A soft glow of pastel shades beckoned Beanni to her bedroom window, in her home at Iarest. A smile graced her lips as she stood taking in the subtleties of mid morning. Delicate petals upon thin, yet strong stems managed to fight their way through, to mark the passing of the cold season, Geimheim. The sweet, fragrant breeze whistled through the gap within Beanni's window as if to announce, in an inviting way, that Earrons had finally arrived. Beanni took in a deep breath and let it out as a peaceful warmth spread within her chest. How she longed for the warmth of Earrons. Geimheim felt so long this year. She had been trapped within cold uncertainty for far too long.

"Bay," a subtle whisper called out. "Bay? Are you there?" It was coming from amongst the sheets on her bed.

"Oz!" Relief washed over her, the prince seemed to be the only one who didn't feel the need to change and act weird, he spoke to her like he always did.

She jumped on the bed and slipped the mirror shard out from under her pillow. The bright light that shone from its surface stung her eyes at first, then it dimmed down and revealed Prince Oslac's smiling face.

"Good morning, Bay," he greeted her.

"Morning, Oz. I'm so glad to see your face. It's been weird at home."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, ever since Dad and I got back, everyone has been so distant, so cold. Mother and Aeron-Lius seem to be avoiding me. Even Dillan has been strangely vacant." Beanni let out a deep, sad sigh. "I don't know what has been said about me, what they all seem to know, but it feels like they are all angry with me. Well, Aeron-Lius was always angry with me, but now it's different. I mean, in a way, I think I'd prefer it if he would start hitting me again. At least I'd feel present. Right now around those three I feel like I'm a ghost. Like a lost spirit wandering through."

It felt good for Beanni to get that off of her chest. She suddenly felt a weight lift as she took a breath and looked into the mirror shard, where the Prince nodded and took in every word.

"What about your Dad? How has he been?"

"Oh, by the stars, Dad!" Beanni groaned. "He has been a paranoid wreck. I can't go anywhere or do anything without him asking after me. It's as if he is waiting for me to get taken away again at any moment!" Beanni rolled her eyes. "It is so frustrating!"

"He cares about you," Oslac said, shrugging his shoulders and added in a gentle tone, "I think I would be the same if I was him."

"What? You would act crazy and paranoid too?" Beanni scoffed. "Noted!"

Oslac responded with his warm laugh and Beanni couldn't help but smile, but then watched a solemn look quench the sparkle in his eyes.

"I missed you, Bay," he said quietly, in the most serious tone that Beanni has ever heard him use.

"I missed you too, Oz. You have no idea how much!" Beanni's response brought her best friend's shining smile back. "We need to figure out a way to meet up again! Goodness knows how though. I can't see it being as easy as before, not with how Dad is now."

"Well we won't need to worry about that for the next seven days, will we?" Oslac said, with a mischievous look on his face, a look that Beanni couldn't quite work out.

"What do you mean?"

"Strellemarè..." Oslac drew the name of the famous Earrons festival out slowly, underlining how ridiculous it was that Beanni had forgotten. "It's departing day tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah..." Dread gripped onto Beanni's heart. How was she to cope with a whole seven days camping in a forest with her family, the way they've been. The thought seemed dire. "I used to get so excited for Strellemarè... Now I can't think of anything worse!"

Oslac laughed.

"What's funny?" Beanni snapped. "Did you not hear what I said about my family? Strellemarè is going to be miserable with that lot!"

"I take it your father didn't tell you," Oslac said with a smirk.

"Tell me what?"

"He invited me to celebrate with you." His smirk bloomed into a full grin.

"You're lying!" Beanni gasped.

Oslac shook his head.

"You're lying!" she repeated with a squeak, jumping onto her knees.

"I'm not lying, Bay. Your Dad invited me before you two left Astrid Palace," Oslac explained. "He did so to thank me for rescuing you and he also thought that it'd help your recovery, he told me that."

"Strellemarè is going to be amazing! By the stars!" Beanni couldn't contain her excitement. Her mind raced ahead to what the next seven days would entail; they were coloured much brighter now that she knew her best friend would be there experiencing every moment with her. "I can't believe it!"

"Okay, okay, but calm down, Bay. Your father doesn't know that you know. You don't want him to find out about the shard," Oslac said in a hushed tone.

"No, no you're right."

A knock at the door made Beanni jump and clutch the shard to her chest.

"Got to go, see you tomorrow!" she whispered towards it without taking her eyes off the door.

She then quickly slid the shard under her pillow.

"Come in," she called out, whilst making herself look busy by picking up a history textbook.

Beanni watched the door slowly open, anticipating seeing her father's face. However, to her surprise, it was Dillan who stepped inside her room.

"Hi?" she said, the smile that took over her mouth did not reach her confused gaze.

"Hello, Bay."

"I thought you were not talking to me anymore, that you were mad at me."

"What?" Dillan scowled, then made his way to the bed and sat down.

"I thought finding out who I really am made you hate me or something."

"That's stupid," Dillan scoffed, then looked at Beanni with warmth in his amber eyes. "You're my sister. We grew up together, that'll never change no matter who gave you up."

Beanni's bottom lip trembled, she looked towards the window as she contemplated her big brother's words. The Earrons pastel colours were shining brighter as midday light approached the sky.

"So, what's going on then?" Beanni turned back towards him. "Why have you not been talking to me? Since I got back, all of you, Mum, Aeron-Lius and you have been avoiding me."

"I can't speak for Aeron-Lius," Dillan said with a shrug. "I never understood him, but Mum has not been avoiding you, Bay. She's just too preoccupied with being mad at me."

"She's mad at you? Why?"

Dillan took in a long breath before he answered. "I've been building myself up to tell you. I was going to tell you before anybody else, I was going to tell you that day, the day you were taken..." he rambled.

"Tell me what?"

"Then when we didn't know where you were, Mum was worried, we all were, even Aeron-Lius, in his own way... I ended up blurting it out to Mum in an argument. I couldn't take it back. I wish I could."

"Dillan!"

"I wanted to tell you when you returned, but you seemed out of it, traumatised, it just didn't seem right."

"By the stars, Dil! Just tell me!"

"I'm joining the Emerald Ranks," Dillan blurted out, then jumped into a chaotic explanation before Beanni could have a chance to argue. "I've been thinking about it for months. Hearing about what's going on out there. The army needs more people or the Trolls will certainly overthrow us, they'll end up taking over our streets next. They'll destroy our way of life!"

"Your mind is fully made up isn't it?" Beanni whispered, hot tears welling up in her eyes. "B-But Dil, you could be killed."

"That's why Mum won't speak to me. She sees it like a personal attack because of what happened to Lorrus-Lius," Dillan said, matching Beanni's sad, hushed tone.

"I guess she's tried everything to convince you not to go through with it..."

"She has, but it's no use. I must go and fight. I must help."

Beanni nodded her head, staring at the book that lay in front of her. A tear fell from her eye and splashed onto its cover.

"I'm sorry, Bay."

Beanni slowly shook her head.

"You don't need to apologise. Just promise me something," she said, then glanced up towards his tentative gaze.

"What?"

"Promise me you'll be alright. That you'll come home again one day," Beanni said through trembling lips as more tears began to rush down her face.

"I'll do my best," he said with a tight-lipped smile.

"I guess I can't ask for anything more," she whispered through choked up sobs. "When do you have to go?"

"After Strellemarè."

"That soon?"

"I'm sorry, Bay. I wish I could've told you sooner..."

"It is what it is," Beanni sighed. "I guess we should just make this the best Strellemarè we've ever had," she added with a smile, but of course Dillan could see right through her brave mask.

The shade of dark blue of the tents that the Draoicis-Lus family put up for Strellemarè went beautifully with the glowing colours of Night Forest; it was as if they belonged there all along. Strellemarè, of course, was traditionally meant to be celebrated within Strelle Forest - where Astrid the First and her husband True spent their teen years, their happiest years, with their adopted Slànacus mother, Naomi. However, Lorrus decided that they were to celebrate elsewhere, for he didn't think bringing Beanni back to the place where her captors held her would be a good idea.

The first thing that the family did, with Oslac's help, was decorate the three tents that they put up with gold stars. The stars were the traditional decoration for the annual family festival; their shape represented Illuminare-Trabem's presence within loving family gatherings and gold represented the power that he grants to all his people.

Decorating took close to no time at all and the tents stood beautifully and proud with stars scattered all over their canvas walls. Beanni also hung some up inside the main tent, from its dark blue ceilings.

"This week is going to be the best week ever!" Beanni said, as she stood, staring at the beauty of her work. A wide smile decorating her face.

Oslac took her hand and sighed contentedly. "Not only the best week, but the best Strellemarè I have ever celebrated," he reflected her sentiment with unshakable conviction.

They stood there enjoying the peace of the moment, feeling no need to utter another word, just taking in the colours of their serene surroundings, until Dillan barged between them, breaking the tranquility.

"Right, gawking time is over! Mum wants us to go gathering," he announced. "She's determined that we follow as many traditions as we can despite our location. Blackberries don't grow in Night Forest, so we're to gather Meilerica nuts for the loaf instead."

"We are having blackberry crumble on the last night though aren't we?" Beanni asked, a hint of worry spiking her words.

"Of course we are! Mum packed one that she made at home!"

"Oh..." Beanni felt foolish, of course she knew that! Her mother would never be so disorganised and forget an important detail like that.

"Draoicis-Lus have Meilerica Nut loaf on the first night?" Oslac asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Yes! Served with Earrons salad and we have Dulmil bhlàth cake for dessert. We have the best traditional meal ever!" Beanni affirmed, whilst being dragged out of the main tent by her brother. Just outside of the doorway were three baskets waiting for them.

Lorrus joined the three of them, he made excuses - blaming his wife for keeping him from being idle. Of course, he was not able to fool Beanni, she knew he was only joining them so that he could keep an eye on her. However, she saw no use in calling him out on this and just let it be.

The four of them managed to gather enough nuts in no time at all and they all carried full baskets of velvety pods back to the camp. Lorren and Aeron-Lius were there, working at a lit fire, getting everything else ready for the meal.

"Great! You're back!" she exclaimed after looking up from a circular pan. "Beanni, Dillan and Oslac you go ahead and de-shell the Meilerica nuts. Lorrus you come and help me."

"Of course, my love," Lorrus said obediently, he then handed his basket to Dillan and made his way to his wife's side.

Beanni, Dillan and Oslac found a dry enough spot to sit with the four baskets and made a start on their next task.

"It's pretty amazing isn't it?" Dillan pondered aloud as he managed to de-shell his first nut pod without even looking at it.

"What is?" Beanni asked him, matching his movements perfectly as she cracked open her first Meilerica pod.

"Camping in Night Forest. Its not the done thing nowadays, but this is the very place where the light defenders gathered before the great Night battle, in the Noir Era," he said, looking about his surroundings with wonder in his eyes. "This is where King True, alongside Emeralds and people from all trades joined together to fight the darkness."

"Yeah," Beanni sighed, mirroring her brother's sense of wonder.

A moment or so passed as they took in the historical significance of the clearing they sat in. Beanni then noticed that her royal best friend was strangely quiet, she turned towards him and saw that he was still struggling with his first pod.

"Have you not de-shelled a Meilerica nut before, Oz?" she asked him, trying her hardest to not sound condescending.

"No, no I haven't," he said, then punctuated his answer with a timid smile.

"Oh, sorry Oz," she said and picked up a new Meilerica pod. "Here, watch me, first hold it in two hands like this. Twist till it cracks and pull it apart."

Her hands matched her instructions perfectly, showing the Prince a perfect example of what he needed to do. He then gave it a try and the pod opened with ease and inside he saw three perfectly ripe Meilerica nuts.

"It's easy when you know how." Beanni smiled and gave Oslac another pod to open.

"That is easy," Oslac agreed, cracked the pod open and removed three more nuts, then decided to join in with the topic that Dillan started moments ago. "I wonder if the light defenders ate Meilerica nut loaf when they camped here."

"Who knows! They very well may have. I'm sure our ancestor Josella would've made it for the others," Dillan said, elbowing Beanni in the side. But hearing him say something about their ancestor in that way, as if he forgot what they all have very recently discovered, made Beanni feel numb. Dillan noticed the change in his sister's demeanour and hit himself on the forehead, frustrated with his own carelessness.

"Bay, I'm sorry."

"No, I think you're right. Josella probably did make Meilerica nut loaf for everybody," she said, trying her hardest to cover up her strange reaction to Dillan's innocent blunder.

Dillan and Oslac exchanged a look.

"I wonder why there isn't a festival based in Night Forest. This place is rich with history. You'd think there would be," Beanni thought out loud, banishing the awkwardness that sought to settle between the three of them.

"I don't know. Maybe one day there will be," Oslac said with a shrug.

"Maybe someone who will have the authority one day to create a new festival should look into it..." Beanni hinted, winking at Oslac, the future King of Natanstrelle.

"Hmm, maybe he should," he responded with a cheeky smile.