Chapter 20
Golden embroidered flowers trailed the edges of my onyx gown—it hung off my shoulders.
The fabric flowed behind me as I stepped closer to Lioran’s chambers.
My hand lingered above the handle of his chamber door.
All this time, he was in this room. So many times I passed it and wondered what lay behind the door, carved with intricate detail that matched mine.
He was right here, with me—the whole time.
I exhaled, my breath catching in my chest. Before I could move, the door creaked open. His chrome eyes glittered even in low light—they entranced me.
“I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” he said. “But then I felt you lingering here.”
“What if I can’t do it?”
“Then you just enjoy the stars’ magic alongside me. It won’t hurt you to try.” He extended his hand to me, and as I slid my hand in his. The onyx’s heat dissipated. A crisp chill lay beneath it.
“You look radiant.” His voice lowered as he pulled me into his chambers. His own inky black tunic shimmered in the candlelight's glow.
“I’m glad you like your dress choice.” I didn’t know where the dresses came from, but each one fit me exactly as it should—as if they were made for me. “Where did the dresses come from?”
“If I share all my secrets Aelira…” He rubbed his hands together. “Do you not like them?”
“They’re stunning, but are they for her? For your future wife?” I asked, even when I knew I shouldn’t. It didn’t matter—it shouldn’t matter, but every time I entered my chambers, and now his, I couldn’t break free from the thought.
That everything belonged to her. Even him.
The glimmer of light that flickered behind his eyes faded as I stepped back. “They are yours. All of them were made for you. There’s a fae in the Heart that uses her magic to craft clothing—yours and mine. She works very quickly.”
“How could she do that without meeting me?” I asked.
“Juniper gave her the outfit I found you in.”
I looked around his chambers, darker than my own, but just as ornate. Similar carvings, a similar hearth that glowed just as brightly as mine. Windows that overlooked the river just as mine did. I stepped back again, recoiling deep within myself.
“It’s all yours, just like the room is yours. I want you to have everything. I want you to be here. I choose you—only you.” He embraced me, pressing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “We get to have this, just us together right now. I am grateful for every moment.”
“As am I.” I was grateful for all of it. “Sometimes I just struggle with giving you my heart…knowing it will break. But I can’t stay away from you. I don’t want to even if I could.”
My fingers trailed down his chest, I inhaled his scent—warm and familiar. It settled something within me I couldn’t name, until the knot in my chest slowly unraveled.
“This moment is just for us.” He pressed a gentle kiss upon my lips. I pulled him in closer, kissing him again. “I’m starting to wish no one was expecting anything tonight…why do they have to be all down there waiting?” His voice was low, it rumbled through me with each word he spoke.
A flutter rose in my chest—and suddenly it ran deeper, intertwining with my veins, pulsing through me. I nodded, unable to say anything else. He lingered close to me, before tugging me toward his open balcony.
“What do we have to do?” I asked, desperate to pry my thoughts from him.
“The starlight doesn’t just enhance the land—we must be conduits for its magic. Together, we can channel its power through the Verdant Alignment.”
“I still don’t know if I’m ready.”
“I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t think you were.
Your gift is from the stars—their power won’t harm you.
” He lifted his hand to me, and I slid my palm on top of his.
“Before we begin, there’s something you must know.
The celestial energy is powerful. It will awaken things in you… make you sense things with new depth.”
“What is it like?” I asked.
“It’s primal. If we partake in this together, it could heighten everything we feel for each other.” His hand gripped mine tighter. “You must decide if you’re willing to take the risk.”
Something had already awoken in me the moment I walked into his chambers. It was hard to weigh my thoughts when my thundering heart threatened my focus.
“What if we…can’t control it?”
“I know how to control it, but you may not.” I settled into his arms, and we looked up at the twinkling starlight overhead.
“I want to help.” My throat constricted. I didn’t know what the ritual would awaken in me, but I trusted him to keep me balanced.
The usual glow of candlelight was absent throughout the Heart. The lanterns on the water were extinguished—only the moon, and the stars, cast their glow tonight.
“Tonight is the one night a year when the stars assemble to bless the land with their light. We ask the stars for guidance—for restoration.” His words grounded me. “I carry the weight of the stars with you, beside you.”
He placed a massive, clear crystal in my palms. My hands gripped the uneven edges protruding from the stone.
“Speak with the stars like you do with the land, direct your energy toward them. They will cast their light into the crystal,” he whispered to me. “I’ll be with you the entire time.”
Threads of light danced through the celestial heavens. Energy rampantly shot between the stars until a pool of light formed. A streak of silver light rained down on us, splitting only as it reached our crystals. A fierce vibration ran through my icy veins, shattering any calm that remained.
The crystals illuminated blazing white starlight. Once prevalent outlines of the world around us faded, casting a hazy glow until all I could see was him. An unsettling calm washed over me even as my heart raced on, thundering in my ears.
Then the crystal compelled me to be what it needed. The building energy released, and refracting light shot into the ground.
Even from a distance, I could see each blade of grass illuminated and thickened, plump with the stars’ energy.
The starlight rolled through a trickling path that poured into the stream.
The water glowed, welcoming its power. It embraced the trees, willing them to stand taller, strengthening everything in its path.
Cascading light escaped the courtyard entirely until only its glittering traces remained. The overpowering scent of every blade of grass, flower, and tree filled me. Its lingering energy was a hum in my veins—pulsing, pulling something to the surface inside of me.
Twinkling light from the crystals danced on the balcony, a display only for us. Starlight glittered in his tantalizing gaze. A powerful heat that surged through me with his trailing touch—more intense than my magic.
He took me in, as if he was looking at me for the first time. “Aelira…” His hand gripped my jaw as he kissed me deeply. With a forced exhale, he pulled away. “We should get to the celebration.”
“I want to stay—here with you.” I spoke the words as if they weren’t mine. A heavy exhale escaped my lips.
“There is nothing I would like more, but we need to go. Everyone’s waiting.”
I trailed quietly behind him, watching every step he made through the castle. There were no echoing boots, or trailing voices—only the sound of our steps, only the sound of his uneven breath. The scent of him wafted to me—stronger than before.
“We should enter the courtyard separately.” He hovered over me, his eyes avoiding mine.
I reached for his hand before we parted. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“I wish I could share how incredible you are with everyone.” His voice wavered as he reached for my chin but pulled away. “I’ll see you out there.”
With his parting steps, an ache ran through me, as if something had pulled him from me permanently.
The wall braced me as my fingers trailed my lips, savoring our last kiss.
I held still, even though I needed to chase after him.
When I couldn’t sense him any longer, I stepped out into the courtyard.
The light still lingered everywhere it touched. I wished it would never fade. The stars illuminated the Heart so that no other light was needed. The crowd looked on with widening eyes.
Cora walked over to me; she placed her hand on mine.
“Where have you been? You missed it.” Her eyes scanned the crowd. “At least you get to see it now. Just this once I wish I could see the ritual for myself, but Lioran always keeps it private.” Cora’s voice trailed off.
Lioran watched me from across the courtyard. He shimmered in the darkness, impossible to ignore, but only I took notice.
“The feeling of the starlight…it’s indescribable.” The words escaped me slow and uneven—my eyes couldn’t part from Lioran’s.
“Wait…You did it with him?” She slipped in front of me, blocking my view.
“It was magnificent.”
Her glare shifted from me to him.
He moved ever so slightly, coming back into view. “It was…wonderful.” I barely knew what I was saying.
Her fingernails dug into my wrist, pinching my skin. Cora tightened her grip on me. Her eyes peered into mine, studying me, but still I searched for him. “How could he possibly think that was a good idea?” She scoffed. “Let’s go for a walk. I’ve been wanting to introduce you to a friend of mine.”
As we shifted through the crowd, I noticed the fae lady she gestured to, elegantly dressed—a raven braid draped wrapped around her head. “Lady Aelira, this is my friend, Lady Aura.” I tried to commit her name to memory.
With each word that was spoken, every attempt I made to speak, my thoughts returned to Lioran and the starlight in his eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Cora has said nothing but wonderful things about you. How is Lythira treating you? I imagine it’s much different from Eyrsea…although I’ve never been.” Lady Aura’s eyes narrowed.
“Quite well.” I tried to stifle the laughter that threatened to escape me. Lioran moved just an inch, and I sensed it.
“Good. From what I hear, it seems you have our prince’s favor—which is no easy feat.” Lady Aura surveyed me.