She turned around to face him once more just as he replaced the wooden box inside his jacket, a tinge of pink on his cheeks. Astraia blinked, forcing her mind to clear as she peered down at her Sacrifice lumenmark.
“What? How?” She marveled at her skin, no longer marked with the map of the Pegasus constellation.
“Starblooms and a lot of patience. We have managed to produce enough to ration to the Starborne of Volpes and are starting distribution to the rest of Virellia secretly. It will not solve the problem of the king’s proclamation, but it will provide some momentary protection.” Caelan’s face fell, the realization of the monumental task of protecting his people weighing heavily on his shoulders.
Astraia reached out and grasped his hand, desperate to relieve some of his burden. “It is incredible, Caelan, truly.” She smiled, squeezing his hand.
He smiled in return, lifting her hand and pressing a gentle kiss to her pale skin. “Now, will you join me for dinner?” His greeneyes danced in the lamplight as he placed her hand on his arm, leading her away from her stateroom.
“It would appear I have no choice,” she said, eyebrows raised.
“Of course not.” He smirked, and escorted her to the dining hall.
Two footmen stood on either side of the white doors leading to the main dining hall, both carved with intricate wooden embossing depicting vines and flowers, and gold leaf adorning every inch of the woodwork. With a simple nod from Caelan, the footmen opened the doors simultaneously.
Astraia allowed Caelan to lead her through the doorway, but her steps faltered as they entered the room. Where a massive table had once been, able to seat at least fifty courtiers and cabinet members, was a simple small table set for two. No other guests were in the room. Only the butler, Graves, was standing nearby.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Caelan started, gesturing for Graves to leave, “but I loathe the dinner parties my parents throw in some pathetic way of spoiling the cabinet members into submission. So I thought it could just be us tonight.” He glanced at her sideways, then made to pull out her chair from the table.
“You never were one for following the rules.” Astraia took her seat, watching a true breathtaking smile flash across his face.
Graves reappeared, pouring wine and bowing to Astraia as he left.
She bit her lip as he bowed, her face paling at the realization that two of Caelan’s servants were aware of her existence. It would only be a matter of time before the inevitable gossip wove its way through the entire staff.
“They are sworn to secrecy, Astraia.” Caelan’s voice rose, likely as a warning to Graves and any other staff members.
She nodded, mute as panic seized her. She had risked exposure of her existence by coming to Volpes. But she hadnowhere to go. There was nowhere she called home anymore. Home was her brother. Home was the grassy knoll on the beach. Her home was destroyed. If she was discvered, she would be taken to the king. Caelan would be dragged away too, an accomplice and a Starborne himself.
The air was too thick, her dress too tight, as she started breathing quickly. She needed to leave now. If she started riding tonight, she could follow the Njord River on the north side of Virellia until she reached the Skyforge Peaks. Then she could hide away in a mountain village somewhere, disappear into the snowy forests and become another nameless sojourner, unable to hurt anyone else.
A rough, firm hand encircled hers and squeezed, jolting Astraia from her thoughts.
“Breathe, Astraia. You are safe here. No one will ever hurt you again. Not as long as I draw breath.” Caelan stared at her with conviction.
She took several deep breaths, calming her nerves, until her heart was no longer pounding in her ears. Caelan would keep her safe. He could be her new home. Sighing, she released his hand and drank from her wineglass. Sweetness coated her tongue, reminding her of another dinner party quite unlike this one.
“Do you remember the summer when we drank all the good wine for the trade summit gala your parents were throwing for the Hollow City?”
Caelan paused, puzzled at first from her abrupt statement, then laughed. “How could I forget? Elion was so drunk he fell into the fountain in the gardens and thought it was the Aetherdeep, so he tried swimming in it to get to Solrend.”
Astraia laughed, recalling the way Elion kept yelling, “To the Stars, Astraia, we are almost to the Stars,” and swam several laps around the circular fountain.
“And if I recall correctly, that happens to be when you first kissed me.” Caelan smirked, leaning back in his chair as he sipped from his own glass of wine.
“Me? It was you who stalked me in the gardens and basically threw yourself at me under the willow.” Astraia scoffed, downing the remainder of her wine, and speared a pear on her plate.
“The Lord of Volpes does not throw himself at women, even a breathtakingly beautiful one,” he replied, setting down his glass and staring at her. The green of his eyes danced with the light of the chandeliers above them, making them appear like the flowing branches of the willow tree in the breeze.
She laughed—a true, deep, laugh that made her sides sore within seconds and echoed around the grand dining hall.
Caelan just smiled.
The dinner was not extravagant, which was a happy surprise for Astraia. After the trials of the last few days, her appetite had still not caught up to her. She did allow herself to indulge in another glass of wine, despite the fact that she knew her tolerance matched an acolyte of the Constellations.
With another subtle nod from Caelan, music crescendoed from the corner of the lavish room. A violinist along with a pianist were playing a song Astraia had not heard in many moons. The song was from a play about the Celestial War, when Balance fought back against Dominion but perished in the attempt.
That was the tipping point of the war that led the remaining Constellations to rebel, Power leading the revolt. The Stars’ stewards led their own war on the soil of Astradeon against Dominion’s wraiths, who were attempting to annihilate everything and everyone in their path. Dominion was conquered, but the imbalance of the Stars was too much for the cosmos to contain.
