It had been six months since the light had gone from his life.
Farron splashed cold water on his face, like he did every morning. It was the only way for him to wake up, to feel something, even if it was just the rush of gooseflesh. He dried his face on an old cloth then tossed it aside. Six months. It felt like years. He’d only been able to tell by the scratch marks on the wall. Six months to the day since she…
He didn’t allow his mind finish the thought. It would do no good. There was nothing he could do, nothing that he could have done. His guilt tried to tell him otherwise. He could have found another way. Maybe if one of the other Star Children had gone into the cave instead of her…
But she wouldn’t have had it. She was too stubborn to have done it any other way. She wouldn’t have asked anyone else to do something she wouldn’t do herself. She used to say that she wasn’t brave, wasn’t strong, but she was wrong. What she had done for the realm, for humanity, for them all… Some called her a traitor, but they weren’t left standing long in his presence.
What she had done was far from traitorous. Magic had returned back to the world, lifting the dark veil that had covered it for so long. It flowed through the land, giving life where it had begun to fade. He could feel it in his bones, the power, as natural as breathing. The earth’s fate had been reversed. What they decided to do with it was up to them—the outside world, the humans, and the elves. They’d been saved and most of them didn’t even realize it.
But what good was it all without her?
Farron sat on the edge of his cot to pull on his boots. The room was small and bare but it was all he needed. He had never thought he would find himself back here after so many years. But it was the only place he could go to escape. He hadn’t lied when he’d said he didn’t want to be a part of a world that she wasn’t in. And so he wasn’t.
The old Haven was more of a fortress than any place of healing. Cold and dreary, but it was different than when he’d been here last. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard had started to flow for the first time since the Great War had ended. The magic here was palpable. The others here felt it as well. They were confused, surprised, in awe. Like a piece of them that had been missing all their lives had finally been returned.
When he’d returned to this place, he’d wanted to hide away from the world, his past, everything. But after observing them—the students, his old masters, he knew that it was up to him to try and teach them how to use their newfound powers, and to not abuse them.
She would have thought it amusing, the scourge of Derenan, the infamous Sin de Reine now a humble teacher.
He got up and started to strap on his daggers and pull on his gloves. The early morning sun shone through the window. A commotion caught his ear. What was it now? He was usually the first to rise, to revel in the quiet before everyone else stirred.
Farron opened his door and stepped out onto the balcony that circled the interior courtyard. The guards had opened the thick main door and were escorting a hooded figure. A group of curious students had gathered in the shadows, whispering. Farron leaned on the railing looking down at their visitor. Their clothing was rich, black velvet with gray fur trim, the hood pulled down low over their face. Over her face.
The hooded figure paused in the middle of the courtyard, ignoring the guards, her hands going up to her hood. She looked up at him and drew it back.
Farron’s stomach sank. He hadn’t seen Lianna in months. Why was she here now?
“She’s here for me,” he said, loud enough for the guards to hear.
The doors boomed closed as he made his way downstairs to greet his guest. His mind raced. What did she want? Was this a friendly visit? Had his brother sent her? Had things gotten so bad out there?
“Fare,” Lianna purred, her voluptuous lips forming a grin. She reached out to him and drew him into a hug, squeezing him tight. “My little Fare.” She drew back to take him in, her eyes sweeping over him. “You look… better.”
He managed a meek smile. He supposed he was better than he had been the last time she had seen him.
“You cut your hair,” she said, frowning.
He ran his hand over his head, self-conscious. He’d cut it all off after he’d come here. He wanted a fresh start. It was the shortest it had been nearly all his life.
When he didn’t say anything, she said, “Is there a place we can talk?”
He nodded and led her to the small common room. A fire already burned in the giant hearth on the far wall. A few students that were eating got up and scurried away when they saw him approaching. Everyone gave him a wide berth. His reputation preceded him even here.
When the room was empty, he sat at a table near the fireplace. Cold usually didn’t bother him, but the warmth felt nice.
“What brings you way out here?” he asked, getting to the point. “Is my brother in trouble already?”
Lianna came around the table, stripped her wool gloves off, and held her hands up to the fire. “No,” she said. “Your brother is doing just fine. Though, he does miss you.” She gave him a pointed look, which he ignored.
“The Council?”
Lianna shrugged in that graceful way she did. “They are of no consequence. After the attempted coup, most were ousted from their seats, with new figureheads to replace them. But they are all too frightened to make a move since the magic has returned. The king’s new powers are keeping them in line.”
“How are the people taking it?”
“Well enough. Not much has changed. A few protests have happened, instigated by the Council, no doubt.” She frowned. “But once they saw the effect it had on the land, how it was being healed, given new life, many of them threw their support back with the king. His seat is secured for the time being.”
Farron nodded. At least his brother was handling it all well. Only time would tell if he would start to abuse it. If he ever did, however—well, even kings weren’t safe from the Sin de Reine. It had been her wish to keep peace in the realm. He would ensure that it happened.
“Any word from the forest?” he asked.
“Not much,” she said. “After Ryaenon’s death, they have been scrambling to find a new leader. Many have left, according to your friend. Aeron, is it?”
Farron grunted. “Friend…”
“He seemed rather fond of you,” she said with a smile.
“Does he know about… her?”
Lianna’s smile faded and she nodded. “He sends his condolences. He has stepped up to try and lead, as she had asked, but it is hard. Their way of thinking, it is difficult. Fights have broken out. Many want to retake the human world, others want peace. It will be a long road, but I believe we can reach a compromise. All of us.”
“Lendon?”
“They are difficult as ever, especially after the general’s death. Philip is distrustful of us now. Thank goodness we do not need his help as badly as we did before.”
Farron looked at her. Even after everything, she was as radiant and beautiful as ever. He was glad that his brother kept her around. Her level head was what Derenan needed, what the realm needed, what his brother needed. “How are you?”
She sighed, her shoulders falling slightly. She set her gloves on the table. “It is exhausting,” she said. “All this new responsibility. Court politics are not much fun without the threat of my powers.”
“Do you miss them?”
“Of course I do. If it were up to me I would have never restored magic to the land.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “But I suppose it needed to be done. I do not enjoy feeling so powerless.”
Farron laughed, the first time in ages. “You? Powerless? I highly doubt that will ever be.”
Lianna grinned. “I can no longer bring down a mountain, summon the very elements.”
“If you put your mind to it, I think you could do it even now. Somehow.”
She hummed a laugh to herself. “You may be right. How are your newfound powers treating you? Does it feel strange?”
He nodded. “Very. Knowing I can bring down a mountain is a very heady feeling.”
“Indeed.”
“But it’s more. It’s like I can feel the world around me, the magic flowing in the earth, the water. How alive it all is. But still, everything is dull to me.”
Lianna grew sober. She approached him and ran her hand down his cheek “It has been very hard on you, has it not?”
He looked up at her, at the sorrow in her eyes. The pity. He drew back from her, his mask slipping into place, the Ice Prince returning. He didn’t want her pity. “Why are you here, Lianna?”
She let her hand drop back to her side. “There is something that I think you should see.”
He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to go on, but she didn’t. “And what would that be?” His interest was slightly piqued, but not enough to go running off with her. He couldn’t face the world just yet. He needed more time.
“Well, if I told you, it would ruin the surprise.”
“Maybe I’m not in the mood for surprises.”
“You will be for this one.” She ran a hand through his short hair, down his cheek to his chin, where she gripped to tilt his face up to hers. “I promise.”
The earnestness in her eyes almost swayed him. It had to be important for her to personally travel all the way to Isailo, into the mountains. No one ever came here unless they had to. There was a reason the school had been established here. But still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Not yet.
Lianna let go of his chin and dropped onto the bench beside him. “Well then, I suppose I will have to stay until you agree to come with me. I will not leave without you.” She looked around the room, her eyes silently critiquing. “I should have brought more clothes,” she murmured to herself. “This place could sure use a feminine touch…”
Not looking forward to having Lianna take over the place, Farron sighed, relenting. “It’s that important?”
“It is.” She looked over at him, her eyes boring into his.
“And you won’t tell me? Not even a hint?”
She shook her head. “And miss the look on your face? I think not.” She rose from the bench and dusted off her backside in a dramatic way. “Besides, it will do you good to get out of this place. I am depressed already and I have only been here for an hour at most.”
“It’s not so bad,” he said, though even he didn’t believe that. There was more than one reason he’d never wanted to come back here, its austere accommodations being one of them.
Lianna placed her hand on his. “Come, Fare. Let me take you away from here. Just for a little bit. If you do not like what you see, you can always come back.”
He was quiet for a moment. What did he have to lose? She wasn’t going to leave without him, it seemed. So, with some reluctance, he said, “All right.”
It didn’t take him long to pack. What little possessions he had could fit into a single bag. Lianna had traveled in style, as befitting a king’s mistress, the carriage embellished with elaborate carvings, red velvet seats, and silk curtains, pulled by the finest horses the realm had to offer. Nothing but the best for her.
Lianna noticed him taking it all in. “Well, since I have to take the long way these days, I may as well do it in comfort.” She swept into the carriage without another word.
Though he was no stranger to the finer things in life, he felt out of place in the extravagant carriage after spending so long at his old school.
When they had both settled in, Lianna gave an elegant wave to the coachman outside and a moment later the carriage jerked forward.
“This will be worth it,” she said, giving him a sly look. “You will see.”
Farron crossed his arms and settled back into the plush seats. He hoped so.
Florin was the last place he thought Lianna would take him. He eyed the city through the small window. It looked different than the last time he’d laid eyes on it. Though, that had been years ago. Was his mother still here? He’d lost contact with her a while ago. Was she why Lianna had brought him here?
The journey had taken weeks. If he had known their destination, he could have flown here. He’d never done it before, but it couldn’t be that hard. It wasn’t that he hadn’t enjoyed Lianna’s company; it was just the longest he’d spent with her alone since they used to—well, that was in the past. Too many unpleasant memories surfaced in his mind, and too many good ones. His mind was in turmoil, not knowing where she was taking him, nor why.
“Don’t worry,” Lianna said when she noticed his apprehensive look. “Your mother hasn’t resided here for a while now. She preferred to move to a warmer locale.”
He raised an eyebrow in question. He had never been close with his mother, but he still cared for her in a way.
“She has been set up courtesy of the king in a nice estate in Cales, just south of Solaniki.”
Farron nodded, though he was even more confused now. Why had she brought him here then?
“Not yet,” is all she had to say, a smile slipping into place. She was enjoying the torture a little too much.
Flowers were still in bloom throughout the city, even with autumn fast approaching. It was the most colorful, vibrant place he had ever seen, and the reason he’d wanted to bring her here. She would have loved it.
He swallowed hard. He couldn’t go down that road now.
The carriage twisted through the narrow cobblestone streets for the better part of an hour before coming to a stop in front of a modest estate along the edge of the city. Though not a hovel by any means, the two-storied house wasn’t lavish enough for Lianna’s tastes. It had a sort of understated opulence that was pleasing to him. The gardens surrounding it were lush and manicured.
Then a thought dawned on him. “Is this mine?” he asked. “How kind of my brother.” Though he didn’t hate it—in fact, he liked what he saw—it was unusual for his brother to gift him with something so generous without expecting anything in return.
Lianna gave him a sly look as she got out of the carriage, not waiting for the coachman.
Exasperated, Farron followed her. He’d tried getting an answer from her the entire trip, but the woman was sharp. She hadn’t fallen for his schemes. She had taught him half of his conversational tricks, after all. He left his things in the coach, not knowing how long he’d be staying.
Lianna dug a brass key from the purse at her waist and unlocked the front door, painted a bright red, contrasting to the white-washed exterior. “It could be yours, if you ask the owner nicely.” She glanced back at him. “But you were never good at asking nicely.”
She swept through the door and paused in the grand foyer. A small table stood in the middle, a vase atop it filled with red and purple flowers. She paused for a moment, tilting her head, listening. Farron did the same but didn’t hear anything. What had she meant? He was getting more confused by the moment.
Lianna turned toward him. “Would you like a tour?”
Farron sighed. He supposed he didn’t have much of a choice.
He followed Lianna through the house—the front room decorated with ornate furniture, the study and all of its books, the numerous opulent bedrooms, all expertly designed, all filled with fragrant flowers and plants from the gardens. It was impressive, but he couldn’t see himself living here. It was too much for him.
He’d drowned out Lianna’s words after the fifth room, following her blindly, wondering what was going on. It just didn’t make sense, any of it.
They were walking down the second-floor gallery along the back of the house when his ears heard it. A familiar sound that made his stomach twist, his blood grow cold. Goosebumps shivered across his skin as he stopped abruptly. Lianna paused to look back at him, her voice trailing off.
He tried to swallow the lump growing in his throat. It couldn’t be…
He looked at Lianna, his gaze intense. Was this all a trick? The sound had come from outside in the gardens below. He didn’t dare look. The laugh that had haunted his dreams for the past six months bubbled up on the breeze again, this time fuller, louder. There was no mistaking it.
“Claire…” he whispered.
Lianna nodded toward the window, a smile tilting her lips. “The balcony was added at a later date, and as you can see, gives an excellent view of the estate's gardens.”
Slowly, Farron turned his head to look, afraid of what he might find, or not find. If this was some sort of sick scheme…
But then he spotted her.
His body was moving before he could think about it. Was it really her? He rushed through the glass doors, flinging them open so hard the panes rattled. He ran to the banister, his eyes never leaving the girl in the white dress playing with a puppy in the gardens. His hands dug into the wood as he leaned over to get a closer look. It looked like her. But how could it be?
Without a second thought, he leaped off the balcony to the soft grass below. Then he ran. The seconds seemed to stretch on forever, his feet leaden, his heart almost beating out of his chest. It couldn’t be. How could this be? Was she real? Or just an illusion made of magic?
When he finally reached her, he stopped in front of her, his shoulders heaving, his eyes wide to take her in. “Claire,” he said between breaths.
She spun and looked at him, gasping. Her eyes went wide and she said, “Who are you?”
His strength left him and he dropped to his knees. Claire. It was really her, as real as the plants and stone and earth surrounding them. The mark was gone from her arm, but the scars remained. It was her, but she didn’t recognize him. How much did she remember? Had she forgotten all about him?
What cruel torture this was, but she was alive. And that was all that should matter. She was alive and safe. What did it matter then if she remembered him or not? He buried his face in his hands. Too many emotions passed through him to process them all. Tears slid down his cheeks. He was happy but devastated. And hopeful. She’d fallen for him before; surely he could do it again, get to know her all over.
A soft hand brushed through his hair. “You cut your hair,” she said.
Farron looked up at her in astonishment and she smiled.
“I was finally able to scare you. All it took was for me to die. Who knew?”
Farron gripped her by the waist and pulled her down onto the grass, his heart overwhelmed. She remembered him. And she was alive. She remembered him and she was alive. He smothered her lips with his, memorizing her all over again. She was here, safe, alive, real. He had never been more grateful for anything in his entire life than this moment.
When they were both breathless, he drew back to look down at her. She looked unharmed, well rested, better than she had in months. The mark was no longer taking over her, it seemed. He traced a finger across her cheek, along her jaw, down to her neck.
“Is this a dream?” he asked. If it was, he didn’t want to wake up.
“If it is, it’s some dream,” she said. She framed his face in her hands. “I’ve missed you.”
He smiled. “It must be if you are freely telling me that.”
She pinched his side and he jerked back. “Not a dream then.”
“Good,” he said as he kissed her again. And again. “Good.”
Claire sat back on her hands as she reveled in the warm, late summer air, the fragrance of hundreds of flowers filling her nose. It was hard to believe that she’d finally found herself in the City of Flowers with Farron after all this time. It was everything and more than she’d imagined all those months ago when he’d first told her about it.
The elf in question sat next to her, staring, not taking his ice blue eyes off of her, as if terrified that if he blinked she’d float away with the wind. She grasped his hand in hers to reassure him that she wasn’t going anywhere.
“How?” he finally said. “What happened?”
Claire shrugged and gazed up at the vibrant blue sky. “I don’t really know. I went to sleep. It was so warm and comfortable, and then I came to in a field. I didn’t know where I was, who I was, how I got there. A sheep farmer found me wandering. He took me in for a while and that’s when my memory started to come back. It was only small pieces at first—what my name was, where I came from.” She looked at him. “I was in blissful ignorance for almost an entire month before it all came rushing back—the attacks, the mark, my journey, an exasperating silver-haired elf.”
He laughed. “I told you I’m not that easy to get rid of, nor forget, it seems.”
A smile tugged at her lips. It was nice to know he still had his confidence after everything he’d been through. “Once I remembered, I reached out to the palace. I didn’t know what had happened to you, where you might have gone. That was the best place I could think of to contact. Lianna or the king might have known, or at least know how to find you. Without my magic, it took months for me to hear anything. And then a few months more for Lianna to finally find me. And then it took several weeks to locate you, and now you’re here.”
Farron took her hand and raised it to his lips, where he laid a light kiss on her palm. “I thought I had lost you for good.”
Claire sat forward and touched his face with her free hand. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”
“It was a nightmare,” he said, his agony apparent. “A never-ending one. I couldn’t bear a world without you in it.”
Claire sat on her knees and kissed him, starting with his forehead, down to the bridge of his nose, to his cheek, then across to the other one, his chin, then finally his lips, her kiss as light as a butterfly, then gradually deepening, all of her passion and love for him flowing into it.
“I’m sorry that I put you through all of that. This silly little barmaid has caused you enough trouble for a lifetime.”
Farron smiled. “It keeps things exciting.”
“You’re free to stay here,” she said. “Unless you would like to go back to—”
“I would love to,” he said a little too quickly. “So, this is yours then?” He glanced back at the sprawling estate.
Claire nodded, though she still couldn’t believe it. “A very generous gift from the king of Derenan for helping him save his kingdom from ruin.”
“Is this all?” he said, standing and pulling her up beside him.
She pinched his side again. Any gift was greatly appreciated. She hadn’t done it for the accolades, after all. Besides, as a barmaid, she had never thought she’d own a place as grand as this even in her dreams.
“I suppose it will do,” he relented, frowning slightly. He looked at her again, something dawning on his face. “Your mother, does she know?”
Claire shook her head. She hadn’t told her mother what had happened at all. “She’s arriving soon,” she said, dread setting in. “Once she hears she’ll murder me for sure. So, don’t get too attached to me.”
Farron laughed, a rich, hearty sound, music to her ears. “Well then, I suppose I’d better enjoy my time with you while I still can.” He pulled her close, tilting her face up to his. “You’re not going anywhere this time?”
She shook her head. “No,” she said. “I’m all yours. No centaurs, no Syndicate, no Council. For now. There’s an upside to being dead for a while.”
He drew her into a tight embrace, holding her as if she would disappear.
She hugged him back, feeling safe and warm, tranquil.
“What will become of us now?” she asked, pulling back to look up at him. She looked forward to some quiet time for a little while, but what then?
Farron arched an eyebrow. “You’ve always dreamed of adventure. Who says we can’t have any?”
Claire smiled, her mind starting to race with possibilities. “Adventure without the peril. Sounds like fun.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say no danger,” he said with a grin. “Where would the fun in that be?”
Claire laughed. But with the world changed, who knew what life had in store? After what they’d been through, they could handle anything. For the first time in a while, the future seemed bright and full of possibilities and she looked forward to enjoying every moment of it. Even if it was with the Ice Prince.