Alexia jolted awake, heart racing, her silk sheets coated in sweat. She walked barefoot across cool stone and opened the window. The breeze from the Dawn Sea hit her face, sending shivers down her spine despite the warm night.
Tonight’s nightmare was different from those that had haunted her for the past moon. She dreamt of her own death. Alexia inhaled deeply, held it in, and slowly exhaled, repeating this until she could sort through her thoughts. Maleon Stonebreaker loomed large in her mind. A master of all five divine energies that men could channel, Maleon had proven himself so competent he no longer required a sworn shield. Yet, Alexia, an eighteen-year-old with one scarring battle, was to command a man who had known only war for decades.
She could only fathom how he’d respond to the demotion. Her nightmare remained fresh in her inner eye: Stonebreaker grinned as a boulder crushed her body, suffocating her. Panic rose, freezing her in place. The teachings of Theos Stormkin echoed in her mind. Master your emotion. Master your magic.
“Clear the plate,” she whispered. Alexia closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of warm blankets in the comfort of her bed. She imagined the scene vividly, peering into the window of her mind. She could feel the softness of the silk beneath her and the lightness of the pillow under her neck. Alexia heard Zafrir’s breeze gusting through the window and filtering cool, fresh air into her chamber. The air was in perfect balance between Seraxa and Qoryxa; neither too hot nor too cold but just right. Alexia could taste the saliva on her tongue, the moist remnants of Dalis’s pure water and the residual flavor of almond pudding pie. She could see the canopy of her bed, a shimmering silver patterned with blue moons. She rehearsed her safety mantra as many times as she needed. I am safe. I am strong. I am serene. I am a part of peace and peace is a part of me. I am a part of peace and peace is a part of me. I am…
She had used this procedure thousands of times to neutralize her emotions and hone her mind’s eye. A conjuror of divine energy had to be able to clear their mental plate, as Theos Stormkin called the process. Only a clear plate could be set with the optimal degree of focus and emotion required to harness her magic. Mental imagery was the first and most important thing that a wizard was taught. Alexia had always been possessed of a vibrant imagination, an introverted playground of infinite possibility. Now, that imagination created infinite reality through the divine energy she attuned herself to. The second most important thing was the ability to channel divine energy by attuning your emotions to the Divine. The Love Queen had given a name to the unique magic of the Leverians, Cognitive-Affectomancy, for how it merged thoughts and feelings to utilize the divine energy of Norali, Dalis, Leverith, Celegana, Seraxa, Qoryxa, Zafrir, and Balbaraq.
But when she opened her eyes, her heart continued to beat furiously to the tune of her own death. Her powerful imagination, a force that could save thousands from deadly plague or reconnect severed nerves, betrayed her, turning into a prison where she relived her death.
Alexia scrambled for another meditation. She focused on her father’s arms being wrapped around her. Never did she feel as safe as when she was embraced by him. His strong arms radiated warmth through her and seemed a blanket of love. I am a part of peace and peace is a part of me. The image shifted and her father’s warm smile morphed into a possessive grin. His head turned serpentine, and he tossed her, hissing with his serpent’s tongue, to Prince Halius.
Alexia grabbed her staff and tried to find a sensation of peace and wholeness. The spell-enchanted acacia staff had notches in it for embedded gemstones: ruby, emerald, topaz, peridot, tourmaline, amethyst, even sapphire. The staff felt warm in her hands, a steady reminder of boundless friendship and sisterhood.
When Alexia was eleven, Princess Azurianna had climbed the Saphirhold acacia, defying Sir Gyan’s shouts. Alexia watched in fear that her only friend would fall and become like the corpses she had to study in the Hall of Healing. Azi leapt from branch to branch, laughing while Alexia’s heart did cartwheels. The princess broke off a branch, tossed it down to Alexia, and scurried down the tree with ease. Alexia met her with open arms and teary eyes when the princess told her that she would use it to bring the Second Great Peace.
Alexia needed to see Azi. She slipped out of the Steward’s Tower, unnoticed by Sir Timmeck. As she ventured down Azureale, she tried to keep her thoughts steady.
Be here, Alexia thought. On the slopes, drunken lordlings whistled at her. At the bottom of the hill, half-naked women called to Sapphireguard from bordello verandas, orphans scavenged for scraps in alleyways, and the Sapphireguard threatened them. Focusing on where you were, it seemed, didn’t help one feel better when they didn’t want to be there.
She tried reciting facts to clear the plate—Two-hundred-and-forty turns in each degree. Fifteen degrees in each angle. Twenty-four angles each day as the sun completes her cycle. Thirteen days in a span. Two spans each moon. Maleon staring down at my corpse, a full moon above him.
She hoped sunny thinking would ease her dread. She had studied and practiced cognitive-affectomancy twelve angles a day, twelve days a span, for seven years. She was a true master of all eight divine energies, joined only by Linus Peacemaker in history’s list of who could harness both the masculine and feminine powers. She was the Savior of Tenacity. Yet, her mind wondered how these things would shield her from being betrayed by an envious ally.
Alexia tied Moonstrider to a post outside the Hall of Mastery. She brushed his head with a gentle affection that he, and every soul, deserved. The horse nickered happily to the sound of her melodic crooning, “I will return soon. Wait for me, blue moon. I will light the way. Wait for me, please stay. Love, do not pursue. Wait for me, big blue. We’ll bring the new day. Wait for me, please stay.”
This act of affection soothed her far more than any of her other attempts, and gave her hope that time with Azi would give her what she needed.
Alexia entered the Hall of Mastery, the heavy double doors echoing as they shut behind her. She gazed up through the high ceiling’s glass, where the quarter-moon gleamed, its blue light brighter than Dalis’s Wall. Legends whispered that stars had once fallen onto the moon, while nursery tales spoke of unicorns prancing across its surface. Temple doctrine called it Meladon’s Paradise, taken from the world after the Divine Fratricide ended the Paradise Era. But it was the bards’ tales that Alexia loved most—a story of celestial lovers forever in pursuit of each other. Like all Leverian tales, there were two endings: one where the sun and moon chased each other and never reunited, the other where they met every twenty-sixth night when the moon was absent from the sky on Zamael Waning.
A giant eagle soared past, briefly obscuring the moon and creating a scene as breathtaking as any painting in Saphirhold’s ballroom. Alexia sighed. No lover would chase her across the skies. She might bond Gideon’s son and bring peace, but Halius would never be the moon to her sun. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling the missing piece that Halius could never give her.
Ascending the stairwell to Azi’s floor, Alexia hurried to the master of herblore’s door and knocked. Sir Gyan, Azi’s burly ginger-haired sworn shield, appeared from the room next door. He relaxed at the sight of her. “Back from Vulcan?”
Alexia froze. She was a master in eight disciplines, but none of them seemed to help her find an answer to such a simple question. Azi rescued her, opening the door with a broad smile that set Alexia’s heart pounding to the rhythms of love. She was even taller and more beautiful than Alexia remembered.
“What’s left of her at least,” Azi quipped in her deep, boisterous voice. “Did you get smaller, pretty girl.”
Alexia grinned. She and her mother were tall women, but Azi was the portrait of statuesque with none of her mother’s petite grace and all of her father’s regal features—sapphire eyes, thick brown hair, a strong jaw, and a muscular build that invited weak scrutiny from mean-spirited people like Queen Hellena Sapphire. To Alexia, whose love was beyond the binary, her best friend was an aesthetic masterpiece.
“No, you simply cannot stop growing things, Azurianna Sapphire,” Alexia said, her worries washed away. “You are Covademara made woman.”
Alexia’s heart fluttered as Azi took her hand and pulled her into her quarters, slamming the door behind them. In here, Alexia daydreamed of what Azi’s fond smile could mean, of the slim possibility that calling her “pretty girl” meant something more. The princess gripped her in a bone-crushing hug, Alexia melting into her.
The long embrace ended too soon. Azi poured them both wine—sweet white for Alexia, dry red for herself. Alexia raised her glass. “To our love and friendship.”
“To your sweet return,” Azi replied, clinking her glass.
Azi downed her glass in one pass. “Trying to make me pretty?” Alexia teased.
Azi snorted. “If I must drink to make you pretty, you’d better have a bottle for yourself.”
“Don’t say that,” Alexia murmured, placing a hand on Azi’s shoulder. “You’re beautiful.”
Azi arched a thick brow. “If only someone besides my best friend, who just happens to be the sweetest soul since Leverith, told me that, I might believe it.”
Alexia’s heart sank. She wished for the courage to confess her feelings, but found herself too afraid of losing the only friend she had. She finished her wine in silence.
Azi refilled their glasses. “This city is lonely without you, Alexia. Please, please, pretty flogging please, tell me you are staying forever.”
“I leave in the morning.”
Azi groaned. “I can see twice as much as one-eyed Timmeck. Take me instead.”
Alexia laughed softly. “I wish.”
Azi pulled her to the Isihlan divan, then flopped atop Alexia’s lap. “It seems you’ve been trapped in a cave-in. Sadly, it seems there will be no sunrise departures for Alexia Bluerose.”
Alexia rested her head against Azi’s back, tears forming in her eyes for the many things that couldn’t be hers. “Have you heard?”
Azi plopped beside Alexia. “About how our fathers are rockheads?” She brushed Alexia’s hair. “I told King Rockhead it’d never work for you. I told him you’d want to sacrifice yourself anyway, because that is who Alexia Bluerose is.” She tapped Alexia’s head. “You are not a rockhead. Put yourself first for once. Demand what you want. You deserve it!”
“You want me to refuse?”
“Yes!” Azi sighed. “Gidi’s Greatsword, Alexia! You deserve to be with someone who loves you completely and has never ordered your execution!”
Alexia put her head on Azi’s shoulder, feeling the depth of unspoken love. Azi held her tightly.
“I’ll always look out for your happiness,” Azi whispered. “One of us has to.”
“Nobody makes me happier than you,” Alexia said, brushing as close to the truth as she dared.
“And nobody makes me happier than you,” Azi replied. They linked pinkies. “Now go tell everyone off and stay here with me. Forever and ever.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“I wish it were that simple.”
“Then make it simple,” Azi urged. “I swear, if I had your power, I would make those smoothbrains grow a few wrinkles.”
Alexia chuckled, but the laughter quickly died as she remembered why she came here. “Maleon Stonebreaker has wrinkles aplenty and our fathers made me his commander.” Alexia took a deep breath. “I’m worried he’s going to kill me.”
“I don’t know much about the Stonebreaker,” Azi said. “Go seek Tripsy’s advice.”
Alexia nodded. She would visit her mentor before leaving. But for now, she savored a few more degrees with Azi before saying, “Until next time.”
*************
“Good evening, Master Theos,” Alexia said, marveling his sapphire-blue bedrobe. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
Archwizard Theos Stormkin looked at her like she was the most amusing thing he’d ever seen. “What day is it?”
“Celegana Waxing, Norali Moon!” Alexia giggled.
“And the year?”
“Master! 213 3LE!”
Theos grinned, his facial scars shifting. “I must’ve lost a day,” he muttered, then added warmly, “You never disturb me, dear girl. I’ve been expecting you since I felt your return. Come in.”
Stepping inside of the Archwizard’s chambers always felt like entering another world for Alexia, like falling into the pages of The Tales of the Boy Wizard. A potioneering lab sat by the hearth, complete with glass instruments, potions, and reagents scattered on shelves, the lifelong remnants of his quest for the mythical panacea. Often, he fussed about how some old hag in the Ruby Kingdom managed to mix the legendary concoction and spent it on a low-ranking knight. His esoteric collection of books spanned works by Alexia Leveria, Darle, Queen Emeralda, and others. Along the back wall were racks of enchanted weapons: staves, swords, maces, and daggers, each bearing the legacy of Theos’s experiments on the properties of casting mediums. Both Aurora—Alexia’s acacia staff—and Sunfire—her rapier—had been enchanted here.
Fragments of beasts he’d slain decorated the room: troll, ogre, minotaur, griffin, sephorn, pythanaji, kalagoth, yasmar, and even a chimaera from distant Vesarra. He often spoke of his desire to complete the collection with a Volqori dragon. The tale of how he killed Queen Kaidaxus Ruby, the ice queen who once rode the dragon Duilahir, was well-known, though the dragon itself had escaped.
Theos Stormkin himself felt like a mythical creature that had escaped the pages of a book. Azi gave him the moniker “Triple C” or “Tripsy,” an abbreviation for “cooked coconut cerebrum” due to the burn scarring on his face, the white fuzzy hair that grew in scattered patches, and frankly the genuine shape of his skull. Azi also said he acted like his brain had tripped down the stairs, and, like most of the Arcanium, believed the archwizard was growing increasingly demented in the twilight years of his almost century of life. Theos loved the sobriquet so much that he sent Azi a roasted coconut each year for the Harvest feast.
Alexia knew better. She smiled at this dear old man, knowing that it was all an act. It was proof of his sharpness that everyone had fallen for it.
He inhaled and smiled at his favorite pupil. “What do you seek, Alexia?”
“Archwizard, I need to know how to deal with a dangerous ally.”
He smiled, his tone turning philosophical. “A dangerous ally? That contradicts. Tis oxymoronic! A friendly foe? A foely friend?” He raised his scorched eyebrow. “Perhaps you mean to discern whether one is truly friend or foe?”
Alexia shook her head, stepping into his riddle. “You propose fixed categories when both are dimensional spectrums. Can one not bicker with a friend or find respect between rivals? Even enemies join hands when faced with a greater threat. No, Master Theos, I have a dangerous ally, and I need to discern how dangerous.”
“Maleon Stonebreaker is one of the finest cognitive-affectomancers of our time.”
Alexia was not surprised that Theos had already picked up the trail. “And now I command him. He was seething during our mission briefing, drawing on Seraxa.”
“How do you explain his reaction?”
Alexia grinned; Theos Stormkin never gave away answers for free when he could make you work for them. “He’s more qualified but placed under me due to favoritism. His anger is justified.”
Theos nodded. “Tell me more. What drives Maleon Stonebreaker?”
Alexia reflected. “He prides himself on his abilities, his appearance, and his charisma. I surpass him in skill, and many would say, beauty, which makes him vulnerable to envy. But he’s far more charismatic, and I suspect my leadership role irks him.”
“Your deductions are sound, except one: you do not lack charisma. When you speak with me, you are the most articulate student I’ve ever taught. What you lack is comfort. Find that, and the history books will remember you as one of the most inspiring leaders the world has ever seen.”
Alexia was unable to share his belief. He was not one to mask bitter with sweet, but it had taken her years of daily lessons to speak to this one man. She couldn't do that with crowds, especially if they were full of Rubies who hated her. “Maleon sees me as incapable of leading. He wanted me to stay at the Arcanium. He will never accept my leadership.”
“How does your mind make the leap from this to fearing him as dangerous?”
Alexia shrugged. She wouldn’t be here if she had an answer to that question. “In Vulcan, I saw a man who turned slaughter into brutal calculus. In the throne room, I saw a man consumed by anger. He has the capacity, but I’m uncertain about whether he has the intention.”
Theos pulled a book from his shelf, setting it before her. “What is the best predictor of the future?”
“The past,” Alexia replied.
He opened the book to a map of the Battle of the Southern Eagle in 175 3LE. She analyzed the map and read through the passages as Theos summarized.
“King Ezekiel was newly coronated and eager to make his mark on history. He wanted us to crush Kai Blazelord once and for all. The Sapphire Kingdom put together a host with armies led by four different archlords and a cadre of twelve wizards. Then Maleon was added because of the king’s last-minute decision to have a thirteenth wizard, one to represent each of the Divine. Perhaps he should have gone with twelve and left Zamael out of it, but if he had I would’ve been claimed by the scythe that day."
He pointed to the map. “Blazelord trapped us between his army and the west bank of the Eagle, then set the river ablaze. I lay there, my vision blurring, my face burnt off, breathing what I thought were my last breaths, ready to surrender my life when I found one man who refused to give up. Maleon broke stones off the mountain and created a path across the river, saving thousands. From that day forward, he was known as Stonebreaker.”
Theos sighed, scratching his head. “What is the point of my long-winded story? I can’t seem to remember.”
Alexia felt comforted by knowing Maleon was once a hero, but even now the answer wasn’t guaranteed. “Maleon is an ally that is dangerous, but when it comes down to it, he will probably do what is best for the Sapphire Kingdom.”
Theos nodded. “And what did you notice about his actions in Vulcan?”
“He will do what he can to defeat the Ruby Kingdom.”
Another nod. “For the last thirty-eight years, he has sought every opportunity for battle with Kai Blazelord. He may resent your leadership role, but which ally gives him the best chance to win a duel against the Ruby’s archwizard?”
Now, she felt reassured. “Thank you, Archwizard.”
“I have to still be good for something,” he said with a grin, “else why bother stay alive?”
Alexia frowned, sensing more than jest in his quip. How lonely of a life was it when everyone thought you were old, ugly, and insane? In Leveria, there were few words that could tell a person what they meant to you more clearly than the ones she gave him next. “Until next time, Master Theos.”
Theos smiled warmly as he saw her out. “Until next time, Master Alexia. Be safe—and be yourself.”
*************
Alexia awoke groggy and unprepared for an early encounter with Prince Halius Sapphire on her way to the stables.
Halius approached with a warm smile, offering a red rose. “I searched the gardens for the prettiest flower. Yet even this rose is but a weed next to you. No bouquet could ever match your beauty.”
Alexia, frantic, glanced around the quiet courtyard. Sir Timmeck trailed her, carrying their travel sacks, but there were no onlookers to witness this uncomfortable scene. She stared at the rose, her mind racing. This was the last thing she wanted. She had no plan, no escape. Her only hope was to freeze and pray the moment passed.
But Halius persisted.
“Please give me the chance to prove that I can be the man you deserve. Give me a chance to redeem myself. My love, like this rose, is yours. I just hope someday I’ll be worthy.”
Perhaps, to others, his words would've sounded sincere. To Alexia, they were like honey poured over excrement.
“You demanded my execution,” she whispered.
She stood, still and stiff, praying for him to leave. The wind rustled the leaves and the sunrise broke over the horizon, lighting the world. She would be late. Maleon would love that.
“I wish I could undo that,” Halius finally said, his voice soft. “I was a fool. All I can do now is hate the boy I was and strive to be a better man.”
He dropped the rose and fell to his knees, hesitating as he reached for her hand. Alexia flinched and pulled her hand away. He withdrew, Alexia feeling more awkward than any time in memory. Halius pulled a ring from his pocket—a silver band set with thirteen amethysts, engraved with a single word: Peace.
Her breath caught. “This is… Linus’s Ring of Peace,” she murmured, the childlike awe in her voice surprising even herself.
All her previous anger momentarily vanished. She slipped the ring onto her finger, feeling its magic resonate with her. Alexia felt the call of Zafrir, Divine of Wind, yearning for her attention. She channeled Zafrir, using the wind to guide a falling leaf into Halius’s hand, and, despite herself, Alexia smiled.
Alexia twirled the ring on her finger. This was a literal dream come true, wearing an artifact of the Great Wizard. If Halius had thought of this himself, she was genuinely impressed. “Halius… thank you. I’m not sure what to say.”
“Your smile says everything I need to hear.”
Speechless, Alexia struggled with the conflicting emotions stirring inside her. The chaos made her more attuned with Zafrir, able to appreciate the power of the ring more fully, feeling the Divine of Wind as if he stood beside her. Had she more time, she would have tested her new power, perhaps even try to windwalk through the sky. But she was late already.
“I must go,” she said, gesturing toward the sunrise.
Halius offered to carry her provisions to the stables, and Alexia, unable to find a polite way to refuse, awkwardly accepted. Timmeck quipped, “What about my bags, Prince Halius?”
Both Alexia and Halius laughed, sharing another smile, as the prince bundled two more bags over his shoulders. Alexia tried her best to experience these positive feelings toward him, to give him a chance. This wasn’t love nor was this passion—it was something bearable, something she could perhaps work with.
Halius fastened the travel sacks to Moonstrider and Cally, Sir Timmeck’s mount. Instead of politely excusing himself, he stared at her, his expectant expression turning Alexia sour. She forced a smile. “I really need to go.”
“I know. I will be holding that smile in my memory until you return. Leverith! You are beautiful.”
Alexia avoided his eyes at all costs. As she mounted Moonstrider, Halius touched her thigh. Startled, Alexia brushed him away. A brief flicker of anger crossed his face, but it was gone so quickly, she wondered if she had imagined it.
“Until next time,” he called, his voice strained.
Alexia donned her mask, urging Moonstrider into a trot, leaving the prince behind without another word. She rode swiftly toward the Sapphire Gate without looking back.
Sure enough, Maleon Stonebreaker was waiting. If eyes were gavels, judgment was being rendered. “You’re late, princess.”
Alexia opened her mouth to apologize but stopped. Instead, she raised her left hand, displaying the ring. “I was delayed.”
Maleon leaned toward her. “The Ring of Peace. So your sly father is helping the clueless prince worm his way into your heart? I don’t know which I pity more, being pimped by your father for power, or lusted after by a boy who loves the idea of you but doesn’t know you at all.”
“And you know me?”
Maleon raised an eyebrow. “Feeling bold today, fearless leader?”
Timmeck finally caught up. “You shouldn’t ride so far ahead, Alexia.”
“I can and I did,” she replied, wishing there was no Halius or Maleon, that she could be with Azi instead of Timmeck, dreading the journey and the destination.
Maleon chuckled. “Careful, Timmy of Eckhard Hall. You’re not the big bull here.”
Alexia held her face impassive, wearing her mask over her confusion. As they approached Dalis’s Wall, she steeled herself for the journey ahead. Alexia planned to take the Sapphire Road to its end and cross the Great Eagle Bridge into Mirrevar. From Mirrevar, they would infiltrate Urzport Hold, find a way past the Peacewatch, and into Ferrickton.
She inhaled, held, and slowly exhaled. I can do this. Maleon Stonebreaker is my ally. He is dangerous, but I am not in danger. “We ride until nightfall,” she commanded. “If we keep a steady pace, we’ll reach Mirrevar in six days.”
She forced a smile at Maleon. Alexia thought she saw Maleon smile back. Or was that just sunny thinking?