Willow was born to a family of poverty in the slums of a large city in the middle of a great kingdom. Willow's mother died giving birth to her, and her father was killed in a tavern brawl not long after. Willow was raised by her grandparents, who were kind but poor. They did the best they could, but with no money and little food, they often went to bed hungry. When Willow was old enough, she began stealing food to help her family. She was caught several times, but she was always able to talk her way out of it. Her skills with words and persuasion were clear even then. When Willow was sixteen, her grandfather died of a cough that wouldn't go away. Her grandmother died soon after of a broken ...