In the Mountains, they have Nectar, a ritualized drink that can send the mind to an altered but very much felt realm. In the Isle, they have their healing springs and living waters. But in the Desert….

this is where magic truly comes alive.

***

After his talk with his son, King Jaho remained alone in the throne room. He couldn’t help but be worried about the prince. He knew his son would never let go of Mesyla, but he would have to try. Lady Larella, his son’s wife to be, was a beautiful and kind woman despite her heritage. To the king, she was the perfect woman to sacrifice.

The king was standing near the window, deep in thought, when he heard a knock. He aimed his left hand towards the door and flung it open. On the other side was a male servant by the name of Jono.

“What!” He said angrily.

Jono lowered his head and bowed.

“Your Majesty.” He said, head lowered. “You have a visitor.”

Jono quickly stepped to the side, revealing a tall, familiar woman in a navy blue hooded gown.

The king felt his heart skip a breath.

“Ravyna.” He gasped.

Ravyna carefully lowered her hood and smiled.

“Jaho.” She smirked. “Long time.”

The king looked over Ravyna’s shoulder and motioned for Jono to leave.

Jono immediately turned on his heels and exited the doorway.

Ravyna closed the door behind him.

When it was just them two, Jaho quickly marched over to Ravyna and pulled her into his arms, both hands around her waist.

“I’ve missed you.” He rushed out, close to her lips. “Does your queen know that you are here?”

Ravyna nodded. “I thought I should leave Galassia for once…..before my time ends.”

While Dawnwalkers live longer than other Arla beings, they are not immortal. Ravyna was over a hundred years old.

“Did you miss me?” The king said, breaking the temporary silence. “It’s been a long time.”

Ravyna nodded. “Since Sharra’s coronation.”

Jaho was awestruck, speechless. His breath, taken by her beauty. He could only close the little gap that remained between the two and softly placed a kiss on her lips. Ravyna immediately deepened the kiss. As they embraced each other, their hands went everywhere, wandering to familiar places. They only stopped when they heard a loud crashing sound. Ravyna immediately transformed into her icy, natural state. After she did, Jaho suddenly remembered what the woman had told him only hours before,

“Beware of the one spying made of ice and mystery. She is no friend and she hides power.”

Jaho slowly dropped his hands from Ravyna’s waist. Suddenly, he remembered why he hadn’t seen her in ages.

“Why are you really here, Ravyna?” He asked coldly.

***

While King Jaho was getting reacquainted with Ravyna, the prince was standing alone in the courtyard on the first floor. He was missing Mesyla, terribly. He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t work. He couldn’t even focus enough to pray. Her love consumed him….devoured him from the inside. But he made a mistake. He withheld the truth. Now, she wouldn’t answer his letters. The mountains rejected him. As he continued to think of her, he didn’t realize he was joined by another.

“Your Highness.” Lady Larella said finally, making her presence behind him known.

The sound of her voice made Jaho slightly jump. When he turned around, he had a hand over his chest.

“Larella.” He gasped. “How long have you been here?”

“Just a minute.” She answered, eyes lowered.

The prince sucked his teeth. He really didn’t like when people wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

“Look at me.” He ordered her, voiced raised.

Larella quickly obeyed.

“There we go.” The prince whispered. “Now, tell me. Is there something wrong?”

Larella shook her head. “I wanted to say goodbye before you leave.”

Jaho frowned. “Didn't we already exchange goodbyes before?”

Larella took in her bottom lip, biting it hard as she thought to herself.

The wait was killing the prince.

“I wanted to give you something.” She said after a long moment of silence.

Lady Larella then opened up her left fist and revealed a gray ribbon.

“A cursing ribbon?” The prince asked, eyebrows raised.

Larella nodded.

“This will help you when the moon bleeds. It renders you out of place.” She explained.

Jaho raised an eyebrow. “You are not supposed to be in possession of ribbons.”

Lady Larella cocked her head. “The king says otherwise.”

“Did he? Why?” He quizzed.

Larella shrugged her shoulders. “Becoming queen comes with benefits, I guess.”

Larella then closed the gap between the two and grabbed Jaho’s left wrist. She carefully placed the silk ribbon around it, carefully avoiding the runes, not wanting to activate them.

In the Desert, cursing ribbons are everywhere. These ribbons, inscribed with cursing rune spells, are tied around the wrist of the curser, and come in a variety of colors. The House of Nirea has been responsible for its production…since the beginning of Arla.

“There.” She said, once she was done tying the soft ribbon. “Now, you’ll be protected.”

Jaho grunted. “You wish for my survival?”

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Before she answered, Larella’s eyes bounced from his head to his feet then back to his face.

“I have no other choice. My survival depends on your survival.”

***

While Jaho and Larella were talking in the courtyard, Princess Jannar was eavesdropping on the other side. She had been following her brother after she was dismissed by her father earlier in the throne room.

Little did she know, she had just been caught….by Enu.

“Spying again?” He asked loudly, scaring her.

Jannar jumped on her toes.

“Enu.” She yelped. “Don’t scare me.”

Enu laughed. “I can’t help it. It’s cute when you are scared.”

Jannar playfully punched him in the shoulder.

“Well, it’s not fun for me.” She responded, then folded her arms across her chest. “What are you doing here?”

“Your brother called me.” He answered quickly. “And Ginna and Obo.”

“Why?”

Enu shrugged his shoulders. “I haven’t seen him yet.”

Jannar unfolded her arms across her chest. She gently smoothed out the wrinkles on her gown.

“Interesting.” She replied slowly.

Then catching the princess off guard, Enu suddenly pulled Jannar gently to his chest by the waist.

“Are you not happy to see me?” He asked.

Jannar softly pushed him away. “We can’t.”

Enu let out a huge sigh. “I am tired of hiding, Jannar. I love you.”

Jannar quickly placed a hand over his mouth.

“Not here.” She said angrily and through gritted teeth. “And it’s too late.”

Enu quickly frowned before removing Jannar’s hand from his mouth. “What are you talking about?”

Jannar looked over Enu’s shoulder before pulling him into the next room, an empty ballroom used for dances and parties. She quickly locked the door behind her.

“My father is sending me away.” She revealed. “I am to wed Mesyla’s cousin. A lord.”

Rage suddenly rushed through Enu’s body.

“You are joking.”

Jannar shook her head. “I am afraid not.”

Enu ran through his hands through his hair.

“I don’t understand. Mountain blood does not mix with desert blood. It has ended in tragedy every single.”

“My father says otherwise.” Jannar responded. “He wants to solidify an alliance between Mountains and Desert.”

Enu shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense. Your brother and Queen Mesyla love each other. That should be enough.”

Jannar shrugged her shoulders. “I’m afraid not.”

“Are you not going to fight for us?” He asked, nostrils flaring.

His body was suddenly stiff as cardboard.

Jannar lowered her head.

“What do you want me to do?” She whispered, voice shaky as a tear fell from her left eye.

Enu quickly reached out to her cheek and swiped it away.

“What about us?” He whispered.

Jannar wouldn’t raise her head, so he did it for her.

“What about us?” He asked again.

Jannar suddenly felt a slight pinch in her chest. She quickly glanced down towards Enu’s lips before glancing back to his eyes. His warm sunset eyes. The very eyes that always found her in a crowded room. Eyes that always made her feel safe. Eyes that she would have to forget.

“There is no other choice.” She whispered back. “My father is king. I can’t defy him. He hates me.”

Enu’s heart skipped a beat. He removed his right hand from Jannar’s waist and placed it on Jannar’s right cheek, slowly caressing it.

“What if I come with you? We don’t have to marry. I just don’t want to be without you.”

Jannar closed her eyes. As she kept them shut, she took in Enu’s scent. A mix of oranges and vanilla. Her favorite scents.

“I don’t want to be without you too.” She whispered back, eyes still shut.

“So what do we do? I’ll do anything.”

Jannar slowly opened her eyes. When she fully opened them, she saw his warm eyes looking back at her.

She ran through many scenarios as they stared into each other's eyes. When she found the solution, she slowly stepped out of Enu’s embrace. When there was enough space between them, she said,

“The Queen.”

“Mesyla?”

Jannar shook her head then smiled.

“Our Queen.”

***

Two Hours Later

“Are you ready?” The king asked his son.

The two were standing outside of the palace’s door. At the bottom of the steps, Enu, Ginna, and Obo were placing their bags in the carriage. The orange carriage was big enough to hold ten people. The commander was already inside.

“Thank you for letting my friends join me, father.”

“I’m not a monster, son.” The king chuckled. “Do you have the Iris paper?”

Jaho nodded.

“All you need to know is written on the Iris paper.”

Jaho nodded again.

After a moment of silence, the prince and king turned towards each other.

“Be safe.” The king told his son, then patted him on the shoulder.

Jaho nodded, then turned his body towards his sister.

When they made eye contact, his sister ran right into his arms.

“I’m going to miss you.” She whispered.

“I’ll visit you.” He whispered back. “Tell her I miss her.”

Jannar tightened her arms around her brother’s neck.

A couple of seconds had gone by before they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

“She’ll be fine, Jaho. Let her go.” The king groaned. “Or do you not trust your Mesyla?”

Jaho rolled his eyes then let his sister go.

Jaho gave his father a quick hug before making his way towards his friends.

Once he was down at the bottom, he turned around and waved once more.

He watched his sister and father slowly enter the palace. When the door was closed, he turned his attention back towards his friends.

“So……” Obo said slowly. “Itra and Aridisa, I understand. But Siré? If I didn’t know your father, I would say he was sending you to die.”

Jaho playfully punched Obo in the stomach. Obo laughed it off.

“Do you want to come or not?”

“Ginna was the one complaining.” Obo lied.

Ginna loudly sucked her teeth.

“He’s lying.” Ginna responded through gritted teeth.

She was the tallest of the three and had hair that hung down to her knees.

“We just want to know if we are expecting any danger.” She added.

“Danger?” The prince asked, confused. “Why would we be expecting any danger? It’s just an informal visit to the other houses.”

Enu suddenly cleared his throat before saying, “Is the commander not coming with us?”

Jaho whipped his head towards his direction.

Enu quickly avoided his eyes. Every time he made contact with them, he felt a little guilty. He had been hiding his relationship with Jannar for months.

Jaho nodded. “All informal visits by the prince require the commander….as precaution.”

All three of Jaho’s friends nodded.

“Okay then.” Obo said.

Jaho then motioned for them to enter the carriage and join the commander.

Once they were all sat, Jaho tapped his hand on the commander’s shoulder, who was driving the carriage.

The commander immediately lowered his head.

“Your Highness.”

“To Itra.” Jaho said.

“To Itra.” The commander responded.

Jaho sat back in his seat. He was sitting directly across Enu. He couldn’t help but feel something off with him.

In time, I’ll know. He thought to himself.

“TO ITRA!” Obo suddenly shouted out of nowhere. His enthusiasm was apparent. Obo rarely left the Sandhills.

“To Itra!” Jaho cheered back.

As the carriage began to move, Ginna mumbled, “To the land where time began.

“And was lost.” Enu whispered.