Prologue 2

500 B.C. - Atlantis

Queen Lykke looked out upon the concentric circles that surrounded the royal palace and frowned for she knew time was short. The island, or continent as it was referred to by those familiar with it had been slowly sinking and nobody knew why. The frequency of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions had been on the uprise for centuries so the Atlantean’s began making the transition to undersea living. Their advanced technology aided by the magic of the royal family led to amazing discoveries which helped the populace to th point of being able to breath underwater, but she knew it wasn’t enough.

Only the blood of the royal family could use magic but for some reason it was limited to only the females through who’s veins that blood flowed. Using magic comes with a responsibility in that there is always a price to pay for using it, especially when used improperly. Lykke had the talent of Second Sight, but it only allowed her to see what needed to be seen which meant she saw her visions through a foggy haze. Another limiting factor was that she could rarely do it on demand as they usually came to her on their own schedule. The time was coming when her eldest daughter would ascend the throne and according to Atlantean custom, she must have a husband that is pure of heart and noble lineage.

Located in the vaults below the center of the concentric rings was an ante chamber containing the time portal through which the next in line would enter to select her next husband. It activates once a generation (which in about every 2,500 human years) at an unspecified time after the eldest daughter hits puberty. Being that the island was sinking and the portal was underground, there was a very big concern about whether it will continue to operate underwater and what might happen while the girls were on their mission.

This concern led Lykke to, after many years of contemplation, to research how she might expedite things to ensure her daughter’s safe return. To make things more complicated, she wasn’t sure which daughter to send. Her oldest daughter, Karina had been conceived against her will before returning with her husband and then she had three daughters with her chosen one. Which one would truly count as her eldest? Karina was raised as if she were a step-daughter which was made easier by the early passing of her husband who was the only other person who knew the truth. To be on the safe side, she would send both girls. The one thing she was sure of was that it would become clear who the correct one was when things came to pass.

Lykke gathered her two eldest daughters to explain their current predicament and discuss the plan.

“I have been given a vision but it borders on irresponsible and will take the two of you to pull it off. I know you two don’t get along very well, but you will have to work together on this or our kingdom will be no more. Your sisters can help, but cannot know the entire plan.”