C488 THE ALPHA QUEEN'S FIRST CHOICE

"He is just a boy, Mother, he doesn't have a drop of royal power in his veins," the Princess said, her voice ringing through the garden with a clarity that reminded Aria of a mountain stream.

Aria stood on the stone balcony, watching her daughter, Lyra. Ten years had passed since the night the fountains ran black, and the world had transformed. The ruined cities were now draped in greenery