Kingdom of Starlight and Shadows
Structure
Exposition
Lyra Evergreen ventures to the city of Auroraan in hopes to train under the infamous healer and potions maker Eldric Moonstone. Though he has an alterior motive to also help her train and advance her magical abilities of which are a secret. Upon her arrival, she meets a servant by the name of Gwen Whitaker, who shows her around the palace and introduces her to the main characters; Roland Blackwood, Tristan Swift, and, briefly, Prince Alexander Thorncrest. The next morning, she is called to the throne room to speak with King Cedric Thorncrest, where she is welcomed to the kingdom proper, and is introduced to the captain of the knight guard Marcus Swift.
Weeks go by with Lyra aiding Eldric in his craft and healing whoever comes for help. All the while, Eldric has been secretly testing and training her in the arcane arts. Having been privey to talks about a powerful threat, Eldric finally talks to Lyra about the looming problem with the former Princess Evelina Nightshade, King Cedric's stepsister. He explains what happened in the past and why it might be time she is planning on her return. Later, on the approaching anniversary of the incident that exiled Evelina and caused the ban on magic, Prince Alexander comes to Eldric's room to have his arm checked. Lyra notices the usually arrogant prince Alexander is much more silent than usual. She asks why and he explain that the king wasn't the only one to die, but his mother was killed in the blast as well trying to shield him, which resulted in the burn on his arm.
In an effort to learn more about Evelina and the ban on magic, and research a balm which might help some of the lingering effects of Alexander's burn, Lyra goes to the palace library to search the records. While skimming a section in the back, dark corner of the library, she notices something off about one particular bookshelf. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it is a secret door into a stairwell leading underground. She feels a pull to the magic's source, following it in an almost trance-like state. Upon entering the underground chamber, surrounded by warm, inviting magic and ancient books of magic lost to the world, there is a large book in the center of the room. This book contains a prophecy for Lyra and Lyra's lineage and legacy.
Conflict
In a kingdom that has banned the use of magic, Lyra Evergreen must navigate her new home in the castle of Auroraan. She must keep her magic a secret from those closest to her or risk all of them being punished if she is to be discovered.
However, with a dark and powerful threat on the horizon, Lyra needs to train her abilities to be able to stop it. After her first encounter of this shadow magic, a knight close to the royal family has discovered her secret, but promises to keep it a secret if she accompanies him to the Summer Solstice Ball.
Rising Action
Before the knight asks Lyra to the ball, it is the event that happens before that ignites it. The palace had been getting reports from a village called Oakridge about a day's ride from the city. They reported that a beast has been terrorizing the village, mauling the livestock, attacking the villagers, and has made its lair in the nearby forest. Alexander has been tasked to get rid of it by his father and has requested Lyra join them as a healer (not alterior motives obviously). So, he and Lyra, along with Sir Roland, Sir Tristan, and a few other knights, they set off. When they arrive, they find a village in destruction. Lyra sets up an encampment with the rest of the knights to attend the injured. The next day, Lyra and the knights venture into the forest to track down the beast. After some hours of searching, the group is ambushed by a shadow wolf; a wolf-like magical being created with the shadow arts which can be controlled and is very powerful. The knights fight while trying to protect Lyra the best they can, but get overwhelmed. The wolf goes to strike the prince, but Lyra is quick to dispell it using her magic. Thankfully, she was able to make it seem like Alexander was able to take the final blow and kill it. However, Tristan had caught her in the act. Later, after things had died down, he corners her. He tells her he saw her and she begins to beg him not to tell the prince. He says he won't, but only if she goes with him to the Summer Solstice Ball. She agrees after debating it over in her head with her conflicting emotions for the prince.
A few days before the ball, Gwen drags Lyra out of her hovel of a room to go to the market for a dress. While there, a shadow panther appears, just like the shadow wolf before. The beast ransacks and destroys the various stalls and harms some of the patrons. At one point, Lyra and Gwen are cornered and, as the panther lunges for her friend, Lyra dispells it in a flurry, not carrying to hide from Gwen. Amongst the remaining chaos, the two girls race back to the castle where Gwen confronts Lyra and Lyra explains everything.
The dark sorcerer, Evelina Nightshade, makes her first appearance at this ball, announcing her return to the kingdom in vengence against her brother and declaring to Lyra that she will destroy her.
Climax
After the events of the ball, Lyra is confronted by the king. Someone has tipped him off about her secret and she must explain herself. Someone has told him that she is working with Evelina to destroy the kingdom from within. She is thrown in the dungeons to await her final trial, but Alexander confronts her. He feels betrayed, like she lied to him, made him think she was good when she holds the same power that killed his mother. She claims that it's not true, that she's been learning more about her magic and how it is pure magic. She tells him that she needs to leave before the trial because she has to defeat Evelina. "Do you trust me?" she asks. He reluctantly lets her out, and with Gwen and Tristan's help, they get her out of the palace and to Gwen's home on the outskirts of the city.
While explaining everything more fully and coming up with a plan, the palace is attacked. The two knights and Lyra race back to the castle, fighting their way through the incoming forces of the Ebon Legion. Now that she doesn't have to hide, she attacks using her magic and shows the prince how pure it truly is. It is vastly different to the shadow magic he's seen in the past. They are able to make it to the castle, where Evelina has joined the king in his throne room. Marcus Swift is at his side, defending him from any incoming forces, all the while Cedric is fighting Evelina. Lyra, Tristan, and Alexander are watching from the balconey, waiting for their moment as the two of them talk.
Evelina tells her brother of the pain and suffering she has endured since discovering her magic. How all of her teachers could see it was a rare and dark force. How she had killed her first teacher accidentally after it got out of control. How all of her teachers after left before the same fate befell them. Then, it all came to a head when their father, King Aric, had started pushing her to suppress her power, to block it using potions created by Eldric Moonstone. One day, during King Aric's coronation anniversary, they began arguing about her magic once again, her mother not speaking up for her. She explained how she could feel the energy inside begin to build as the argument became more and more violent. Finally, she couldn't hold it in as the dark magic of shadows and death erupted from her, taking her father, mother, and Cedric's wife with it, and harming Alexander in the process. She expressed the guilt and regret she had, but Cedric had thrown her in the dungeon without letting her speak.
Then he exiled her to the wastelands, the land in which hadn't been touched since the first King of Auroraan had defeated a powerful evil. This was where she started to look inward and had dreams and visions of her ancestor, Malachi Darkbane, the tyrant King Auron had overthrown. She learned the name of the power with which she was born with, the kind of power she could wield. "I rule over death. And I decide when your time is over."
Marcus Swift, his most loyal friend and confidant, steps up to him, having abandoned his fight a long time ago. He takes his sword, the sword which was gifted to him by his friend when he was first knights, a ran Cedric through with it. Cedric falls, blood seeping from the fatal wound in his chest. Alexander, is a rush of grief, fury, and confusion jumps from the balconey and attacks the man he thought of as an uncle.
Falling Action
Evelina, startled, turns to the balconey, spotting Lyra and Tristan, who had ran to help his friend despite the shock and betrayal he felt from his father. Evelina sneers at Lyra, wisting her away to the courtyards, where they have their final confrontation. The battle begins, shadows meeting light, as each sorcerer throws their magic. At one point, Evelina gets the best of Lyra, knocking her down and begins bombarding her with shadow after shadow. Lyra's light begins to fade, but looking in at the throne room, where she sees Alexander fighting his father's killer, she grows inspired. Her magic grows, a shield of light and stars forming to protect her from the continuing bombardment. Evelina, stunned by the display of power, falters in her attack, giving Lyra the opportunity to counter her blasts. In some fantastical and whimsical show of the rare magic, Lyra is able to defeat Evelina, who has been restrained by Lyra's magic.
Alexander joins her, having restrained Marcus as well, and embraces her, where they confess and kiss. While distracted with each other and checking on the kingdom after Evelina's forces fled, Evelina disappears. Running back into the throne room, Alexander finds that Marcus has also disappeared.
Resolution
After the battle, Alexander is confronted with the reality that his father was killed. Lyra follows him where he breaks down in her arms once in the confines of his room.
The next scene to play out is the day of Alexander's coronation as king. Lyra is rushing around, helping Eldric with the remaining wounded from the attack, helping Gwen prepare the decorations as she rushes about, and talks to Tristan in a final closure and beginning a friendship, opposed to a one-sided love. When it comes time to crown the new king, Lyra is stood to the side and watches as her friend and lover is crowned. She knows he'll be the best king Auroraan has ever had.
Later, when the celebration has died down, Alexander joins Lyra in a secluded area where they reminence on the year they have had. They also discuss the disappearance of his aunt and Marcus. After Alexander leaves her alone, Lyra spots a black raven flying by the window. This raven is encased in shadows and wisps of smoke. It looks at her and she knows that the war has only just begun.
Plot type
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