Esterpine

Claire held her breath as Esterpine came into view. It was just as she remembered. Beauty without words. Sparkling glass houses. Thick foliage. Vibrant colors. The scent of pine and earth and blossoms. She exhaled, feeling her shoulders relax. It felt like coming home. That both thrilled and terrified her.

The last time she was here seemed like an age ago. Back when she carried two Dragon Stones and a message from Cyrus. It was the knowledge of Kane's existence that was so crucial. A greedy sorcerer who planned to bring Dragonwall to its knees. To plunge the kingdom into times akin to the days before dragons existed. Before the Awakening.

She'd traveled into Dragonwall with the sole intention of fulfilling a Promise. She had every intention of going back home afterward, where a mundane life awaited. She certainly hadn't planned to remain. Hadn't planned to pit herself against a sorcerer. But everything had changed. And she'd gone and made another Unbreakable Promise, much like the first. Promises of the unbreakable kind couldn't be broken. Not unless she wanted to face a fate worse than death.

Gods! So much had happened. Now it wasn't just her Promise that tied her to this kingdom. It was something much, much deeper. Dragonwall's King. A beast of a Drengr known for his terrifying temper and scars. But nothing about King Talon was terrifying or beastly. Not to her. Not anymore. They were mates.

"If you follow me, Lady Claire, I will take you to your quarters." One of her Sprite envoys stopped momentarily, arm outstretched. She hesitated, looking over the scene before her, taking in the outskirts of the city. A city that felt so much a part of her now. "The queen has prepared one of the largest suites in the palace for you and your...escorts."

The Sprite envoys had met her and her escorts at the edge of the Gable Forest, at Ellia Outpost, to guide them safely. It was said that all who entered the Gable Forest were condemned to wandering and madness. The forest itself had layers upon layers of protection to keep intruders out. None could travel through its midst and find any of its hidden cities.

No one except her.

That had been the first sign of many that she wasn't simply human. Something more flowed through her veins. Sprite blood. And very likely the same blood as Princess Irelia, Dragonwall's long lost princess.

She glanced at the large tree root dwellings, looking back at Jandar. "Can't I stay in one of those like last time?" Jandar frowned at her question, perhaps uncertain. Perhaps surprised by her hesitance. "Oh, never mind. It's fine. I'm sure what the queen has prepared will be...adequate." Jandar nodded. Behind her, Koldis snickered. She almost elbowed him to shut up.

Koldis was the Shield that Talon had chosen to escort her. He had selected one of his prized six—now five without Cyrus. It was yet another illustration of how important she was to him. In fact, she hadn't made a single trip through Dragonwall without the presence of at least one Shield, often two or three. That Talon was willing to give up some of his own protection for her sake both thrilled and worried her.

His Shields were meant to guard him, to keep him safe. He was already short one. Without ample protection, he was in greater danger. But something told her Talon was plenty capable of taking care of himself.

A thought nagged her, though. Perhaps she needed guards of her own. Something akin to a Queen's Guard. Once she became Dragonwall's queen, of course. Or rather, if she became Dragonwall's queen. There was still the big if. Part of her bargain in coming to Esterpine was to think about Talon's proposal. The thought of never traveling back to her own world, never saying goodbye to her parents and friends, worried the hell out of her. They were probably frantic in her absence. She couldn't bear to think of that.

"This way," Jandar held out an arm, still waiting for her. Hagen and Vaeril, the other two envoys, stepped aside, allowing her and her travel companions to pass. She led the procession into Esterpine, flanked by Koldis and the twenty pairs sent with them. Hagen, Jandar, and Vaeril kept close.

Her gown flowed and fluttered in the breeze. She had decided to wear one of the Spriten gowns Talon had gifted her. She'd chosen the light blue one. Both the purple and silver gowns were also tucked in her pack. She had a feeling she would acquire much more while here, but she hadn't wanted to come unprepared. In fact, she had everything with her Talon had gifted, including the beautiful Forest Tear she wore around her neck. It thrummed and pulsed, as it had the moment she entered the forest. She found her hand frequently finding it, zipping the pendant along its chain, especially now, as nerves wracked her body.

The Crystal Palace came into view, towering up with its tall spires. A rainbow sheen reflected from its walls, casting brilliant light outward. A bout of nausea struck her then. Her hand went to her abdomen. She took deep breaths, working to overcome it. Even though this felt like coming home, there was also a wariness deep in her bones. It had struck at random times since entering the forest. As if...not all was well here. As if darkness lurked.

With a disgusting sorcerer like Kane trying to destroy the kingdom, perhaps the forest wasn't as immune as she once believed.

"Can't say I'm happy to be back here," Koldis muttered, voice low. This time she did elbow him. "What?" he hissed. "You can't honestly be excited about eating fruits and nuts for the foreseeable future."

"That's not the only thing they eat," she admonished, glancing at their guides. In truth, that was mostly all she'd seen them eat along their trip. But travel food was meant to be simple. She was certain the queen would have something more lavish laid out for them. Or so she hoped. Because she had to agree with Koldis. Fruits and nuts would hardly be sustaining. Already, she was ravenous for a good feast.

Queen Jade appeared at the top of the wide palace stairs, as if summoned by Claire's thoughts. Beside her, a Sprite with the dark blue hair stood at ease, legs shoulder-width apart, hands clasped behind his back. The epitome of calm collection. This was Prince Feowen. She remembered him from before. But where was his sister? The mysterious Princess Taylynn? She glanced about. Other Sprites formed up around the queen. A royal greeting party.

"Welcome home, Lady Claire." Queen Jade descended the remaining steps to meet her, grabbing her shoulders and ceremoniously kissing her left cheek and then the right, as if welcoming home family. But something about the gesture felt...off.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. And thank you for so graciously inviting me here to learn. And for allowing my escorts to remain comfortably with me."

"Oh! Think nothing of it. You are one of us now, are you not? We would never deprive one of our own from the gifts so graciously given by the King Tree. But come, you must be weary. I will show you to your suite." The queen flicked her gaze at their guides, giving them a subtle nod. All three bowed deeply and retreated, disappearing, while Queen Jade wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ushered her up the remaining steps and into the Crystal Palace.

***

A few hours later, Claire and Koldis made their way down the Crystal Palace stairs, eager to escape its confining walls. True to her word, the queen had given everyone in their party comfortable accommodations—as comfortable as could be expected in a structure made of crystal—and excused herself shortly thereafter, giving them free range of Esterpine and encouraging them to make requests with the palace staff, should they need anything. Of course, the first thing Claire was eager to do was explore. She hadn't been allowed much time for it during her initial journey. Most of that time was spent recovering from the wound she had suffered at the hands of the Vodar. A wound that still plagued her from time to time, thanks to the permanent effects of the poison. She would always bear a thin black line on her leg. A reminder.

A buzz of excitement skittered over her skin as she set foot on the plush mossy ground. A whole world awaited her here. Full of possibility.

"Where to first, my queen?" Koldis asked, arms crossed, watching her. He arched an eyebrow, which appeared frozen in place as of late. A result of his inability to understand what she saw in this place. He saw no beauty here, she was almost certain of it.

He'd taken to using the pet title my queen whenever possible, but only when they were alone. At first, she'd berated him for it. She was not Dragonwall's queen. Not yet. Still, he insisted on it. It seemed like he took pleasure in it too. And not for the sake of teasing her. Perhaps after so many years without a queen, Talon's Shields were genuinely thrilled. Which meant Koldis would go on using the title, if only to remind himself that she was real.

"Let's just walk," she decided. "I want to see everything. Including the unicorns. Especially the unicorns."

Koldis snorted.

She faced him, hands on her hips. "In case you've forgotten, unicorns don't exist in my world. I spent an entire lifetime believing they weren't real. So excuse me if I want to find one."

"Dragons don't exist in your world either."

"Yeah, well, you've seen one, you've seen them all."

"Oh! Is that how it works?" He shook his head.

"Yeah. That's how it works." It wasn't. But she knew the words would poke him, nonetheless. "Besides, unlike dragons, unicorns don't talk back."

He opened his mouth then, "Fine, point taken."

"See? Come on." She grabbed his arm without permission, looping her hand through his elbow to drag him along. A grin pulled at her lips, but she kept it hidden.

He allowed her to lead him away, all the while muttering under his breath. "Unicorns don't talk back," he mimicked. "Don't talk back! Good gods."

She ignored his muttering. After nearly a week spent flying by day, camping by night, plus an additional two days traveling through the forest, they'd grown quite comfortable together.

Behind them, four escorts trailed. While most of their pairs had already been dismissed to do whatever they wished, Koldis insisted on retaining two. "You're a queen now," he had said behind closed doors. "It would be best to look as important as your new title suggests."

"Except that no one knows about my new title, Koldis. Especially not here."

But Koldis had simply shrugged and said, "Even still, my queen. Our king would expect it."

So she relented. The two pairs trailing behind them—Jorsid and Aliah, and Manir and Mariam—were already familiar with her. Talon probably knew about her awful ability to retain names. He had sent nearly all the same pairs that had traveled with her to defeat the Vodar. She was glad of that. Though she felt a pang of sadness and even guilt when she thought about Hiondel and Lilly. She'd lost them because of the fight with the Vodar. That's why she was here, after all. To master her Sprite magic so that no one else died because of her lack of control.

She made her way through the city, still pulling Koldis along. Esterpine was exactly as she remembered. Yet, there was so much more to take in. Especially now that she saw herself in a new light, as kin. This place was in her blood. She could feel it in a way that could only be explained by heritage. A connection that ran deep.

They stuck to the dirt paths, winding between the dwellings, meandering through the city's center. Large communal areas for eating, gathering, and markets were all apparent. The area for feasting was abuzz already. She lingered, watching as people rushed about, before continuing on. The thrill of attending one or all of these events left her body humming with excitement.

Her light blue gown proudly displayed both of her Sprite Marks with its gauzy, nearly transparent material. Fortunately, the material was thicker over the areas she wasn't interested in displaying. Even with the obvious glowing luminescent swirls, she still felt like an outsider as she passed beneath the watchful eyes of Esterpine's citizens. Some gazed at her with open shock and wide eyes. Others, mild curiosity. A few placed hands over their hearts and bowed deeply; she was almost certain outsiders did not normally receive greetings such as this.

"You don't reckon they've seen paintings of their dear old queen Isabella, do you?" Koldis kept his voice low.

"Oh..." She hadn't thought of that. "Do you think that's why some of them look so shellshocked?"

"Well, you are a spitting image of her, aren't you?"

"I...yes. Except for my eyes."

"And don't Sprites have much longer memories?" Koldis added.

"I would imagine so." A frown pulled her brows together. She hadn't considered what it might be like for the Sprites, seeing her. She'd been abed most of the last time she was here, except for the feast. Now she had Sprite marks and an an informal opportunity to truly interact with Esterpine's citizens. And if they had seen Isabella in paintings, then she could only imagine what her presence might do. While seeing her previously might have been a mere coincidence, with fresh luminescent marks, there could be no ignoring the obvious connection.

They made their way along the paths until the dwellings thinned. It was here that Koldis stopped her, growing still. A moment later, she heard rustling and saw the foliage shudder. "I think you're about to get your wish," Koldis whispered.

"A unicorn?" she asked. Hope bubbled up in her chest.

"Mmm-hmm." His eyes were trained on the forest's growth. "It seems your presence has created a strong desire for acquaintance."

She frowned, glancing up at him. "I'm sure it's just curious."

"They."

"They?"

"There are four."

"How do you—?" Her eyes widened. The foliage parted. Pearlescent horns first, and then heads, followed by snow white bodies. Four sleek unicorns stepped out onto the dirt path looking straight at her, intelligent gazes filled with curiosity. They tossed their heads at the sight of her. One gave a winny that could only be described as joyful. A smile split her lips.

"The first one you met spread word of your existence, last you were here. These are quite eager to meet you. If I'm not mistaken, they began searching for you as soon as you entered the city."

"Right!" She snorted, taking a tentative step forward. "As if you could possibly know all that."

Koldis frowned, shrugging. "Go say hi. They won't hurt you."

She held his gaze a moment longer, trying to understand his expression, before turning back to the sight before her. Further back, she heard her escorts whispering. They hadn't been in the forest before. Had never seen a unicorn. Let alone four.

Shrugging off Koldis's behavior, she held her hand out. The unicorn in front stepped forward, head lowered, and nuzzled right into her palm. She sighed, suppressing a pleased giggle. She leaned to the side, looking at its body. "It is a he," she announced.

"Obviously." As usual, Koldis feigned a lack of interest.

She looked at the other unicorns. Three females. They were all stunning. She held up her free hand, inviting a second forward. This one eagerly stepped up for pets. She laughed outright, letting the sound of her voice trickle through the trees. Ears pricked, twitching to listen. It was all the invitation they needed. The remaining two came forward, crowding in, each trying to gently nudge the other aside to earn her touch. She rubbed muzzles and heads, cooing, telling them how beautiful they were, laughing.

"You don't need a baby voice to speak with them, you know," Koldis muttered. "They understand normal adult words."

"Oh, quiet, you! Let me have my fun." She shot him a glare and he grinned at the sight of it, pleased to earn a reaction from her. "Come on, Koldis, don't just stand there," she added. "You know you want to."

"Fine." He stepped forward then, arm outstretched. One of the females glanced warily at him before looking back at her. "It's okay," she encouraged. "He doesn't bite. I promise. He likes to pretend he's big and scary, but there's a cuddly teddybear hiding beneath those scales. Go and see."

The female must have understood perfectly, just as Koldis had said, because she tossed her head, snorted, then walked right up to him and nuzzled straight into his chest with an angled head to keep from skewering him with her horn. "Oof!" He dropped his hand and laughed, rubbing down the sides of her head and neck.

Claire invited the others forward too, until they made a merry party. The unicorns were plenty happy to receive pets. And before she knew it, they were all talking in calming voices, telling the creatures how beautiful they were. They continued on like this for some time, until the unicorns turned alert.

"Someone's coming," Koldis announced and everyone stopped to listen.

"Ah! There you are, my lady." Prince Feowen emerged from the foliage. "I was sent to find you."

"Oh?" Claire turned. A moment later, a young woman emerged beside the prince. Claire's eyes narrowed at the sight. Surprised washed over her. "You're not a Sprite."

The woman looked perhaps just as surprised.

"Indeed she is not. Lady Claire, may I introduce to you Jeanine?" Feowen stepped aside.

Jeanine...The name was familiar. She thought back to where she'd heard it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady." Jeanine curtsied. Her attire was unexpected. A tunic, vest, pants, boots, and a sword belt.

"Are you a..." A...what, exactly? She didn't quite know. A soldier?

"She's a refugee. Fled from Kaljah." At his words, Jeanine glared at Feowen. He noticed and froze.

"I can answer for myself, thanks." Her tone was teasing, but she elbowed him aside and stepped forward. Claire watched this interaction with growing curiosity. If she wasn't mistaken, the Sprite prince was rather fond of this human female, which was entirely unexpected.

"Feowen is correct, my lady. I fled Kaljah during the Gobelin attacks and brought what was left of my people with me. We have sought refuge here since. The queen and her people have been most gracious. I even had the distinct honor of meeting King Talon when he passed through." Ahh! Of course. That's where Claire had heard the name. "And his Shield, too. Bedelth? We sparred tougher, actually. Bedelth and I."

From behind her, Koldis barked a laugh. "With Bedelth?! Good gods. I hope you gave him a good run."

A smile split Jeanine's lips and she lifted her chin. "Drew blood a couple of times."

Claire's eyes widened, immediately glancing down to the sword again.

"Good." Koldis sounded smug. "Perhaps you'd like to cross swords with another of King Talon's Shields. For comparative purposes, of course. I always like a challenge." He winked.

Claire watched Feowen while Koldis spoke. Something passed over the prince's features but it was gone before she could make sense of it. Feowen cleared his throat. "Anyway, I was sent by my mother to tell you that a feast in your honor will be held tonight. Already, preparations are underway. The festivities will begin shortly, if you would like to return to the palace and freshen up? I can lead the way." It was now that his eyes flicked to the unicorns and he added with a soothing voice, "Verah lyessa, mih vynahari."

The unicorns flicked their heads and retreated, disappearing almost as quickly as they'd appeared.

Claire's eyes widened. "Did you just...was that Sprite language? Will I learn that while I'm here? For magic and whatnot?"

Feowen held her gaze a beat longer than expected. "I expect you will learn a great many things while you are here, Lady Claire." His gaze darted to the mark exposed beneath her shielded breasts. "Now, if you will follow me? Let us return to the palace." He turned without waiting for an answer, and disappeared into the foliage. Jeanine caught Claire's gaze and rolled her eyes at Feowen's lack of answer. They shared a secret smile before Jeanine also disappeared. Claire had no choice but to issue a silent command to the others before following.

Her stomach growled, and she placed a hand to silence it. The time had come to see what Queen Jade considered an honorable feast. Because after the loaded welcome she'd received, something told her Queen Jade was less than honored to have her here. 

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A quick note about this chapter: As none of you have read the published version in Verath the Red, which releases worldwide on September 7th, you probably don't know that Hiondel and Lilly were killed during the battle with the Vodar. This was one of many choices I made during the deep editing process to add realism and higher stakes to Claire's story. It also gave her a deeper need to master her Sprite magic, so that no one else might suffer due to her lack of control. I also changed the way Koldis, Jovari, and Claire healed the survivors after that battle, allowing Claire to gain a SECOND Sprite marking on the back of her shoulder near the base of her neck. Overall, I think the final version turned out quite well. 

And that's all the more reason to consider reading the publication version when it comes out on September 7th! If you're financially challenged, the ebook will only $3.99 USD. 

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. And now the agonizing wait begins. Until next week, my lovely bookworms.

-Mel