Page 11 of The Divine Shallows
“In a week’s time, I’ll be hauled away for the next seven years. Can’t blame me for wanting to show off a bit before then. I had to remind you of who the better dragon rider is while I still can,” Elyria teased.
Elowyn groaned in response. “Don’t remind me. You’re just going to make me even sadder than I already am.”
“Trust me, I don’t understand it either,” Elyria sighed, wandering further into the mountainside. She eventually found a towering pine tree, sitting down beneath it with her back against the trunk, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her forearms on her knees.
Lost in thought, Elyria plucked a wildflower from the ground and began twirling it between her fingers, which prompted Elowyn to join her.
As the sisters conversed, Stryx emerged from behind a curtain of trees and ambled over to Bane. The two firedrakes lingered near the cliffside and nested comfortably in a patch of grass as they both lounged serenely, sunlight bathing their scales.
Years prior, the sisters had stumbled upon this secluded spot when they were younger. One evening, while riding atop Stryx in search of a sunset-viewing spot, they passed over this area. Elowyn, very young at the time, pointed excitedly at the trees below, mistaking their shadows for antlered stags.
Despite Elyria’s attempts to explain that they were just trees, Elowyn insisted on seeing for herself. Elyria, unable to deny her sister, landed, and Elowyn came to realize her mistake. Disappointed, she declared the area their sister headquarters, a secret base camp just for them. The Bay of Stags became a sanctuaryaway from home, a place they often sought solace.
“We both knew this was coming when my name was called seven years ago,” Elyria reminded Elowyn.
“Right…” Elowyn mumbled and then questioned, “Speaking of, have you decided what you’re going to do for theVituson the Sixth Day?
“I have something planned. You’ll just have to wait and see,” Elyria replied.
During the Sixth Day of the weeklong Ceremony leading up to the Trial of Caena, the seven Goddess-chosen candidates participate in a ritual known as theVitus. It’s a display of power, intelligence, or ability for a chance to be named theprimisof the current divine season.
Over the centuries, Neramyran nobility had turned theVitusinto a competition between candidates and their respective kingdoms. Like all noble courts, news traveled like wildfire. The more impressive theVitusis, historically, the better the chance of becomingprimisis. This presentation of power set the precedent for the next iteration of divine magic wielders.
“Spare me a clue?” Elowyn pleaded, pinching her thumb and finger together pitifully. “Pretty please?”
“I would, but it’s my only upper hand during this season’s Trial,” Elyria responded grimly.
“I understand,” Elowyn said, then added, “The seven realms will be shocked when you becomeprimisthis season.”
Elyria scoffed, “We’ll see. Sometimes, I wish my name was never spoken. It would be easier that way.”
“Even without being moon-blessed in the Divine Shallows, you are a royal candidate. That counts for something. Every kingdom in Neramyr understands the power behind that title,” Elowyn insisted.
“That may be, but I won’t hold my breath,” Elyria responded, stone-faced.
It troubled Elowyn to see her sister so on edge, but sheunderstood why. The Moon Goddess had dealt Elyria a cruel hand at birth, and this was her only chance to overcome it.
Since the beginning of the New Age, children of royal blood had always been blessed by the Goddess. So, when reports of an unblessed Fangwright plagued Neramyr, the slew of speculations and conjectures concerning the Fangwright bloodline tormented the fey of Eriden. It made Elyria’s life a labyrinth of pitfalls without any means to escape. Elowyn knew that Elyria fought each day to break free of the oppressive shackles that weighed her down. With every spell she mastered, with each class of magic she excelled in, and with all the training she labored through, it was all to strip herself of her tainted reputation.
Elowyn hoped that once Elyria emerged from the Bridge Between Worlds, and she earned the ability to wield divine magic, that she would finally be able to find the happiness she deserved. Without the senseless scorn that had followed Elyria from birth, maybe she could finally be seen as more than just her cursed fate.
“I know,” Elowyn answered. “This time it’s going to be different.”
As Elyria leaned further back on the tree trunk, Elowyn moved to rest her head on her sister’s shoulder.
“I’m going to miss you, you know. For the past nineteen years, we’ve spent almost every day together,” Elyria whispered.
“It’s going to be different around here without you,” Elowyn replied glumly.
“It’s funny you say that. When you were born moon-blessed, everything changed for me. It was like all of Eriden found hope in you again after I brought the darkest era. Life became endurable, and didn’t wake up miserable every day. You became my best friend, and above all, I finally wasn’t alone anymore,” Elyria confessed.
Elowyn’s heart ached at the sincerity of her sister’s words, but what Elyria didn’t know was that she was petrified to her core. For nineteen years, Elowyn had always faced the world with Elyria’s guiding hand,and now she would have to navigate it all on her own. The simple truth was Elyria already knew what it felt like to be alone, but Elowyn never had, and she certainly was not ready to.
4
The Fanged King, The Clever Queen, and The Heir of Nothing
Havingbreakfast together was a rare occasion, and the tension in the royal dining hall was intolerable. Elowyn sat beside her sister, with their father and mother seated across from them. Despite the spaciousness of the hall, designed to accommodate sixteen guests, the four occupants seemed oddly outnumbered. Most days, the royal dining hall remained empty, a stark contrast to its lavish decor. Their father was engrossed in ruling their kingdom, while their mother managed affairs in the courts, leaving the sisters largely to their own devices. However, that was not to say they were left without expectations.
