He follows her gaze to the lake, where a unicorn drinks from the silvery water.
Is that why the heartlanding dumped them off the train? To look at a unicorn? He’s definitely seen a unicorn before.
“She’s beautiful,” Arisanna whispers.
Cerian eyes the unicorn more closely. “I believe he is beautiful.”
“Oh. Yes. That’s definitely not a she.” She buries her face against his shoulder, and he smiles.
As he watches the unicorn, its coat shimmers oddly, as if it’s changing.
“Arisanna, watch.”
She lifts her head again, and as the unicorn continues drinking, its pearly coat takes on a chestnut sheen.Glimmers of brownish-red start near its horn and spread along its neck, down its body and legs, all the way to its tail.
“I didn’t know unicorns changed color,” Arisanna whispers. “I thought they were all white until I met Stardust. But she’s silver. Does her coat change, too?”
A strange feeling spreads in the pit of Cerian’s stomach. “She changes, but rarely. She used to be black, when she belonged to my grandmother. My mother’s first mother. When Stardust was brought to my mother thirty years ago, she turned silver.”
“Fascinating. So why is this one suddenly red?”
Cerian glances at Arisanna before looking back at the unicorn.
“I think this one is mine. Or meant to be mine. Unicorns are very hard to tame. I’m not certain anyone but the Lothlesi have tamed one in centuries. And when I say tamed, I really mean submitting to being spoiled in exchange for agreeing to be ridden occasionally. But sometimes a unicorn will choose someone to belong to.”
“And you think this one has chosen you?”
“That makes the most sense.”
“How can you tell?”
Cerian clears his throat. “It turned chestnut. The way my mother’s unicorn turned silver.”
“I don’t understand. Is red your favorite color? I assumed you’d prefer green.”
He stares at her. She guessed his favorite color was green?
“I do prefer green,” he says softly.
“Because you love the forest.”
He smiles in response and steals a soft kiss. “You know me well.”
“I’m learning to, my elven prince. So why red? Why did this unicorn turn red for you?”
“Because unicorns turn the color their companion’s heart loves,” he whispers. Then he fingers her hair, and her eyes grow wide.
“It turned chestnut to match my hair?”
“I believe so.”
“That’s why Stardust is silver? Because your father’s hair is silver?”
“Yes. He finds it amusing.”
“It is kind of funny to think of matching a unicorn.”
“It just means I love you with all my heart, and the unicorn’s magic knows it.”
