for a few seconds. Don't worry though, she'll be able to compete in the next test," he shrugs and I gulp. Rayana died. If it weren't for father having the tears, then she wouldn't be here.

"Now, we must return to the castle," father orders. "Well done today girls. This trial is certainly off to a spectacular start," he grins.

When we return back to the palace, I am taken straight to the bathing rooms. There are maids around me. They undress me and I walk into the warm waters. The room is darkened and lit with softly scented candles. I let out a deep, relaxed breath as the water covers me. Even though I was healed by the Siren's tear, my body is still tired. One maid rushes out of the room with my dirty clothes. Another rubs various ointments over my skin and massages my muscles. The first ointments remove all blood and dirt. The second ones are moisturisers. The third ones are perfumes mixed with glitters. She then scrubs my scalp and uses a very similar set of creams and ointments. They work in complete silence. I allow myself to relax a little more as I am massaged.

Once they've done, I step out of the soothing waters and they dry me off. I feel a little better and fresher now my body is clean of blood and dirt. Having seen how much of the stuff floated in the water, I wonder what I must have looked like when I finished my trial. I knew there was plenty of blood covering me completely. On my face and in my hair. I must have looked terrifying.

Another maid comes over. She wraps a white robe around me and sits me down. Gently, she begins to brush through my thick black hair. She pulls two strands back from the front of my head either side of the parting. She clips them at the back with a little diamond clip. Once my hair is done, I am then dressed. It is a simple dress. The torso consists of a soft blue V neck corset with straps going over the shoulders. It is plain and clings tightly to my curves. There is a thick ribbon around my waist in the same shade of light blue as the top half of the dress. From the ribbon, layers light blue skirts descend to the ground loosely. Once I am done, they bow and leave the room. When they are all gone, the same scholar from the first trial enters, bowing his head.

"Princess Illyana. It is time for your next trial," he smiles. I nod my head and follow him out of the room.

"What is your name, Scholar?" I ask with a frown, realising that I've not actually seen him here before today.

"I'm Scholar Jensen," he replies, turning back to me. He is a middle-aged man. Tall and well built. Not muscular, but not fat either. His skin as a warm olive tone and his are a rich dark brown. His hair is dark brown and cut neatly around his head.

"I am the head Scholar at the Library of Vivelle," he says. I nod my head. That would explain why I've not seen him before. The Library of Vivelle is in another human-occupied city. It holds a huge amount of knowledge.

"Why are you here then?" I ask, confused. He turns to me with a grin on his face. It is a cold smile with no humour to it. It makes him look kind of scary. He has the features of a man who isn't handsome but isn't ugly. It is odd how he seems to sit in the middle. He does scare me though.

"Your father thought that the Master Scholar needed some assistance. His age doesn't make him as able as he used to be," Scholar Jensen replies. "And as the second-highest-ranking Scholar, I was the perfect choice to help with an event such as this," he grins.

"Of course," I smile at him. It seems that my father is grooming Master Audwin's replacement. I very much doubt that this scholar holds the same values as the current Master Of Scholars. In fact, I believe that my father chose this man for a reason. I do not think I'd be able to make an ally out of this Scholar.

We come to the ballroom. People all stand on the balconies that sit above the main hall. They are all important. The councilmen, the lords, ladies and nobles mostly. Then, there is my father who sits on his throne. He smiles as I enter and I take a deep breath.

Sitting in the middle of the dance floor of the ballroom is a circle of instruments. Five in total. My sisters all stand with one. Fallon sits on a stool holding a cello. Cordelia holds a violin and Shaelyn sits with a large golden harp in front of her. My eyes fall on Rayana who holds a flute. She looks completely fine to my relief. Though knowing she was dead, even if it was for a few seconds, scares me. Her smile is soft as I look at her. I just want to run at her and give her a hug. To wrap her up in my arms where she'll be safe. I look at her for a few more moments. She looks away first and I hope our little looks haven't been noticed.

I place my hand on the bannister and walk elegantly down the stairs. My eyes glance around the room coldly. Making sure they know that they are below me. I even regard my sisters with a hard stare. Trying to further prove to everyone, especially my father, that we are all competing against each other. Fallon's glare is very convincing. I take a seat on a black stool that sits in front of a beautiful ebony grand piano. I smile again and let my hands gently graze the keys.

"Princesses," Scholar Jensen speaks. He now stands near my father. "Like the combat tests, there will be three separate tests. Within each test, you will be judged on different skills. Today, you'll be tested on your ability to work with other instruments. In front of you are three pieces of music. Music you all have learned and played before. Together, you must perform each piece. Though you must work together, you also need to stand out. You'll be marked on everything you do. So do not make any mistakes." We nod our heads. "To pass this trial, you must receive over fifty marks." I take a deep breath, my fingers resting on the keys. I just need to remember everything I learned.

"Remember, this is only the first of three tests. Each test will be more difficult and memorable than the last as we draw closer to finding our Queen Victorious. So, don't show all your skills yet. You want to keep your best tricks for the final tests," he reminds us. "The next music test being solo work and the final one being improvisation and composition."

The five of us look at each other. We know what we need to do. There is an audience of over one hundred in this hall, all watching to see which sister can play her instrument the best. All looking for the princess who has the most talent to be their queen. Like the first combat trial, I need to make an impression. I need to involve all the skills of each test into this one because I don't plan on being here when the next tests should be taking place.

"The Music teamwork test begins now. You may now open your booklet." At the same time we all flick open our booklets of sheet music that sit on the stands in front of us. I look at the first song.

It isn't my favourite. It is called The Battle of Earth and Water. It is a piece of music written by a survivor of said battle. A bloody fight between the Waterfolk and the Landfolk. Well, two of the Land races. Humans and Fae. It is a very harsh song where the Piano, Flute and Harp represent the Waterfolk and the Cello and Violin represent the Land. During the song, the instruments fight for dominance, both groups trying to outshine each other in harsh melodies. Until the eventual victory of the Cello and Violin.

"You may begin when ready," Scholar Jensen speaks.

If the hall wasn't already silent, it is now. The onlooker's hush, all eager to listen to us play. My heart hammers in my chest as my fingers hover over the keys. We all take deep breaths. Then, Fallon starts. The opening melody of the Cello is harsh yet smooth as her fingers glide along the neck of the instrument. Cordelia joins a few bars later. The two stringed instruments blending into each other with perfect harmony. I close my eyes for a few seconds and take another deep breath. My eyes open slowly and I focus on the sheet music in front of me. I listen intently to what my sisters are playing. Counting the beats and following what they are playing on the sheets of music before me. Their melodies come to a sudden and sharp end and for a few seconds, there is silence. Then, Shaelyn plays her harp. The delicate tones are a wild difference to the sharp harsh tones that Cordelia and Fallon had started with. Shaelyn's fingers glide effortlessly along the strings. It is beautiful and soft. Enchanting. I join in, pressing my fingers gently on the keys. Our music swirls around the room and not long after, Rayana starts playing her flute. Now we are the Waterfolk. Our melodies beautiful and enchanting, just like them.

Our music is interrupted by the strings of Fallon and Cordelia. For the next five minutes, our instruments battle out. I forget about everything around me as I focus. My fingers run up and down the keys like they have done a thousand time before as the five of us play together in unison. It sounds oddly spectacular as we play. The different melodies clashing, yet blending together in so many ways and somehow managing to fit. Then, before I know it, the Violin and Cello are playing their victorious melody. I sit back, taking deep breaths. My heart is racing in my chest from the intensity I was playing. Then, the first song is over.

The next one isn't my favourite either. It doesn't have as much piano and focuses mostly on the stringed instruments.

The final song is one of my favourites. I glance up at my father. He put this one in here. He nods his head at me and I smile softly. The piece is called Mother. It is said it was written by Visara herself to remember her mother after she was brutally raped and murdered. It is a beautiful song and one of the hardest to play. It always fills me with so much joy when my fingers run over the keys. I look at my sisters and nod my head, beginning song. The first chords give me shivers. My fingers move up the keys without having to think about it. I barely hear my sisters as they join the song but I instinctively know how to play in harmony with them. My hands glide up the keys faster and faster as we reach the painful part of the story. As we play the part which represents Visara's pain after she found her mother dead. The emotion fills me and I put everything I can into it. Sweat gleams on my forehead and my heart beats heavily in my chest but I don't stop. My fingers slide up and down the piano in a beautiful, haunting melody. Then, it slows as the song progresses into Visara's sadness. The other instruments stop as my piano ends the piece. The sounds of the soft, delicate notes echo around the room in intricate melodies. Haunting and beautiful. When I should stop playing, I continue. So wrapped up in the moment that I start my own sad little melody on the end of Visara's song. I let my pain fill me. My own mother's death plays in my mind. Every emotion I feel and have felt translates into the piano. I end my little piece. The last chord still ringing in the silence.

I look up and gulp. Shocked eyes look at me and I can see tears in the eyes of some of those who've watched. Even my sisters look shaken. Apart from Fallon who wears a look of displeasure. I've outdone her, again. That's what it is supposed to look like. Though I know that she was not playing at her complete best. None of them were. They could easily have picked up and joined in my little improvised melody at the end. They did not.

Scholar Jensen clears his throat and we all look back up to where he and my father stand.

"Well done Princesses," he smiles. "You have all passed this test. Congratulations. The next music test will be in two days time." The room all cheer and applaud. Though my eyes fall on my father. He looks directly at me with a pleased smile on his face. He wants me to win, that I know for sure. But there is something about his look which makes my heart race in my chest. I gulp.

Before I knew about this other part of the Mad Queen's surrender. That part that said I had a chance at being the ruling queen if I united three races. Fallon and I had a plan. We had a plan that we would try to fail these challenges so that our sisters had a chance. But, looking at my father now I realise how naive we all were. I don't think it would have been possible for me to fail. He wants me to win, he's done everything in his power to ensure it so far. My sisters have never stood a chance. He would have made sure of it. They've been doomed to die like this since birth.

I am going to be a queen. It is just figuring out it if I'm going to be the queen he wants me to be, the baby factory for Kristoff, or the Queen I want to be.