This is a picture of the view from the top of Ben Nevis, the biggest mountain in the UK and Scotland. Again, like all the pictures I have posted, it isn't an image of the scenery described in the chapters, just the inspiration for it.

There is a loud pounding on our door which wakes us all up. Sunlight streams in through the archways of the room. The four of us all look at each other, then jump up quickly. We all race down the stairs then stop. At the bottom of the stairs, we quickly straighten our selves out. I walk to the door and open it. A girl stands there with a bright smile.

"Morning," she says, walking in.

"Err," is all that comes out of my mouth. I close the door behind her.

"Wow, your Royal suit is really nice," she says. I just laugh awkwardly.

"Yeah, it is." It is silent for a few seconds as I go and stand next to my siblings. The girl just looks at us and I frown in confusion.

"Oh, sorry," she laughs. "I'm Iona Leopardfire," she says. "I am going to take you to your lessons today," she beams. I just nod my head. She is very pretty. Her hair starts out a warm chocolate brown and fades into a golden colour. It is thick and falls midway down her back in soft waves. Her skin has a slightly tanned tone to it. Her circular face has sharp cheekbones and thin pink lips. Her eyes are large, surrounded by thick lashes. The colour of her eyes are strange. They are a golden brown sort of colour, like champagne. She wears a red uniform so I know she is a member of a high family.

"Wow, it's good to have you all home," she smiles.

"Okay," Toryn says. She smiles.

"It's a good job I came early, you need to get dressed and presentable," she says. We just nod our heads.

"Which one is the girl's room?" she asks. I just point at the arch up the stairs.

"Come on," she smiles, then looks at Toryn. "You, go and get changed," she orders.
"Yes boss," he mutters under his breath. Iona then takes me by the arm and drags me up the stairs. I, in turn, grab Serenity. Tanya walks up next to us.
"Now, get changed and I'll tell you some of the rules." I take out my uniform and begin to get changed as Iona goes and sits at my dressing table.
"All who have long hair must have it tied up and out of the way," she says as she starts to brush through her long hair. "I didn't have time this morning because I had to come here early. I'll help you all through with appropriate styles." I nod my head.

"Lessons start at Nine AM and you are not allowed to be late. Each lesson is two hours long and the same every day. The four of you will all be in the same classes which range from ages sixteen to eighteen. There are three compulsory classes. For those classes, you will be with all royals and High families who are between the ages that I said earlier. Those classes are Shifted Combat, Gift Combat and Weapons combat," she tells us. The three of us look at each other with a frown.

"Gift Combat?" I ask. She smiles softly.

"Yes, all shifters have a power alongside being able to shift into an animal. I am a Leopard Shifter and my Family, the Leopardfires, are teleporters," she says. I frown then jump as she disappears and then taps my shoulder.

"There are two other lessons which are your choice. However, for you, those lessons will be used for learning about Shadow and the history. Once you are all up to date, then you can pick your own subjects to learn."

"What subjects are there?" Tanya asks.

"There are lots," Iona says, standing up then sitting me down on the stool and beginning to brush my hair.

"There's Music and Art, which is what I do, Mathematics, Sciences, Literature, Theatre, Agriculture, Forging, Woodwork and a lot more," she smiles. I just nod my head.

"There," she says. I look at my hair. It has been pulled into a high, tight ponytail. The hair in the ponytail has been twisted into an intricate braid.

"Thanks," I say. I look over to Tanya and see that she is doing something similar to Serenity's hair. Iona sits on my bed.

"It's good that you are all home," she says. "I'm glad you are home," she sighs. "The Scallis family are nice, I mean Queen Aspen is lovely. I don't know where Darcy gets it from. But them on the throne wasn't right. Anyway, enough with my mumbling, it's time to get you to your first lesson," she says as Tanya finishes her hair.

We are lead through more corridors. "First, you have your catch up class. I will come and get you when it's finished and lead you to our next classes," she says, knocking on the door in front of us.

"Come," a voice inside says. Iona opens the door and bows to the person inside the room.

"This is Princess Kayleigh Howlsky, the younger sister of the High Queen Katrina. You need to bow," Iona tells us.

"Don't worry about it at the moment," the woman says.

"Iona, you may go to your lesson," she says.

"Yes Princess," Iona says, walking out of the room quickly.

The room is small and the same stone as the others. The opposite wall has archways with a view over the mountains behind. Four desks sit opposite a large one where a woman stands behind. She is very pretty. She has soft, doll-like features with long light blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes.

"Welcome," she says. "I am very pleased that you are home." A lot of people have said that.

"Please sit." The four of us awkwardly walk to a desk each.

"You will be in this room two times a day for two hours, this is also your last lesson of the day. In this class, you will be taught the history of Shadow and the other lands. You will also learn about the shifters as a people and anatomy of a dragon. Another lesson you will learn is how a royal needs to act. There is a lot we need to cover in this next month. You will call me Princess Kayleigh and will bow when you enter the room. Something I will teach you later." We all nod our heads. "You may even be able to finish this class before the month as your memories will start to return. In your desks are some papers and writing material, please take notes. Do you remember how to write?"She asks, patronizingly. I frown at the comment and take out the paper and an ink pot and quill. I know what to do, even if I haven't written for a long time. I dip the quill in the ink and write my name at the top. It isn't neat but it will do.

"It seems we will also have to work on your handwriting," she mutters.

"I will start by teaching you the history of Shadow, please take notes," she begins. She sits down on the desk and looks over us.

"Two-thousand years ago, Shadow was split into Six lands. Five of those lands were ruled and sixth left alone. The rulers of those five lands are the families that we have come to call the five Original families as they were the first rulers of Shadow. They were chosen to rule by the people of their lands because of their strength, power and kindness. They were the families who will keep them safe and ensure that there was peace across Shadow." I scribble notes quickly as she speaks and I can hear my siblings do the same. "I believe you already know the families, Lady Indira told you yesterday. Tanya, who are the rulers of Zultan?"

"The Bearella family," she states. Princess Kayleigh raises her eyebrows.

"Go on, there is more information than that you can give me," she snaps. I clench my fists. This woman is very rude.

"Err, The Lord of the House is King Grant and they shift into Polar Bears?" Tanya questions.

"You are correct. You may have been told that all shifters have powers. Shifter families all have the same power, apart from those who marry into the family. The Bearella family power is Invisibility." She tells us.

"Toryn, please can you tell me who rules Zylen?"

"The Greybite family. Their Queen and Lady of the House is Sophie Greybite," he tells her.

"Good. Their family power is the ability to go through things."

"Isla, please tell me who rules Zara." I lick my lips and think, then the answer comes to me.
"The Scorpallis house. Their King and Lord of the House is Francis Scorpallis. They turn into Scorpions." I knew the answer instantly like it had been drilled into my head. It may have been. I would have been taught all this from a very young age.

"Good, their power is seeing the future," she tells us.

"Serenity, please tell me who rules Zina."

"The Howlsky house. They turn into Wolves and are currently the High Ruling family. Their Lady of the House and Queen is Queen Katrina Howlsky."

"That is my older sister. Our family power is mind reading," she says, looking coldly over the four of us. Is she reading my mind now?

"I am not reading your minds now," she sighs.

"Of course, the fifth land Zola was ruled by the Dragoheirs, until that unfortunate attack seven years ago." I bite my lip and look down at the paper.
"These Five families are the most powerful families who have all vowed to keep shifters on Shadow safe," she explains. "Two-thousand years ago. There was no High Ruler of Shadow until a very special event happened. The Rulers of the Five families were all called to the Sixth land where they discovered the Heart Of Shadow. This Heart is the Key to all Shifters powers and the links between human and animal. It had to be guarded because if the Heart is destroyed, then all the shifters would become completely human, completely animal or die. So the Five families came up with the Choosing and the High rulers. Whoever guarded the Heart would Rule the sixth land along with their own. By ruling the sixth land, it made them the ruler of all of Shadow. The sixth land is where we are now, Zania, the capitol lands." We all write as quickly as we can to keep up with her. " The first ruler was decided by a trial. The Five rulers had to fight each other. To make it fair, they had to have their powers and ability to shift blocked meaning they were human. This made them all equal. The person who won the fight was Evangeline Dragoheir." The four of us look at each other.

"Your ancestor," she tells us. "The five families also decided that there would be a Choosing. Every Two Hundred years, The High Queen or King would pick a new Ruler to guard the Heart and Rule over Shadow. They would choose from the four Eldest children of the Five Families. They could not pick their own child, however, as the Heart must be trusted to a different family. The High Queen Katrina has ruled for almost Two-hundred years. In six months, we will all gather at the sacred Willow where the Heart was discovered. She will pick a new High King or Queen who will guard and rule Shadow for the next Two-hundred until it is their turn to pass it on to another family. Do you understand what I have told you?" she asks. I nod my head. "Isla, you will be one of the four she could pick." My eyes widen and I gulp. I could become the High Queen of Shadow!

"Who are the other Royals?" Tanya asks.

"You will meet them today," she answers.

"Why is it us who gets chosen, the children of the rulers. Why not go to someone already ruling a land?"

"Because it has to go to the next generation. Not only will Queen Katrina step down, but all of the Kings and Queens of the lands will and their children will take over. It is a whole new generation ruling. It is the same for the High families."

"If it's every Two Hundred years, how long do shifters live for?" asks Serenity.

"Shifters aren't immortal, but we can live for many years. We stop ageing between the ages of Twenty-Five to Thirty-Five and can live for a long time. Some shifters have been known to live to One-thousand years old," my eyes widen. "This is why it is hard for shifters to have children because it takes so long for us to die. If every shifter kept having children, our lands would get overcrowded."

"How come we are all a similar age?" I ask.

"Because the Kings and Queens of the lands can only have children once the High King or Queen has so that they can grow up and learn together and also be a similar age when they rule. Normally, you would already be One-hundred years old by now, but Queen Katrina struggled to have her child and only managed eighteen years ago. After she had her child, then all the other Rulers were able to have children."
"So they weren't allowed to have children until Queen Katrina did, how did they make sure they didn't?" Tanya asks.

"They physically couldn't. There is a lot of Magic in the shifter species which stopped them from being able to conceive children until the High Queen was pregnant. The High families are the same. They couldn't have children until the High Queen was pregnant so that the children could all grow up and take over at the same age." I nod my head in understanding. I lean back in my chair.
"Okay, that is enough for now. Later, I will teach you about the war." My eyes snap up to her. I want to know about it now.
"Not now," she says with a softer voice. Okay, she was so reading my mind then. There is a knock on the door.

"Come," Princess Kayleigh says. Iona walks in.

"I am here to escort them to their next lesson," she says. Princess Kayleigh nods her head.

"You may go," she says to us. "Take your notes back to your room and memorise them," she orders. We nod our heads and leave the room.

"How was it?" Iona asks.

"My brain is fried, though I feel like I already know all of this stuff even though I don't."
"You do though Isla. You went missing when you were ten, this all would have been drilled into your head since you could understand what people were saying. This is all just a re-cap. Once you get your memories back, then you will understand," she smiles reassuringly. I sigh.

"Let's just take our papers to our room and get to our next lesson. What is it?" I ask.

"Shifting combat," she smiles excitedly. "We are all excited about seeing you in your dragon forms," she says. Toryn and I share a look.

"We'll Toryn and I aren't shifting I'm afraid. You can all stare at these two though, Tanya loves the attention," I say.

"Hey," Tanya laughs and hits me. I laugh too.

"Why aren't you going to shift?" Iona asks.

"Toryn and I are such large Dragons, that shifting is very painful. I am not going through that unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Okay," she smiles. "You're going to love the next lesson. Oh! You can finally meet all the other Royals and important families!" she shouts. Great.