“She dreamed of escape—of growing wings like a bird and flying away from the palace, never to return. But, alas, she was a bird still locked tightly in her cage.”

As much as she wanted to fight, to scream, Cleo kept her head haughtily high. She would be fierce. In any case, her fight was not over yet, not nearly over. It had only begun And yes, Cleo would be strong. Just as her father and Emilia had asked her to be. She would be strong. She would reclaim her rightful throne. She would be queen.

“Is this the life you’ve been waiting for?”