"This is your room, Princess," Enigma said, opening the door and revealing a huge room. A large window flooded the room with sunlight and a gentle breeze from outside lifted the delicate curtains. A bed stood in the corner, elegant wooden bedposts holding up a canopy of vibrantly colored curtains. At the moment, they were tied back with a silver cord that could be untied to cloak the bed from view. A closet stood opposite the bed. Lena was surprised to see that there was already an assortment of clothing hanging up in the closet.

"What are the clothes for?" Lena asked, gesturing to the closet.

"They're yours. Katya arranged for them to be brought up here before your arrival. You have a variety of gowns, dresses and more casual clothing. Some events require formal attire, however, your training would make a dress completely impractical if you are not accustomed to wearing one," Engima said. "Katya and I weren't sure exactly your size, so there are several options for tonight, but if any need adjustments you can go to the seamstress tomorrow."

"I... thank you. Um... what is happening tonight?" Lena struggled to keep up with all of the information she was receiving.

"Oh, right. I meant to tell you earlier, but with the whole incident with the crystal, I forgot," Enigma said, "Katya would like you to join her for dinner tonight if you are up for it. She wants to answer any questions you have and make sure you have everything you need here. She also wanted me to convey to you that she knows that it will take some time to adjust, but if there is anything we can do, we will."

"Thank you... yeah... I don't know what to wear to dinner with a queen though... it's never really been anything I have thought of doing before," Lena said, the fact that she even said it was strange to her. The whole situation felt so unreal.

"Ah, I can help with that," Enigma said, walking over to the closet and gently sifting through the mass of fabrics. She pulled several options off the rack and lay them on the bed. "These look to be about the right size for you."

Lena looked at the dresses on the bed before her. They were all more beautiful than any dress she had ever seen, much less owned before. The first dress was a rich black velvet with delicate silver embroidery swirling over the cloth. The sleeves were made of the same velvet, but the cuffs were embellished with a soft silver fur. The dress was amazingly soft and despite the stitching of the embroidery, it did not feel scratchy at all when Lena ran her fingers over the fabric.

"That one might be a bit warm for today, but it can get cool in the evenings at this time of year," Enigma said, watching as Lena inspected the first dress.

Lena nodded and moved her gaze to the second one. This dress was bright red. The asymmetrical hemline and gold lining on the red fabric made the skirt look like it was made of flames. The bodice seamlessly blended into the skirt and the soft flowing sleeves fluttered as Lena picked up the gown and held it up to her chest, turning to look in the ornate floor-length mirror.

Lena considered trying on the red dress, but her gaze was drawn to the third and final dress on the bed. The material was a beautiful pale blue and seemed to flow over the side of the bed like liquid silk. The fabric felt soft and smooth and Lena could not tear her gaze from it. It was much more simple than the other two; there was no embroidery, but the gown was easily the most beautiful of the three.

Enigma caught sight of Lena's enamored gaze and smiled. "I'll leave you to try that one on. There is something I need to get for you."

"Thank you," Lena waited until Enigma had exited the room before picking up the dress. She held it up in the mirror before gently setting it down long enough to slip out of her other clothes. Her everyday pants and t-shirt looked like rags next to the dresses. She picked up the blue one and carefully put it on, terrified of ripping it the entire time. She looked up at the mirror and her jaw dropped. The dress was absolutely stunning. It fit her perfectly. The neckline was off-shoulder, and the loose sleeves trailed almost to the floor. A small train of fabric moved with Lena as she turned to look at herself in the mirror. A soft tap on the door broke Lena out of her daze.

Lena opened the door to see Enigma standing there holding something in one hand behind her back.

"You look incredible, Princess," Engima said as she stepped into the room.

Lena smiled and blushed. "Thank you. I think I like this dress..."

Enigma and Lena both laughed for a few seconds at their amazement over an item of clothing, but then Enigma directed Lena in front of the mirror again.

"Close your eyes," Enigma instructed, and Lena did so. She felt Enigma moving nearby and felt Enigma place something in her hair.

"Every princess needs her crown. You can look now," Enigma said, stepping back to admire Lena. Lena opened her eyes and saw a delicate golden circlet adorned with golden leaves and flowers now rested in her long black hair.

"Thank you..." Lena murmured. "I actually... kind of look like a princess."

"You are a princess. A very beautiful princess," Enigma replied. They laughed again. "One day you will rule Erinaea." Enigma guided Lena to the window and they looked out to survey the beautiful forest around the castle. The sun was setting, painting the sky with a spectrum of beautifully vibrant oranges, purples, pinks, and reds.

"It's beautiful..." Lena said, looking out over the colorful landscape.

"It is," Enigma agreed, but when Lena turned to look at Enigma, Enigma's eyes met Lena's. She hadn't been looking at the sky when she had said it. Lena felt her cheeks flush pink again.

"It's almost time for you to go to dinner with Katya," Enigma said hurriedly as though realizing too late what she had said. "Here, in case it gets cold."

Enigma walked to the closet and pulled down a pure white cloak. The top was lined with soft white fur, and the fabric looked as though it could have been made of moonlight. Enigma carefully secured it to the blue dress and smiled.

"There, you're ready."

*******

It felt like hours passed as Lena followed Enigma down many hallways until they reached the banquet hall. With every step, Lena was terrified of tripping on the dress and tearing it. Finally, she stood before the wooden doors, and Enigma opened them for her. Lena carefully stepped forward, looking around. Engima smiled reassuringly and closed the door as she left.

"Lena!" Lena turned to see Katya walking toward her with a smile. Katya wore the same dress as she had earlier, but by now she had donned a golden crown, similar to Lena's but slightly more elaborate. "You look beautiful!"

"Thank you. Enigma helped..." Lena said, feeling bashful again.

"Well, she did a wonderful job," Katya said. "Here, take a seat."

Katya pulled out a chair for Lena, and Lena carefully sat down, being cautious not to catch her clothing on anything. Katya sat down opposite Lena and there was silence for a few moments as they stared at each other. The mother who had longed to see her baby for seventeen years, and the daughter who had never known her birth mother, now mere feet apart.

"So Lena, how are you settling in?" It was Katya who broke the silence.

"It's... surreal. None of it has sunk in yet, I think. It is very beautiful here, and everyone has been kind and helpful," Lena began. Her thoughts flashed to Etna briefly, but she pushed them away. "I just... it's a lot to take in. I think it will take me a while to fully come to terms with everything and how much everything changed."

"I understand that," Katya replied. "Up until very recently, you had no idea about any of this. You agreed to come back here more willingly than I had expected. Much more easily than I did..."

"What do you mean by that?" Lena asked.

"I too was a changeling child once. You may have heard of the human folklore of changelings. Children of elves or faeries who are given to human parents in exchange for a human child without the human parents' knowledge. In our case, the changeling is sent with one elven parent to be raised as a human in the human world, but the child is safe there." Katya explained.

"Are all the kids here sent to the human world?" Lena asked.

"It used to be that way. The wars used to be much worse. Things got better for a time, and the practice was only continued with the royal children as a way to provide extra protection. Not everyone has the power to cross between the realms, you see. Unfortunately, the wars are starting again, and a new enemy rises, bringing with him a terrible threat. He was trying to get to you. We had to bring you here before anything happened to you." Katya said.

There was silence for a few moments before a door opened and Cyran entered, pulling a wooden cart laden with dishes.

"I hope I am not interrupting a private conversation, Your Majesties," Cyran said, bowing to Lena and Katya in turn.

"Oh, no. Don't worry Cyran. Thank you," Katya said as Cyran began to set the dishes upon the table before them. Lena watched in fascination. Everything looked delicious and she suddenly realized how hungry she was. There was a dish of freshly cooked vegetables, bread, soup, meat and a number of other dishes. Lena could tell that whoever had crafted them must have been an amazing chef. Lena almost burst out laughing when she saw the last item Cryan placed on the table. She covered her mouth with her hand, but Katya saw and began to laugh too.

"What?" Katya said in mock defensiveness through her laughter. "They are delicious!"

Looking quite out of place next to the extravagant meal was a plate of very ordinary chocolate croissants. They were, in fact, the same ones that Katya had been served earlier that morning in Lena's world. Had it only been that morning? So much had happened so quickly...

Cyran bowed as he finished and left the way he had come, bringing the cart along behind him. As he left, Katya began serving herself and Lena. Once both of them had food, they began to eat. Lena ate very slowly, as to not spill on her clothes.

"This is so good!" Lena said after several moments of silence.

"I'm glad you think so!" Katya said, looking pleased. After a moment of silence, Katya continued in a more serious tone. "I wanted to tell you, I know you have a connection with Ivy. You think of her as your mother, and she is the only one you have ever known to be a mother. I understand if you never think of me as your mother, and I don't want you to feel like you have to. All I ask is that you understand that I did not want to send you away. I did what I had to do for your safety, despite knowing that you might hate me for what I have done. I am very happy that Ivy has been a loving mother to you all the years that I couldn't be. I want you to know that even if you never think of me as a mother, I love you as my daughter, and I want you to know that you can come to me for anything. Anything at all."

Lena's eyes met Katya's and she could see a deep pain in Katya's gaze, and she knew that Katya meant every word.

"Thank you... I do actually have a question, I thought maybe you could answer it..." Lena said.

"What is it?" Katya asked.

"Enigma said something the first time I met her. Well, I didn't really meet her, it was in a dream, but she said something about "the one the legend foretells". That's Draven, but what is the legend?" Lena asked.

"Ah, yes. The legend. It is not so much a legend as a prophecy. It was made by the second most powerful seer the realm of Erinaea has ever seen. It has come to be known as The Legend of Black Armor." Katya started. She looked as though she wanted to say something else, but then thought better of it and then she began to speak, almost like a chant as she recited the words of the prophecy.

"The legend foretells of a commander who will rise.

Blood will stain the land, smoke will blacken the skies.

Two will narrowly escape their demise.

The sole heir to a ruler will rise from despair.

To slay the black monster she cannot play fair.

Only one can, and only one will.

Only a princess is destined to kill.

The most powerful person and a single child,

By the child's hands, his life will be exiled.

Though the deed that she must do will harm her,

she who doesn't yet know her true power

will defeat The One Who Wears Black Armor."

Thank you so much for reading Black Armor! I would love to hear your thoughts! This chapter marks 20000+ words for this book and I am so excited for you all to see where this book goes from here!