While I was prepared to take my father’s place and rule our kingdom, I wasn’t ready to lose him or my mother. I miss them every day.

King Zed and Queen Lynea, Zella’s mother and father, issued a formal apology, complete with excuses and denials. They claimed their soldiers went rogue, and they were punished accordingly for their ‘mistake.’

It wasn’t a mistake. I have reasons to believe they were behind the attack. Zella was an infant at the time, so she has no idea what occurred. Yes, she knows my parents were killed many years ago, but she doesn’t know it was at the hands of her own family.

I don’t intend to tell her. I won’t tarnish the memories she has of her loved ones. Enough has already been done to grow feelings of resentment between her and her father.

After my parents’ murders, I retaliated by stopping all trade and banning Day Realm residents from entering my kingdom. We were invaded by their military several times. Many tried to sneak in to steal midnight roses, stardust, and other precious goods. Perpetrators were dealt with harshly, and even when we ran out of day water, I wouldn’t budge on my decision to cut them off.

It was a dark time for the Night Realm—literally. Without day water, our lamps slowly dimmed to nothing in a few years. We still had candles. We made do.

The only reason I opened the trade deal again was because of the plague seven years ago. The Day Realm was desperate for the medicinal plants we had, and I was merciful. I gave them aid, even sending our own doctors to help.

Still, they blamed the Night Realm for the sickness. King Zed thought I put a revenge curse on them, but I would never do such a thing. After his mate died, he threatened war against my kingdom. But war would’ve only weakened all of us, and I met face-to-face with him to say so. They’d just lost most of their women. Did they really want to lose their men, too? When I offered to help him find the cause and a cure for the mysterious illness, he reluctantly agreed to a truce.

A peace treaty was formed. Although there was still a deep hurt and an extreme lack of trust on both sides, I’m grateful for it.

That’s how I met Zella.

It’s obvious now that King Zed’s hatred for me never eased, and it’s an understatement to say I’m not fond of him either.

But it doesn’t matter anymore.

Zella and I are together now.

“How much farther?” she asks, pain evident in her strained voice.

I look out to the horizon at the darkening sky in the distance. “We’re not quite to Dawn and Dusk yet, but I think it’s safe to take a rest.”