Airese clapped her hands in delight when Xanthy informed her of the Seelie Court's decision. "Of course, of course," her mother pushed past the sheafs of papers piled atop her desk. "It's the holidays! Those advisers would be witches if they let you work all the way up to Kaurfia's Day!"

Xanthy blinked. "Who?"

"Oh, you have much to learn," Airese clasped Xanthy's shoulders when she got to where Xanthy stood by a vase of flowers with bright red petals atop a narrow pedestal. "Let's go to the fair tomorrow, shall we?"

"Fair?"

"The Lantegian fair, dear," Airese's voice softened as she tucked Xanthy's hair behind her ear. "I hear there's tons of delicious treats for you to try."

Xanthy's eyes snapped up. "Will there be butterbread?"

A snort rang from Airese's lips as she ducked her head. "Is that even a question? Of course, there will be!"

Xanthy leaned past her mother's shoulder and jerked her chin at the cluttered desk. For someone delegated to the High Queen's internal circle, Airese sure worked hard. "Don't you have many things to do?" she met Airese's eyes again. "I know you and Dad are the ones helping the Seelie Court run the island while I study."

Airese waved her hand in front of her face and clicked her tongue. "Ah, it's the holidays! If there's someone expected to work during this time, I should have jumped into Gaimouth a long time ago."

Xanthy winced at the sudden reference of the Landbridhr prison and army base, the one incidentally in the middle of an active volcano. "Besides," her mother's voice continued. "I wouldn't want to miss another chance to spend time with you."

Airese's hand raised Xanthy's chin, forcing her to look at her mother in the eye. They've always been so...warm. Welcoming. "Yeah," Xanthy leaned into Airese's touch. A year ago she wouldn't have thought she'd get to enjoy this moment much less spend time with her parents. Up until last year, she believed she didn't even have parents. "Thanks," she said. "I can't wait to spend time with you too."

"That's my girl," Airese planted a kiss on Xanthy's forehead, letting Xanthy get a whiff of her mother's familiar, flowery scent. It always reminded Xanthy of a home she never shared with Airese, for some reason.

The streets of Nanvera hadn't been this colorful the last time Xanthy was here. Even without the moons out, the lights never faltered and seemed to think of the sun as their enemy in giving off brightness. Xanthy craned her neck as she and Airese passed through shops and galleries, trying to see past the splashes of color and the glare of some lanterns hanging at the edges of awnings.

Fairies, humans, and half-bloods roamed in the streets, stopping by merchant caravans parked by the sidewalks, haggling children away from the main road to avoid rampaging dagrines, and going about their way to whatever goal they have. A small smile played at the edges of Xanthy's lips as she nibbled at the edge of her teange wrap. A year ago, her feeble Disfavored mind would have fainted at the sight of fairies and humans breathing the same air. She's come a long way.

Looking at the way everything was, a tiny bit of pride blossomed in Xanthy's gut. The way laughter rang in the air and how light the atmosphere in the Junction City was, they all had come a long way.

When Xanthy and Airese left the Imperial Palace early in the morning, Xanthy had looked back and saw the chunk Nyxis tore off the walls had already been repaired. If one wasn't looking carefully, one would think that nothing even happened. Such was the case with the whole island as well. Throughout the year of rebuilding and trying to restart the disrupted economy, it's like the people wanted to erase the fact that a war happened not too long ago.

Was that even a good thing? Who knew? If anything, it's what people needed at the moment. It's what Xanthy needed.

A step into normalcy. Certainly a step into the unknown future.

That's the only way their island could grow past its chronic maladies, starting from the way they handled being different.

The faint smell of sugar being burned was thick in this part of Nanvera, distracting Xanthy from her thoughts. A draft of cold wind blew by, sending weak prickling in her arms. Oh, it could get cold in Lanteglos. Was it the case with the rest of the island?

Her boots clacked against the cobbled road, matching each tap of the butt of her cane and the rhythmic bumble of cart wheels and dagrine hooves slapping against stone. The usual chatter of merchants selling their goods and people talking about mundane things like what to prepare for the holiday feasts formed the usual cloud of voices flitting in and out of Xanthy's ears.

Her skirts flapped against her legs with each step she took. It had taken a lot from Airese to just convince her to put on a dress instead of going about her usual tunic-and-trousers uniform.

"You're the High Queen and people are bound to recognize you," Airese had said after shoving the pale crimson dress into Xanthy's arms before they left the Imperial Palace. "What has Elred taught you about fashion?"

Xanthy had rolled her eyes. Style represents a fairy faster than attitude will, she had repeated to Airese as she was doing now in her head the moment they ducked under a stall that's not teeming with people. What could they be selling here?

Airese dusted the sleeves of her mahogany dress. Whenever Xanthy looks at her from the sides, it has been so tempting to think they're just sisters as opposed to being mother and daughter. Then again, looking at her father makes her think he's just a brother she never had.

"I know that look," Airese's voice speared through Xanthy's head. She turned to her mother to find her arms crossed and her hips jutted to one side. "And I can hear what you're thinking. The answer is no. You're not getting a brother."

"Sorry? That's not what I was—" Xanthy narrowed her eyes. "Do you want me to have a brother?"

Airese coughed into her fist and averted her eyes. "Well, I um," she shifted from foot to foot. "It's not a far-off possibility. But with the state of things right now...it's not a viable option."

Her mother laughed weakly. Yeah, whatever. Xanthy wasn't too hung up about her parents having another child. The only thing she's concerned about was how fairies were going to be born now that the Arbotro was gone. Who's going to assign births to couples now?

"I'll leave that up to fate to decide, you know," Xanthy felt a hand on her arm. Her eyes traced it to Airese's face. "The Arbotro's job is to merely connect us to the well of the world. With it gone, we can only hope we're still connected to it."

Xanthy sighed and took her mother's hand. "Let's not worry about that, shall we? I'd like to not think about the fate of the world when it's the holiday," she said. "Besides, you're still going to have to teach me how to eat haelslang at the Alkaran exhibit."

A knowing glint flashed in Airese's eyes. "Ah, haelslang," she smiled. "You're in for a treat if you're thinking of that."

"Xanthy!" Eldan called from the other side of the street. He's back from buying a basket of sweets to eat on their walk towards the other exhibits. After seeing how Xanthy looked at the wrapped candies back in the Helinfirth exhibit, Eldan let the both of them go ahead to the next place while he tried to buy every kind for them to taste.

She'd always appreciate her father for that.

Eldan crossed the street without looking for anything that might hit him and joined them from under the awning. He glanced at the stall they've chosen to stop in and hefted a woven basket carrying the same pattern of stitches from the ones from Desara. Indeed, the salvia leaves' distinct orange sheen was unmistakable.

"Here, I got you every kind," he passed Xanthy the basket. "Charge that to the royal treasury."

Xanthy whirled to her father. "Dad, you can't do that!"

Eldan rolled his eyes. "If there's anything the heavy taxes must do, it's to feed the High Queen," he winked at the vendor behind the stall who caught wind of their conversation. An array of sugary pastry sat on a spread of padded leaves by the stall's grails. Huh, how come Xanthy never noticed those before?

Xanthy purchased three pieces of the pastries by passing the vendor a small plaque bearing the Imperial Palace's crest. The only thing these people have to do was to go to the Royal Treasury, present the plaque, and get their products' worth in versallis. It's how Xanthy was taught by the Seelie Court to shop as soon as she took the office.

"Come on, there's a ton of stuff I've got to try," Eldan said as Xanthy finished shoving the pastry into the basket. More things to savor later in her room.

"Now, dear," Airese's arm shot out, barring Eldan from stepping back into the street. "Shouldn't we be showing Xanthy the fair and not you going about on your little adventures trying out food?"

Xanthy's eyes widened. "There's more food to try?"

Eldan raised an eyebrow. "You just have to know where to look."

"You never took me?" Xanthy pouted. "How unfair!"

"Ah," her father rubbed the back of his neck. "Shall we go back?"

Xanthy couldn't have agreed more.

That's how she found herself standing inside a shop smelling of melting chocolate and warm butter surrounded by sienna wood all over. The racks, the tables, the door, and even the counter was made of the same patterned wood that it hurt Xanthy's eyes just from trying to tell where the next fixture ended and another started. She's sure to bump into a table corner or two in this case.

"Xanthy! Nice of you to drop by!" a cheerful and familiar voice greeted her. She looked away from the walls and towards a young woman wearing tight-fitted dark trousers, a simple, long-sleeved tunic with a flour-dusted apron atop it, and ankle-high leather boots.

"Marin," Xanthy breathed as she trotted towards her friend. The half-blood threw her arms around her. When they broke apart, Xanthy noticed she had to crane her neck a little bit higher than the last time she saw Marin. Well, a year could do wonders to people. "Where's your brother?"

"Here!" a rather deep voice rang from a dark doorway behind the counter. When the owner of the voice stepped into the light it was Malin but not quite him. Still, the same innocent, green eyes lit up when they landed on Xanthy. "Hey! Long time, Xanthy."

Xanthy smiled. "Yeah," she opened her arms when Malin rounded the counter and went for another hug. "The next time we meet, you might have even grown a beard."

"Stop it," Malin cleared his throat and looked past Xanthy's shoulder and into the door's glass center showing the bustling streets outside. "Do you want a bag? We've just finished baking a batch."

A small laugh tore at the base of Xanthy's throat. "Look who can speak Keijula now."

"Marin will have my head at dinner if I don't learn," the boy shrugged as he disappeared behind the counter and into the doorway. "Take care of 'em, sis," he shouted at his sister, the dark seemingly eating away at his voice.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Airese and Eldan wander to the racks of wrapped pastries on display by the racks. She turned to Marin with raised eyebrows. "A pastry shop, huh?"

Marin clasped her hands together. "Figured we'd have to earn some nosa sigra," she said. "What better way to do it than to do the thing we both loved?"

"Who knew you two are into pastry making?"

"I used to let them help around in the kitchen," Geradine's voice and the clack of her ice-heeled boots against the wooden floorboards rang in the shop. The ice sprite general's face remained hard and passive but Xanthy didn't miss the glint of pride and joy in her brilliant blue eyes. "When we got together again, I just wanted to bring the old times back."

"Except you brought into yourself more work when you agreed to let us start the shop," Marin said.

Geradine snorted. "I wouldn't have it any other way, love."

Xanthy watched this banter with her heart wrenching. In a good way. The Draswists had been through so much and it's high time that they get to enjoy this...happiness. It's long overdue. If only Jarvik was here...

"Here you go," Malin said. Suddenly, a bag of warm cookies was thrust into her hands. She opened her mouth but Marin beat her to it. "It's on us. Wouldn't have the High Queen pay on her first visit."

Xanthy glanced at Geradine. The ice sprite merely shook her head. "Holiday values," she said. "Do good things to get the gods' attention to bring you luck for the coming year."

That's...another weird concept but, as before, Xanthy would take it as she wouldn't have it any other way. She ducked her head at the Draswists. "Thanks," she said. "I'll figure out how to repay you without using the Imperial receipts."

Malin waved his hand in Xanthy's face. "There's no need," he said. "Besides, you still have to show me all the Palaces. You haven't forgotten your promise, right?"

Saliva almost went back Xanthy's throat the wrong way. She coughed into her fist. "You still remember that?"

Malin nodded. Yeah, of course, he does. Xanthy cleared the lump inside her throat. "You're welcome to visit me in the Imperial Palace any time," she said. "As for the other palaces, I'll think about it. I'm sure the other heirs will welcome you in my name."

The half-blood snorted. "I'm kidding, Xanthy," he said. He looked so different now yet still the same. Well, whatever.

Xanthy shook her head. "I never break my promises," she said. "Consider that my good deed to you and your family."

Marin bumped shoulders with her. "You're too generous, Your Highness."

"Please don't start calling me that all of a sudden," Xanthy winced.

Marin's playful smirk only told her the opposite.

After Eldan and Airese caught up with Geradine from one corner of the room, Xanthy ducked her head at the family, now seeing them out of the shop's door. "Thanks for the pastry," she waved the bag before placing it with her other hauls inside the basket. "Best wishes for you and your family."

"To yours, too," Marin said.

Xanthy, Eldan, and Airese stepped out onto the curb and tackled the streets. Onto the next exhibit then. Let Xanthy hope they've got more pastries and sweets there.