Chapter 4 — Chapter 3

Vaelina

I stood outside the heavy stone doors of the fortress that had been my prison for eighteen years, the crisp morning air biting at my skin as I waited for Aunt Maerra and Uncle Arron’s carriage. My heart raced with a mix of dread and exhilaration, palms damp despite the chill. I’d packed in haste over the past few days, cramming my knives and training gear beneath casual dresses in the smallest trunk—items I’d kept hidden from prying eyes. I’d memorized its place among the others; it would be the first sent to my new quarters in Gambriel, where I’d conceal them before anyone could question a human bearing such things. This journey marked my escape, but also my binding to a High Fae lord—a marriage meant to bridge our divided worlds, a union of royal consequence to unite human and fae in Theralis. The weight of that purpose pressed heavier than the trunks ever could.