"Rule number one," he says, his voice calm, almost conversational. "You never let anyone in that palace or any palace see you cry. Or see your head lowered."
I let out a breath that has been held too long. "Where are we?"
"Where I have been staying."
I turn to him. "You have not been staying in the palace?"
"No." A faint smile touches his mouth. "It is too stifling."
I look back out over the water. "It is beautiful."
"I doubt the royals of Shalvar even know it is here," he says.
The rush of the waterfall fills the air, and neither of us speaks. Then he looks at me. "I do not need to know what happened," he says. "And you do not need to explain it."
I nod once.
"But I will tell you something I learned a long time ago."
I frown slightly.
He laughs, soft, almost surprised by it himself. "Yes. I had a life before I became…part of Syle.” The sound of the water continues around us. "I was married. I had a son."
My head turns. "You were so young."
"Back then it was normal." Something moves through his expression. “She was from another royal family, and whenever I visited her kingdom I felt small. I did not understand their customs, their expectations. And the men she had known before me seemed refined in ways I was not.”
His eyes meet mine. "I spent a long time wondering how I could be enough."
The words sit between us.
"And she never once asked me to change," he says quietly. "Not once. But I did anyway. I focused on fitting into something I was never meant to fit into, and in doing that I forgot what I was." A small shake of his head.
He stepped closer and lifted my chin gently, making me look at him fully. "You are not meant to fit into anything, cousin," he said. "You are meant to lead it."
My eyes burn, because I know he is exactly right, and this is exactly what I needed to be reminded of.
"You do not need to be enough for anyone. You were born to be more than everyone in that room." He holds my eyes. "For months you have been focused on survival. The children. Your body. The danger. They are safe now. Your body is your own again." His voice lowered slightly. "You are a queen. The Avanki and I are here to follow you.You, Asharin, Queen Heir of Alarna."
A pause.
"So tell me, what is your next move, Majesty?"
He does not wait for me to answer. "You do not wait," he continues. "Not for anyone. You make your move and the world adjusts around you." A faint smile returns. "Your husband included."
Something in my chest shifts. I draw in a slow breath and let it out. Somewhere between running for my life and bringing two children into the world I had forgotten what it meant to be myself. Colsar. Jessamy. The bloodbath I just witnessed. All of it feels smaller now.
I draw in a breath. “You are right. I will not wait. There are things moving that matter more, and if they are not stopped?—”
A sound cuts through the brush. I turn quickly. Wyn steps out, completely unbothered.
"How did you know I was here?" I ask.
She raises an eyebrow. “It is my duty to follow you, Majesty. You asked for space within the hidden kingdom, and I allowed it. But I am here to protect you. When we leave Shalvar, that resumes fully.” A pause. “And when you stepped beyond the palace today, it already had.”
I blink and look at Enovar. He shrugs.
Wyn then reaches into her pocket and glances at Enovar with a small knowing look. "Shall we?"
