Chapter 1

Narrator

On a nameless world, there is a human kingdom called Lemuria. It is a new kingdom with only three generations of kings, but it's still the oldest human kingdom in this world. Only a few older kingdoms exist, but they belong to the world's other races. It was an era of peace in the world. The races weren't friendly with each other but they weren't at war either. The only major disputes between races were from the newer and smaller countries that enslave other races. The Lemuria kingdom did not have slavery in its borders, though they did not go out of their way to stop others from doing it.

In the Lemuria kingdoms nameless capital, there is a very peaceful air around the streets. The people walking around are all in a good mood because today is the day that the new princess has been born. The princess is the second child, with an older brother only two years older than her. Both her parents were currently very loved because the king has helped create a very rich economy so the people were prospering. The current king's achievements didn't end there, he had also helped create the new adventures guild that spread all over the country.

One of the kings past policies was to minimize the army. So with all the soldiers now free of duty and in need of money the King started the adventures guild so they could subjugate the monsters that plague the land. The idea quickly caught on and many ex-soldiers joined the adventurers guild. They weren't the only ones that joined either. Many citizens who couldn't be soldiers for various reasons joined up and even bandits changed their ways to join up. This was a major change for the people as the guild spread all throughout the country and even started crossing the border into other countries. The only problem was the other countries were worried that this was an attempt to sneak an army into their borders. Lemuria's king found the simplest solution to do was relinquish control of the guild to a new council that was formed from the strongest guild members from multiple countries. They became known as the guild council.

With Lemuria prospering so well it was no surprise that the people were so happy their princess was born. It truly was a happy event, but what no one knew, is that in the castle a baby being held by a mother with a smile filled with love, while being looked at by a father with an equally loving smile, but that baby was different from all the others around it. If one could look at someone's soul they would see that the parents holding the sleeping baby have white souls with tints of other colors, while the baby itself has a pure black soul that is so dark that one can't even tell what is within it. The only thing visible is a bright red "XIII" imprinted on the soul.

Christen Lemuria

My name is Christen Lemuria and I am the third king of the Lemuria kingdom. Today Is the day that I will have another child. It does not matter if it will be another son or my first daughter. I'm waiting in the reception room while watching my two-year-old play with his personal maid. I look at my son's blonde hair and clear green eyes and I can't help but remember how worried and anxious I was when my wife was giving birth to him. I was pacing back and forth with constant worry. I am glad that I'm far more composed this time. I know the chances of anything going wrong are very small so I'm not worried.

My thoughts are interrupted by a nurse rushing into the room with a panicked expression where she informed me “ Your Majesty the Princess has been born, but she is not breathing and the healers are not able to do anything about it.” I felt as if all my blood was drained and I almost collapsed. I used what seemed like the pure will to run into the room to see my wife with tears in her eyes looking at our daughter. Her blonde hair is a mess and she seems like she's about to pass out. I thin look at my daughter. She's been placed on a table and the healer is trying to pour as much of her magic power into her healing spell as possible. My daughter is so tiny and already has little blonde hairs sticking out of her head, but her eyes. Her eyes are a beautiful green color just like mine and her brothers, but they are completely lifeless.

I feel like tears will start during from my eyes when all of a sudden an eerie feeling fell over the room. I look around for the source, but I only see everyone else looking around as well. Everything changes when we hear a cry. I look back to my daughter and see that she is finally crying, but most importantly she is alive. All of a sudden her blond hair change to a pitch-black and her green eyes change to an equally pitch-black color. I do not know where this change has come from them or where there eerie feeling had come from and gone to.

My daughter keeps crying unattended because everyone is filled with shock, so they don't know how to respond. I can't really blame them since I have the same feeling right now. Finally, there is a change when a pair of pale hands come and pick up my daughter. I look and see my wife holding my daughter with a pair of eyes filled with love. She takes her and says, “I've already decided your name a long time ago. You, my beautiful daughter, will be named Eva Lemuria and I'm your mother Luna Lemuria.” My daughter pauses her crying to look at my wife, but just as she's about to start crying my wife begins to feed her. I get over my shock at this point and tell my servants “Everyone makes sure my daughter and wife are healthy now and then you can go.”

“Honey you're worrying too much as long as my baby Eva is healthy and breathing everything is all right.” Luna

“I know my love, but a change like this is something I've never heard of. Look she has black hair and black eyes. It's very unnatural isn't it?”

“They are different, but I find her to be incredibly beautiful. As long as our daughter is alive it is something to be celebrated. There is no issue with her being different because there's nothing that can make us love her any less.” Luna

My wife words sent me into a shock. I looked at my wife and then my daughter in her arms. I feel all the unease, doubt, and worry fade from me. What replaced it is the same love my wife most feel right now. Instead of saying anything I just walk over to my wife and kiss her forehead. I then proceed to give my daughter a kiss, but afterward, she seems to start tearing up like she's about to cry. It's as if she's angry that I bothered her meal and I can't help but chuckle a little as she goes back to feeding. “After everything is cleaned up bring my son here,” I tell the maids.

I look back to my wife and daughter and see that my daughter, no Eva is asleep in my wife's arms. I'm still very worried about what happened to Eva, but I'll look into it quietly later. My daughter that should have been born perfectly fine, was instead born lifeless. Then for some unknown reason, she began to breathe again except she had gained black hair and black eyes. I'm not sure if this blessing will become a curse later, but even if that happens she will still be my daughter. I will still spoil her and I will still get rid of any boys she meets.

“Honey you have a very dark look on your face. Are you plotting something bad even though your daughter has just been born? Are you?”Luna asks me with a very sharp gaze that makes me sweat a little. I'm saved by a maid bringing in my son with a bewildered look on her face when she senses the air in the room. I take my son and bring him to Eva and Luna.

“Look George this is your little sister Eva. You'll have to grow up to keep all the boys away from her! Ok?”

“Okay, dad!” George responds with the right answer even if he probably doesn't truly understand.

“Honey, why are you teaching our son weird thing? If you keep doing stuff like this it will cause little Eva trouble in the future.”Luna

“Don't worry my love I know what I'm doing. I'm protecting our little princess from all the other boys!” I respond to my wife and before she can respond I pick up the sleeping Eva from her arms so that I can tell my wife “Come now my love its time for you to go to sleep and stop worrying about the future. I'll carry little Eva for you so get into bed and sleep.”

“This talk isn't over, but ill listen to you and go to bed. George come give momma a kiss and I'll see you tomorrow.” Luna

George walks up to his mother and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Afterward, she gets up from the chair and then laid down in bed. She then looks at me expectantly. No, she is looking at Eva in my arms so I softly chuckle and then hand her Eva. I then pick up George and walk out of the room. I hand George over to his personal maid so he can go to sleep as well.

I keep walking through the halls until I get to my office. I walk into my office with one wall of books on the right and a couch on the left with a tea table. The center of my office is my desk filled with my enemy, paperwork. I walk past it barely giving it a glance as I move towards the balcony. The capital is filled with lights and the peoples drunk merrymaking. I think to look up towards the night sky. I look between the stars at the black void in-between and I can't help but think of Eva’s hair and eyes.

“Shadows”

“Your majesty” A shadow appears at my side on the balcony. This is my shadow guards leader. No officials or any of my family know of them. There isn't even a single rumor about them. I use them mostly for when I need information, but sometimes when I need to bloody my hands in the dark. Every king has these I'm sure. They just don't keep them as well hidden as mine.

“I want you to find if what happened to my daughter was by the hands of anyone and if it wasn't I want you to have someone look for any information on children being born with black eyes and hair.”

“Yes, your majesty. It shall be done.” My shadow guard responds before he disappears to do as ordered.

No one will harm my family. If someone is behind this I will find them. I will protect Eva, George, and Luna no matter what. A family has been one of the most important lessons in the royal family since before the first king and it's also the most important thing to me. I look back at the night sky and keep thinking of my daughter. I wonder what kind of future fate has for her. I just hope she will be able to live a happy life filled with love.