In the Arlan Desert, Lady Larella is of House of Hunu royalty. A Princess of Darkness. A great-great-great-great niece of Bishal, the Peril. But ever since House of Hunu fell, most of her family have been prisoners to the House of Sfin. But everything suddenly changed moons ago. The day before the moon bled, a letter came. It read that she was chosen. Chosen to be the future Queen of the Desert. Now here she was in the Coral Bastion leaving the room of her future king and groom to be, Prince Jaho.

As she made her way downstairs, she bumped into Princess Jannar.

“Princess.” She gasped with a smile.

When Jannar looked up, Larella noticed that the princess' eyes were red and puffy. Jannar quickly fixed her face and returned her smile.

“Lady Larella.” Jannar enunciated slowly. “What brings you? Have you seen my brother?”

Larella nodded.

“I guess I should say my goodbye.” Jannar responded. “Since we are to be separated.”

Larella’s jaw dropped. “Beg your pardon?”

“My father is sending me to the mountains…” Jannar answered. “He's giving me away.”

Larella’s face softened.

“Apparently….” Jannar cleared her throat. “Apparently, Mesyla has a cousin.”

Larella scrunched her face.

“A betrothal?” She asked. “Are you to be wed?”

Jannar shrugged her shoulders. “I’m afraid I don’t know my father anymore.”

Larella reached out a hand and intertwined hers with Jannar. Unlike the Prince, Jannar and Larella were fond of each other. In the mornings, they prayed together. Drank tea together. For Larella, Jannar was an ally. Her only ally in the palace.

“I feel your pain.” Larella said finally. “I know what it’s like to be sent off to marry a man who you don’t feel anything for…..”

Larella lowered her head.

“….and against your will.” She added quietly.

Jannar then let go of Larella’s hand.

Larella slowly raised her head.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“But unlike me, you’ll become queen.” Jannar said coldly. “You’ll stay here and they’ll remember you.”

Larella frowned. “You’re afraid.”

“Should I be?”

Larella didn’t respond immediately. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“Of the Mountains? Yes.” She responded finally.

Jannar raised her eyebrows.

“Why?” Jannar asked, voice shaky.

Larella looked around to see if anyone was watching. Once she saw they were alone, she grabbed Jannar’s hand and pulled her in the direction of a door that led them outside.

Together, hand in hand, they walked to a sand dune.

Larella let go of Jannar's hand and turned to face her.

“You don’t know the stories? Do you?” Larella asked

“Stories?”

Larella nodded. “Of the Chaos that lives underneath?”

Jannar bit her lip. “What do you mean?”

Larella took a deep breath then told the tale she was told by her own mother.

“Underneath the Mountains, chaos lives there. A living entity. Straight from the God of Chaos himself. When you draw blood and place your hand at the foot of the mountain, it touches your soul. It binds you to it. And the longer you live there, the harder it gets to leave. The madness leeches onto you…the chaos creeps in slowly…..takes your soul…and remakes you into what it needs you to be. You will lose yourself. You will lose your purpose. The Desert Princess will no longer exist. Instead, an instrument of chaos in her place. The Mountains will become your Master…and Mesyla will become your God.”

A shiver went down Jannar’s spine.

“You don’t believe them, do you?” Jannar asked.

Larella nodded. “You must be careful and choose wisely. It is not the darkness in the Desert that corrupts and implants sin, it is chaos of the mountains”

Larella suddenly barked out a laugh.

“You are from the House of Hunu. If it’s anything that corrupts, it is your family. What do you know about the mountains?”

Larella smirked.

“You know you’re not the first royal to be betrothed to the mountains.” Larella answered. “Here, you are Princess Jannar. The First Princess. But if you are to be wed to a mountain man, you will just be Jannar. All the power and privilege you've known will fade away.”

Jannar took a step back.

“But…..” Larella added.

“But what?”

“There are ways to get power and privilege.” She responded smugly.

Jannar aggressively shook her head. “I don’t want to fight for power.”

“Luckily, Mesyla is not a fighter.” Larella responded quickly.

Jannar folded her arms across her chest. “And what do you know about Mesyla?”

Larella winked.

Before Jannar could command Larella to explain, a masculine voice yelled

“Jan!”

When both women turned towards where the voice was coming from, they saw it was Prince Jaho…..and he was crying.