Ten years have passed since the night of moonlight and blood. The kingdom was tranquil now, its walls no longer echoing with the sounds of battle cries but with the call of laughter and life. There was a gentler beat in the air, and the land that once trembled under the weight of prophecies breathed more easily.
Inside the castle walls, light streamed through tall windows and streamed golden illumination upon shining floors. Serena sat on a luxuriantly carved oak table inside a room where heat radiated from the fire. Her hair was longer still, soft waves entwined through its silken texture, framing the contours of her face as she leaned forward. Her face, loving as it was, was firm as she regarded the girl who stood before her.
The girl was nine years old, her eyes burning with the radia
