With the death of the High King's son, the Dophan. Aurora has the chance to change her fate and elevate her Regnum's standing by participating in the King Trials. Aurora is a highborn, Hera. A daughter and the sole pureblood descendant of Regnum Valwa, the Regnum of knowledge and wisdom. Aurora's sovereign livelihood is overthrown when the news of the Dophan's death befalls Urium. The Dophan being the sole heir. The line of succession is forever altered. Thus initiating the Shalem protocols to locate a new successor. The King Trials. All of the eldest, pureblood descendants of the Domuses in the Decuria are to be sent to the High King's Dominion to begin the Trials, each of them from one of the nine Provinces. Aurora must compete against eight other, distracting male candidates. She being the only female. However the King Trials is not what any of them expect, nothing that was written in the ancient Shalem protocols. The tests designed by the current High King to determine the worthy among them. During the trials, she draws too close to a few of the Herems, particularly Herem Vince. But she irresistibly gravitates to Primus Kelan, the Commander of their military escort throughout the Trials. Enduring the succeeding tribulations that test her in ways that she cannot comprehend. Testing her mental strength to survive and her will to live. She discovers withheld things about her life, destiny and what she truly is.... Throughout the King Trials. The tenuous stability of Urium quakes with conflict, rife with strife. With the mounting aggression of nomads, and an uprising on the horizon. Aurora unearths an interconnected plot that will plunge the whole of Urium into blood and terror.
Chapter 1 Death comes
The Orese hellscape is primordial.
The perilous sky is as dark as a hellion's heart. It grumbles and rumbles with thunder like the ravenous stomachs of the gods. The sky riles itself into battle with storms of black clouds colliding. It peels and roars with a burst of monstrous force, bellowing discordant clamours.
The riotous sky suddenly illuminates with crimson streaks. Lightning flares and morphs into forks of blood red. It screeches and scorches towards the darkened expanse, writhing with pain.
Vilnus overlooks his dark realm from the tower of his stronghold, the inky black structure shaped like a massive, sprawled claw, a splay of jagged limbs. His glowing red eyes swirls with a fulsome look, pure pride glinting.
Vilnus's adjutant approaches his rear, footsteps heavy on the abrasive stone ground. With his face fixed down, he sneaks a cautious look at him. Aware of his presence, Vilnus's back remains turned to him, his intangible, floor-length cape billows behind him, streams of fanning black mist sieved with crackling sparks of fire.
With a shrilly ring, the adjutant slides out his sword from its scabbard that sidles his flank and he bends the knee. With his face to the earthen ground, he holds the sword before him, symmetric, the tip of the blade planted.
"Your Eminence, " he says with a boisterous voice. "I bear good news."
Vilnus rotates his head a few stiff inches, barely looking at him from off his shoulder.
The adjutant risks a glimpse of him. "The Dophan has perished, and Urus has been forced to convene with the High Tribunal."
Vilnus's smile sharpens into a lethal leer. "They will initiate the King Trials."
"Yes, Your Reverence, he confirms with mutual anticipation.
"Have you contacted the Vulkra, are their troops in position?"
"Yes, Your Reverence, all is arranged, " he reassures with confidant certitude. "Our allies from the east have equipped the herds of barbarians with arms, they will wreak destruction on Urium."
A deep-throated growl rumbles from Vilnus. "The High King will be the cause of his own destruction that will tear his world asunder, and the lands will flood with the blood of all of his people. Of all the people in Urium."
The adjutant raises head slowly. "There has been word, Your Eminence. Of the blood prince."
Vilnus whips around and his eyes explode with palpable shock.
"My...my son, " he utters breathlessly.
The adjutant nods eagerly. "He lives. Our blood prince lives."
Vilnus strikes like lightening and flashes before him as he seizes his top garment and yanks him to his feet and heaves him to his face. The adjutant is overawed by the putrid odour of Vilnus's heavy respiring, breaths like the stench of rotting corpses. The adjutant's grip on his sword tightens nervously beside him.
"My son lives, " he seethes with clamped teeth and belligerently jostles the adjutant as if to shake the answer out of him. "How? I felt his aura perish."
"Yes, yes, Your Eminence." His quivering voice rattles his words. "His aura did perish, but it seems his might matches yours and his power manifested, regardless."
Vilnus grips his chin, talons perfect for deep, brutal cutting effortlessly pierces through his skin. "Do you know what this means?" Vilnus shoves the adjutant from his siege and he staggers back.
Vilnus inhales a sharp breath-invigorated by a sudden surge.
He spins around and strides to the edge as he curls his talon around the one bristle claw.
"I want him found, " he says with ancient spite staunch in his eyes. "I want him at my side when we force Urium to its knees. His own arrogance has spelt their annihilation, their own primitive prejudices have divided them, and so how easy they will fall."
His eyes set alight with blood flames as he surveys the darkened expanse that brims with legions of Ulris forces. Battalions of black-armoured troops rowed in a faultless precision fill the spread below that lengthen as far as the eye can see, full of the Ulris armies.
"No, we will wait. Soon Urium will plunge itself into blood and terror, and the High King will obliviously be leading the charge. Let the new Ruler rise, so that all of Urium can fall."