Chapter Fourteen
Calling to one of the softest of my zirilium, I brushed my fingertips up the stem of a nearby flower, causing the drooping plant to straighten and puff out its petals.
“There you go,” I murmured to the sprouting flower. “Looking better already.”
I looked around at the dozens of other flowers I had already nurtured back from the brink of death, all surrounding the Thorntier thrones.
The Haven throne room stood in the very center of the giant structure. There was no solid roof overhead, and portions of the sky could be seen between the gaps of the trees.
Yes, trees.
The throne room was more of a giant courtyard—the same courtyard Byn and I were wed in—with grass and earth underfoot and exposed to the elements above. There were many Southern wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and other greens spread about the space.
Though the thrones themselves were the highlight of it all.
Having been shaped from the growing trunk of giant trees, each throne was breath-taking.
I could only imagine they were crafted with plant zirilium, having the two trees grow and bend into the perfect shape for their king and queen.
They sat towards the back of the open space, but I could feel their roots running in every direction in the earth below.
Their backings were nearly as tall as Atlas—Byn’s Titan Wolf and one of his closest companions—making me feel tiny as I sat on the ground in front of them.
Reaching out a hand again, I breathed life back into another flower, this one a soft yellow.
Apparently, the fae that usually maintained the plants of the throne room had fallen ill.
I’d overheard Giles, Byn’s assistant in nearly everything court-wise, mention it, and had offered to lend a hand today.
Giles had been beside himself and tried to softly talk me out of it, but I thought it’d be good for me.
Ever since facing Dimi recently—and seeing the lengths he was willing to go to get what he wanted—I’d spiraled into my own dark thoughts again.
The day after we returned, I hadn’t left mine and Byn’s chambers even once.
The following day had been a bit better, but there were still shadows lurking within the depths of my mind.
Today, though, I wanted to be in this courtyard.
Not only did it keep me occupied, but because we’d been so busy since I’d arrived in the South, I’d only taken my place on the throne once—when we appointed Laurence into the Valwain and he’d vowed to serve the Thorntier line with all he was.
I’d also been appointed that day, but I had simply stood and made my vows to Byn, instead of kneeling before the thrones, as Laurence had.
Besides that, I hadn’t needed to be in the throne room—other than the day Byn and I had gotten married.
It made me feel… appreciation. That was where Byn’s parents had sat and ruled from, where they’d led not only their people but their family. Their children.
And Stars, did it seem like they did a fantastic job.
I knew the Thorntier siblings grieved still, and likely felt differently about seeing the thrones without their parents sitting in them, but it also made me feel blue, oddly enough. I wished I had been able to meet them, under different circumstances.
And thank them for raising the male I couldn’t live without so incredibly well.
“Your Majesty?” I heard Laurence say, his voice gentle and soft as always.
Tilting my head to look away from the lively flowers now surrounding me, I caught sight of my guard and friend heading towards me from the main throne room entrance.
Looking back towards the thrones, I couldn’t help but say, “I feel like I can see them in Byn and Teagan and Margo.”
“See who, Your Majesty?” Laurence asked as he neared.
“The previous King and Queen of the South. I’ve seen their portraits on the walls, and heard the siblings talk about them briefly, but here I feel like I’m able to appreciate them more. To connect.”
I ran my hand through the soft soil below mindlessly, bright green grass sprouting from under my palm upon contact.
Laurence watched, subtle awe on his face as the native grasses grew.
“They were kind, like King Robyn,” Laurence said, crouching next to me and gently cupping the yellow flower in his hand.
“And thoughtful, like Teagan. Queen Genevieve was creative like Margo, and King Orus was stubborn like her. They were two sides of the same coin, using their strengths to work together the best they could for their kingdom and those they loved.” Laurence raised his brows at me. “Much like you and King Robyn.”
A few moments passed in a comfortable silence before Laurence asked, “How’s the wing?”
“Feeling much better, thanks to Chess.” I flexed my left wing out, then pulled it back in to prove my point.
After Rayven, Matea, Ezra, and I had all arrived back to The Haven a few days ago, Byn had insisted the group’s first stop would be the infirmary.
Mostly for Ezra, but I had felt my husband’s worry about my wing, too.
Considering at the time my own blood had stained my clothes, I couldn’t exactly fault him.
Chess had gone right into trokav mode upon seeing Ezra, and although he was obviously relieved to see his friend, he couldn’t hide the concern on his face.
He’d asked one of his helpers—a female on the smaller side—to care for me, who patched up my wing with ease, despite never having worked on wings before.
Now, it would only need a few more days of ointments and bandaging, and it would be nearly back to normal.
The same couldn’t be said for Ezra.
What Matea and I had done hadn’t been enough.
While we treated the outside, the inside of his body had been damaged, too.
Broken bones, internal bleeding, a slightly punctured lung, the list went on.
He was nearly beyond repair, according to Chess.
But ever since getting back to Quinn, Ezra had been fighting even harder than before.
I could see the effort he was putting in to get better, day by day.
And Quinn was there for it all, every step of the way.
“I’m happy you’re healing well,” Laurence said, lightly placing a hand on my shoulder and drawing me from my thoughts.
“But you came to find me for a reason, I suppose,” I speculated, looking up at the older male.
He nodded. “King Robyn asked me to take you to him.”
“Is he alright?” My stomach dropped as I instinctively reached for Byn through our connected emotions.
My expression relaxed in relief before Laurence could even respond.
“All good things, my queen,” he said with a smile. “He’s prepared a surprise for you, I believe.”
I couldn’t help the excitement that rose within me. I’d hated surprises all my life, but Byn always seemed to know exactly what I needed.
I trusted him.
I brushed dirt and blades of grass from my cotton pants as I stood from the ground.
“Lead the way, Laurence.”
***
“There you are!”
The sound of my husband’s voice graced my ears, stealing my attention away from the light conversation I’d been having with Laurence.
We’d just stepped outside and onto the path that led to the royal gardens, but it seemed Byn had gotten antsy and came to find us.
“I can take it from here, Laurence. You should probably get some rest, anyway,” Byn suggested.
That’s right, I thought, we’ll be leaving again soon—almost all of us this time.
After we’d arrived back home, Matea, Rayven, and I had a meeting with just Byn.
He said he would talk to Ezra at a later time, but that he wanted to know how the trip went, from start to finish, while the details were still fresh in our minds.
He acknowledged it was a heavy task to ask of us, but the three of us understood.
So we sat for hours, recounting what had transpired over the past nearly two weeks.
That was when I’d learned of the alychite.
It would figure my twin would be using such a material that made it so Rayven couldn’t wield around it—hence why he’d needed the key to Ezra’s cell. Dimitri had always been so much more intelligent than others had viewed him.
My chest felt as though it caved in slightly at the thought of my brother.
“Yes, my king.” Laurence bowed, then turned to me, pulling me back to the two males before me and away from the one that was a kingdom away. I dipped my chin slightly, signaling that he was free to depart. He didn’t smile, but his eyes still shone as he looked at me, then headed back inside.
“You truly believe we’re ready to go back out there?” I inquired as Byn linked our arms together, leading me towards the gardens.
We would be heading out in a matter of days, into Northern territory once again. Though this time, we’d be taking a different approach.
“I believe we don’t have another choice, unfortunately. Not if we want to find our missing fae.” His expression darkened for just a moment, but the second we walked through the green arch leading into the gardens, I could practically see the stress on his features brighten with excitement.
Laurence had mentioned a surprise, but I wasn’t sure what could have gotten Byn so giddy.
“What’s got you so excited today, love?” I asked.
“Why shouldn’t I be?” he laughed. “I’ve got the most beautiful female in the realm on my arm. Any male would be excited—mark my word.”
My lips tilted up in a smile as we continued to walk through the gardens, past various flowers I didn’t know the names of, until we ended up standing in front of a tall, thick wall of shrubbery.
“What are we—”
I was cut off as Byn gently let go of my arm and stepped forward. I watched as he used his plant wielding to create an opening in the shrubbery. In one step, he was through. He reached a hand back through to me.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
“Always, Thorntier.” I placed my hand in his and, in one large step, I was on the other side.
And what I saw took my breath away.