Prologue

 Twenty-Five Years Ago

    "But Mother, I don't want to marry a member of the Feoh clan...even if it does mean that I'll become the next Queen," said Seraphima, with a stomp of anger.

"It doesn't matter whether you want to marry Gideon or not. The prophecy says that a member of the Feoh clan marries a member of our clan, and their child brings forth a new era," replied Mairiam, as she ran a brush through Seraph's dark caramel blonde waves. 

"This is the first time in eons that a Feoh has been soul bound to someone outside their clan, the first time that they agreed to allow the binding ceremony, the marriage to take place, child," Mairiam continued, "Do you have any idea how important that is?"

Seraph sat without answering, concentrating on keeping her tender scalp from tearing - she understood that she was to be sacrificed to the prophecy, but she didn't understand her mother's hatred of her waves. She opened her eyes, and saw that her father's dusty boots stood in front of her.

"Ria, why must you torture the girl so? Everyone knows that she inherited my infamous caramel blonde curls, and that is how the Feoh knew she was soul bound to the young Prince X," said Malachi with a laugh.

Mairiam glanced at her husband lovingly, and replied, "My dear, you know that the King and Queen expect her hair to be in a certain style - a style not at all conducive to her natural waves."

"That may be true, but surely you can do the style without causing pain to our dear daughter," replied Malachi, with a wink at Seraph.

"Nonsense, the child's not in pain and if she's in pain, then it's only a preview of what the future holds," said Mairaim, with a sigh. "Don't you want her to be prepared?"

"You know I do, but she mustn't be too ready for what's to come, my dear," said Malachi, as he turned to go.

Seraphima tried to follow and understand her parent's conversation, but the majority of it was said without words and that ability didn't occur until after the binding ceremony happened if it did at all. Seraphima had been told that children with siblings received it when a new sibling arrived...but she was an only child, beloved but alone. She knew that her Father had wanted more children - but the Prophetess had forbidden it, saying that the prophecy was about to be fulfilled and additional children born to the X Clan would muddle things more than they were.

As a result Seraphima learned to communicate with those around her by using fire and a series of hand movements that only select members of the X knew and understood. She was worried that after the ceremony she'd be completely alone...without anyone who knew and understood her. That's what was causing her the most pain - not her Mother's desperation to put her curls in the style requested by Queen X. 

"Sera, you are aware that Ophelia will be moving to the castle with you, right," asked Mairiam, glancing down at her sixteen-year old daughter with concern.

Mairiam watched as Sera's hands performed an intricate ballet in answer, and her face relaxed for the first time in days. Mairiam knew that the purpose of the soul's being bound was to strengthen the weaknesses of the body - so if a child was born blind, or deaf as Seraphima had been their soul would often be bound to someone who had extra ability in the area they were lacking. In the case of Malachi and herself, it had nothing to do with the physical - instead it had to do with the emotional. She was completely lacking in patience or interest in anything outside of herself - some said she was more selfish than the great King X. Malachi, on the other hand, always thought of others before himself - would always sacrifice what he truly wanted or needed if someone else wanted or needed the same. Seventeen-years ago that had driven her insane - but now...she knew the harm that it caused him to think of others before himself. 

Five Years Later

Where is he, thought Seraphima anxiously. She needed to find three-year old Tadan before the REBELS did - before they decided they didn't want to listen to Ophelia explain that Tadan wasn't the child they thought.