Page 144 of Born of Starlight
Wyeth gave her a warning nudge with her elbow, but an underlying smirk gave her affection away. “Ihavealways enjoyed watching you fight for me,” she playfully noted. “We should leave them to this and see that Amara hasthathandled.”
Maybe their relationship should have surprised me, but instead, it clicked into place like a missing puzzle piece. Even if I hadn’t always understood it, there had been an example of love under my nose my whole life.
“Down, boy…” Darvanda taunted as he observed Fen’s still clenched fists. “It looks like your little Star gets to stay after all. Pity.”
Sybilla met my gaze with a nod of reassurance.
* * *
Fenrisand I sat across from the Queen in her study, the weight of her words still echoing in my ears.
I was to become the Chief Advisor of Luz.
Me and Fenris were to be interim rulers of the Central Corridor.
Fenris was tense but gripped my knee to ground me.
“Asterie?” Sybilla was tapping her delicate fingers on the table as though against the keys of a piano.
“I’m sorry.” I mustered a response. “Are yousure? Surely there is someone in your court morequalified, more worthy of—”
“I’ve made my choice.”
Fenris still hadn’t said a word.
“I—” Intaking a breath, I was still unsure. “I would be honored to accept. But will your people accept us? A High Enchantress and a warlock, once condemned for destroying a kingdom?”
Sybilla smiled with a tilt of her head. “My people trust in me. And I trust in you. They will accept you, and you will serve them well until I can return.” The Queen paused. “I won’t lie, I would have entrusted this to Emmerick, but with the North Corridor needing support now more than ever and our current...strained relationship, I need rulers who will put the people first. Who will try, who will be unafraid to face hard times.”
Fenris cut in, “I, too, would be honored to handle matters of rebuilding and setting up a sanctuary for those who would like to learn to wield magic.”
His confidence helped ease my worries, but only slightly.
The road ahead would be a long one. Queen Sybilla was entrusting us to enact all of her plans while she was deposed and in the Wastelands. The rebuilding of Luz, creating a sanctuary for magic-wielders, handling the political fall-out of a realm overcoming an attack.There had to be someone who could do this job better than we could.
“Have you no advisors, no relatives?”
Sybilla flinched as though I had hit a bruise on her very soul. “None that are helpful.”
I pressed on. “What of the nobles you spoke of that do not approve of your ruling? Will they rise against us?”
Sybilla smirked and responded, “Well, speaking of family—those would be my cousins. After seeing you burst apart and kill men in a fit of stars, I doubt they would dare try. But you will need to be careful. Weallneed to be careful…I can’t trust this with anyone else.”
I suddenly felt sad for the young Queen.She had no one.Her own family couldn’t be trusted. Even I had Fenris and Amara and could work on connecting with Wyeth and Cassidee in the way I’d once wanted to as a child.
“Don’t pity me, Asterie. I have you two. And from what I’ve seen of you—I stand firm in that we will be good friends.”
I’d forgotten the Queen would be able to feel my uncertainty and hear my thoughts. I tried desperately to reel in all of my doubts and feelings of inadequacy.Why us?
Sybilla simply smiled and asked, “The stars and flames—what do they both have in common?”
Fenris leaned back in his chair and looked over at me as though I was the most marvelous being in the realms.
When I could not think of a relevant similarity, I shrugged and shook my head in defeat.
Sybilla answered, “They both light the way.”
Epilogue: A New Realm
