HAYVALA

It took a single voice, rising high into the sunless firmament — Evyriaz's domain with wings. In faith's reprieve, an Avaerilian bore the truth of their soul against judgment. Such storied strength when they lost all they were, their inner songs, their connection to their wyvern ancestors. Arisen again, their legacy found within the tundra. Ser Yokonei, cursed by way of his name, arms outstretched to the future untold to him. Radiant belief. His white hair shone underneath a hidden star, a deep, violet hue lost within his pupils. A song within the storm, set free from the political games which murdered him. He was the start of an unending descent of Naveera — this was the final finish, with Neven Lotayrin to act as the chord, the melody of its refrain and loss. Left to the breeze, the harsh winters, and everything they once were, once upon a time — so far away.

"My lady?" Kazmira's voice sounded behind her with a kettle atop a tray and two cups. One for her medication, to prevent her mirthless, endless Sleep, and another for chocoberry tea. Her handmaiden bowed to her. "Lord Vlasiz begs an audience with you concerning the recent developments in the last moon and about the proposal you both discussed before the council meeting." In the silence, Hayvala turned to her table, relinquishing herself into the chair when Kazmira set the kettle and tea down. "There's also been talk in the lower quarters that the riots have intensified and bled into other nearby townships... people are dying in the dark, my lady, and the appearance of Yuven Traye has set the pyre alight."

As our penance comes to meet us with a vengeance until there is nothing left of us. Hayvala sighed and smoothed out her dress furs. "You may tell Lord Vlasiz I will see him now." For I will still do my duty to His Wyvern Grace unto the bitter end. As Queen Regent. As his older sister. I have no other recourse for the cards at play. Lord Lazron will seek to undermine him. The rest will follow like sheep — but I am yet a wyvern, and I am not a doll to be positioned at their whim. Scales of shed moonlight rippled in the dark when she closed her eyes and waited while Kazmira left to retrieve Lord Vlasiz who swore a sung Oath to keep her brother safe. Out of the clutches of those who were so ready to murder their own. And he has kept his word, and so... I shall keep mine, even if my baby brother vehemently disagrees.

Lord Vlasiz arrived with Kazmira at the door with a curtsy to the youngest Lord before shutting it, and her handmaiden out for privacy. His thick blonde waves fell down to his shoulders, some of it tied to the back of his head with a small clip. "Lady Hayvala." He headed over to the chair across from her, adjusting his own fur coat before sitting upon the cushions. His feathers twitched, but went still and betrayed nothing of their game. "Thank you for seeing me before court." His fingers laced together. "I've been compelled to proceed with our plan due to the activity outside the palace gates. Now more than ever, Naveera needs stability, and as you well know, His Wyvern Grace has much on his plate that he cannot handle alone with his age." He took out a scroll from the inner pockets of his jacket. With her duty between them, he met her gaze. "I know it is no secret of your disinterest in these matters, my lady, but know I would not mistreat you."

But I would nonetheless, still be a doll after a fashion. "Your words soothe me, Lord Vlazis. You have kept your word, your song and saved my brother from the plummet, so shall I keep mine." Hayvala took the scroll into her hands, ready to give up her freedom for her brother's chance at life, to become the leader she knew he was capable of being with proper guidance — out from underneath the thumb of their father and Keeper Blackwall both. It unfurled into her lap and she readied her ink and quill to bind her name with Lord Vlasiz's on the parchment. Heart squeezed, teeth clenched in a wyvern's maw, she began the swirl of her Navei script with the glittered ink.

Her white door swung open, and she lifted her head. Kazmira bowed deep to a haggard King Laucan, who dug his fingers into the knob before entering, manners forgotten. "You don't have to do this," he snapped, and Lord Vlasiz stood up with his head bowed low to not behold the Wyvern King in his domain. "You don't have to give yourself away because I'm an idiot!" He threw his hand out, as if that could cut their fate or duty out of their lives. "We both know you'll hate every second of this." His soft gray down fluffed out to the most it could go. So young, to bear the weight of a bloody crown on his brow. So young, to hold the weight of an entire kingdom in its last death knell. Hayvala sucked in her lips when he rushed to her. "I won't let you do this."

"Know that I do not do this only for your sake, Your Grace," she said, and Laucan's feathers thinned. "I do this for the sake of our people. We will not survive what is coming if I do not. It is imperative, King Laucan, that our people above all make it to the other side. And they won't if we do not go forward with this betrothal." Her gaze settled on Lord Vlasiz, who kept his hands on his chest and held his silence for her to beseech logic against a young one's frayed emotions. "It will serve as a distraction... and serve you as a firm grip outside of Volaris."

"But this is not who you are," he hissed with a childish rattle from his nose.

Hayvala shook her head and her loops brushed against her cheeks. "This has always been who I am, Laucan. I know my duty, and I will do it well to protect you."

Laucan's fangs slipped past his lips, but he withdrew them. "This is because of Ser Yokonei, isn't it?" He straightened himself out, and Hayvala bit down on the spark in her chest. "This is because of what happened with the Storm Wardens, with Neven Lotayrin and Yuven Traye. Is that what's pushed you into this?" He pointed at her window. "Shouldn't that have told our people, and all the aristocracy that we can still have hope? That we can yet see the sun and still carry our songs forth?" He bounced on his heels, full of energy and life too easily stolen from him. He swung his attention to Lord Vlasiz, whose own feathers thinned in response. "Do you mean to tell me that left the Lords unconvinced?"

"Far from it, Your Wyvern Grace. It is because of what we beheld that I proceed," he replied. "I cannot speak for the other Lords, but know that they are stuck in ice. If you wish your people to survive... I'm your hope for such. I am closer to the Aethejin peaks. I have access past the Pale Pass to food, supplies, such is required to see us through the long, blizzard nights." He straightened himself out. "All I asked for in return is something Lady Hayvala has already promised me."

"How much choice did she have?"

Hayvala stepped forward to get between the two. "It was my idea." Laucan widened his eyes, the pupils surrounded by the distant blue sky thinned into beads, but she continued, "I will yet be here until you come of age, Your Grace, ready to take the full weight of the crown with strength and compassion." Hayvala set her hands on his forearms, and he twitched. "Our people need a guiding beacon — Lotayrin has set the spark for such... we owe it to the lives lost in Irimount to carry the spark, raise it into the heavens and let it fly so that all Avaerilians can find their way home. I mean for you to live, Laucan... no matter what comes of me."

Laucan withdrew from her fingers and looked between them. Helpless. Hayvala forced herself to look away from the shattered expression, for the king himself to bear witness. If this is the only choice I was going to have... I'm going to take it. Hayvala finished the rest of her name. The parchment warmed, and she pushed it into Laucan's hands, who held it with his fingertips as if it would burn him. "You are to announce this underneath the eyes of Evyriaz, the Traveller, to all of the court. It will spread through Volaris... and give our people something else to talk about. Am I understood?"

Laucan lifted his gaze to Lord Vlazis. His hand clutched the scroll, then shoved it into a pocket of his fur coat. "Fine."

"I know this gives you pause," Hayvala reassured when he went to step back. "But know that I did make this choice willingly and gladly."

"You shouldn't have had to."

Hayvala smiled. "We both know that this could not be delayed any longer. I still have my age about me, barely into my thirty winters. I escaped a possible betrothal once already... once was all I could do. I thank you, Your Grace... for stalling such." Memories danced on the edges, the last Great Volaris Tourney for prospective Blizzard Sentinels, which Father gave her away as a prize to be won. The crowds cheered and ignored her plight, the loss stuck to her heart in the visage of Ser Yokonei. The Volaris Squires, eager for their chance at glory and her both. Their faces a blur, it was the Irimount Ice Squires she remembered with clarity. Each one, a wall against the blizzard. The cheers turned into a roar when one was called forward, whose footsteps echoed with historic names.

"Atoran Lotayrin, come again!"

But such was not your name.

Neven Lotayrin held himself a Knight, she made no mistake — but it was the same way Ser Yokonei held himself. Where all else within the Tourney refused to behold her as a person — Yokonei and Neven looked her straight in the eye with no reverence to not her, but her station. No, I knew from the moment you faced us that you were no Atoran Lotayrin come again... you were something, and someone different. Hayvala acknowledged the young Ice Squire in turn for his show of true respect to a fellow Avaerilian — a woman when all else would dare not look at her in fear that she would shatter into glass. I wonder, do you know the ripples you have with your steps? It was a near thing, Ser Lotayrin... had you not relinquished the victory you earned, by dropping a glaive at your opponent's feet and turning your back on a chance many would kill for... many have... I wonder if you'd still be the same person we all saw on that platform... if I would have the strength now to do what must be done... relinquishing victory to duty. Hayvala looked to Lord Vlazis with a nod. "It is settled, then."

Lord Vlazis straightened out his foot and bowed deep to them both. "I will not mistreat her, Your Grace — nor force her to return with me to my home. She is your Queen Regent."

Laucan fluffed out his feathers with a sniff, but he no longer argued.

Maybe someday, Laucan... but that day is not today. Hayvala pressed her hands together. "If that is all, we do have a council meeting to deal with — I shall make the announcement to the aristocracy there so you can focus on the court as a whole. All will be well, Laucan." Hayvala pushed a smile on her face, the glaive Ser Yokonei gave her to prove the weight of its meaning out of her hands, passed on. "Our present may not survive... but that does not mean our future does not exist. We must keep moving forward, for our people. Ever were travelers at heart, spreading our songs for all to hear and sing in turn." Her hands stretched out between them, to settle the helplessness from her brother and the guarded position Lord Vlazis held himself in. "We have much to do. Things to plan. Matters to settle and deal with after the situation previously." Hope filled her heart with a vengeance.

A fleeting thing when matched with the despair of her people.

The door swung open again to reveal Efram, shaking like a flurry with Kazmira staring at him as if he had grown several heads. His breath came in ragged pants, his own hair flyaway and robes in disarray. "Your Grace!" he pleaded, but stayed outside the room.

"Efram." King Laucan turned around, his hands raised in the old compassion of her little brother, before the weight of the crown nearly destroyed him. "Catch your breath and explain what's going on—"

A shriek sounded through the halls of her home, a deadly, blood-curdling sound. It ripped her feathers to the tips of her ears, the sound coming out of Laucan's mouth from the past, though the present remained silent and pale.

It echoed through the palace, straight into Volaris and beyond.