He must think her addled. What sort of empty-headed princess does he imagine he got stuck with?
True to his word, though, he doesn’t let go of her, and as he leads her down the steps into the dark forest, she does her best not to crush his hand. He’s kind enough not to say anything about her death-grip.
“It’s different this time.” He lights one of those balls of yellow light in his free hand as he gazes at the trees around them.
It looks the same to her, but she keeps that thought to herself. “Why does the heartlanding keep dropping us off in the woods?”
“Perhaps so you can learn to trust me.” He says it so matter-of-factly that she looks at him in surprise.
“You think I don’t trust you?”
He shrugs. “We did just meet. You have little reason to trust me.”
He’s right, of course. Though her father has always spoken of King Lorial with respect, Arisanna didn’t even know Cerian existed until they met in Feressa mere days ago.
He steps forward into the shadows, bringing his light with him, and she follows at his side until the trees part to reveal another moonlit lake remarkably similar to the one they saw before.
He stops and studies the rippling water. The trees nearby. Even the night sky dotted with stars. “It is the same forest. We just got off the train on the other side of the lake this time.”
It’s an odd place, this heartlanding of theirs, with trains that randomly drop them off in the forest by this lake.
It is beautiful, if a tad eerie.
The sound of a creature crashing through the woods to their left startles Arisanna, and she clutches at Cerian’s arm before she can stop herself. When a stag emerges at the lake’s edge, her embarrassment grows.
“It was close, but I believe we’ll be all right,” Cerian whispers.
Stars above. He’s teasing her again. And she’s still clutching his bare arm.
“Come on.” He drags her away from the stag along the opposite shore of the lake.
“Where are we going?”
“Wherever we want to go. I’ve explored every inch of the woods near Darlei.”
He has the same expression on his face as when she offered to show him the astronomy tower. He looks happy here in the forest in a way he hasn’t looked anywhere else.
If only it weren’t so dark.
In an instant, the moonlit woods slip into dawn as the faintest rays of sunlight cross the early morning sky.
Beside her, Cerian slows his steps as he looks up in confusion. “What just happened?”
Shocked, she follows his gaze, still clinging to his arm. She opens and closes her mouth several times before words finally form on her lips. “I think I called forth the sun.”
Storms and Magic and Bears, Oh My
Episode 25
Arisannacalledforththesun? Cerian gazes down at her uncertain expression. “How?”
She shrugs. “I wished it wasn’t so dark.”
“You simply wished for it?”
She nods.
“I would have made more light. Does the darkness frighten you?”
