• Enchanted by Taylor Swift •

Larimar's eyes fluttered open to a larger bed and an empty room. A soft pillow had been delicately tucked under her head and another under her knee, making the hem of her dress ride up her thigh. The first thing that caught her still sleepy eyes was her dagger, clumsily fastened to her thigh, the scabbard strikingly dark against her honeyed skin.

She sighed and used a hand to cover her face, even though nobody else was in the room.

If she was in Eira, she would have been woken up by her handmaiden, Agata. A pitcher and a basin would be brought to her bedside so that she could wash her face and mouth without having to leave the warmth of her fur blankets. But here, at the house where Citra had let her and Jade live, Lari could wash her face anywhere.

Lari stretched and left her pallet for the bath. Unlike her bath at Eira, it was small with a copper-tinted basin barely big enough for one person. A couple of bars of soap laid on the floor beside the tub, packed in leather. She quickly washed off the sleep from her eyes and mouth before stepping out to meet Jade and her familiar.

The Princess needed a few moments to adjust to the bright sunlight when she swatted aside the newly installed curtain. She couldn't remember when she had seen such clear and warm daylight before. Definitely not in her seventeen years in Eira.

She looked around, and found Jade in front of the makeshift kitchen, a towel draped over her left shoulder as she moved fluidly between the fire and what looked like a chopping board to Larimar. Her long, auburn hair was tied in a messy bun, loosening further with every move she made.

It was Mewton who saw the Princess first and purred out an announcement, startling Jade. "Oh, good morning. I'm making pancakes." The redhead turned to meet eyes with the noirette.

"Good...morning," Lari replied with a lack of gusto. "Where did you get the ingredients from?"

"Citra came by to drop off things for us to eat," Jade replied, smiling from ear to ear but it didn't touch her eyes. And as it was increasingly becoming a habit since the previous night, the feigned smile did not fool Lari.

The Princess joined Jade's side in an attempt to inspect the ingredients and utensils. And although she had minimal culinary experience, she could at least tell them apart. "You're making pancakes with lemon zest?" She asked, holding a tiny saucer to her nose.

"Yes, I'm guessing you've always had sweeter pancakes with syrup. But this is also amazing if this turns out right." Jade replied. "It's a family special. My brother taught me this. Very recently actually, so I thought I'll try it out. Maybe you can be the judge of whether I can actually cook."

Lari only smiled. Knowing full well she would not be of much assistance, she asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"I'm almost done, Princess." Jade flipped a pancake with ease.

"You know..." Lari looked away, utterly impressed. "You need to drop the Princess sometime soon."

Jade chuckled, exactly like she did last night. "That's not possible, Princess."

"Why not? I dropped the Queen when you asked me to." Lari picked up another utensil - a jar - to inspect. Taking the lid off, she stuck her nose at its brim and the aroma of tea instantly engulfed her.

"I've only been a Queen for...what, 2 years. But you've been the Princess for as long as I can remember. I know you as the Princess, and nothing else."

Lari hummed, pushing the jar of tea leaves towards her companion. "We'll have to change that."

Jade acknowledged the jar and the Princess' silent request, but something else caught her attention. When Lari shifted the volume of her hair from one shoulder to the other, the young Queen froze.

A single pale blue tress amidst her black locks.

Jade quickly looked away, composing herself to avoid offending her companion. Setting aside the last, well-flipped pancake to a casserole, she set on the fire a pan that the Princess handed her. As the water in it boiled, Jade dropped a pinch of tea leaves and stirred, bringing the color out.

Lari was on her knees when Jade turned, in front of a straw mat, arranging plates and cups on the low table that had been set out. Jade set down the casserole of pancakes and the pot she had strained the tea in. "Now Princess, this is probably nothing compared to your breakfast at home. You'd have probably had-"

"My mother." Lari swirled a spoon of honey in her tea. When she noticed Jade looking on quizzically, she continued with a sigh, "I'd have had my mother. Sorry...I just suddenly remembered that I didn't see her before we left."

Jade nodded and looked away. She had been waiting for Lari to say something like that. It was only natural for her to regret leaving her home, miss her mother, and want to return. But to think it'd be so soon...

"Princess, if you wish to return, I'll make sure to find a way."

Lari only shook her head and gratefully bit into her first pancake. "It is flavorful," she acknowledged, "and especially with the... What are these tiny seeds?"

"Poppy."

"Yes! It's great. Thank you for cooking."

Jade informed the Princess about the farmlands that stretched between their house and Citra's and Lari easily guessed the realm to be Kalk. The deserted realm.

It made sense why Luna would send them there.

"I was thinking...for as long as we're here, I could help Citra out with farm work," the Queen said as they washed their dishes.

"Yes, we could do that." Lari's tone was still melancholic and Jade didn't push the conversation any further.

In the evening, as the sun was setting, Lari proposed they go out to look around. She smiled with her words and wore a brighter shade of blue after her bath, and that was enough for Jade.

The sky was a hue of golden that Lari hadn't seen in years, reminding her of The Sun's mane.

It was peaceful, the warmth seemed to heal her skin and bones, she could feel the sweat on her forehead, her neck, and under her arms, as she walked beside her new friend, with her cat leading them. Jade, on the other hand, vividly enjoyed their brisk evening walk. After spending weeks on their journey to the chilling north, the heat of Kalk was like a homecoming present.

Flanking their track on both sides were corn and soybean fields, blocking further sunlight and relieving Lari. Although she was enjoying the change of weather, the bodily fluid she was not.

The closer they got to the only visible house, they noticed how similar it was to the house they were staying in, only bigger and homelier. A bed of flowers and the gentle sound of flowing water welcomed them.

Almost at the door, Mewton Pie raised her neck high and rolled a sharp purr off her tongue, as if in a warning or an intimation.

"What is it, Mew-mew?" Lari asked, wiping the sweat from her brows.

They heard Avento's steps before they saw him and he was gone the next moment, calling out for his mother. Jade and Lari waited, watching Mewton walk over to the shrubs and smell the flowers.

"Princess! My Queen!" Their attention was swerved when they heard Citra's soft voice. She appeared from the side of the house where the sound of the flowing water came from. Baby Jada was in a cloth carrier, sleepy and drooling against her mother's chest.

The blonde woman took Jade and Lari back with her, toward a shed behind the house. The arch of its doorway was barely visible, tucked under a carpet of green creeping vines and drops of dark red musk strawberries. A wagon rested under the shadow of a big tree whose gnarly branches were left void of leaves - obedience to the seasonal rule, a sign that winter will arrive here too. And behind the outhouse, in the distance, Lari could see where the sound of the flowing water was coming from.

The host offered some strawberries and the guests obliged, plucking and dipping them in honey before taking a bite, quenching their hunger with the crunchy sweetness and the aromatic magic only.

Jade peeked into the shed out of curiosity, only to see wooden cartons filled with seemingly fresh harvest waiting to be either consumed or taken to the market to be sold. The boxes lay scattered on the floor or shelves, and wooden and iron tools leaned against the nearby walls.

"Do you go to the market every morning?" Larimar asked Citra, running a hand over the bicycle seat attached to the wagon.

"Oh no, no!" Citra's voice was giddy - she had had too many strawberries. "We go there once a month. On the full moon night, when Luna guides us through the dark forest. We sell our harvest and get rice and other vegetables and supplies in return. The market is very far away to go there every day."

"How long does it take?" Jade asked.

"If I cycle restlessly, it would take about seven hours to cross the Nokimetsa woods and then a little more to get to the market."

"Right, that's the Nokimetsa woods. Wait, that means..." Lari's words got lost as she glanced at Jade, the Queen's face etched with a dilemma.

"Oh right," Citra said as if an epiphany had befallen her. "I haven't shown the woods to you. Please follow me, your Highnesses."

Curious, Larimar looked away from the redhead and stepped to follow their host. Jade smiled and obliged too. She didn't need to see the forest, she knew it like the back of her hand. Probably not this side of the woods, but on the opposite side, where Citra claimed to visit the market, was Jade's hometown, Jahima.

She was so close, she could run through the woods if she wanted to, barefoot even, just to visit her home, her people, the wooden throne they had carved just to crown her as their Queen.

She was a celebrity there, a vigilante turned queen, the one who stood up for the people, their lands, their trees, and the forest. When the famine hit, two years without rain and harvest, she and her group of underlings scoured the forest of wild berries, fruits, mushrooms, and hunted wild game, just to feed the village.

Hundreds died of hunger, but nothing, no supplies came from the royal stocks. The same Emperor who had been diligently collecting revenue in kind from the realm returned nothing in their time of need. When the people retaliated, he imposed even more challenging taxes, demanding to take wood from the Nokimetsa if need be.

Jade's family led the realm into resistance. When troops arrived in the night from the realms friendliest to Laz II, they stood proud, starving, and ready to fight.

Alas, wood falls in front of steel. And an empty stomach is not fuel enough for war.

Jade realized her worst nightmares when she saw an Eiran blade drive through her mother's heart.

She picked up the sword of a fallen enemy and then another, and in madness, slashed the life out of whoever crossed her path. By the time the sun came up, she was sitting on a mount of corpses, cradling her mother's lifeless body in her arms - the only memory Sol let her keep when she came for the Laz-killer.

"Jade," Lari's soft voice and touch made her finally let loose the breath she was holding. "Are you okay?" She asked again, squeezing her arm in a warm, friendly manner. Jade nodded.

They were in front of a stream now, on the other side of which was the woods. It was a gentle flow, tranquil. A breeze picked up the cold from the water and blew it onto the faces of the visitors.

Baby Jada was now peacefully asleep, a thumb tucked between her lips. A sense of peace spread over the adults as well. As Larimar and Jade watched the Sun fall soundlessly below the horizon, they felt like this could be home.

"You were lost in some thought, it seemed," Lari said, her voice still low and kind. "Your home should be across the woods, no? Don't you want to go there?"

"I don't think it'd be safe now, Princess. I was wondering if I could go with Citra when she visits the market. Umm...fourteen? Thirteen days from now?"

"Wouldn't it be safer now than then? Since we have the advantage of not having to travel from Eira. If you wait for thirteen days, that would just mean we give Aunt Sillia the time to travel south and establish her rule. Shouldn't you be able to move freely if you go now?"

Jade tucked a loose strand of hair behind her earlobe. "I doubt Sillia's supporters haven't already set up her regiment. I'm sure they're expecting me to show up and the border of the forest is where the guard would be the heaviest. I know the army, I know the police that I made Sillia command over - I know this is what they would do."

She was clearly overwhelmed, making Lari a little nervous. She touched Jade's elbow again. "Okay, okay calm down. I know she can be very persuasive. It's not your fault to choose to trust someone. Okay? Umm... if you don't mind my asking, how do you think things would be any different two weeks from now?"

"I'm not sure if you're aware but the next full moon is the first day of one of the most important Jahiman festivals, Talvi-kuu. People from all over the earthside come to Jahima and the neighboring area during this time. It will be easy to infiltrate with that crowd and also...leave unnoticed."

"I see." Lari looked away towards the woods, scratching her ear lobe. The first row of trees, now turning darker with every passing moment, appeared both intimidating and beckoning to her.

She could strut across the wooden bridge that connected the two banks of the stream and into the infamous Forest of Soot. The breeze from the river blew her hair over her face and she wiped them away, bundled them in a fist, and tied it in a bun.

Jade watched, her eyes fixated on the now exposed blue strand - it was like the first sliver of light on the eastern front when the Sun decides to wake. But she was sure there was some tragedy to it. Something couldn't be so beautiful without being tragic at the same time.

The longer she looked, the more curious she was to know about it, to touch it, to feel if it had the same consistency as the rest of her hair, to curl it around her finger and tuck it behind Lari's ear.

"You can ask, you know?" The High Princess looked back, catching her in the act. When she did not reply, Lari continued, "About the hair. I noticed you staring at it. Please feel free to ask."

"I...I'm sorry." Jade stammered. "I didn't intend to offend you, Princess."

Larimar chuckled. "Why would you offend me? It's not that subtle. And it is pretty curious when you know nothing about it. So go ahead, ask."

Jade blushed. "Umm...do you have it from birth?"

Larimar felt this tightening over her chest when she remembered the day she got the blue hair - it was not from birth. "I got it when The World hexed me," she said with a somber smile.

"Why would The World hex you, Princess? You're the most un-hexable person I know." Jade's voice and gaze were soft for her, but her mind was racing, trying to find an answer to her own question.

The turtle Sage was largely known to oppose and antagonize Laz II. To think the Arcana would hex the innocent Princess was unthinkable for Jade. Or, maybe she was just like her father - someone worthy of a curse.

"It was my father whom the turtle aimed to curse," Larimar explained, looking away. "But my mother wanted me to protect him. So she pulled me to stand between my father and The World, thinking that the turtle would retract the curse. But that can't happen.

"Once a curse or a blessing leaves an Arcana's grasp, it must land on someone. The best they can do is dilute it. So a hex that was supposed to freeze my father's heart, hit me in the head and gave me a blue lock of hair. I can't grow it out like dye, and if I ever try to shave or cut it off, my entire hair will turn into this color."

Jade could swear she wasn't thinking when the next words rolled off her tongue. "It's beautiful." She watched as Lari reddened and looked back, before bowing her head with thanks.

Citra had long left them to the breeze, the water, the faraway cries of cicadas and each other. "We should go now, Princess," Jade suggested, softly tugging at the mouth of Lari's sleeve.

Mewton sat in front of Citra's doorway, grooming herself and quietly judging everyone else with narrow eyes. Avento sat on the porch, soundlessly observing her.

"Do you mind if I go, speak with Citra for a minute?" Lari asked Jade as soon as they rounded the house. The redhead shook her head and watched the Princess disappear through the door.

She joined the young boy on the porch and the calico walked up to her only to plop herself against her feet. Jade only smiled and produced a hand to scratch the cat behind her ears.

"Have you known each other forever?" Avento's voice was shaky, his face red from the embarrassment of starting a conversation with an elder.

"Mewton and I?" Jade asked.

Avento nodded. The redhead chuckled before adding, "No, we just met yesterday." And they retreated to silence until the Princess reappeared.

"You're done?" Jade asked Lari, standing up with expecting eyes.

For a second, as their eyes locked, Lari was speechless. Jade's eyes were beautiful. With the remaining sunlight reflecting in them, they had the power to draw someone in, and inspire them. The eyes of a leader. Lari wondered what they looked like on a battlefield.

She blushed when Jade called out to her again. "Princess? Shall we go?"

Lari only nodded. The light of the golden hour was barely enough for the red on her cheeks to go unnoticed.

On their way back to their place, Mewton refused to leave Larimar's arms. An oil lantern hung from Jade's hand and in her other, she held a small wooden musical instrument with steel keys. It was Citra's husband's but the blonde woman insisted the Queen have it.

"I didn't know you played the kalimba," the Princess demanded.

"I'm sure you don't know a lot of things about me, Princess. We only really met last night. At least, for you." The redhead replied, adding the last bit with a chuckle.

Lari scoffed. "I actually do know a lot about you, Queen Jade. But what do you mean 'at least for you'? It's not the same for you?"

"Umm...let's not. You probably don't remember this. So, what's the point?"

"Remind me then, Queen Jade," Lari said, coyly brushing her arm against the Queen's. Jade's cheeks flushed red like autumn leaves. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist spoiling Lari with whatever she wanted, but it was still worth a shot.

"Umm..." She stammered at the softness of Lari's casual touch. "What I meant is that...we've actually met before. Some twelve years ago."

"Oh," Lari acknowledged and continued, "Was it at some ceremony? Because Father was taking me to tons of those when I was a kid, trying to garner all the sympathy or...relatability of having a child just like everyone else, I think."

"No, it wasn't. Umm... I think you were on your way back from Malabhumi. Your aunt's place? Umm..." Jade chuckled. "Do you really want to know, Princess?"

Her companion only hummed, prompting her to continue.

"Okay...so back then, our house used to be by the Mahonki Katu, or as you may know it better, Mahogany Street."

"No, no," the Princess stopped her, kicking a stray corn leaf with her free arm. "Let's stick to Mahonki Katu."

Jade smiled, thankful to the darkness for concealing her blush. "Okay. So... I was playing with my brother and some neighborhood kids by the road when we heard this cheer coming from the direction of Markkinat Tie, the Market Road. There was a rally of soldiers on horses, escorting a carriage as white as snow.

"We saw your father's blue flags and someone said the Empress and the Princess were returning home. Now, I don't know if you remember but way too many people had gathered to see the procession. And I was a small-ish kid trying to make my way through so that I could see.

"But, as it often happens in crowds, people get pushed, stamped on. As for me...I got pushed into a well." She added a chuckle to make it sound less serious, but it got Lari thinking.

"Thankfully, my friends took notice of it and tried to help. They were screaming and trying to get an adult's attention, preferably a soldier's, and-"

"It was you?" Larimar stopped in her tracks, making Mewton Pie purr in her sleep in reflex. "You? You were the one I-"

"Yes, it was me. So, you do remember?" Jade blushed.

"Yes, of course, I do." Lari started walking again, taking Jade with her. "I...I got scolded a lot for doing something so impulsive. But, the kids were screaming and I could hear about someone in the well. But the soldiers that were with us weren't doing anything. Mother, if I remember correctly, had actually asked one of the guards to help out but they didn't budge. Something about the Emperor's orders. So, I had to-"

"Run out of your carriage? And through the mob? And use a silk shawl to try to pull me out?"

"Well," Lari blushed. "That did get their attention, didn't it?"

Jade sighed, and Lari could hear her smile through it. "It did. And..." she scoffed under her breath, "well...you've been my hero since then. I've read almost every literary piece that has been written about you. When Silia lied to me yesterday about having sent the troops inside the castle, she knew what she was doing. She knew I'd leave Laz to her to try to save you." She sighed again, but this time, there was no smile.

"Do you regret it?" Lari asked.

"Trusting Sillia? Yes. Wanting to protect you? No."

Lari slid her arm through Jade's and squeezed it a little. "You did save me last night. We don't owe each other anything."

She smiled, and although it was not visible to Jade, she returned it.

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A/N: If you liked this chapter, please consider leaving a vote. Thank you for reading.