The servant combed Aria’s long golden-brown wavy hair. Steadily, carefully so as not to pull too hard. The young princess was known for her short temper.

“How much longer is this going to take, Maria?” Aria asked impatiently.

“I apologise young Miss, your father insisted that we thoroughly prepare you for today's celebration.” Maria replied calmly. Another maid was working Aria’s nails, and another one preparing the evening gown.

“I don’t understand why there is such a fuss about my appearance.”

“It is your eighteenth birthday Miss Arianna. It’s a very special occasion. For all of us.”

“We were all present the day you were born. And we all watched you grow from a scrawny girl into a beautiful lady you are today.” added the maid doing the nails.

“Pfff. None of that matters. The only thing I should be judged by is my talent. Ouch! Watch it Maria, or I’ll end up attending the celebration bald.”

All the maids chuckled. They all loved the young princess, despite her temper. And she loved them, as much as she tried not to show it. Maria was like a second mother to her. Her biological mother died shortly after giving birth and Maria was left with the duty of taking care of young Arianna. She raised her where her father couldn’t, taught her how to be a lady and, later, how to act as a woman in this world.

Second maid and third maid, Luciana, who was doing her nails, and Samira, choosing her outfit, told her bedtime stories and roused a burning curiosity and crave for knowledge. They told her about heroes of the past and their adventures and much about the history of the world.

The maids were well educated but unfortunately, were all commoners. They were born with levels under twenty and as much as she loved them, Aria also despised them for it. And she hated herself for that.

It wasn’t always like this, but when she turned fifteen and awoke to her magical powers, Aria turned out to be a rare talent. At level sixty she suddenly stood at the top of the power structure in the small kingdom. Even her father, king Rufus, was only at level fifty.

News spread fast across the land and she quickly became the idol of the people and royalty alike. Visitors from all over the known world swarmed the castle, looking to meet the young prodigy and propose business deals and negotiate alliances. Aria’s father even received a letter of congratulations from Darian the Third, the king of Aris.

Bathed with attention, Aria let it all go to her head. She started measuring everything and everyone through magic affinity and levels. Her father warned her on multiple occasions that people’s value is not measured only by the height of their magic affinity and that, if she persisted like this, she might regret it one day.

It was hard to explain anything to the hot headed, short tempered Aria. In her eyes, she stood at the top of the world and her father was an incompetent ruler, unfit to be a king.

Before she discovered her talent, she looked up to her father. He was a good and loving parent who tried to raise her as much as he could as a man raising a girl. He took her hunting, taught her skinning and horseback riding. She spent long hours listening about all the monsters he encountered on his travels when he was younger. He took upon himself to teach her as much as he can, even the things servants could show her.

His kingdom, Lunaris, was a small, but harmonious country. The royal line took care of its vassals and maintained friendly relationships with the neighboring countries. It wasn’t the wealthiest kingdom and it never strived to be one. Though on a slow decline, it was renowned for its wise ruler and more recently, for the talented princess.

But Aria wasn’t happy with this anymore. Her appetite grew bigger with the discovery of her power and growth of her fame. She dreamt of big alliances, of a mighty, flourishing court and, who knows, maybe even conquering a few smaller, insignificant kingdoms.

But those dreams were far away. She wouldn’t dare overthrow her father, no matter how much she detested his rule. So here she was, a princess in her beautiful night dress, with perfect nails and perfectly combed hair, turning eighteen. The three maids were looking at her lovingly and she hated it. And again, hated herself for hating it, because deep down, buried under the raging pubescent ego, she was still a kind, gentle soul.

As fate would have it, she wouldn’t get a chance to give back the love she received from her father nor from maids she once called mums. Something she would find to regret dearly, for a long time to come.

_____________

The celebration wasn’t according to what Aria considered royal standards. The dinner table wasn’t as lavish and representative like what celebration tables in other courts usually are. Invited were only selected few of the court’s staff and royal guards. Food was the same like on any other celebratory occasion. Aria was frustrated but the King wouldn’t have it any other way, no matter how much she pleaded.

“One day you will learn what it means to be surrounded by friends and family who you can trust.”

The guests were all sitting at a long table with King and Aria, side by side, at the end of it. While Aria was making a sour face, king Rufus looked happier than ever. He was yelling across the table, talking with one of the maids, inviting royal guards to join him for a drink, laughing loudly at any joke he heard. It seemed nothing would be able to lower his spirits today. The celebration went on for a good few hours during which even Aria managed to let go of her reticence, forget about the frugal setup and have fun.

Then, a person came into the dining room. With his entrance the whole room fell silent and turned to face the uninvited guest. The person was clad in black armor, helmet to boots. He wore no weapon, but the uneasy aura he was emitting was enough for everyone to realize that meant nothing. Still standing on the doorstep the person knelt down and greeted the king.

“Good evening good king Rufus. First, I must apologise for the unexpected intrusion...” the black knight started. “...But my business cannot wait.”

“This is a private event. And a royal one at that! Who are you and who gave you the permission to enter here? Speak!” there were no traces of good mood left on the king's face. He felt the dangerous aura emitted by the intruder. Aria’s vision of the uninvited guest was obstructed by her father’s wide shoulders. She was leaning left and right trying to catch a glance of him and when she finally did, her body shuddered.

“He is powerful.” she thought, noticing the aura that beamed through his armor. But, what is this uneasy feeling I am getting from him?” With her high magic affinity, she could sense other powerful spell wielders, but this one was different. There was something foul about him.

“A royal event?” the knight continued, still kneeling. “I see nothing but a bunch of lowly commoners living better than they deserve off the back of a naive king.” The words sounded threatening and the two royal guards who were already standing by the king, readied their swords while murmuring spells.

The king stood up from his chair. “I will ask one more time. State your name and your business.” His voice was silent and calm. His face, however, pale and his eyes menacing.

“My name is Ezekiel and I’ve come to propose to your daughter’s hand.”

Hearing this Aria slipped back behind her father, nervously biting on her lip.

Ezekiel. Where did I hear that name before?

She was too nervous to remember. The tension in the room was palpable and tears started falling from her emerald eyes. She heard her father say:

“You are asking me for the hand of my daughter? I am sorry, but the decision who she will marry rests entirely up to her.”

“Well then, I should ask her directly.” Ezekiel stood up and started walking in the king's direction.

“Marie, take Aria somewhere safe. Guards, stop that man!” King yelled the orders and summoned an ethereal warhammer into his hand. His last real battle was decades ago but he wielded the weapon like it was yesterday.

Three maids jumped to Aria. Maria took her by hand while Samira and Luciana stood in front of her, using their own bodies as shields. Their effort was to no avail. Ezekiel completely ignored the two guards rushing at him with their enchanted weapons, jumped high across the room and softly landed in front of Marie and Aria.

“Move away fiend!” Marie screamed at the black knight throwing herself at him, only to be hammered into a wall by an invisible force. Aria was left standing face to face with this terrible monster, tears still dripping from her face. The moment lasted only a second, but it was enough to permeate her whole body with unfathomable fear and despair. The next moment her father came crashing down with his hammer, aiming at Ezekiel who swiftly evaded by jumping backwards. Hammer’s swing ended up crashing into the marble floor, breaking it into hundreds of tiny pieces.

“Maids! Take Aria and run. Guards, provide support for them.”

Samira and Luciana grabbed the girl by her shoulders and started dragging her out of the room while guards stood behind them.

“No more jumping. I am your opponent.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

As they were exiting the room, Aria turned around to see his father fully fitted in ethereal armor clashing with the black knight who was now holding a black sword.

Outside the dining room, bodies of two guards lay lifeless. Aria gasped at the sight but was pushed forward by Samira.

“Don’t look. Just walk.”

They walked down the long hall. Samira was walking side by side to Aria, holding her hand. Rest of the group followed closely behind. Aria’s eyes were already swollen from the endless stream of tears that just wouldn’t stop.

Ezekiel. Ezekiel. Ezekiel.

She was desperately trying to remember why the name sounded familiar to her. Samira’s grip in her hand suddenly loosened and Aria found herself trying to drag a body down the hall. She didn’t want to let go of the hand. She couldn’t let go. That would mean she had lost everything.

“Princess Arianna, we can finally meet without any distractions.” a chilling voice came from behind her. She stopped but couldn’t turn around and face the source of the voice.

“I’ve wanted to meet you, young princess. I’ve heard much about you. The stories surrounding you. You lust for knowledge. You lust for power. I know you do. I saw it in your eyes. Come. Turn around. Join me. Together we will be unstoppable.”

Aria was looking at the window at the end of the hall. It overlooked a seaside cliff. She could crash through the window and jump. It’s certain death. The fall is not great, but the sharp cliffs will finish the job. She has no other options. Everything was already lost. Everyone is gone. This is the only thing she can do.

She would not give the monster what he wants.

Ezekiel started walking towards Aria. She let go of the hand she was so desperately holding.

Just a bit closer.

“Come Arianna. Forget about this place contaminated with commoners and ignorance.”

A bit closer.

“I will show you true power.” he stopped right behind her, reaching for her shoulder.

“Lightning Dragon’s Wrath!” Aria screamed, raising her right hand above her head. A ball of dense, sparkling lightning enveloped first her hand, then grew covering her whole body. A blinding light shone throughout the hallway followed by an electrifying explosion blasting in all directions.

She instantly felt the consequences of using a level sixty spell she never properly trained. Every inch of her body was fatigued and the hand she used to cast the spell was badly burned.

Not bothering to look behind, she gathered what remaining strength she had left and ran for the window. Behind her, a surprised voice, rather than one in pain, spoke calmly.

“Your ignorance will be your undoing Arianna Lunaris. I will find you, even if it means hunting you to the end of the world. Death will not be your liberation.”

Aria jumped through the closed window, protecting her face with hands. She felt pieces of broken glass tearing her skin but she didn’t care. Her liberation is coming. Then, she felt a burning pain in her back. It wasn’t glass from the window. It was a spell. But which spell? She didn’t feel any pain. This was… this was a curse.

As she was falling her body started dispersing into thousands sparkling specks of dust. The body soon disappeared. The only thing that was left was her carefully chosen dress carried by the wind. She was floating. Her body was gone, but she remained. What is this form? No, nevermind that now. She needs to move.

She only stopped when she couldn’t see the castle anymore. She couldn’t physically cry anymore, but she felt as if her soul was endlessly wailing.

Ezekiel. She finally remembered. The name belonged to a summoned hero. The one who committed the gravest sin. The one who killed his soulmate.