“This is for you,” I said, sliding it back across the table to Tiff.
“No, Your Majesty, I couldn’t possibly—”
“I insist,” I said simply. And how could she rejecther queen?
A stray tear slipped down her cheek as she bowed her head.“Thank you, my queen.” She met my eyes. “If you ever need anything, my uncle—Henrey Dayfall—sits on your husband’s council of advisors and overseesBreckshyre, to the southeast. He would be more than happy toassistyou.”
“Thank you, Tiff, I really appreciate that,” I responded warmly, and the three of us females shared a moment of genuine smiles.
Tiffdidn’tallow us to leave her stall until Margo hadacquiredeven more crafting materials, and we left with two packs full of items from that singular booth.
“Stars, did you buy the entire market?” Matea asked asMargoand I approached her and Caelia.
Margo’s little ears flushed red, but I laughed the comment off. I knew Matea meant no harm.
“Almost,” I responded fluidly. “It looks as though you two ended up with a good haul, too.” I motioned towards the smaller pack Matea was carrying, and the two Caelia had in her arms.
We swept through the market one last time, picking up a few morevarious itemsalong the way, before heading back towards The Haven.
“Do you miss your home?” Margo asked Caelia while walking. It was often that I wondered what my little sister by marriage thought about.
Caelia took a breath before responding, “Yes and no.”
Margo, large sack in her arms, looked towards her expectantly.
TheOcreinPrincesssighed, butcontinued explaining as we walked. “Idon’tmiss the pressure. Sure, there’s pressure on Callum and me here, too, butthere’salso morefreedom. Our parentsaren’tbreathing down ournecksand wearen’tconstantly entertaining those around us. Yes,we’restill on display here in the South, but ina different waythan backhome. We can sort of… create our own image of ourselves here, while back home our image was honed and crafted to perfection by our parents since wewerevery small.” She nodded towards me. “I’m sure Aviva gets it.”
I could feel Matea glancing at me, but I took a moment to think about it before responding.
It was true, the pressure and control kept on me back in the North was intense. Here, sure there was still pressure and expectations, but itwasn’tthe same as when I was growing up. Caelia was right—here, I got to create my own image. I was able to be my own person.
“She’s right, Margo,” I said after a handful of thoughtful seconds.
Margo nodded, looking as though shedidn’texpect this answer. “I think I’d miss it here, if I ever left,”shesaid quietly.
Shifting the pack I was carrying into one arm, I used my free hand to ruffle her unruly hair as I said, “Good thing you never have to.”
***
I stood in front of the door that led to my original chambers;the door itself being the newest one in the long hallway I was hesitating in.
Steeling myself, I inhaled deeply, then knocked four times on the wooden door.
The room beyond was silent and still, from what I could tell. Despite my turbulent emotions recently, my ability to wield myziriliumhad only strengthened. The sun and moon stones helped me focus them through the conduits, instead of solely being connected to my emotions, as theyhadpreviously.
Even with the desire to stay in bed most days recently, getting out and using my abilities insomeway was still necessary, at least a couple times a week. Otherwise, I realized they would get backedupquickerthan when I was taking my elixirs. I supposed the elixirsnot only hid everything about me that wasSouthern, butalso helped keep myziriliumfrom regularly overflowing.
Or,maybe itwas simply the fact that I had been using them moreoftenrecently, due to not being forced to hide that part of myself any longer. Like a muscle that grew in strength over time, myziriliumseemed to grow with me, too.
“Aurora, can we please talk?” I asked through the door.
She’dbeen staying in my old chambers since she arrived here in the South with Eden, my griffin, a month ago now. And though I was beyondhappyshe was somewhere safe and had made it out of the North alive, shedidn’tseem to view the situation the same way.
Despite having been here for some time now, Aurora would still only speak to me. She refused to eveninteractwith a Southerner. She alsowouldn’tagree with my reasoning that I was, indeed, Southern as well, so theycan’tbe all bad.Her understanding still was that the South was the enemy toany and allNortherners, as they had been for centuries.I tried introducing her to theValwain, butshe’drefused to utter a word. I had even asked Laurence to try speaking to her, but we made the mistake of introducing the two of them on a day where Laurence washelping outin the library. Though he had a Northerner’s blue eyes, the dark green robes the library helpers wore had herimmediatelyclosed off to him. She had called him a traitor, and I had quickly dismissed my friend and personal bodyguard after that, not wanting him to have to relive any of his past trauma.
Now, I stopped byfrequently, trying to get through to her and help her seereason. I did my best to be understanding—her having to learn to accept that the North was forced to remain in the dark was difficult. But it was also necessary if she ever wanted to start building a life here in the South.
I sighed, then focused on thesun stonesadorning the knuckles of my right glove. Using just one, I shifted my feet slightly wider than they were and threw my awareness into the earth below me.
