Chapter 1

In the land of Alpengard, a kingdom brimming with magic, every citizen was born with a gift—some small, some grand. But the royal family... they were different. Their magic was more potent, more ancient, and every year, the kingdom hosted The Awakening, a legendary competition where the four great kingdoms would send their brightest princes or princesses to compete for the title of Supreme Heir.

But this year was unlike any other. After years of hoping, the King and Queen of Alpengard were finally blessed with a daughter. She was perfect—her cherry-red hair, her amber eyes, a rare and beautiful mark of the royal bloodline. The entire kingdom rejoiced. The royal family had waited so long for this moment, and their joy was unmatched.

But peace in Alpengard would not last.

One fateful night, under the cover of darkness, a mysterious witch appeared at the castle. She offered the king and queen a gift—an enchanted blessing that would ensure their oldest son, Prince Leander, would win The Awakening and secure Alpengard's future dominance. But there was a price: if he lost, the witch would claim their newborn daughter, the princess, as her own.

The king and queen, desperate to protect their legacy, accepted the gift without hesitation. But they never could have foreseen the consequences.

As the years passed, The Awakening arrived once again, and with it, a new set of hopes and fears. The four kingdoms gathered, each sending their chosen champion to the legendary contest. However, what they didn't know—what the royals of Alpengard didn't even know—was that the witch's gift was no secret. The kingdom of Foliandor, a rival kingdom, was already aware of the dark magic at play, and the witch herself was none other than the Queen's trusted advisor from Foliandor.

The game began, and Prince Leander fought with all his might, bolstered by the witch's power. But despite the odds, he lost. His defeat shattered the kingdom, and as the rules dictated, the witch came to claim her prize.

That night, the princess disappeared.

Rumors swirled. Some claimed the witch had consumed the princess, others whispered that the child had been traded away for even more magic. No one knew for sure. But over the years, women began to appear at the castle, claiming to be the lost princess, each one altering her appearance—dying her hair, changing her eyes—but none could prove their identity.

For none bore the birthmark that set the true princess apart: a heart-shaped mark on the palm of her hand.

And so the mystery of the lost princess lingered, a shadow over the royal family, as the kingdoms waited in the silence of an unanswered question—was the princess truly gone, or was she out there, hiding among them, waiting for the moment to reclaim her rightful place?

"Rue is this story real?" A little boy said softly while laying in a bed. Rue smiles softly and turns off the light "that's what the kingdom told us so it most be real."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***