Actual Summary

The Amistad glimmers with a faint spark from the past as well as the future. The Kingdom of Novella reeks with the rancid stench of corruption which Valdis' organisation is trying to stamp out through preventing assassinations, bribes and so on from taking place. However, Val starts to move on her own when information regarding one assassination attempt fails to reach her through the organisation's intelligence - the near assassination of Novella's 2nd Prince, Aiden Darialas, whom she decides to save even without receiving orders.

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Prologue

10 years ago…

A young girl coughed vigorously again as she inhaled yet another breath of thick smoke coming from the devilish flames that ensnared the entire house. Burning furniture, beams, books and whatnot were strewn all over the floor in a mad array as the flames continued their savage rampage, lashing out like claw-like hands as they tore down the structure of the house.

The girl’s body was flat against the hot wooden floor boards of what had been her home for the past five years. Her dress was in tatters and she was numb with an indescribable pain as she slowly tried to use her blistered hands to edge her way. The long, livid white gash that ran up her legs had more or less rendered them useless in her current predicament, giving her no other choice but to resort to subject her bleeding hands to more, unwanted pain.

A small teardrop ran down her soot covered face as another wave of pain seared through and seemingly rocking her petite frame once more. The girl let out a barely audible yelp of pain. She bit down on her lips, tendrils of sweat-soaked and soot-covered hair falling across her pale face as her cold body shivered uncontrollably. The pain jolted memories of what had just happened, the nightmare that had suddenly come alive before her – or rather, the nightmare she was living.

The pain… the knife smeared with crimson red blood… her parents… dead… the house aflame as the attacker’s blade bore down onto her… The menacing look on the face of the murderer as he killed her familiy with maniacal glee and satisfaction… The rancid stench of death…

The corruption of Novella had indeed seeped deep into its roots and into the heart of the kingdom.

She was only ten, daughter of the ambassador of the duchy of Friedhold, niece of the Duke himself, and supposedly, with her whole life ahead of her.

Until now…

The girl seemingly did not comprehend the current situation around her, the fact that her life would be, or was doomed at that protracted moment. Instead, she was fixated solely on pulling herself towards a glittering something in the distance, her blue eyes alight with a kind of unshakable resolution that spurred her forward even as devilish flames licked against her heels, trying in vain to hold her back.

She yelped again, her weak hand reaching out and pulling against the loose, burning floorboards as the other trembled weakly, edging closer to the purple gem that lay not too far from her. It had fallen from its chain that hung around her neck as her assailant lashed out against her in a madden frenzy. The purple gem that hung on her silver chain that was given to her as a symbol of friendship and loyalty from her best friend himself – a reminder of the times they spent together. The purple gem which was perfectly inscribed with intricate patterns and past memories…

The Amistad…

Reaching out and clasping tightly to herself with both hands, the girl breathed out slowly, turning onto her back as she watched the ceiling continue to burn. She continued to watch the ceiling of her house burn, the foundations of her house burn… she watched on as her breath slowed, diminished and was slowly overtaken by another cloud of soot and smoke…

She watched as her life burned out on her…

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A/N: Just a short prologue, nothing much to comment. It essentially just gives you some background info and stuff…