LOGINTip: Listen to 'Saturn' by Sleeping at Last while reading this and you'll thank me 🌚 ~Author Leela
The wheels turned and dust rose from the gravel. The carriage moved slowly at first, then faster, pulling away from the palace gates.I stood at the edge of the courtyard and watched it go.Pilar's face was in the window. She was not waving. She never waved. She just looked at me through the glass until the carriage turned and she was gone.I did not move.The courtyard was almost empty. I stood alone, except for Gertha's ever-persistent presence, the gravel crunching under my boots. I thought about the morning that had led up to this moment.~`~`~`~`~`~`|~`~`~`~`~`~`|~`~`~`~`~`~`Pilar had packed her bag before the sun was fully up. I had woken to the sound of fabric rustling, of her moving through the room."You're up," she said, not looking at me.I sat up. "You're leaving.""The Queen's carriage is already waiting. She does not like to be kept waiting. I don't need to be on her bad side."She patted her bag that lay on the floor.I swung my legs over the side of the bed. The floor
I turned, and there Elara stood at the edge of the balcony, her arms crossed, her grey eyes fixed on me. She had not moved closer. She did not need to. The question hung in the air between us, like she had all the time in the world.Pilar recovered first. "We were just—""Talking about my brother." Elara's voice was unnervingly calm. "I heard."She walked to the railing and stood beside us, looking down at the now almost empty training yards. Most of the warriors had gone, and the dust had begun to settle. The afternoon light was fading, casting long shadows across the stone.Pilar shot me a look. I ignored her.Elara did not speak for a while. She simply stood there, her raven hair moving in the breeze, her hands loose at her sides. She stood like she had been carved into the stone. Her stillness was majestic and unsettling at the same time; it made you aware of your own restlessness.I waited, calculating what would be her next action."My brother does not send me," she said finally
The afternoon sun warmed the wide stone balcony overlooking the training fields.Pilar and I sat at a small iron table the servants had carried out earlier. A large tray sat between us, carrying fresh bread still warm from the kitchens, soft cheese, olives in oil, sliced apples and pears, dried figs, and a pitcher of watered wine.The air carried the steady sounds from below: steel clashing against steel, instructors shouting commands, and the rhythmic thud of boots on packed earth.Pilar leaned forward on the railing, chewing a piece of bread as she watched the warriors train. "Look at that one," she said, pointing with her chin. "The tall one with the scar running down his left arm. He handles the sword so well. Strong stance, good balance. I bet he came from the border patrols."I smiled and tore off a piece of bread. "You sound like you're back on duty.""A little." Pilar grinned. "I spent four years as a guard. Old habits stay with you. See how he shifts his weight before each st
***THIRD POV***Kaelan stood in the doorway, shoulders squared, breathing hard from the semi-run here.He had not knocked, he had simply pushed and the door had given way.Maybe, he should not have done that as the bare body of a slender woman nestled under his brother came into view.She yelped and scrambled for the bedding, pulling it over herself.Lucian moved quickly, one hand reaching toward the dagger on the side table before he recognized his brother and let the motion die. "You could have knocked," he said."I could have," Kaelan agreed, stepping into the room. "I did not."The sound of ruffling sheets, drew Kaelan's attention to today's bedwarmer. One of his brother's many whores.Her eyes were wide with shock, her hair tangled across her shoulders."Get out."She did not need to be told twice, she snatched her robe from the floor, clutched it to her chest and hurried past him, bare feet cluttering on the stone.The door swung partially closed behind her, the latch broken.Whe
“You need to get up.”Gertha’s voice cut through the dark. The fire was dead, the room cold, and she was already pulling a lilac dress from the wardrobe, her movements brisk and efficient.“The Queen approved a visitor for you,” she said, not looking at me. “Someone from Ashen Ridge. You have one hour to get ready.”I sat up, my head thick from sleep, my limbs heavy from days of tension. “Who?”Gertha laid the dress on the bed and turned to face me. “You will see soon enough. Wash your face, fix your hair and do not keep them waiting.”She left before I could ask any more questions. I stared at the lilac fabric, my mind stumbling over possibilities.My mother would not leave the cottage – she had not left Ashen Ridge in years.Pilar would. Only Pilar would find a way to convince the Queen to let her visit.I pushed myself out of bed and washed quickly, the water cold against my skin. The dress fit well enough, though the sleeves were longer than what I was used to, and the fabric was s
Lucian pushed off the wall and stepped fully into the corridor, his posture still relaxed, almost casual.Riven had already disappeared down the hall.The firelight caught the sharp edges of his face as he looked at me, and there was something in the way he watched me, something soft.“You handled yourself quite well in there,” he said. His voice was soothing, making Swift purr somewhere deep in my chest.“You think so?” I asked, shocked.“I think it was pretty clear, wasn’t it? Even a blind man would have seen it.”I blinked, caught off guard by the near-kindness. “Thank you.”“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, “not right after the hall emptied. It invites talk.”My hands folded in front of the pale blue dress, the fabric suddenly feeling stiff again. “I was heading back to my room when I overheard you talking, and I decided to come say thank you.”A hint of confusion crossed his face. “For what?”“Really?” I laughed lightly, the sound surprising even me. “For helping me out with t
Gertha was waiting inside the entrance, her hands folded and her face as neutral as ever."My lady," she greeted and took my bag without asking, hefting it over her shoulder.Then she turned and walked down the corridor, her footsteps soft on the stone, I followed closely behind.The palace was so
Four days had passed by swiftly and I was up before the sun.The cottage was cold and quiet, as I moved through it carefully, not wanting to wake my mother, my feet finding the familiar floorboards that did not creak.I stood in the middle of the kitchen in my nightdress and practiced.The curtsy fi
The tournament grounds were packed.Warriors from across Silver Fang had gathered for the seasonal matches, a tradition as old as the pack itself. Nobles sat in the shaded stands, their fine clothes bright against the grey stone. Servants moved through the crowd with trays of drink and bread. The su
Beneath the full moon, hidden within a forest of huge trees, was a little room.Its walls were old and its ceiling sagged. The floor had not been swept in years. A single candle burned on the table, its flame flickering unsteadily, casting shadows that seemed to move on their own.Elder Obelix sat i







