Elowen
The first light of dawn barely softened the chill in the air when the heavy wheels of the carriage rolled to a halt before our family estate. The quiet murmur of servants bustling to and fro was punctuated by the soft cries of Clarice's child, bundled warmly against the cold morning.
I stood on the stone steps, the folds of my pale blue muslin gown heavy around my ankles, my fingers twisting the delicate pearl strands at my wrist. Beside me, Cecily's usual vivacity had dimmed, her lips pressed into a thin line as she struggled to keep the tears at bay.
Clarice approached gently, the child cradled in her arms, eyes bright with a mix of pride and sadness. She knelt to brush a stray lock of hair from my face, her voice soft but steady. "Elowen, my dear sister, this journey marks the start of a new chapter for us all. Remember, you carry not just your own hopes, but those of our family."
I nodded, swallowing the lump rising in my throat. "I will not forget."
Cecily stepped forward then, her small hand grasping mine tightly. "Promise me you'll come back," she whispered, voice trembling. "This isn't forever, right?"
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, the usually vivacious spark replaced by a fragile longing that pulled painfully at my heart.
I bent down, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I promise," I said, though the certainty felt fragile even as I spoke.
The child gurgled softly, reaching a tiny hand toward me, and I smiled faintly, the moment a bittersweet balm to the weight pressing on my chest.
As the carriage door closed with a soft thud, I cast one last glance back at the faces framed by the morning light — my family, my past, and the uncertain future beyond.my parents stood on the estate steps—Father's firm hand resting lightly on Mother's gloved arm—as they watched me depart with heavy hearts. Their faces were lined with both pride and worry, silent sentinels bidding farewell to a daughter bound for a destiny unknown.
The wheels turned once more, carrying me away from the familiar and toward the wild unknown.
The wheels of the carriage ground steadily over the roughened road as dawn faded into the pale light of morning, the sun rising slowly above the horizon like a cautious promise. Through the window's misted glass, the world outside unfurled in shifting patches of golden fields and whispering woods, landscapes both familiar and yet oddly distant to me now.
Day one of the journey had begun in the quiet mist, the cool air scented faintly with dew and the faint tang of wildflowers. The steady rhythm of hooves and wheels became a metronome to my restless thoughts, each jolt and creak carrying me further from the life I had known and deeper into the unknown.
I had spent the morning tucked beneath a soft shawl, my gaze fixed beyond the passing trees, though my mind traced a thousand paths — questions without answers, fears tightly wound beneath a veneer of composure. What was Valmora truly like? Would its people be as fierce as the stories claimed, or merely proud survivors of a harsh land? And most pressing of all — what role was I to play in this savage court, poised between warrior king and wild realm?
The carriage stopped briefly at a small village, where merchants hawked wares beneath rough-hewn stalls, their faces weathered by sun and wind. I glimpsed children darting between crates, their laughter sharp and untamed, a stark contrast to the muted elegance of Selandra's court. I wondered if these were the folk who would bow to me, the queen not yet arrived but already whispered about in both fear and hope.
Hours passed, the sun climbing higher, dappling the forest canopy with shards of light. I stepped out when the horses were rested, stretching limbs stiff from confinement and freshening my senses with the cool breeze. The scent of pine and moss filled the air, grounding me amid the swirling uncertainty. I allowed myself a brief moment of solace beneath the towering trees, their ancient boughs standing sentinel over paths I would soon walk.
Yet the solitude was pierced by the growing weight of responsibility. Each mile drawn closer to Valmora was a step into a new reality — one where I would be scrutinized, measured, and tested. Could I bear the weight of expectation without bending or breaking?
Nightfall cloaked the world in velvet shadows, the carriage's lanterns casting warm pools of light that flickered against the dense forest. The sky above stretched vast and unyielding, a scattering of stars pricking the darkness with cold fire. Inside the carriage, I traced patterns along the embroidered fabric of my gown, seeking comfort in familiar textures even as my thoughts roamed wild.
Sleep came fitfully, dreams woven with fragments of the garden, the ballroom, and the sharp gaze of Darien Maevric — the Savage King himself. His eyes haunted me, deep pools of untamed strength and quiet command, stirring something fierce and unspoken within.
The second day dawned with a chill wind that rustled the leaves like whispered secrets. The road narrowed, winding tighter through dense forests that seemed to close around the carriage like the embrace of a living thing. The distant calls of birds and the rustle of unseen creatures filled the air, reminders that here, nature held sway as much as any crown or court.
I kept my hands folded tightly in my lap, the steady jolt of the carriage beneath a steady heartbeat echoing the tension coiled within. The forest grew wilder, the trees more ancient, their roots tangled like the secrets I dared not speak aloud. I wondered what awaited me beyond those towering gates — would I find acceptance or opposition? Strength or betrayal?
Midway through the afternoon, the carriage paused at a clearing where a small stream babbled over smooth stones, its waters clear and cold. I leaned from the window, watching the sunlight dance upon the rippling surface, a moment of fragile peace amid the journey's storm.
My thoughts drifted to my sisters — Clarice and Cecily — and the faces I had left behind. The memory of Cecily's tears and whispered promises burned bright, a bittersweet tether to a past slipping ever further from my grasp. Was this sacrifice for my family's future, or a loss I might never mend?
The final miles of the journey felt endless, the forest gradually thinning as the terrain shifted to rugged hills, their jagged peaks silhouetted against the fading light. The air grew colder, sharper, carrying the scent of pine resin and distant smoke.
As dusk settled, a faint glow appeared in the distance — the torches and banners of Valmora's stronghold, the black stag emblazoned upon silver fluttering defiantly against the twilight sky. My breath caught, the culmination of days and nights of travel converging in that single, fierce emblem.
The carriage moved forward with renewed purpose, the steady clatter of wheels a drumbeat heralding my arrival. I settled back, steeling myself for the moment when the gates would swing open and I would step into a world both savage and regal, poised to claim a place I had never sought but could no longer deny.