Endure - Sara B. Larson Page 0,1

his abilities, concealing his secret to save his life.

The prince had no choice except to change. He buried who he truly was and pretended to be someone else. He grew; he became an adult. He continued to pretend, but inside he dreamed — and he plotted.

Until the day a young woman joined his personal guard — a girl pretending to be a boy. He knew her secret, as all sorcerers had the ability to sense a person’s true identity — male, female, sorcerer or not. He feared for her, thinking that Iker, the black sorcerer working for the king, would know and punish her. But nothing happened — at least at first. She proved her ability time and again, and the black sorcerer left her alone. For months and months, the prince watched her and found himself dreaming of things that could never be. She had suffered; she had endured loss; she wore sadness like a second skin. But she still had her brother — her twin, Marcel.

For the first time in years, the prince yearned to be his true self instead of the persona he’d been forced to adopt to protect himself from his father’s machinations. He fought the urge to let his defenses down with her. He didn’t dare. Too much rested on his shoulders.

And then her brother died and Iker made his move, choosing her to guard his door day and night. The prince realized his father suspected him — and Iker was using the girl as a way to manipulate and threaten him.

Unbeknownst to anyone except a very select few, the prince had put a plan into action — a dangerous plan to try and overthrow his father and stop the atrocities against the people of Antion and the war that never should have started. And that prince … he decided to risk everything when he came out in the dead of night to speak with his guard. When slowly, carefully, he let her see him for who he truly was.

And together, they remade the world into something brighter. Together, they brought back hope to the people of Antion. Together, they gave his kingdom freedom.

That is how my mother would have told my story. I wonder if she knows the ending — if she still watches me. If she’s proud of the man I’ve tried to become, or the king I am.

We succeeded, Alexa and I. Despite my fear, I let myself love her. And together we beat Iker and my father. The young prince who never should have inherited the throne was suddenly the king of Antion.

But once again threats amass all around us, attempting to tear us apart — to rip my kingdom to pieces. I refuse to let them succeed. I will raise Antion from the depths of depravation my father drove us into. And I will not lose her, no matter the cost.

I am Damian, the king of Antion, and no one will ever take someone I love from me again and live.

Alexa

Damian paced in front of the large window overlooking the courtyard, his crown nestled in his dark hair, the afternoon sunshine gilding everything in the library. General Tinso’s missive lay open on the desk, his threat of war hanging in the air, heavy and unfathomable. The same foreboding I’d felt before, that much more was happening around us than we realized, pressed down on me, along with the guilt of what I still had to tell him.

“I can’t let you go after him,” Damian said at last, his voice tight with frustration. “I know you’re his best chance, but I need you, too. Especially if I can’t stop another war from beginning.”

“I know.” I stood by his desk, watching him, trying to decide when — and how — to tell him. I had to go after Rylan. Not just to save my friend, but also to find some way to kill Rafe and free myself from his control.

Finally, he stopped and turned to me, bruise-like circles underneath his brilliant blue eyes, the exhaustion and worry of the last few days etched onto his face. The shadow of stubble darkened his jaw, a sure sign of his distraction. I’d never seen him anything other than clean-shaven, except on our trek through Antion to Blevon, when he was pretending to be a hostage. “I’m the king; I’m supposed to know what to do to save my people from more death. I’ve already done so much. I spent years figuring out how to