SIXTH BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 𝘕𝘰𝘸, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴.
Xanthiene Vivenca has to find allies and legendary objects of po...
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Xanthy hobbled into the courtyard, leaning hard on Nyxis's arm as she struggled to get her rhythm while walking with a cane. The cane itself wasn't much—just a straight rod whittled from an unfamiliar wood seemingly in a hurry.
Xanthy shivered as the memory of what happened in this very courtyard flashed back into her head the moment she and Nyxis stepped into the courtyard. She kept expecting to see the High Queen's bloodied form sprawled by the plotted tree with June lying beside it, soul-deep in a drawback.
Except June was fine and was now running towards her with a worried look on his face. There was no sign he had recently been run through with a sword. Xanthy's breath hitched as she tore off Nyxis and met June by throwing her arms around him. The cane clattered somewhere to her left.
"Xanthy," June breathed against her ear as he tucked his face against her neck.
Xanthy closed her eyes and basked in June's warmth. There had been a time when she thought she wouldn't be able to feel it anymore. They stayed that way for a long time until Xanthy heard footsteps shuffling in the background.
She peeled away from June and picked her cane up. She spotted the heirs gathered by an arch. Elred waved at her while Reeca gave a curt nod. Canelis remained still, staring ahead at some invisible threat. Why must that pixie always be so tense? Ariden grinned at her from a different cluster of people opposite the other heirs.
"Xanthy, thank the gods!" Airese's voice tore Xanthy's attention from the people. She spied her mother elbowing people out of the way as she made her way to her daughter. Airese threw her arms around Xanthy then cradled Xanthy's face in her hands. "What on earth happened?"
"You, young man, better take care of her," Eldan popped up behind June like an errant vine. Xanthy felt June flinch.
"I got my work cut out for me but I'll try my best, Dad," June replied with a light chuckle.
Xanthy's head whipped from June to her father. Dad?
"We're glad you're alright, Xanthy," Airese touched Xanthy's arm. "We'll be here if you need anything."
Xanthy may have mumbled her reply to that. Instead, she turned to the mass of people gathered in the courtyard. "What are we doing here?"
June sighed as he took hold of her arms. Denara came shortly after and stole Nyxis away with a quick wink. "An official day to honor the dead," June said softly. "We were waiting for you before we could properly start."
"Why?"
"Because you need it," was his only reply.
Then, a group of hooded figures entered the courtyard with grace fit for princesses. Their white robes covered them from head to toe. Hoods concealed most of their faces. Silence swept across the room as the figures fell into a line facing the gathered crowd. The man in the middle removed his hood.
