“Grandmother told me to tell you to hurry up because your father was irritating her,” Blake said.
Roslyn laughed, wiping away another tear.
“Oh, I almost forgot that you two are cousins,” I said.
Blake nodded. “Unfortunately.”
Roslyn wore a comical look of disdain and smacked his arm.
I shook my head, glancing between them, and confirmed what first popped into my head. “You guys look nothing alike.”
Blake laughed, but Roslyn snorted and said, “Thank goodness. The world needs more red curls. Could you imagine if I had black hair like the Evertine side?”
“If you did, you would look like your mother,” Blake said quietly, looking at her with a gentle fondness in his eyes.
Ash smiled, looking at Roslyn with both apprehension and softness.
“He is right,” Ash said.
Roslyn’s expression eased, a wistful mood playing on her features amidst her shifting emotions. “I could never match her beauty.”
“Nonsense,” Ash said. “You already have.”
I had to agree. I’d never seen a photo of Roslyn’s mom but it’d be hard to imagine someone who surpassed Roslyn’s beauty, even if she were her mom.
Roslyn said nothing but I could tell it’d caught her off guard. She idly traced the threadwork of her gown, avoiding the somber tone that fell over us. Ash seemed to notice as well, his body leaning forward and shifting to angle toward her.
“Do you remember that evening playing by the fountain? Lord Talonhart was angry with us that night. Lady Sera and Lady Elena would always defend us, and Lord Talonhart would turn as red as a bloodberry,” Ash said.
Roslyn smiled, glancing up at Blake.
“Yes, I do. Blake pushed me into the fountain that night,” Roslyn said. “Ruined my new gown. My father was so mad that he made me walk around in it wet before my mother finally dried it for me.”
Blake’s lips were tugging at the corner, a twitching smirk in play.
“That was during the Lunar Trinity,” Blake said.
Ash nodded. “We could not have been older than six or seven.”
“What is the Lunar Trinity?” I asked.
“The Realm had three moons in its sky before the Fall of the Great City,” Blake said. “Even though the sky is now a façade, the tradition continues every three years when all three moons can be seen in the night sky. It was considered a night of good fortune when the Gods would send gifts from the celestial bodies above.”
“My mother took me to every festival before she died,” Roslyn said.
“Do they still do it?” I asked.
“Yes,” Ash said. “Every three years, Roran, the capital of Celestia, hosts foreign dignitaries, and the entire city celebrates for three nights—the entire duration of the celestial event—The Festival of the Moons.”
“That was a fun night,” Roslyn said, a dreamy smile on her face. “I remember you chasing after Blake for pushing me into the fountain and running right into Grandmother. She was none too pleased.”
“What? No, I did not,” he said. “I avoid Madame Evertine like a Griffin avoids water.”
“No, you did smack right into her, but not because you ran into her,” Blake said. “It was because I tripped you.”
Ash spied Blake with an accusatory look. “That is right, now I remember.”
I laughed, amused at their childish banter. It was refreshing. “When’s the next one?”
