When I opened my eyes, the cave was empty. I lay on something soft and springy, moss-like — almost like a bed piled high with warm blankets. The comfort reminded me of my room in the palace… the one I could never return to. Lavern had said that dark creatures had overrun the castle. They were searching for me and my sister, destroying everything and everyone that stood in their way.
My back still ached. As I threw aside the torn blanket covering me, I noticed that someone had bandaged my wounds. My royal gown was gone, replaced by a cream-colored tunic and dark trousers — simple, practical clothes, much like Igni's, though far too loose on me. Fighting was never my strength. Plants and their properties had always fascinated me much more.
Gathering every ounce of strength I had left, I managed to stand, though the effort left me trembling. Stepping outside, I guessed it must be morning — the sun hung low, casting golden light through the trees. Droplets of water glistened on the leaves, making the forest shimmer as if it were alive. In the distance, I saw Ash sparring with Igni. Ash was faster and stronger, yet Igni's movements were precise, his defenses elegant. There was a strange closeness between them that I hadn't noticed before.
We had been traveling together for four days, and still I knew almost nothing about them. Ash was distant, impossible to read. Igni, in contrast, was lighthearted and free-spirited. Perhaps there was something more than friendship between them?
Why am I even thinking about this…?
"Aeryn, pull yourself together," I whispered under my breath. "There are more important things to focus on."I called to Lia, telling everyone to get ready — it was time to move. By the time I finished packing, the others were already waiting at the cave entrance.
We set off once more, and exhaustion quickly took hold of me. My back throbbed with every step; my legs felt heavy as lead. All I could do was concentrate on moving one foot after the other.
"You know you don't have to push yourself this hard," Ash said suddenly beside me. "This place isn't meant for princesses."
"I'm fine. I don't need your pity."
Without another word, he lifted the pack from my shoulders.
"Your fever only broke last night, and now you're already marching again," he said, his gaze locking with mine. There was no concern in his eyes, no pity — just that same unreadable darkness, as if he were some riddle I'd never solve.
A few hours later, we reached the elven kingdom. Small cottages lined the road, merchants filled every corner, and the air was thick with the scent of honey and freshly baked sweets. Lia skipped happily to the rhythm of the street musicians. The locals we passed had the signature pointed ears of their kind — graceful, poised, unmistakably elven.
Before long, we arrived at the royal palace. Marble columns stretched toward the sky, the roof gleamed with gold stones that caught the sunlight, scattering it like fire. Two guards stood at the edges of the courtyard, and as we approached, the grand doors swung open before us.