Page 1 of Crown of Ellova: Vol 1

CHAPTER 1

I’m a fool to have fallen for a mortal, no matter how kind and handsome the healer is.

Even if everything I’ve ever told him has been nothing more than half-truths and gilded lies, excitement still twists in my chest at the thought of seeing him tonight. All we have is one night a month, and though our interactions are tragically brief, I long for each stolen, precious moment.

I try to shove the thoughts of the healer, Leon, out of my head and focus on the crown in my hand, the cerulean light of the forge’s flames glinting off it.

When sunlight streams through the stained glass windows of my workshop, as it does now, it paints the room with iridescent reds and yellows, pinks, and blues. The glimmering glass above me creates an image of flames with bursting stars coming out of the fire.

“Della? That wouldn’t be for me, would it?” Nueena asks playfully from behind me.

“Fuck!” I fumble with the crown as I launch to my feet, whipping it behind my back and turning to block it from her view. The desk rattles with the movement, and the freshly cut flowers frommy garden sway in their crystal vase. A few loose pearls I was working with roll away into the gem-encrusted forge beside my desk, but most fall to the floor with soft clinks, scattering around the stone floor.

Nueena’s tall, graceful form leans against the aged stone doorframe of my workshop, a mischievous smile on her full lips and a shining gold tiara on her head, nestled in her tight curls. Her black hair cascades down her back, and the last of the sunlight behind her haloes her deep brown skin and brings out its golden undertones.

Once I’ve recovered from her sudden appearance, I grin back at her. “Of course not. It’s for someone who knows toknockwhen I’m working on my court’s coronation gift to them. Turn around, please. I have a few more details to add before I leave.”

She laughs and turns slowly. “Fine. I won’t peek.”

I whirl back around, not needing to check if she keeps her word as I stick my hand into the lit forge to retrieve the dispersed pearls. It is not the warmth of the enchanted forge’s pale blue flames that I feel first; it’s the magic’s welcoming pulse. Never burning me, the soft flickering of the fire is a tender caress on my skin.

The gift of my jewelsmith’s magic.

I pick the crown back up. Gold flowers surround the large amethyst nestled in the center. Vines and leaves are carved around the side of the headpiece with small diamonds scattered like stars around the golden flora.

“You’re here early. Is everything all right?” I turn her crown over in my hands, examining what may be missing from her headpiece. Every aspect needs to be perfect.

She sighs deeply. “All is well. I just couldn’t have another conversation with my parents on the endless trivial details of my coronation.”

Nueena is about to be crowned the youngest Realm Keeper in all of Ellova’s history. She will rule over the Ellovian High Court and the five faerie courts of Ellova. Her magic will soon surpass her mother’s, the current Realm Keeper, and it will be time for Nueena to take her place.

The entire realm has been preparing for Nueena’s anticipated coronation for months. I’ve been assisting her when I can, but the tasks are endless. She’s preparing to host the five court Guardians and their courtiers at the Ellovian Palace. Weeks of ceremonies, festivities, and revelry that I have been looking forward to for decades. All to celebrate Nueena in the way she truly deserves, leading up to her actual crowning day.

“What was today’s detail?” I ask.

“My evening ended with a whole discussion about which plates we should use for breakfast with the Guardians. Breakfast plates! Can you think of anything more inconsequential?”

I rifle through the bowls of gemstones, precious metals, and loose jewelry that are strewn about my desk, searching for some gold to melt. “Which one did you like best?”

“I picked some lovely yellow ones but was told that might appear I was playing favorites for the Gem Court, so I had Tavien choose for me, and he distracted them while I snuck out. If they can’t have my opinion, my Zemra’s will have to do.” There is a smile in her voice at the mention of her love.

Her Zemra.

Her soulbonded mate.

Ancient fae magic weaves their souls together for eternity, forging a powerful and irrevocable connection between Nueena and Tavien. They share a love I cannot even dare to dream about.

A Zemra’s soulbond is out of reach for half-mortals like myself.

I chuckle, grab a few spare coins, and return to her crown. As soon as I hold them, magic flows through me, drawn to the gold, which melts into a puddle within my cupped palm. The warm metal gleams, the last wilting piece fully submerged. I imagine the shape I want and command my magic to flow into the metal, and it shifts into its new floral form. Fluid petals rise up until the transformation fades and a gold rose sits solidly in my hand.

My charcoal sketches of the crown are spread on my work desk, and I compare the golden flower with my artwork, pleased with how it has turned out.

I agonized over the final design and details to create the perfect crown for Nueena. Spent months in the artisan markets hand-selecting each flawless gemstone. My masterpiece will be presented to her by my court’s Guardian at the Gem Court’s crowning ceremony as part of a grand display of loyalty to her and the High Ellovian Court.

Holding the heavy crown in one hand and the newly formed rose in the other, I place the golden flower gently onto the surface near the purple gemstone that adorns its center. At my touch, the underside of the flower welds to the metal, adding to the other gilded floral elements. The magic within me is quick to create, sending vibrations through my fingertips, eager to mold and to make.

“Your crown is almost complete,” I tell Nueena over my shoulder.

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