ELRED VALKALIN has one job: to ensure the annual feast goes according to plan to solidify her family's claim on the throne. With a series of isolated accidents occuring during the preparation, she is convinced someone is sabotaging her. In a territo...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Entobern glowered at them through the thick undergrowth, leaving the hairs at the back of Elred's neck upright. She glanced at Pulrin and she saw past his glamour his pale lips and wide eyes. Calm. It's just Entobern. No harm could come to them...right?
Unlike the paved roads in Abshire and the other Upper Cities, Entobern stuck to how the plateau looked like before shard fairies made it their home. That meant huge forests, moist swamps, and an unkempt backyard full of strange animals and plants unfamiliar to Elred. As soon as they touched down on the edge closest to Entobern's territory, the pungent smell of an exotic flower filled Elred's nose. She couldn't quite place it but Pulrin informed her that it must be atalfa.
She kept her eyes on the canopies, taking note of the greens, the reds, and the blues dancing with the stray breezes flitting through them. At the first sign of a black thing darting through the trees and Elred was out of here. She couldn't deal with an enya this close to the Feast. She needed her hair intact and uneaten.
Oblivious to her fear, Pulrin rested his hands behind his neck and whistled a jovial tune as they walked. It looked alright when he wasn't wearing his glamour—he's just a kid enjoying life or something—but Elred couldn't shake the disgust in her system when she envisioned the old man disguise doing it.
Well, whatever. She's grateful for the company. What she said to Heran and the planners all those weeks ago sent a pike of guilt in her gut. She told them to lay off asking Entobern for help and now she's here, crawling to the people she told her planners to stay away from. How pathetic.
She clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides. Her trousers had flecks of dirt lining it in elaborate splashes, like she had just been rolling in the mud more than just walking through it. A thousand curses rang in her head. What would the Entobern generals think of her? Using a glamour was useless when they're all shard fairies who could see through it. It's a miracle Pulrin's lasted for as long as he did.
"What?" Pulrin lowered his hand and slowed his steps.
Elred blinked. "What what?"
Pulrin scratched his ear. "You've been looking at me like...angry," he said. "Something wrong?"
She shook her head. "Nothing," she said, crossing her arms. "Just thinking."
Her friend hummed. "About what?"
"Things," Elred snapped. Why was he so chatty today? "What about it?"
Pulrin jerked his chin in Elred's direction. "How's things with you and Savel? You mentioned him earlier."
Heat rushed to Elred's cheeks as she extended her arms and waved them. "E-everything's fine," she stuttered. Why was she even doing that? "Fine. Yeah. He's...Savel, I guess?"
Pulrin chuckled. "Thought so," he said. "Got any plans on tying the bond?"
Elred's breath hitched at the thought. Then, she backhanded Pulrin in the chest. "What's wrong with you?" she said. "It's too early to think about that."
