Book II Ayla

Ayla lifted her hands and put them around his neck. Her fingers kept twitching, but she ignored them as she started telling Rhobart a story.

“Lifetimes ago, in a faraway land, lived a princess,” Ayla said. Rhobart stopped breathing as he listened to Ayla’s gentle voice. “The princess lived with her three older brothers in a big castle. She loved the castle and spending time with her brothers. The oldest brother loved to explore and learn new things and was often gone. The second one loved to forge and make all kinds of things. Sometimes he would make things for the princess of the other brothers. The last brother was quick to anger and often sought to fight with his brothers, but the older brothers mostly ignored him.

The castle was built in a magical garden her older brother made for her, and the princess loved spending as much time as she could tending to her flowers. She loved creating new ones and showing them to her brothers. Of all her brothers, only the oldest seemed to enjoy f