Clarity in Memory
She should be thrilled.
Halvryn was the perfect match. He was regal, powerful, and offering her a partnership that would elevate both their kingdoms. He spoke of strength and unity, of making history together. He whispered things in her ear that stirred something inside her, something dangerous and thrilling. And yet, beneath it all, there was an unease that she couldn't shake.
She had been here for too long.
The realization struck her suddenly, her fingers tightening around the balcony rail. How long had it been since she'd truly thought of home? Since she'd missed the familiar halls of her own palace, or sought council with her father? Something about this place made time feel sluggish, clouded.
Her thoughts drifted to Kaelen, to the cold expression he had worn the last time she had spoken to him. He had tried, in his own way, to warn her. But she had pushed him away. There had been an anger inside her, one she hadn't fully understood. Now, standing under the open sky, she wondered where he was. What he was thinking. If he still thought of her at all.
Kaelen wiped the blood from his blade, the moonlight catching on its now clean edge. The fight had been brief, an interruption on his path back to his hidden lodgings. He exhaled sharply, trying to push down his growing frustration. Every lead he had followed had crumbled to dust, every thread leading him in circles. Someone was hiding the truth from him, twisting it out of reach.
And then there was Solenara.
His grip on the sword tightened before he sheathed it. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He had always been protective, always been aware of the depths of his emotions for her, but now, something was… off. She was slipping from him, being shaped into someone new. Someone unfamiliar.
What had changed? Why couldn't she see it?
A rustle of movement caught his attention, and Kaelen pivoted, hand back on the hilt of his weapon. A figure emerged from the shadows—a woman. She was striking, draped in a deep blue gown that shimmered as she moved, eyes bright with something almost unnatural. She smiled.
"I thought I'd find you here," she murmured, tilting her head. "A soldier should know better than to let his guard down."
Kaelen straightened, wary. "Who are you?"
The woman stepped closer, slow and deliberate. "Someone who wants to help you."
She was beautiful, the kind of beauty that was crafted with purpose. Dangerous, yet alluring. Every instinct told him to walk away. Yet, something about the way she held herself, the confidence in her gaze, made it difficult. He frowned, forcing himself to hold his ground.
"I don't need help," he said flatly.
Her smile didn't waver. "That's the thing, Kaelen. You do. And whether you accept it or not… fate is already guiding you."
Solenara tossed and turned in her bed, her body restless despite the late hour. Eventually, she gave up, rising from the silk sheets and pulling on a cloak. If sleep wouldn't come, perhaps the night air would clear her thoughts. Quietly, she slipped from her chambers and walked through the palace halls, careful not to draw attention. Her feet carried her outside the grand structure, into the gardens beyond.
It was almost instinct, the way she found herself beneath the towering trees, in a clearing she hadn't seen before. Something about it felt… familiar. Like a place she had been to once in a dream.
She sat down on the cool grass, pressing a hand to the earth beneath her. The moment she did, something shifted. A memory. No—a fragment of one.
A man, golden-eyed and strong, his hands calloused yet warm as they reached for her own. Laughter, rich and deep, the kind that made the earth tremble and the sky bloom with stars.
The memory was gone as quickly as it came, leaving her breathless.
"What… was that?" she whispered.
The stars above her twinkled in response, watching, waiting.
And deep in the palace, in the darkness of Halvryn's chambers, unseen forces stirred.