Chapter 13 Preview, Part 1 (A Romance)

Hey all, hope your February has been going well!!

I've been a bit busy the past couple weeks as I took on some writing commissions (not related to AToC and solely a one time thing for some irl acquaintances) for some extra cash, but I didn't think it'd take me this long to take care of 😩

I did chip away a little bit more at CH13 in between though- not enough for a proper progress report, but definitely enough to share a fun preview with some Crown lore/backstory!!

The other character in this preview is A since I wrote that one first, but in the actual scene it will be whoever your Crown's main LI is. It's not strictly a romance scene, but it is a bonding moment for the two of them 🫶

You gather all your courage, knowing that if you are ever to find the truth of who killed your parents, you have to confront your past.

No more running and hiding.

“I don’t like to think about it,” you start, unable to meet the gaze that feels weighted upon you. “I’d like to talk about it even less, but… I have a suspicion. Perhaps it’s all in my head, completely imagined, but I can’t know that with certainty unless I see it for myself.”

[...removed for spoilers...]

You nod, exhaling a heavy breath. “That’s why I need to go back to my hometown. It has been so many years, and perhaps there is nothing left to find, but I need to know.”

“You’ve never spoken of it before,” $aname says, a subtle invitation. “Your hometown, that is.”

It draws a smile from you, albeit a faint one. “I have little memory of it. I was seven… no, I think eight years old when we had to run.” Your brows furrow as you try to recall life back then. “I struggle to recall their faces, but I remember having friends I used to play with. The other children in the village. I wonder what became of them—I wonder if they’ll remember me.”

“If they do, I’m sure they would be shocked to find out where you ended up,” $aname notes, and you huff a laugh.

“More than shocked.” Your gaze grows distant as you reminisce. “One of the children there, I recall we were playing at a riverbank… there was a snake, and we must have startled it as it tried to bite his sister. He grabbed a rock as if to kill it, and I shoved him to the ground. I recalled the stories about Şahmaran, and I thought she would surely want revenge if we killed a snake. The few times my parents mentioned her, she always seemed terrifying. Now I know why.”

$aname hums with thought. “It is forbidden to harm serpents in Rojan, so at the very least, he would have gotten in trouble for that.” $catheir tone turns a bit more playful. “He should have thanked you for it.”

“He did not.” You cast $aname a wry look. “He went to tell on me to his parents, who then went to my parents, and after that our families held a grudge against each other. My mother refused to greet them during village festivals.”

“So would I,” $aname agrees. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I did shove another child, rather violently.”

$cathey brushes it aside. “In defense of an innocent creature. I’m sure he barely scraped his knee.”

You snort, shaking your head, though another thought occurs to you. “Funny to think we both have a story about a serpent from our childhood.”

“They’re good judges of character, clearly.”

Smiling back at $aname in amusement, you nudge $athem with an elbow. “No need to be modest, now.”

 $aname grins back at you, hooking an arm around yours before you can retract it and smoothly slipping his fingers between yours. “I’m sharing the praise, aren’t I?”

You can’t seem to stop smiling, squeezing $atheir hand back, your heart thumping warmly in your chest. “And so generous, too!” Although, the thought of meeting Şahmaran—if you even get that far—has your good mood faltering a little. “I certainly hope Şahmaran will share the judgment of her serpents.”

You can think of nothing more damning than if she were to find you unworthy as a Crown.

I can't wait to get started on the expedition to the mountains, the courtly intrigue and the politics have been great, but the change of pace will be refreshing!!

For this month, I'm also planning to write character snippets for D's CH12 POV romance scenes in the coming two weeks, one for tier 2 and an additional one for tier 3. And, of course, more progress updates and previews as I continue writing.

Thank you for your patience! 💖