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SHE COULD HEAR EVERYONE before she saw them. Warm motions floated over her head, her face. Someone held her hand. It was large and calloused, but gentle and warm.
“Evynria,” she heard someone say. “If you’re awake, show us, little one. People are worried about you.”
She tried to push her eyes open, seeing glimpses of light through them.
“I think her eyes fluttered,” she heard someone else say.
The voices seemed familiar, but her mind was filled with a fog. Evyn shivered as the cold rushed over her body. Finally, she managed to crack her eyes open fully.
Voladys stood over her, smiling. The faerie queen’s silvery eyes shone in the low light. Then she looked further down and found Enloris holding her hand.
“There she is,” he said with a tremulous smile. “Gave us all quite a scare.”
“Get the worried ones,” Voladys said to him.
His face fell, but he bowed and let go of her hand. She felt even colder.
“Someone fetch her a goblet of water,” she commanded. “And help her sit up.”
Hands reached under her shoulders, shocking her a bit, and slowly, she was pushed into an upright position before being leaned against—
She looked up. The throne? Where was she?
Night was still upon them, the lights glowing brightly through the trees. People continued to dance in the distance, but now the world was smothered in gold leaves. The sight was breathtaking. She vaguely remembered them falling all around before everything had gone dark.
People ran up to where she sat and she turned to see Ferrin first. He gathered her in his arms before she could fully see who else had come.
“You’re okay,” he said as he held her. “You’re okay, you’re okay. Bless the Divine, you’re okay.”
“It wasn’t the Divine who saved her,” she heard Enloris say gruffly.
Evynria saw him over Ferrin’s shoulder and her face warmed. It felt strange to be held by Ferrin, while looking into the face of Enloris.
“Thank you,” she mouthed to him shyly. The faerie knight nodded, before looking down and away.
Ferrin leaned back, holding her hand instead as the rest of them walked forward. Arnes, Ylid, Otsana, even the dowager and Valynce came to her side. The strangest, however, was the king, who stood behind them all. Her gaze locked with his and he bowed his head, then turned to re-enter the festivities.
“When you have a chance, perhaps tomorrow, we should discuss what happened,” Arnes said. “But for now, you clearly need rest, so we’ve called the carriage around to take you back.”
The memories of the night all flooded back to her then. Her prophecy from the day she’d broken her teacup on her bedroom floor. It had come true. She nodded at Arnes, and then Ferrin held out his hands to help her down from the dais. Evyn landed shakily on her feet, falling slightly in Ferrin’s arms.
“May I speak with her alone for a moment?” Voladys asked.
Ferrin blanched and bowed his head to the queen. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
He turned to look at Evyn. “Will you be alright on your own for a moment?”
She nodded, bracing herself on the dais. “I’m fine.”
A faerie handed her a goblet of water and she lifted it as though it were evidence she’d be okay. “See?”
The corner of his mouth lifted, but his eyes held pools of fear, even as he stepped back to give her an audience with the queen. As soon as he’d left, Voladys stepped closer.
“I know what it was you remembered,” she said softly. “I saw it, as well, if you recall.”
Evyn sighed, nodding. “I’d completely forgotten—We’ve failed.”
“Don’t say that just yet,” she countered. “But that is not for me to show you. I only wished to give you the hope you’ll require to keep moving forward.”
Smiling, she looked down at her dress, realizing she no longer wore her corset. The irony of having to remove her armor to heal was not lost on her. The Divine certainly had a sense of humor.
“And mostly,” Voladys continued. “I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you.”
A shiver ran over Evyn as her throat tightened, knowing she might cry any moment. She looked back up at the faerie queen, the only one who had been there for her in her youth. The one who’d saved her from herself when she entered the forest.
“I fainted,” she protested, her voice already thick with the tears that wanted to be shed.
Voladys smiled genuinely then. “For following your destiny despite how frightened you were, I am proud of you. Look how far you’ve come.”
Evyn’s jaw trembled as the queen put a hand on her shoulder.
“You will do great things, powerful things,” she said softly. “But to me, the greatest and most powerful thing you’ve ever done was march forward with your fear and grief intact.”
The tears spilled then, her eyes burning and nose stinging, and Voladys folded Evynria into her arms, running her elegant fingers over her shivering shoulders, before she let go and stepped back.
Evyn stood upright and bowed to Voladys, not out of mere deference, but respect and deep gratitude, a tear rolling down the bridge of her nose into the grass at their feet.
She straightened again, her head a little light still. “Thank you. For everything you’ve ever done for me.”
Voladys touched a hand to Evyn’s cheek. “It was my honor, dear one. Now go, your destiny still awaits you.”
Biting her lip, she nodded, and then turned to walk away, heading towards Ferrin and the others, leaving behind one family to be with another. The tears fell in earnest then, but as soon as they did, Ferrin, Otsana, and Ylid all gathered around her, holding her and leading her away.
At the very least, she wasn’t alone.