doyin Oloruntogbe:FIRE AND BLOOD

MainCharacters

Astra: Astra is a resilient and determined young woman who has endured a life of scorn and mistreatment. Born from a forbidden affair, she is a princess by blood but has been treated as a lowly maid. Her past is marked by the tragic loss of her mother, who was killed by the Dragon King. Astra's interactions are primarily with her cruel half-sister Kaelara, her indifferent father, and her supportive lady-in-waiting.

Sirius: Sirius is the son of the Dragon King, a warrior with a complex personality. He is initially perceived as ruthless, but he shows unexpected kindness and consideration towards Astra. His past is shaped by his father's tyranny, and he seeks to overthrow him with Astra's help. Sirius's interactions are mainly with his father and the warriors of his kingdom.

Astra and Sirius: Their relationship begins with forced circumstances but evolves into a partnership based on mutual respect and shared goals. Despite the initial fear and mistrust, they develop a bond as they work together to challenge the Dragon King's rule.

Main Themes

The novel explores themes of resilience, betrayal, and the quest for empowerment. Through Astra's journey, it highlights the strength found in overcoming adversity and the importance of forging one's path despite the constraints of one's origins. The story also delves into the complexities of loyalty and the transformative power of unexpected alliances.

Hot Chapters

Chapter 1: the scapegoat

As I sat in my chambers watching my maids attend to me and prepare me for my wedding, I couldn’t think of anything more than how this didn’t feel real. My mind began to drift to my past and I couldn’t help but recall my childhood on a day like this. Every princess has her fairy tale life but mine had never been like that. My mother, a mage who disguised herself as a maid and began working at the palace to hide her identity fell in love with my father, the king, who had just had a child with his bride from a foreign kingdom. Thus, I was the result of a forbidden affair, something of shame, a bastard child scorned and kept away from my half-sister Kaelara who hated me and the Queen, Dorian who hated me even more.

Chapter 2: the dragon king's curse

As I wiped my tears, I looked up at my mother who peacefully stared at the water, I was aching to ask her what was going on and as if she read my mind, she turned to me and smiled again. 'Get up Astra, let’s go' She led me to the shabby room we shared at the end of the staff quarters, it was evidence of how much she had fallen out of favour with the king who was constantly accusing her of bewitching him when they had first met. As we walked into the room, she locked the door behind us and knelt down to drag out an old box from under the bed, she blew the dust off the box and brought out various items. One of them which caught my eye was an amethyst necklace that glistened. I picked it up and stared at it for a while.

Chapter 4: the great betrayal

It was the day before my wedding and I was soaking in the bath filled with milk, jasmine and sage, a ceremonial bath for brides in my kingdom on the night before their wedding. After my bath, I sat on my balcony to look at the moon while my hair which had now grown back to my waist length blew in the air. As I stared at the moon, I imagined what my life would look like after my wedding, I’d finally be able to leave the palace and see the world, I’d be free from everyone and no longer be a laughing stock.

Chapter 5: the wedding feast

As I walked to the front of the wedding hall where the prince stood waiting for me, I held my breath tightly as my face was now covered and I couldn’t make out his face. He was standing in front of me calmly, not saying anything as we listened to the elder dragon welcome and introduce me to the guests. 'Show us her face already!' One of the guests shouted causing the others to laugh and in that moment, every feeling of freedom I felt disappeared. After all, at the end of the day, I was just a princess forced to marry their prince, and they knew this was a loveless marriage so why would they respect me? As I bowed my head in shame, I saw the Prince’s feet move and then the next sound I heard was the slashing of a sword and the sound of blood pouring as silence filled the hall.

Chapter 8: you are my mate

'Well, shall we consummate our marriage?' The question rang in my head. This was real and I was about to officially become his wife, more of a slave but a wife regardless. 'Yes, sir' 'Don't call me sir, call me Sirius, I'm your husband now, not your master' 'Yes... Sirius' I looked away. He sat closer to me and held a strand of my hair. 'The colour of your hair, it's beautiful.' 'Thank you,' 'Is this the colour of the moon goddess' hair that I've heard your family has?' 'Yes, it is' I answered, if only he knew I didn't have the powers of the moon goddess that he was looking for, I was simply a mage who couldn't even access her powers because her trauma had blocked them.