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Draven and I wanderedabout the square, side by side. My letter opener felt hot and cumbersome in my hand, but I had no sheath for it. Part of me was tempted to toss it in the lake, but the other was stubbornly determined to keep it as a symbol of how differently things still might play out.
I think Draven must have known this, for he didn’t comment on it once. Not even in jest.
We passed by Crescent and Gawain. The pair were dancing with Taina. The little girl was shrieking happily as they each held her hand and swung her in a circle in time to the fast-paced music. Gawain waved at me, taking his eyes off his handsome partner for a brief moment. I lifted a hand, smiled, and waved back.
There was no denying I envied them. The two men looked at each other with such adoration and trust. What would it be like to be able to be that open with another person? To have the reassurance of their love?
I pushed the thought from my mind, telling myself to appreciate what I had.
It felt good to be above ground. To be in a crowd of people who weren’t all bloodthirsty, cutthroat Siabra nobles.
Just ordinary people going about their business and enjoying the pleasant parts of life.
We passed a smaller stage where an older woman with long gray hair was playing a harp and singing.
She had a hauntingly beautiful voice.
As we passed by her, the moon was out, casting an ethereal glow upon the city. The notes of the harp reverberated through the night air, carried on a voice of sorrow and longing.
She sang a song of tragic loss. About a fae king whose favorite daughter was stolen away by her own mother, a queen consumed by darkness.
I watched from the corner of my eye as the harpist plucked the strings, weaving a yearning melody that echoed across the small piazza.
A tale untold, in realms of old,
Where legends dwell and love's farewell,
With sorrow crowned, a grief profound.
A king revered.
A daughter's tears.
A mother feared.
Through veil of night, a stolen bond,
A secret guise in shadows veiled,
As darkened queen took flight with dreams,
And left behind a shattered scene.
The song was too sad for my liking. I’d had enough of sad families and stories of heartbreaking loss for one evening. I shook off the melody, hastening to catch up to Draven who had gotten a few paces ahead.
“Where are we going?” I demanded
“I thought you might like a night spent out of the palace.” He continued walking without looking back at me.
“I do,” I replied, picking up my pace.
He glanced sideways at me. “Even if it’s in another palace?”
“Another palace?” I looked ahead to the building he was leading us towards.
We were back alongside the lake. Ahead of us, a long and narrow, three-story building of pale coral terracotta rose majestically above the lake's serene dark waters. An arched arcade ran along the lower level, supported by tall, slender columns of a soft creamy hue. Pointed windows with delicate tracery and ornate reliefs covered the upper levels. Decorative pinnacles and statues adorned the rooftop.
The building was delicate. Airy and elegant. Completely different from the palace of the Court of Umbral Flames.
