by zyrel
What does it mean to be a king? To lead? Edmund, Prince of Aurelith, is a kind-hearted young man beloved by his people. He is a prodigy in combat, able to stand toe-to-toe with even the realm’s finest knights. Yet he would soon learn that strength and goodwill alone are not enough to bear the crown that awaits him. Just days before his sixteenth birthday, Edmund leads a hunt for a monstrous beast terrorizing nearby villages, meant to test his ability to command. At his side is Serena, a quiet healer-in-training with no memory of who she once was. What should have been a simple trial becomes a massacre, unleashing a brutal tragedy whose consequences threaten Edmund’s future and the fragile peace of the realm. Surrounded by rival nations, scheming nobles, and dangers lurking in the dark, Edmund must learn what it truly means to lead before he loses everything. Meanwhile, Serena must confront the strange power stirring within her, and the truth of her forgotten past, before the world decides her fate for her. Their story does not begin in triumph, but with blood, and the shadows that followed. What to Expect:• Slow-burn, character-focused fantasy• Political intrigue and leadership struggles• Gradual magic and mystery reveals• Dark themes and tragic moments without grimdark excess• Organic worldbuilding revealed through dialogue and lived experience
