Mbali_Xabela

The death of the High King’s only son initiates the King Trials; demanding the eldest pureblood from each Regnum. Aurora, the estranged and bastard-born daughter of Regnum Valwa, is the only female among eight other Herems. One of noble blood who lived her life in destitution, with her mother and her ill-stricken father and brother. She is blood-bound to compete in the King Trials on the bargain that if she represents Regnum Valwa, her father and brother will receive the treatment they so desperately need.

However, this is no easy feat, she is faced against ruthless rivals, dangerous mythological beings and creatures, forced to fight in bloody duels with an onslaught of death-defying challenges that forges a woman into a warrior; a scoundrel into a soldier. A chronicle of duty and bravery, a story brimming with riveting action, an enemies-to-lovers romance with war-provoking betrayals that reveal they are all pawns in a much larger game.

The King Trials: The Sajatai Saga

I have only exhausted myself further by repeating the same question.

With the guidance of the servant ahead of us, she leads us to wherever Vince's secret surprise is. Suspiciously far as we are directed all the way back down to the humble grounds of the Citadel. As we glide through the cool night air, we weave through the narrow alleys formed by wooden structures. These buildings are stacked one atop the other, seamlessly integrated into the massive trunks of ancient, towering trees. The scene is sprinkled with the gentle glow of floating fireflies, adding a magical touch—pinpricks of luminous gold dappling the darkness of night.

"I was astonished to realize the scope of the Citadel, it's larger than I thought," Vince says with his arms folded behind his back. "With a river that goes beyond Cistern. And the other is an idyllic lake that remains in the safety of its gates."

I nod knowingly. "So is my surprise an idyllic lake?"

Chapter 33