Astreia

When Hyllie said Dante was being held captive in the Governor's Mansion, I expected it to take some time to free him, but she was back within three hours. The horizon had not even begun to lighten yet. We might actually make it into Estrellum tonight.

I hung back as Yoko went through the supplies with Hallie and watched Dante. He wore a finely woven cloak with golden thread and diamond studs in his ear that glinted in the torchlight. Clearly, being a prisoner was no hardship in Yorkton.

Grimacing, I reminded myself that a gilded cage was still a cage. It was a matter I was all too familiar with and should not judge the man for living in comfort. In fact, his prison might be even worse than the one I'd grown up in. I couldn't imagine being able to see my home across the river and be unable to go to it.

"Like what you see, love?" He asked with a purr when he caught me staring.

Yoko's hand stilled as she shoved dry goods into a saddlebag, but I waved at her to keep going. As much as it thrilled me when she acted possessive, it was best that I put him in his place. As his princess...

No. I wasn't his princess; I was his queen. And he would have to treat me with respect and heed my commands.

Keeping my hood pulled over my eyes, I folded my arms over my chest as he circled me. When he finally stopped in front of me and flashed what I'm sure he thought was a charming smile, I lowered my hood, revealing the silver braids he would recognize anywhere. Watching his flirtatious expression morph into shock was worth being dramatic.

"Hyl–" He said the Will-o'-the-wisp's name in a hoarse whisper. "You did not tell me it was Astreia."

"Because you didn't ask," she replied.

"Hello, Dante. You've done well for yourself."

Dante licked his lips and scratched at the stubble on his powerful jaw. Tall, with coal black skin, and eyes the color of spring grass, the girls at court had swooned every time he came into a room. Somehow, he had only grown more handsome, filling out his lanky form with broad shoulders and muscular arms that stretched the sleeves of his tunic.

"I've stayed alive, and it appears you have as well, though I was beginning to think you were actually dead. We've heard nothing about you since your betrothal to the prince was announced. Did you end up married to the bastard?"

"Do you think I would be committing treason in the dead of night if I was married to Tievel?"

My heart rolled over in my chest. I had come so close to actually being bonded to him. Some nights I woke covered in sweat, the memory of his fingers digging into my flesh so vividly I had to check for bruises to make sure it was actually a dream.

"I suppose not. Lucky me."

Dante winked at me, and I wondered if he was referring to our betrothal. After they took me to Edresh, I was not allowed to hear news of my home, and when the war ended, I didn't know who had made it out alive. As far as I knew, Dante Ishtan and his entire family were dead, and that meant my obligations to him were ended.

But he was very much alive, which meant our contract still stood. If I took up the throne when we returned, then we would be married unless we both agreed otherwise. That was unlikely, considering Dante had everything to gain from such an advantageous marriage, and for me, there was the matter of children.

I glanced at Yoko who was talking quietly with Hyllie. This was something that had been consuming most of my thoughts over the last few days. Relighting the portal wouldn't be the end of my duties, and when I passed into the Other Realm, another would have to take my place. One with the light of Vyta in their veins. A child of my blood.

"Horses are saddled and ready," Yoko called out, putting her hand on the hilt of her sword as she walked toward us.

"And who is this lovely creature?" Dante asked, eyes widening as they drifted over Yoko's svelte form.

"Not interested in the likes of you," she replied. "But my name is Yoko."

"Hyllie told me the same, but she came around."

His head jerked forward as Hyllie's hand connected with the back of it. "That's not the way of it, and you know it."

I had to press my lips together to stop a laugh from escaping as he clutched his hands over his heart in mock distress. Whatever his flaws, lacking confidence wasn't one of them. It had been the same when he was a child. His mother scolded him for sneaking sweets before the evening meal, and he gave her such a look that she apologized and gave him extra.

"So how do you plan on getting us through the thorns?" he asked me with sudden seriousness.

"What is the crest of Estrellum?"

"The Thorn and Star."

"Mother would not have cast a spell like that if there wasn't a way through. Not if it meant keeping me out forever, and that means she would have made sure I had the key."

I pushed up the sleeves of my tunic and let the light of Vyta shine through my skin. It had been a constant companion my entire life, and yet seeing the pinpricks of light never ceased to fill me with awe. Dante's face went slack, and his throat bobbed. It might have been a trick of the light, but I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes.

"I have dreamed of this moment for fifteen years, and with every passing year, the edges of my memories blur. But just now, seeing your light, it's as if I never left home at all."

Hyllie cleared her throat. "Touching as this is, we need to get you three through before my shift change."

Yoko nodded, her delicate face an unreadable mask as she watched Dante. Later, I would ask her what that was about, but right now, Hyllie was right. We needed to get going.

"Do you think you can control the fire enough to make a small space? Just big enough to let the horses through?" Yoko asked me, her hand going into mine and squeezing tight. Dante's eyes tracked the movement, but he said nothing.

"Of course. I want to open the door, not knock the wall down. There are wards in Estrellum that will hold off unwelcome visitors, but they can only hold against so much. We need them to think the wall is still intact for as long as possible."

Hyllie pointed across the river. "You can use the bridge just down from the wicket gate, but you need to be quiet and quick. There's no wall to block you from view, and if anyone–even a tradesman–spies someone using that bridge, they will sound an alarm."

A murderous expression crossed Dante's face, and I suspected he knew someone who had been caught crossing the bridge. I wasn't concerned about our chances. The three of us were dressed in black, and the three horses Hyllie brought us were black as well. We would blend into the night.

Hyllie continued. "A little further down is a thicket that hides the wall. That would be your best option, since any hole you make won't be visible without crossing the river."

"Thank you," I told her, offering my hand. "This means everything to us."

The soldier stared at my hand and finally took it with a sigh. "You can repay me by being successful and reviving Estrellum. It's been far too long since Edresh has been in power without anyone to hold it accountable, and I don't know what it is, but the world feels it. There's an imbalance."

"We will right it. I promise."

I grabbed the reins of my horse and followed Yoko and Dante to the bridge. Yoko was in full soldier mode, her limbs tense, and her eyes moving constantly over the terrain. Dante was alert as well, but his attention kept falling back on me.

"What?"

"Are you prepared? For what you're going to see when we cross?"

"I don't know what to expect at all, but surely it's got to be better than Araphel. Mother wouldn't have destroyed our home."

"No, but there wasn't much of it left when my family fled. The border towns were largely destroyed by Edreshian soldiers or abandoned. All our temples have been burned, and some of the flower fields were salted."

"It doesn't matter," I said, even as my heart sank. "As long as the Estrellum people survive, we can rebuild. I am going home. Not just to light Vyta but to rule."

Dante pressed his fist to his chest and then pressed his lips to his knuckles. "All Hail the Queen of the Stars. Long may she reign."