Page 4 of The Divine Shallows
With a playful grin, Elowyn teased, “Why, good morning to you too, Ora. I’m afraid I’m a bit behind schedule on pestering my dear sister. My regrets to you about my display of undignified manners. I would be absolutely bedeviled if my hallway etiquette did not meet the standards of the monarchy.”
That earned Elowyn a good whack atop her head with the cloth napkin tucked away in Ora’sapron.
“Ow, I was just joking, Ora! You know me, I wouldn’t be careless unless it was absolutely necessary. I only have a few days left with Elyria before the Trial,” Elowyn argued, making a case for her innocence.
“Don’t play the fool with me girl, Goddess knows you’re trouble,” Ora snapped back. Then her expression softened as she continued, “Princess Elyria needs you greatly in the days ahead. I worry she is doubting herself. Each time I see her, she seems half-consumed with dread. The divine Trial is challenging for any royal candidate, especially for her, given that she is afflicted with such a… misfortune.”
Heaviness filled the air as Ora glumly pushed out the last word.
“I felt she needed some comfort and kindness to start her day.” The handmaiden’s gaze was downcast, fixed on the tea tray in her hand.
The silver tea tray was elegant, decorated with ornate edges that were slightly raised with handles fashioned on opposite ends. A silver dome covered an oval plate, from which an inviting aroma wafted. Elowyn imagined stacks of freshly baked biscuits drizzled with honey, berry scones with sugary tops, and delectable finger cakes. There was also a darling porcelain teapot, accompanied by two delicate teacups and saucers.
Reminded of the dainty porcelain tea set Elowyn adored in her youth, a memory from when she was eight resurfaced.
It wasthe early morning of Elowyn’s eighth nameday and she found herself in the front of a large wooden door—a door she knew by heart. Every morning since she could remember, she woke up and made her way to it. Her gaze lingered on the crescent moon carved upon its surface, twin to the ones marked on her palms.
Standing on her tiptoes with her moon-inked palms, Elowyn reached for the door’s gold-worn latch.
Quietly as she could, she grabbed for the handle and pushed untilthere was an opening large enough for her to shimmy her way in. She found her older sister sitting at her desk, hunched over, and pouring herself over a book.
Elowyn smirked to herself, thinking her older sister was caught unawares. She slowly crept behind her sister and planned her calculated ambush. She waited a few more seconds as her sister flipped another page in her book. Close enough now to read the text on the pages herself, Elowyn pounced on her sister’s lap.
Feigning shock, her older sister jolted and shrieked. Elowyn cackled with joy, giggling herself into oblivion. Elyria laughed in tandem as she sat Elowyn upright in her lap.
“I got you!” Elowyn bellowed in triumph as settled into her sister’s embrace.
Chuckling affectionately, Elyria agreed. “Yes, you did.”
“Do you know what day it is Ely?”
“Hmm… It’s Tuesday, right?”
“No! Well, yes. But, no! It’s my nameday!”
“Oh, so it’sTuesday and it’s your nameday?”
“Yes! You said we could have a tea party!” Elowyn griped.
“Of course it’s your nameday. I would never forget such a special day. I had Ora bring your favorite tea set and treats.”
“This is the best day ever!” Elowyn squealed, elated.
“Here, I also got you a gift,” Elyria responded, smiling tenderly.
Elyria retrieved a small wooden box from her desk drawer. She gently handed the box to Elowyn and watched her younger sister untie the scarlet ribbon and lift the lid, her wide silver eyes peering inside. Within it, was a pair of identical necklaces nestled on a cushioned bed. Each necklace was made of a thin silver chain with a solitary gemstone—a breathtaking white opal, skillfully cut into the shape of a teardrop.
Elyria removed one of the necklaces, displaying it to her younger sister. “Remember when you asked me to promise that we’d always be together? Well, I had the royal artificer make us somethingspecial. These necklaces are carved from the same stone, fashioned from two halves of a whole. They’re charmed with an invisible bond that’s inseparable—kind of like sisters.”
With curiosity, Elowyn lifted the second necklace from the wooden box and held it in the air. At first, she felt nothing, but then a gentle hum radiated from her necklace, as if it acknowledged the presence of her sister’s necklace—a missing piece now complete.
Wonderstruck, Elowyn allowed Elyria to fasten the necklace around her neck, and then watched as her sister donned her own. The necklace felt like a warm pulse, a soothing weight at the base of her neck. Elowyn had never owned any magical objects before. She instantly prized it most above all her other belongings.
“Now we can always feel like we’re together?” Tears welled in Elowyn’s cherub eyes.
“Yes, exactly. Happy nameday, Elowyn.” Elyria laughed, her voice was like a lilting melody.
Her sister then pulled forth a silver tray with a set of porcelain teacups and a plate of shortbread cookies. “Now, now. A princess has no time for tears on her nameday. What do you say, shall we have tea?”
