Princess' Vow: A Cursed Kingdom Novel

By Rhiannon Kay

Seventeen-year-old Princess Alyra is the heir to the powerful Tigran shapeshifter kingdom. But life as a princess is anything but butterflies and rainbows. Her days are filled with planning for a future full of political disagreements and war, all while trying to maintain her friendships.

Besides being royalty, Alyra is no regular shifter. She is gifted with the ability to see the future and the past, something that is so uncommon it hasn't been seen in a shifter in a millennia. This ability may wreak havoc on her daily life, but unbeknownst to her, it will save her life.

On an ill-fated run one day, she finds the prince to the throne of her sworn enemy dead. She's instantly suspected of murder and taken captive to pay for her uncommitted crimes. But once the truth comes out, an unexpected alliance between ever-warring kingdoms turns into a beautiful romance in the midst of a state of war that could destroy both kingdoms forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885055154

Book preview

Chapter 1

I ran. Not in fear, not in panic. I just ran. It was freeing, escaping from all my responsibilities of being a princess of Kaleria. Running was always there, like a friend in the night. Comforting yet a way to work out my frustrations, and I never seemed to tire. I could run forever, and I wished I could. The only thing I liked almost as much as running was sword fighting. There was something about wielding a weapon, even though I would probably never have to use it, that was freeing. It made me feel powerful and in charge, like running did.

I wasn’t in charge of much in my life. My mom, the queen of the Tigran Kingdom, was bound and determined to make a perfect little lady out of me, which was a struggle. I was a free spirit and couldn’t be bothered with tea parties, dresses, or finding the perfect guy to marry to have someone by my side as queen. Of course, there was much more to it than that. My mother was a powerful woman, and although she hadn’t been raised royalty, she had quickly figured it out and was the right-hand man (or woman) to my father, the king. She was strong, smart, and probably the best friend I had. She was an inspiration, but that didn’t mean I had to like the petty (that’s what I thought of them) little politics that kept the other highborn Tigrans happy. Some days I just needed an escape.

That was why I ran. I wasn’t on a trail—that would have been too easy for me. I ran through the woods, ducking to miss branches and jumping over roots and rocks all while landing gracefully on my feet. The woods were probably my favorite place to go, except for where I was heading now. I loved all the trees; they were one of the best things about being on this side of the Wall, creating such diversity in the woods. There were willows, oaks, maples, and more.

I was often caught reading an ancient text out here too. Reading ancient texts helped with my ability to See the past. I am not able to control when or where it happens yet since the ability only manifested a few years ago. But when it happens, I often See the history of our land. I have Seen the battle between the warm-blooded shifters and the cold-blooded ones. It had been a terrible time in our realm with the War Between Shifters. The cold-blooded shifters, led by the Viperians, sought to take power from the Tigrans and rule the land according to their cryptic, creepy ways. I shuddered every time I saw them in my memories. Not much got to me but I did not like snakes. The creepy way their bodies slithered across the ground plus their dangerous venom that could kill with just one bite if they licked the wound quickly after. You were a goner within minutes of the venom being activated.

The war had lasted just over a year before peace had been brokered and the Wall had been put up, dividing the realm into two kingdoms: one for us warm-blooded shifters and one for the cold ones. I stayed away from the Wall. It was a stone blockade standing at least two hundred feet tall. On our side, there were vines covering the whole face as far as the eye could see. Who knew what the other side was like? I could only imagine, with the way it looked over there from the few times I was able to glimpse it. The only way to see across the Wall was to go to the top of the castle towers and use the telescopes. It looked like a barren wasteland, as if it had caught fire and the forestry had never grown back. I shuddered at the thought. I couldn’t imagine living without trees, even if I had been a cold-blooded native. Did cold-blooded prefer rocky earth? I was glad I was Tigran, although I suppose I would have been happy with whatever shifter body I was born with. But I loved how powerful my white tiger form made me feel.

But right now, I was in my human form and pushing my body to the limits. I knew my eyes were a deep shade of violet because, at the moment, I was in my happy place. They were often a shade of copper as a tiger’s, which was fine when I transformed. However, it was a pain around others because my eyes gave away how I was feeling—which, most of the time, was frustrated. I was being prepared to take over as queen at the young age of seventeen. I knew I wouldn’t be crowned for years; my parents were still young and had a lot of life left in them. But they were always paranoid that if something did happen to them, I wouldn’t be ready for the responsibility. They had been preparing me for years.

Since I was old enough to walk and talk, I had learned the ways of our culture, how to be a proper lady, and the politics behind ruling a kingdom of so many different shifters. My father had just started letting me train how to fight when I was fifteen. My mother had hated the idea, but he got her to relent, seeing the wisdom of me knowing how to defend myself and others and to teach me patience. At least that was what he told her. He warned me that there was always a chance of another war and that I needed to be able to lead troops into battle if it came to it. I loved my father for that. He saw the wild side to me and didn’t try to suppress me. He also let me get away with a lot, often coming to my side when my mother and I got into it.

I slowed to a jog and then to a walk and eventually stopped to lean over with my hands on my knees, taking deep breaths. I didn’t feel fatigued; I felt rejuvenated. My muscles were sore, and I reveled in the feeling. I heard a rustle from behind me and smiled. I knew he was there. He was always there, but he knew better than to get in my way.

You alive, Vince? I asked my bodyguard. He had been assigned to me years ago, and I knew perfectly well he wasn’t suffering at all from this run. Vince was in perfect shape. When he wasn’t by my side, I knew he was constantly training so that he would be able to fight off anyone who might wish me harm. At first I thought it was annoying to have Vince ever present. But I had gotten used to it, and we had grown to be good friends. I often confided in him when my best friend Katalina wasn’t around and I had no one else to talk to, usually late at night before he stood guard at my door.

I’m doing my best, he replied, not sounding the least out of breath.

I chuckled, turning to face him, sweat dripping from my forehead. He didn’t look like he had even broken a sweat. I think I’m going to have to try to work you harder.

Oh, you are plenty of work, he said, smiling back at me.

He was right; I was plenty of work. I often snuck out of the castle in the middle of the night to hang out with Katalina or to try to find a sanctuary that wasn’t my room or the library. Finding sanctuary usually needed to be done after I had a vision. Sometimes they were of beautiful things, like my parents’ wedding or something of my grandparents, whom I had never known. But lately, they were of the war and terrible things that both sides had done before the peace treaty had been brokered. The war had ended only a year before I was born. There has been peace between the two kingdoms for a little more than seventeen years now. I prayed to the gods that it stayed that way. But I had a really ominous feeling that something was coming. I shook off the feeling.

You know you love me, I said.

You are lucky I love you, he teased. Vince didn’t mean love romantically. We had never thought about each other that way. Well, that wasn’t wholly true. I had harbored romantic hopes once upon time when I was about thirteen. It was nothing more than a silly schoolgirl crush that quickly faded away.

You know you have a gathering with the queen soon, right?

I groaned. Now why did you have to ruin my perfectly good run by reminding me of that? I had afternoon tea with my mother and several other highborn ladies. These gatherings tended to be so dull.

Sorry, Princess, but it’s part of my job.

I leaned down to pick up a small stone and tossed it at him. He easily dodged it. Fine, I said. But I might be late because, unlike you, I’m sweating to death and need to clean up.

We had stopped at one of my favorite places. We were at a small lake that most people didn’t know was there. Katalina knew, of course, since I had brought her here a few times, but that was it. I liked keeping this place to myself. There was something about the woods being on all sides of the lake and the crystal-clear water that was always a perfectly cool but somehow a warm enough temperature to do what I was about to do. I peeled my tank top off and glanced behind me. Vince was still there, but his gaze was averted. Always the gentleman, I thought.

I slipped out of my shorts to my sports bra and panties. I approached the edge of the lake and dipped my toe in. The water was perfect. I walked in, letting the water slowly creep up my legs until it was to my chest then dove under. My blond-and-black hair flowed around me; the signature of Tigran royalty was our hair—pale blond with vertical black stripes. As if I didn’t stand out enough at school with Vince following me around from class to class, my hair made sure it was known that I was royalty. I did love my hair though, so I couldn’t complain too much. It was down to my waist, having never been cut. Another thing I could thank to being royalty: we never cut our hair unless in mourning.

I hope to never be in mourning because I doubt I would look good with a bob cut. My face was too angular for that. I supposed I was pretty, but not by typical standards. Now my friend Katalina was absolutely stunning with her blond hair cut in a bob and her vivid blue eyes. Again, my violet eyes reminded everyone that I was their princess. Katalina was petite, standing a couple inches shorter than me. I was tall for a woman, standing five foot seven against Katalina’s barely five foot three when she was standing on her tippy-toes.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been underwater, but I was losing my breath. As I came up for air, I pushed my hair out of my face while easily treading water. Somedays I wished I had been born an otter shifter so I could spend as much time in the water as I wanted.

I looked over to where Vince was standing. He now had his back to me with a hand on his sword, surveying the woods. I wasn’t worried. That was what he did when I took a dip. I was vulnerable while swimming, and he wasn’t going to let anything happen to me while I enjoyed my time in the water. Vince knew how much I loved being in the water and how it calmed me. As he said, Happy princess, happy life, and much less work for him. That was for sure. I was a handful when I was pissed. I knew it, but I couldn’t control it. My moods often shifted and shifted quickly. I think it had something to do with my ability to See the past. It wasn’t often that a shifter received a magical gift. In fact, until me, no one on our side of the Wall had a gift of magic. We all thought that had magic died out with the witches.

Now that was something that I had Seen and terrified me: a witch in action. They had no respect for anyone’s life but their own and often used magic to torment the shifter community. From what I knew, they had died out hundreds of years ago, and with them went all magic. Until me. What made me special? I didn’t know. And honestly, I didn’t really want to be special. A few times the visions came on while I was at school, too, which was ever so embarrassing and distracting. I wasn’t sure what good being able to See the past was going to do for me in the long run, and lately, it had just been torture. It was like having a nightmare while wide-awake. It wasn’t predictable when it would happen either; it just happened.

I dipped under the water once more, enjoying the swirling feeling around my skin, before coming up once last time and swimming to edge of the lake to get out. Vince stayed with his back toward me, which I highly appreciated as I wasn’t one to go flaunting my body. I shook off as much water as I could and slipped back in my running clothes.

You’re safe now, I called to Vince.

He turned to face me. Better?

Much. Thanks. I smiled at him. Want to race back? We were at least seven miles from the palace.

How do you have so much energy?

I could ask you the same thing.

He smiled at me. I guess we both work out enough.

I was what they called a gym rat, like him. In my free time, which wasn’t a lot, I was working out. The endorphins rushing through my body brought on a great high. Plus I liked being able to take on Vince in a good fight, even though he won most of the time. When I won, I had a sneaking suspicion he was letting me. I was good, no doubt about it. I was able to hold my own with most of the other palace guards. But Vince was next level. I guess that was why he had been assigned to me. I didn’t even bother trying to take on the guards who protected my parents because I’m sure they were just as skilled as, if not better than, Vince.

I smiled at him and took off into a sprint back the way we had come. But instead of staying human, I let the tiger free. I wanted to feel the wind through my fur and all four paws on the ground. I was faster as a tiger, of course, more agile and had longer endurance. I leapt into the air as a blast of white light surrounded me. The light spun me as I twirled through the air, arching as the tiger came over me one limb at a time. In seconds I went from human to a white tiger before I landed on all fours and kept running without missing a beat. This feeling! This was the way I really loved to run. I was more graceful on all fours; I could bound off tree trunks and leap through the air, covering more distance than when I was on two legs.

Light blasted from behind me. I quickly peeked over a fur-covered shoulder to see Vince shift into his tiger form. It was amazing to watch another shifter shift. I had no idea what I looked like when I transformed, but watching another shifter gave me a general idea. It was amazing how our bodies could contort in ways that didn’t seem humanly possible and go from one form to a drastically different one. It was stunning and would never get old to feel the shift or watch others.

We made quick time back to the palace, shifting back just outside the walls. Being a warm-blooded shifter, we had managed the skill of transforming without ripping out of our clothing. That wasn’t always the case, as the memories had shown me. In the years before my birth, every shifter, warm- or cold-blooded, always shifted back into their human form naked. I was extremely grateful that we had evolved because right now I was standing face-to-face with my mother wearing a sweat-soaked tank top and shorts.

Alyra, where have you been? I’ve been waiting, my mom asked with a little snap in her tone.

Sorry, Mom, I went for a run and forgot the time.

Well, she said looking at Vince, you should have reminded her.

I did, Your Majesty, he replied with a bow.

I turned and stuck my tongue out at him, a silent reprimand for snitching and a reminder that he should have been on my side. But I suppose it wasn’t a good thing to lie to the queen. She could read through a lie. It was a special talent I guessed that came from being a mother.

Then, she turned her attention back to me, you should have been on time.

I’m sorry, I said, lowering my head in submission. I had found that this move often made her stop being so angry with me.

Go change. We will wait. I nodded and turned from her. And make sure you brush your hair! she shouted after me. Subconsciously I ran my hands through my tangled hair. That was what happened when you shifted wet. I made my way to into the palace grounds and up the stairs to my room with Vince on my heels.

You are such a snitch! I scolded without looking at him.

"You know I know better than to lie to the queen, and I did remind you."

"So what? Snitches get stitches. When we spar later, it is so on."

He laughed at me. Bring it on, Princess.

I punched him in the arm and not a light punch, oh no, but a full-forced punched with all my weight behind it. He winced slightly, but not enough to make me feel better.

I will bring it on, and you better not go easy on me.

He smirked at me. Oh, I won’t.

I knew he was telling the truth. What had I just gotten myself into?

I entered my room in the left wing of the castle. My parent’s rooms were in the right wing. It gave us good space though I hadn’t been moved over to the left wing until I was five, and even then, I had needed a bodyguard because of how much trouble a five-year-old could get into with an entire wing to herself. Little did my parents know how much trouble a teenager could get into with an entire wing to herself. There were several other bedrooms in this wing and on my floor. I suppose they were for siblings, but after my birth, my parents were unable to conceive another child. So I suppose I had been slightly spoiled. It worked to my advantage because no matter how mad my parents got at me, I was usually, usually, able to talk my way out of it.

My room was large with a massive balcony that overlooked the courtyard and most of the kingdom. The white stone walls sparkled with the sunlight dancing across them. A warm breeze came in from the balcony and open windows. My bed was king-size, more than enough room for me—though sometimes I did sleep diagonally across the bed, so I suppose it was nice to have the extra space. It had a pale-purple comforter across (purple being my favorite color), and extra blankets on the chest at the foot of the bed for nights that were too cold. A large couch sat on the opposite wall from my bed, which I mostly used for reading or lounging on with Katalina when we had our late-night chats, which often turned into sleepovers. In one corner there was a dressing curtain with my closet behind it. I headed that way, leaving Vince to close the door behind me and stand guard in the hallway. My room was the one place I could truly be alone, though Vince was only inches of solid oak away from me.

I pushed through the racks of clothes, most of which I never wore except for special occasions. My mom tried to insist I dress according to my station everywhere I went, but at school, I insisted on dressing just like everyone else. Therefore, my closet ranged from tanks and jeans to full-on ball gowns. I went for something in the middle. It was a gray sundress with a sunflower print, and it fell just above my knees. I went to the vanity in the corner of the room and quickly ran a brush through my tangled hair till it fell in waves to my waist. I slipped on a pair of small yellow heels and looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. Not my style but it would work for the meeting I was about to attend.

I left my room and ran directly into Vince’s back. Pardon me, he said so politely it was sarcastic.

You should really stand to the side of the door so that stops happening, I said jokingly.

He replied in kind, Maybe you should just start watching where you walk, continuing the running gag we seemed to have every day. He paused and looked me over. You look beautiful.

I blushed. Compliments had never been easy for me to take. No idea why. I just didn’t like the extra attention. Thanks, I mumbled in response and started down the stairs to the courtyard.

The courtyard was massive. There were vendors and merchants