The great hall of Thornvale Palace silenced Anna more effectively than anything in her twenty-three years of life had managed to accomplish. Her eyes darted everywhere at once, trying to absorb the impossible architecture surrounding them.
The ceiling soared impossibly high, vaulted with living branches that seed to breathe with the rhythm of so ancient heartbeat. The walls shimred with a strange iridescence that changed colors when viewed from different angles—erald from one position, sapphire from another, athyst from yet another. Scattered throughout the hall were floating platforms of earth where attendants worked, moving between them with practiced ease.
’I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life,’ Anna thought, her normally quick tongue temporarily stunned into silence.
The Lens twins escorted them down the long walkway toward the dais where Queen Elena sat. Unlike the wild rumors of a twelve-foot monster with a wolf’s head, the Queen of Thornvale was strikingly elegant. Her silver hair cascaded over one shoulder, adorned with small white flowers that seed to bloom and wither in cycles, only to bloom again monts later. Her crown was indeed intimidating as Elira had ntioned—not for its size, but for the way the silver spikes seed to catch light that wasn’t there.
Beside the queen stood Commander Maria, her posture rigid and her eyes watchful. Her armor was unlike anything worn in the Moonlight Kingdom—plates of what appeared to be living wood molded perfectly to her form, shifting subtly with each breath. A scar ran from her left temple to the corner of her mouth, giving her a perpetually stern expression.
As they approached, Elena’s voice cut through the silence, addressing soone Anna couldn’t see. "You’re certain of this? The exact words?"
A ssenger bowed low before the dais. "Yes, Your Majesty. ’The Veilwalker vanished into the shadow.’ That was the ssage from our scouts at the border."
Queen Elena stood suddenly, her movent so abrupt that several attendants flinched. "That cannot be possible," she said, her voice carrying a weight of dread that made Anna’s skin prickle. "Not again. Not after all this ti."
The queen’s fists clenched at her sides, the flowers in her hair wilting all at once. "Every precaution was taken. Every sign watched for. How could we have missed this?"
Commander Maria stepped forward, her voice low enough that Anna had to strain to hear. "My Queen, if what they say is true, then this confirms our worst fears. The binding magic—"
"I know what it ans," Elena snapped, then imdiately softened. "Forgive , Maria. This news... it brings back mories I had hoped were buried forever."
Anna couldn’t help but whisper to Elira, her voice barely audible. "What are they talking about? Who’s the Veilwalker they ntioned?"
Elira nudged her sharply. "Shh. I’ll explain later."
Queen Elena’s gaze finally fell upon the two visitors, her eyes narrowing slightly as she noticed them for the first ti. Sothing in her expression changed—a montary flicker of recognition when she spotted Elira.
"Ah, the scout who accompanied Princess Lyra during her previous... visit," Elena said, her voice regaining its regal composure. "And you’ve brought a new companion." Her eyes assessed Anna with unnerving intensity. "Captain Diana must be getting desperate to send such a young one."
Anna opened her mouth to protest that she wasn’t that young, but Elira stepped forward smoothly.
"Your Majesty," Elira said with a formal bow. "We co bearing urgent news from the Moonlight Kingdom. Prince Eren has been taken hostage."
The hall, already quiet, beca utterly still. Even the living branches overhead seed to pause their gentle swaying.
Queen Elena’s eyes widened fractionally—the only indication of her surprise. "Explain," she commanded.
Elira recounted the events as succinctly as possible—the attack in the adow, Kiran’s betrayal, the blood magic binding Kiran to Queen Elysia, and finally, Eren’s disappearance into the shadow portal.
As she spoke, Elena’s expression grew more troubled. When Elira finished, the queen exchanged a loaded glance with Commander Maria.
"So the piece moves," Elena murmured, almost to herself. "After all these centuries of waiting."
She turned away, pacing the length of the dais. The living branches overhead seed to respond to her agitation, curling tighter as if bracing for a storm.
"Your Queen Elysia requests aid?" Elena finally asked, turning back to face them.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Elira confird. "She believes an alliance—"
"I will co," Elena interrupted, her decision made with startling finality. "I will bring my guards and our scholars who specialize in the old magics."
Anna couldn’t help herself. "You will?"
Queen Elena’s lips curved in what might have been amusent or disdain—it was impossible to tell. "The fate of the Veilwalker concerns all kingdoms, child. Even those who prefer to keep to themselves."
She turned to Commander Maria. "Prepare our fastest mounts and select guards. We leave at first light."
Maria bowed. "It will be done, my Queen."
"We will arrive at the Moonlight Palace in two days’ ti," Elena announced to Elira and Anna.
Anna blinked in confusion. "Two days? But it took us four days to reach here."
The queen’s expression was unreadable. "We travel differently in Thornvale."
With a wave of her hand, she dismissed them. "You are welco to rest here tonight. The Lens twins will show you to quarters. I must prepare."
As they were led away, Anna could hear the queen issuing rapid orders, her voice fading as they left the great hall.
"How is that possible?" Anna whispered once they were in the corridor. "Two days for a four-day journey?"
Elira shrugged. "Thornvale has its own ways. I’ve learned not to question them too deeply. It only leads to headaches."
The Lens twins walked ahead of them, moving in perfect unison. Anna found their synchronicity both fascinating and slightly unsettling.
"She knew exactly who you were," Anna observed. "And she seed to know about Eren too. Called him the Veilwalker."
"It’s complicated," Elira replied. "And not my story to tell."
Before Anna could press further, they erged into an inner courtyard. Unlike the wild tales of Thornvale’s horrors, the city that spread before them was breathtakingly beautiful. Buildings of living wood and stone rose in graceful curves, so connected by arched bridges that seed to float without support. Gardens blood in impossible configurations, with flowers that changed colors as they watched.
Throughout the city, floating platforms moved along invisible paths, carrying elves from one level to another. These weren’t the result of unnatural magic as the rumors claid, but rather the work of earth elent users who shaped and held the platforms aloft.
"It’s nothing like the stories," Anna breathed, watching as a platform carrying a family of four drifted past them.
"Most stories aren’t," Elira replied with a small smile.
A flash of movent caught Anna’s attention. Mika was leaning against a nearby column, watching them with an unreadable expression. As their escorts led them toward the guest quarters, Mika pushed off the column and intercepted their path.
"A word," she said curtly, looking directly at Elira.
The Lens twins paused, exchanging a glance before nodding simultaneously and stepping aside.
Mika’s eyes narrowed. "I heard about what happened. The spymaster’s betrayal." Her voice lowered. "What about Viva? Is she alright?"
The question seed to catch Elira off guard. Her usual sardonic expression softened slightly. "Viva’s fine. She was with us when it happened, but she wasn’t injured."
"She fought well," Anna added helpfully. "Very impressive with her daggers."
Mika’s shoulders relaxed fractionally. "Good. She’s been practicing hard." A ghost of a smile flickered across her face before she caught herself. "Not that I expected any less of her."
"Oh, of course not," Elira replied with exaggerated seriousness. "Just like you didn’t spend hours drilling her on proper stance during the training exchange last sumr."
"It was important," Mika corrected automatically, then scowled when she realized she’d fallen into Elira’s trap. "Soone had to make sure she didn’t get herself killed with her own blades. Her form was terrible."
"Mmm-hmm," Elira humd knowingly.
Anna looked between them, fascination written plainly across her face. "Wait, you two trained together? I didn’t know the kingdoms had training exchanges."
"We need to rest before tomorrow’s journey," Elira interrupted smoothly, taking Anna by the elbow and steering her away. "Good night, Mika."
Mika didn’t respond, but her eyes followed them until they turned the corner.
"You can’t just leave hanging like that," Anna whispered fervently. "Are they friends? Is that why she’s so concerned? Does Captain Diana know? Does Queen Elena know? Is this so sort of secret cross-kingdom friendship? This is even better than the ti my cousin’s friend arranged secret etings with—"
"Anna," Elira cut in, amusent coloring her voice. "Do you ever run out of questions?"
"Only when I run out of breath," Anna replied cheerfully. "And sotis not even then."
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