Kingdom of Ash

young queen beyond a swift apology. But
Ilias, it seemed, had taken it upon himself to
do just that, riding beside Ansel in steady,
quiet company.
The city had been laid at the feet of the
towering, near-mythic castle built atop a
jutting piece of rock. A castle that rose so
high its uppermost turrets seemed to pierce
the sky. Once, that castle had glowed, roses
and creeping plants draped along its sun-
warmed stones, the song of a thousand
fountains singing in every hall and courtyard.
Once, proud banners had flapped from those
impossibly high towers, standing watch over
the mountains and forest and river and Plain
of Theralis below.
It had become a mausoleum.
No one spoke as they trudged up the steep,
winding streets. Grim-faced people either
stopped to stare or continued rushing to