Though she had been training to take the shield all of her life, with ten full moons away from the day she was slated to become a warrior and join the ranks of the queen's army, Amaria couldn't feel any less prepared.

She was struggling with her lessons, but her friends were excelling and acting strange. Her older sister was a thorn in the thumb, her younger one was locked away at the sages' temple, and their mother could provide little protection against the hardships her daughters had to endure.

The queen was scrutinizing Amaria's every move, and with war threatening their shores, the tension among the women on the island was growing thicker and more violent by the heartbeat.

For the first time in her life, she was uncertain of the future. Change was on the horizon and, in Themiscia, change didn't happen without bloodshed.