Smiling, Elfeya v’En Celay approached to embrace her daughter and her daughter’s mate. Ellysetta’s birth mother looked every inch the powerfulshei’dalinshe was, in a gown of stunning scarlet and gold with her truemate’ssorreisu’kiyrset in a golden torque at her throat. Her Light was nearly as bright as Ellysetta’s, setting her skin aglow so that she shone like a star. She resembled her daughter in so many ways—the fiery hair, the gentleness, the steely will that lay beneath her vast compassion and empathic gifts. It was that steel that had enabled her to survive her thousand years of torment. That steel that had made her the indomitable truemate of the legendary warrior standing at her side.
Rain held out his hand to clasp the forearm of Shannisorran v’En Celay, the warrior once known as Lord Death. He flinched slightly at the acid burn of thesel’dorbands lining the thick golden cuffs at Shan’s wrists. Shan might be free from the High Mage, but he was not free of the man’s dread gifts. The tairen’s soul Vadim Maur had tied to Shan’s was with him still—and just as wild and savage as it had been during his captivity in Boura Fell.
He wouldn’t allow Elfeya or Ellysetta to risk themselves trying to undo what the Mage had done, and he wouldn’t risk the Fey by giving the beast its freedom, so he had willingly bound himself insel’dor.To his mate’s objections, he had replied, “Pain is life,kem’san.I accepted that long ago. We are together, and we are free. That is joy enough for me.”
The Fey Lord’s face was carved from stone, but his granite jaw softened, and the hard glitter of his green eyes warmed when he turned his attention to the daughter he’d suffered decades of torture to protect. “Blessings of the day,ajiana. Miora felahto you and your mate. May Shadow always fall short of your Path and your days be filled with joy.”
Ellysetta embraced him.“Beylah vo…Gepa.”
His arms clutched her close. “You do us proud,kem’nessa.”He bent his head to her ear, and added in a hoarse whisper, “You were worth every moment.”
The tears she’d been fighting squeezed out between her lashes. When her father released her, she begged again, “Won’t you change your mind and stay with us here in Dharsa?”
Shan smiled and shook his head.“Nei,child. Tehlas is our home. It is where we belong.”
Rain had asked Shan and Elfeya to take Tenn and Venarra’s place on the governing council, but they had declined. After their centuries of confinement, the bustle of Dharsa unsettled them—and disturbed the tairen tied to Shan’s soul. They both believed the solitude of their now-abandoned home city would suit them much better and grant them both the time they needed. Time to live together in peace, without pressure or restraint. Time to walk the silvery beaches of Tairen’s Bay, or turn their faces up to the sun, or lie on the rooftop of their old home at night and make love beneath the stars. Time to heal and to learn what it was to be free once more.
“But you will visit us, of course,” Elfeya said. “You and your mate… and your papa and sisters, of course.” She sent a fond glance at the twins, who both already bore smudges of dirt on their pristine white gowns. The two girls had captivated Shan and Elfeya with their laughter and mischievous antics, and most of their time since returning to Dharsa had been spent in the company of the twins, watching over them and spoiling them as they had not had the chance to watch and spoil their own child. Elfeya lifted her hands to spin a quick weave. The smudges vanished and the slightly askew bouquets of Amarynth nestled in the twins’ mink brown curls straightened neatly. “And perhaps one day, their mates as well, hmm?” she added, as Kieran and Kiel joined the group on the terrace.
Rain’s brows drew together. Elfeya was looking at Kieran and Kiel when she spoke, and there was a very Elvish look in her eyes.
Before he could comment, Bel appeared in the arched doorway and signaled to him. Rain nodded an acknowledgment.“Kabei.Our final guests have arrived. With them is someone I think you and your daughters will want to meet, Master Baristani.”
They turned their attention to the arched doorway just as Gaelen and Rijonn ushered in two dozen of the women and children from thedahl’reisenvillage and Farel’s white-haired, silver-eyed hearth witch.
“Sheyl.” With a happy smile, Ellysetta greeted the woman who had helped save their lives and enveloped her in a warm hug.“Meiveli ti’Dharsa.Welcome to Dharsa. Welcome to the Fading Lands.”
“Thank you.” Sheyl nodded at Rain. “Thank both of you for your kindness and generosity in offering us shelter and a new home. Farel sends his greetings and bids you both much joy.”
Despite the lingering concerns of some Fey, Rain had granted safe harbor in the Fading Lands to the refugees from the Verlaine Forest—including everydahl’reisenwho had sworn alute’asheivabond to Ellysetta. As few as the Fey had become, there was more than room enough for thedahl’reisen lu’tanto live in one of the abandoned Fey cities without inflicting their pain upon the vulnerably empathic women of the Fey.
Farel and most of his men had refused. Even without the Mists to bar their return, they would not step foot in the Fading Lands while they still bore theirdahl’reisenscars. They chose instead to settle in Orest and Dunelan, to serve as the guardians of the Fading Lands they had always been. Many of the villagers had refused as well—like Sheyl, who would not leave her chosen mate and severalnon-dahl’reisenmen who preferred to fight alongside their friends, fathers, and brothers. The rest had made the woodland city of Elverial their home, though there was talk of resettling in Lissilin. Thanks to Tealah’s tireless efforts to recover all the lost knowledge retained in the Mirror of Memory, Rain and Ellysetta now knew how to restore magic to the dead Source there. Life would bloom in the desert again.
“Sha vel’mei,Sheyl,” Ellysetta said. “Though I do wish for both your sakes that Farel had accepted Rain’s invitation. I would gladly restore his soul, Sheyl.”
“We both thank you, but he could never accept the pain it would cause you. Despite what some Fey may still think, he is too honorable a Fey to ever let you suffer on his behalf.” Sheyl forced a smile. “Enough sad talk. This is a day of joy. And there is someone who would like to meet your father and sisters.” She gestured, and the woman standing in the shadows of the archway stepped out onto the terrace.
Lillis’s eyes widened briefly, but then a slow smile spread across her young face. “Your name is Bess.” She walked across the terrace and hugged the aunt she’d never met as if they were old friends. “Hello, I’m Lillis. Mama loved you very much, and so will I. I’m so very glad you’ve come.”
Ellysetta tilted her head to eye her young sister in amazement. “How did you know that, Lillis?”
But all Lillis would say was, “Mama told me.” Shock gave way to warm welcome as the other Baristanis stepped forward to greet Lauriana’s long-lost sister.
A handful of chimes later, a distant roar rumbled through the air and a triumphant, welcoming cheer rose up from the gathered crowds of Fey. Silhouetted against the deepening twilight of the eastern skies, the Fey’Bahren pride soared across the sky towards Dharsa. The whole pride had come—including the kitlings who had only recently learned to fly and were now gamboling across the sky like rambunctious kittens.
Now, at last, everyone was here. Now, at last, Dharsa could celebrate Ellysetta’s coronation and the firstshei’tanitsabonding ceremony to be held in over a thousand years.
In the golden Hall of Tairen, tairen, friends and family and countrymen had gathered. Spirit masters positioned around the great hall began to weave as Ellysetta began her slow march down the center of the hall towards the dais, where Rain, Loris v’En Mahr, and two gleaming tairen thrones awaited. The Spirit masters spun detailed images of each moment out to several locations in the sky over Dharsa, so that all the gathered throngs could watch the ceremonies. Steli, blue eyes whirling with pride, stood behind the throne that would be Ellysetta’s. Sybharukai lent the support of the tairen by standing behind Rain’s throne. The four tairen kitlings sat with the rest of the pride off to one side, wide-eyed and taking everything in. Their long tails curled in front of them, and the tips flicked with interest as they looked around. An occasional furtive glance at Sybharukai made them straighten up and quit fidgeting.
Over her white, diamond-encrusted gown, Ellysetta had donned a long silver cape woven from the bloodsworn blades of herlu ‘tan.The cape trailed a full tairen length behind her, its gleaming length sewn with the thousands of Soul Quest crystals of the warriors who had fallen in her service. As she passed Shei’Kess, the great oracle began to glow with soft radiance, as if acknowledging and welcoming her.
Dorian XI, garbed in resplendent Celierian blue, nodded as she passed. Next to him stood Illona Brighthand, and though Galad Hawksheart had been invited to attend, he had sent Fanor Farsight to represent the Deep Woods elves in his stead. Queen Annoura, who had gone into seclusion to await the birth of her child, had not come. But Gaspare Fellows, his eyes damp with happy tears, stood proudly beside his king. Lord Teleos, Ellysetta’s distant cousin, stood beside Shan and Elfeya.
Tenn and Venarra had come as well. No longer serving on the Massan, they remained reluctant to embrace the many changes that Ellysetta, Rain, and now the Mirror of Knowledge had brought about, but Ellysetta was determined to put the past to rest. They had feared Ellysetta’s power, just as she had. And as Illona Brighthand had pointed out, without Tenn’s stubborn refusal to join the war, there would not have been enough warriors in Dharsa to repel the Elden invasion. The gods had woven as they would, and Ellysetta chose to make the best of it.
She smiled at her family, her quintet, Kieran and Kiel, the other familiar, now-dear faces of those gathered here. And as she swore her oath and accepted the responsibilities of becoming Ellysetta Feyreisa, Queen and Defender of the Fading Lands, she imagined that Mama and the many beloved friends who had perished were watching her, too, and smiling with approval.
Nalia, Loris’sshei’tani,carried Ellysetta’s crown, and Rain placed it on her head. A six-pointed crown of platinum, topped with six clear crystals from Lissalukai’skiyr.As the crown touched her head, the crystals began to glow, circling her head in an aura of radiant light.
