“I don’t know, but if I trust anything, it’s that the Queen knows how to make a plan. That’s enough worrying for one day.” I give them a grin. “Let’s train. We need to be ready for anything. You too, Silene.” She tries to hide her excited smile but doesn’t fool Fionn and me. We know better than anyone her desire to be a great warrior, to use her skill with a blade to make up for the average magic most Velmaran nobles have.

We spend the next few hours running through drills with Fionn. The deep tenor of his voice is gentle as he models moves for Silene or corrects my form. Despite the blustering warrior exterior, Fionn is a patient teacher. Without his guidance, I never would have mastered my magic. Silene takes his direction with the dedication of an apprentice, mastering several moves in our short session. My lips can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I watch my two best friends deep in concentration on their training. We’re in an enemy kingdom a thousand miles from Velmara, deep underground in the home of the most notoriously dangerous fae to ever live. And yet, it feels like home.

Shit, it’s cold. Howling wind whips my hair away from my face, chilling me to my core in the outdoor garden I stumbled upon while exploring the palace. After training, Silene and Fionn had gotten wrapped up in playing Skran, Fionn determined to master the Thayarian game. My body was restless, eager to keep moving despite the grueling exercise Fionn put me through.

I pretended to head to bed early, then snuck back out, cloaking myself with my light magic. As Fionn yelled “Skran!” loudly, I used his loud bellow to slip through our apartment doors and into the palace, unsure of my destination. I’d wandered aimlessly until I stumbled upon a glass door leading to a terrace filled with some of the most stunning trees and flowers I’ve ever seen.

Despite the cold temperatures, a result of the fast-approaching winter, the garden is still effervescent in its beauty. Draping emerald trees create a canopy across the stone paths, while flowers in crimson, magenta, and lavender mound under the trees. Ivy and moss cover the path in areas, giving the space that now familiar classic Thayarian feel of being perfectly overgrown and luscious. Though I’m freezing, I can’t bring myself to turn and head inside, captivated by the harmony of smells that dance through the air and the peaceful quiet under the rising stars. As I round another corner, the same sense of being watched tickles my spine like it did as we traveled to the capital. I keep walking until the path opens up to a stunning view of the mountains behind Arberly, a misty navy portrait in the darkening sky.