Page 114 of Feathers and Thorns

Eldrin had fared surprisingly well against the fires. Many of the large trees had been charred, but their core and roots were strong and stood firm. Meena and Evelyn looked so at home there, and they felt safe being up in the canopy. They wouldn’t let Soren leave until she promised to visit at least once a month so they could enjoy a nice dinner together. Her heart lifted a little when she was reminded she would see them in a few days’ time.

Soren pulled her fur jacket tight around her shoulders and readied herself to brave the cool winter morning when a knock sounded at her door.

Her stomach dropped, and her mouth went dry. Rook and Enara never knocked, and the last time she’d heard that sound was when she’d found out about her father’s death.

She inhaled slowly, holding her breath in her lungs, and turned the knob. Her anxiety dissipated when she opened the door to find Everett standing there with a megawatt smile.

“Everett!” she exclaimed, pulling him in for a hug. “Come in, come in. It’s freezing.” Snow swirled around him on the front step, and some of it trailed inside, like little white shadows following his boots.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything. You look like you were about to head out.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I was just about to meet Luscinia and Enara for lunch. The new tavern was finally finished today, and we promised the owner we would show.”

“The Celestial who healed Rook?” he asked.

“Yeah, she visits monthly when her grace allows. It’s been very cathartic, actually. She’s been telling me all about my mom.” Her eyes misted. “Anyway,” she continued, shaking away the tears, “what brings you all the way to Draestel? Are Jai and Adaryn okay?”

“Oh, yeah!” he exclaimed. His energy was infectious, reminding her of Baztien. “Jai sent me. He has news he wanted me to deliver personally.”

Soren chuckled nervously. “Should I be scared?” Her stomach twisted as her mind reeled, searching for a possible reason for the impromptu visit.

“No, no, everything is fine. Here.” He handed her a letter.

She broke the royal seal and read it aloud.

My dear friend Soren,

I hope this letter finds you well. Adaryn and I have missed you these last three months. Patrivah is rebuilding, and our walls are almost complete. The people are still adjusting to having Adaryn as their queen consort but, overall, the reception has been a positive one.

We wanted to formally invite you, Rook, Enara, and Baztien’s mothers to the coronation ceremony in one month’s time.

Each province had been allowed to vote for their new leader under the new Enthean Democratic Decree, and Jai had received ninety-three percent of the votes from his people. Under the new law, the king was allowed to take whoever he wanted for a wife, which meant him and Adaryn could officially take their rightful places as king and queen of Patrivah.

A formal invite will be sent closer to the date, but I like to think a personal invitation from the king is more official, anyway. On a more serious note, we finished combing the battlefields about a week ago, and we discovered Baztien’s sword.

Soren’s breath caught, her chest tightening as flashbacks from the war battered against her skull. Blood. So much blood. Baztien lying in the dirt, lifeless.

She pushed past the intrusive thoughts, blinked back the tears that were tugging at the edges of her eyes, and continued.

I don’t know if I ever told you or Enara this, but he finally picked a name for it. “Unyielding.” He named it for Enara and the strength she showed through all her adversity. Said she was as unbreakable as the blade itself. He would have wanted her to have it. Please, pass it along to her.

Everett had removed the sheathed blade from his back and laid it out on Soren’s dining table. “I kept it safe, I promise,” he said softly before she continued reading.

The text was blurry as the tears toppled over, the words shifting and moving like water.

The final note we have for you is happier news. Adaryn is expecting a child. Patrivah will have an heir. My heart nearly burst when her courses stopped coming. She is due in six months time, and we had rather hoped that you would be her godmother. Everett, of course, is already the godfather, but we can discuss the details further at the coronation.

We have already decided that if it is a girl, we could name her Indira Jai, after my mother and I, but if we were to have a son, he would be named Baztien Grey.

Your friend,

Jaideep Ashwood, King of Patrivah

* * *

Rook fingered the spine of the oldest book in his collection, releasing a relieved breath that all of them had made it safely to Vreburn. He stood before them, hoping they would bring him comfort, for today was a big day. Today, he would meet his mother.

He had debated if he even wanted to meet her. What if she rejected him? She had already mourned him, so he thought showing up on her doorstep might be considered cruel.

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