King Rowan looked over his kingdom. A vast blue ocean marked the end of his territory to one side. The slight scent of salt danced on the breeze and through his auburn hair. He was young in age, but his face appeared worn and tired. He could see the dark clouds rolling in; the salty waves would be crashing heavily on the shore. The ocean had always been such a wonder to him; what could possibly wait for him on the other side? He always wanted to explore its uncharted waters, but a far more pressing mattered sat heavily on his mind.

He heard nothing from King Sloan of Librona. It had been weeks since King Rowan sent his threat of war, but King Sloan was silent. Clearly his choice had been made. He was allowing that witch to live in his kingdom, despite all that they suffered from the witches before. King Rowan could not forgive him for that. Many lives had been lost over the years with their fight against Scarletta, including King Rowan's own grandfather, their kingdom's last king, and his father, who had been next in line.

It was because of this loss that he took the throne at such a young age, the only heir to the throne, with only the help of his ailing mother. He refused to let his kingdom down after all they endured; he thought King Sloan was his ally in this. Asmar had aided in Librona's fight over the years. Yet, now King Sloan opened his kingdom to the very thing they fought together against.

He could feel the rage boil in his blood as he looked to the dark horizon. His kingdom was nearly lost helping King Sloan, and this was how he repay them? Forgiveness was not in his heart. They would pay the consequences for turning their back on them. King Rowan was prepared for war and would not give up until he got his revenge. He prepared his army for this. His kingdom was stronger than ever and they, too, were ready to avenge their fallen king and prince.

He turned to the desk in the corner of the room and sat in the large, velvet chair. He dipped his pen in the ink and began to scribble across the parchment, documenting his official war decree. He let his mind wander as he wrote. Surely the witch would aid the kingdom's defense. He didn't know how strong it was, but it was clear that it would be their biggest threat. Once it was eliminated, he would be able to attack the kingdom with ease and bring them to their knees.

He let the pen brush against his chin as he drifted deeper into thought. Getting rid of the witch would be a challenge; capturing it would be the most difficult task. There had to be a way he could complete this task successfully. Perhaps the answer lay hidden in Librona. Maybe Scarletta's castle held the information he sought.

He would have to try. Attacking the kingdom with their greatest weapon in tact would be suicidal. He would have to send his spies into Librona to gather any information they could. He nodded to himself and finished his decree before standing and stretching. The setting sun cast long shadows across the room. He made his way through the castle's hallways and into the spies quarters. The men stood and bowed as he entered. He turned his attention to a young, athletic, blond man.

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“Cain, I want you to go to Librona,” he said to the man. Cain nodded as he listened to his instructions. “King Sloan will not cooperate. He will pay for his betrayal. But we cannot proceed in this war as long as they have that witch. It will surely be an asset to them; a dangerous weapon.”

“What will you have me do?” Cain asked.

“We must find a way to bring the witch down before we continue with our attack. I want it burned at the stake, right here. Capturing it, however, will be the challenge we will need to face. I suspect there may be answers lying hidden amidst Librona. Maybe notes in Scarletta's castle. We need to know how powerful it is and find a way to weaken it and bring it back. Scour the land for anything you can find. I want this done with as soon as possible.”

Cain bowed to his king and left the quarters immediately, readying himself for the task at hand. King Rowan followed his spy out of the castle and watched as he readied his horse.

“I know I don't need to say this,” the king said to his spy. “But don't raise any suspicions. Report back as soon as you have the information we need.”

Cain nodded, bowed once more, and mounted his horse. He shouted to his horse and they galloped through the city and towards Librona. King Rowan watched his spy leave. Feeling a strange sense of being watched, he turned towards the castle. His mother stood at the top of the stone steps; her dress blowing with the salty breeze. He met her lifeless gaze and sighed to himself before approaching her.

“What have you done?” she whispered to her son. King Rowan put a hand on her shoulder and guided her back inside the castle.

“I am going to bring justice and peace to my kingdom.”

His mother looked over her shoulder at her kingdom one last time before the double doors closed behind them. She turned to her son, her gaze hard.

“Do not hurt that witch.”

“You need to get back into bed,” King Rowan said, guiding her into her chambers. “You're talking nonsense.”

She felt disgust in her son. His premature responsibilities made him a cold hearted and careless leader. He had no respect for her and treated her as if she had lost her mind, but there was nothing she could do to stop him. She had grown too weak and frail over the years. She felt her legs shake as they walked, but the rage boiled in her veins. He had lost touch with their world and the truths that lay forgotten. She had done nothing but educate him as a child in hopes of preparing him for the trials he may need to face. She had told him of the legends of the world; of the great spirits - of the golden spirit - and the powerful queen that watched over their world from the kingdom of Re’iam. History that had been lost to their people over the years, caught up in their own selfishness.

Kaya gazed out the window, over her kingdom and to the distant sea. The kingdom of Re’iam lay quietly far beyond her reach. There was no way she could get to their queen in time, but she was certain of the fate of the witch called Calliope. She believed the legends that were passed down, and despite her son’s stubborn nature, Calliope was no ordinary witch of Scarletta’s. She had to make him see that. She had to remind their people of their history. She had to bring peace back to their world.