Heir of the Underground

Chapter 1: Aurelia

Evening was quickly approaching, the clouds sweeping overhead. The sun began its descent through the sky as Aurelia ran through the palace courtyard, heading for the back entrance to the throne room. She moved swiftly, compelling her feet to move at a brisk pace, her footsteps echoing off the cobblestone path. She rushed past tall hedges and flower bushes, though she paid them no mind, instead keeping her gaze pointed forward as she ran, the train of her robe trailing close behind her.

She had somewhere that she needed to be. And urgently.

Tonight was no ordinary night, no lackluster gathering, like a trade alliance. Tonight was the High King's ball, and being late to the High King's ball was entirely inexcusable.

As a Child of the Patron—a devout member of the church—it was her job, along with the other Children of the Patron, to uphold the views of their congregation and their appraisal of the High King. And as the designated hymn singer of the Children of the Patron, her presence was even more necessary. Without her, who would sing the praises, who would tell the tales or melodically recite religious verses?

Thus, tardiness was not an option. She was an important asset and had expectations to meet—high expectations, set for her by her guardian and the leader of the church, Zachariah.

He was the man that had been raising her since infancy, the man who had scooped her off the church step and agreed to raise her. She was his project, his clay to sculpt, to mold into the perfect being. So if she failed him in any way, if she proved herself to be anything less than ideal, then she was certain to face some sort of repercussions. Of what kind, she was unsure, but she had no doubt that Zachariah would punish her for being late.

Aurelia dashed through the courtyard, not wasting any time. The thought of angering Zachariah dominated her mind and pushed her to keep running through the ache of her rapid heartbeat and shallow breaths. Her long hair—black like ink and ravens' feathers—billowed behind her, getting swept up by the wind as her feet pounded against the cobblestone pavement. She reached the other side of the courtyard in a flurry, coming face to face with the back doors to the palace.

Taking a deep breath to regain herself, Aurelia pushed the doors open and stepped inside, bounding forward with eagerness, her destination still at the forefront of her mind. But she was quickly halted by the figure of a tall man—a man that she went crashing into.

Aurelia jumped back almost as soon as she collided with the man, apologizing profusely. Yet, as she looked up, her fears were assuaged.

She knew the man standing before her.

"Laurent?" Aurelia stared up at the royal before her; he seeped pure elegance.

She had known Laurent since she was a child. He was the second eldest son of the King of Keddeirin, and being the second son, he found himself in an unpleasant situation. While his older brother, Helios, prepared to be the next King of Keddeirin, Laurent spent his days in the capital of Rheolaeth, known as Sovereign's City. There, he dedicated his time to schmoozing with the High King and the other nobles, appeasing them for his father's sake, buying into their antics, and partaking in their acts of frivolity.

Still, Aurelia quite liked Laurent. He was sociable and confident, two traits which she desperately lacked. Not to mention, he was one of few people who actually treated her as though she wasn't a little girl any longer. Aurelia was twenty, and yet she still felt—or rather, she knew—that the whole world, especially the church, viewed her as young, gullible, and vulnerable. So, to her, it was refreshing to converse with someone who looked at her differently. And that someone was Laurent.

"Aurelia," Laurent mused, a smile of recognition dancing across his face, "I was just looking for you." He brushed a piece of his dusty blond hair away from his eyes—Aurelia always likened them to the sky. "You weren't in the throne room."