Sitting motionless at the foot of her bed, Isabella admired the rays of sunlight bursting into her room. Fascinated, she gazed as the light danced on the glass bottles adorning her vanity. Various colors reflected through the glass prism projecting a small rainbow onto her far wall. Isabella quietly appreciated the display of colors the rising sun had created this morning. Watching the sun break over the horizon, her enthusiasm waned from the night’s sheer exhilaration to this morning’s calmer content mood. Earlier, she vibrated anticipating Ronan’s arrival, but as the minutes and hours ticked by, she became serene and still.

Resting beside her on the bed, lay a brown leather bag holding her worn matronly gown she arrived at the castle with. Isabella had come back to her room after watching Ronan’s victory prepared to pack up all her belongings. Only to decide she did not want to take any garments or possessions that reminded her of this place. She dreamed of her new home, wherever that may be. But anywhere would be better than here. Isabella shook her head as she thought not all her time spent at the castle was horrible. The villagers she had encountered had always been kind to her. And she had met several interesting people during her time here.

Nathanial’s sister Brianna and her husband Edward were warm and generous Dulras. And she had learned more about the plight of the Vilkros through her meeting with Klause. Her thoughts turned to her handmaiden Shaylee with whom she dearly missed. But just as Shaylee had moved on with her life, Isabella needed to do the same. She began this journey wanting to be a great Queen to her people, but she had come across too many barriers. The decree set out by the Golden Oracle Council and Nathanial’s anger had made it nearly impossible. She had to set aside the hopes and dreams of becoming a great Malagi Queen. Isabella admitted to herself that running away from her station did break her heart.

Then there was dear sweet Samuel. Initially she had entertained feelings for the handsome palace guard. Would he feel that she abandoned him? A loud banging on her door startled Isabella deep in her melancholy. She felt a wave of butterflies fluttering in her abdomen at the knock on her bedroom door. The time for her to leave this place arrived. Isabella smoothed her hair stating as she opened the door. “Ronan, I was getting worried about….” Her smile faded from her face as she stared at the humongous man standing in front of her. It was not Ronan but the barbarian he knocked out cold in the competition.

The brute of a man did not wait for an invitation as he pushed past Isabella entering her room. Her eyes frantically searched the hallway for any sight of the dark-haired warlock. Was this a joke him and Samuel were playing on her? No one was present to save her as the muscular man shouted instructions at her. “Shut the door.” Trembling with fear, Isabella reluctantly closed the door in front of her blocking her chances of escape. She turned to face him with her back pressing against her door. The barbarian made himself comfortable sitting on her bed as she had an opportunity to get a good look at him.

His massive size alone intimidated her as he appeared equal in stature of two grown men. Even his neck was muscular combined with his enormous bald head. Isabella wanted to gag at his vulgar motion of licking his lips bringing attention to his light brown goatee and his missing teeth. On the side of his face a deep red scar began at his chin and ended at his eyebrow. The ruffian called out to Isabella. “Come here my prize.” The air in the room became frostbite cold. Isabella could not help the tremble appear in her voice. “But…. you did not win. Ronan bested you.” The ruffian’s eyes narrowed at Isabella as his tone became harsh.

“Queen, your boy toy did not play fair. I am the rightful winner. Your little scamp is in the dungeon waiting for his head to be lopped off. Now, come here! Time for you to heal what he hurt.” Isabella shocked began to absorb the situation. Ronan was going to be executed, and she was left to her own devices with this scoundrel. The brute began laughing. “Come here Queenie, your king told me I can be rough with you.” The mention of her good for nothing Dulra husband infuriated Isabella. Nathanial had arranged this on purpose. She figured her vampire husband was justifying this to teach her a lesson. He never intended on allowing Ronan a fair fight.

Fury rose in her belly as she shouted back to the barbarian. “You will not lay your hands on me!” She turned quickly to open the door as the brute jumped off her bed lunging at her. By the time she had wrenched open the door, the bear of a man grabbed her and with his free hand shut the door blocking her chances of escape. Facing him, he wrapped both of his arms around her waist lifting her feet off the floor. Isabella flailed her feet trying to kick him as her hands slapped his face. The brute took a couple steps holding her and then threw Isabella onto the bed. She scurried quickly to a sitting position for another attempt at escape.

The barbarian snapped at her as he captured her again slamming her down on the bed. “I am getting tired of you woman. Hold still.” With her hands she began clawing at his arms and his face as he hovered above her. The boor pulled back his hand and slapped Isabella hard on the face. She released a cry at the stinging slap as he held her down with one hand on her neck as the other hand began fumbling with her dress. Isabella could not believe this was happening to her. This was how she was going to lose her innocence. In a failed attempt she screamed at him again. “Stop! Get off me!”

Deep inside of her, past her fear, Isabella began to feel a spark ignite within her. She latched onto the feeling as the barbarian began ripping her dress. A flicker inside of her began to grow and intensify in her body. In her terror, she could only identify it as a glow of energy. The arc of light travelled down her legs up her torso and into her arms. As she dearly held onto this spark, flashes of white light appeared within her hands. Isabella screamed again at him. “Get off me!” Placing her hands against him, she could hear his skin sizzling as the brute began screaming in pain. Isabella knew she just found her weapon to defend herself.

Grasping onto the shining spark she felt within her body, she concentrated and pushed more electricity out of her hands. Flashes of light emanated from her as the barbarian was thrown off her and clear across the room. Isabella free from him jumped off her bed and ran towards her door. Heaving it open, she entered the hallway in a rush racing past startled onlookers in the hallway. Thankful to be away from that ogre, Isabella needs to find where they are holding Ronan and leave this godforsaken place. Jogging down the hallway corridors, she is spotted by a couple palace guards as they run towards her. She focuses her attention on her spark and holds up her hand sending the guard flying backwards. Still stunned by the force of her magic, Isabella gazes at her palm unsure of what is happening to her.

Alarmed by what he had seen occur, the second guard begins sprinting away from Isabella. Feeling unsure of herself, she needs a moment to gather her thoughts before trying to find Ronan. She begins checking doors lining the hallways in a hope to find one unlocked. After trying five or six, Isabella finds an unlocked door and enters the darkened room. Shutting the door behind her, she leans against it attempting to catch her breath. The spark glimmers in the darkness as she lifts her hands up to her face trying to make sense of her magic. White light is visible through the skin on her hands and her arms splitting and splaying as her veins run through her body.

Spying a mirror hanging on the wall, Isabella slowly moves closer and startles herself with her appearance. The white energy visible through her skin is spiderwebbing through her torso and chest up her neck and into her face. She will never be able to get through the castle undetected looking the way she does. Should she attempt to blast her way through the guards to find Ronan and escape the castle. Taking a deep breath, Isabella closes her eyes feeling the spark in her body. Instead of grasping onto it, she tries to release it and relax by breathing in slowly. She could feel the strength of her spark start to weaken throughout her body.

Isabella continues her slow breathing until she feels the spark is only a tiny flame within her. Opening her eyes, she gazes back into the mirror content to see her appearance has returned to normal. Relief floods through her in waves as she touches her face to confirm the veiny white light has retreated. She still needs to find where Ronan is being held and more importantly, she needs to travel within the castle without being detected. With her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, she searches for a wardrobe. Glancing around the room, Isabella spots a trembling shadow on top of the bed. Approaching the clump of blankets, she hears a small voice stating. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Isabella asks the clump of blankets. “I am not going to hurt you. Do you have a cloak I can borrow?”