Chapter 47
Lore
Ihoped we’d discover clues in the library.
“I'm sorry,” Valera said, her shoulders curling forward. “I don't have books about broken artifacts like what you're describing. But that phrase—where dragon tears fell into the sea, the tide remembers—reminds me of an old riddle.”
I lifted my brows, hope sparking.
“From a children's book that once belonged to Halendor Court. A gift from her librarian friend. You remember I mentioned her visiting? Well, my mother read it to me all the time.” She tapped her chin, frowning before her eyes cleared.
“A crown once sank where flame had flown, two hearts beneath the waves alone. The tears they shed lit up the deep, and stirred the tide from deathless sleep. The sea still holds what time forgot. The tide remembers what they sought.”
It was all beginning to make sense, one bit at a time. Would we be able to piece together the clues before the curse dropped? I had to believe we would. We’d gotten farther than anyone else. The fates wouldn’t be that cruel.
I had to trust in our love. In the life we were fighting to build.
And that we’d one day hold our daughter.
We left the library. Dorion was supposed to arrive today, and I had some questions for him related to the Halendor riddle. But when we returned to our suite, he hadn’t arrived at the castle yet.
“His ship has been sighted, my king,” Lord Briscalar told us. “I’ll be happy to inform you the moment it reaches the pier.”
“Why don’t we go there and meet him?” Reyla said. “We can see how everyone’s doing in town, and quiz him before he’s set one foot on our land.” Her eyes sparkled with a hint of laughter. “I’m sure he’d enjoy that.”
“Excellent idea, wife.” I held out my hand, and one flit took us to the outskirts of the city.
Holding hands, we strode through the streets, amazed at all Lord Briscalar had accomplished while we were gone. Some buildings were still under construction, but many had either been repaired to the point I couldn’t tell they’d ever been damaged.
“Lord Briscalar deserves yet another title,” Reyla said, awe in her voice as she gazed around.
“He already holds the highest title other than king. Perhaps I should hand him my crown?” I was only half-teasing.
Sometimes I wanted to board my ship with my bride and sail wherever the wind took us.
Explore. Taste new foods and meet new people.
Savor being together with none of the weight of ruling on our shoulders.
“Hold onto your crown.” Her sly smile rose. “I’m in love with all that makes up Evergorne’s king. I can’t see myself feeling the same for Briscalar.”
“Well, see, there’s this queen who also wears a crown.” Now I was teasing. “She sits on a throne next to the king. She can be a bit testy at times, but I do enjoy when she flames.”
She poked my side. “You. Watch out or I’ll scorch you in a way you’re not expecting.”
“Flame away, pretty little bride,” I drawled. “I can withstand the burn.”
She wanted to take an adventure, and perhaps we would one day soon. She could wear the dragonfly pendant I’d given her, and we could stand at the front of the ship like we had during our journey here only with the full love in our hearts.
The streets of Evergorne buzzed with quiet activity. Everywhere I looked, I saw signs of healing, from new timber framing rebuilt shops, to fresh mortar between stones, the kind of bustle that spoke of hope rather than mere survival.
As we made our way toward the harbor, a boy was the first to spot us. He tugged on his mother’s apron and pointed.
“It’s them,” he whispered, though with the volume of a shout.
The woman glanced over, her eyes widening. She hurried to smooth her hair and wipe her palms on her apron before approaching, the boy of about six followed, peeking shyly at us from behind her back.
“My king, my queen,” the woman said breathlessly, giving us a curtsy that seemed more habit than formality. “I—I wanted to say thank you. For standing with us. For what you both did. We’re still here because you defended us and helped us after.”
“You’re welcome,” I said.
“We could do no less.” Reyla crouched, smiling at the boy who seemed fascinated by her. I couldn’t blame him. She fascinated me all the time. “What’s your name?”
“Deren,” he said, clutching his mother’s skirts.
“Well, Deren, our city is looking wonderful today. And you look very handsome. I’m especially fond of that tunic.”
He beamed, tugged on the collar, and leaned toward her like he wanted to come closer, but wasn’t sure if he should.
She opened her arms without hesitation. “Would a hug be all right?”
He darted forward, wrapping his arms around her neck, and something inside my chest shift in a way I didn’t have a name for. When he stepped back, Reyla rose, her eyes bright.
“You're going to be an incredible mother,” I said quietly.
She glanced up at me, eyes soft. “We're going to be incredible parents.”
I tried not to think about whether I'd live to see our own child this happy.
The woman turned to me. “There’s a new mural in the Hall of Names,” she said. “Of you two during the attack. Battling with swords and showing your bravery. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but we all contributed a bit to make it happen. As a thank you.”
More townsfolk had begun to drift our way in a gentle ripple. A pair of older men tipped their hats. A girl with sun-bleached curls offered Reyla a small bunch of wildflowers she might have picked herself. Reyla sniffed them, her eyes sparkling with tears.
An old woman with a crooked spine tapped my arm. “Evergorne’s not just standing. She’s alive again.”
“She’s in all our hearts,” I said.
“She is, my king. She is.”
Reyla took the woman’s hand and squeezed it. “She needed time, and so did we.”
She looked at us with respect, the kind that said: You were here when our world cracked, and you're still here as it heals.
We weren't just their rulers. We were part of them. That meant more than any crown ever could.
We reached the marketplace and took a right, aiming for the pier.
We hadn’t made it much farther before a voice called out from the edge of the square.
“Your Majesty—uh—Reyla! “
Wildfire paused, turning with a faint smile that widened the moment she recognized the speaker.
The girl from the village, Missy, wove through the trickle of townsfolk with a basket hooked over one arm and confidence in every step, her brown hair shining in the sunlight.
Dust clung to her boots and the hem of her skirts, but her eyes were bright and unshaken.
“Missy,” Reyla breathed, stepping forward before the girl could even reach us.
The two of them hugged, and both of them were grinning.
“I hoped you’d come to town soon,” Missy said, pulling back. “You brought the king with you.” Her gaze slanted my way.
“Yes, he tends to follow me around like a nyxin,” Reyla said.
I laughed, inclining my head. “I take orders better than I let on. When they come from my queen, anyway.”
Missy’s expression softened as she looked between us. “I never forgot what you did. You trusted me when no one else had. That night I thought you were mad, asking me to take charge like that, but…” She shrugged, eyes glinting. “It helped me figure out who I wanted to be.”
“You already were that person,” Reyla said, stroking her arm.
Missy looked down at her basket, then opened the cloth over it to reveal small bundles wrapped in leaves and twine.
Herbs, I guessed, from the scent. “I’m apprenticing with Marel now, the healer.
My grandmother…she’s raising me. She set it up.
I’m not just mixing poultices but learning where everything grows, how to gather them properly.
Do you think that counts as helping rebuild? ”
Reyla beamed. “That counts as leading the way.”
Missy lingered with us. “If you ever need a simple healing, remember me.”
“I will,” Reyla said.
Missy nodded and turned, melting back into the street she’d once helped clear stone by stone.
Reyla slid her hand back into mine as we watched her go.
“She’s still leading,” I said.
“She always was.”
“You have that effect on people,” I said, bringing her hand to my lips. “You make them believe they can be more than they are. You made me believe I was worth saving.”
We walked down the street toward the pier, my heart full and the scent of herbs still clinging to the air.
Tomorrow would bring either salvation or goodbye. But today had given us proof that our love had built something lasting, something that would endure even if I didn't.