The queen drew herself up, towering as vines and roots emerged from beneath her gown, lifting her to twice Vell’s height. Her hair, woven from thick, twisting vines, reached toward the canopy as the forest around them dimmed in response to her wrath.

“For this transgression, I decree your banishment from Celadon,” she declared.

“Banishment?” Vell asked, glancing to Sonder. "And... for how long will her exile be?”

“Not just her, Black Wizard,” the queen replied sternly. “You, too, are barred from this realm. Setting the forest aflame might be atoned for, but harming the queen’s garden is unforgivable. Your apprentice’s actions are yours as well; your teaching has determined her response, and I must answer them accordingly.”

Vell held her fierce gaze a moment, then looked to Sonder and said, “Celadon has welcomed many travelers with open arms, no matter their crime. Is there no other way we might mend this?”

The queen’s green eyes narrowed, glowing brighter as if in response to his suggestion.

She raised one hand, palm outward, and a gust of wind swept through the forest, carrying the scent of damp earth and crushed leaves.

“After your action, words carry little weight. I guard this land, and I have no choice in this judgment.”

“How long, then?” Vell asked.

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“Forever,” she replied. “Unless the Green Wizard deems you worthy of return, though Mellea’s heart has never been one for forgiveness.”

The queen’s gaze fell to Sonder, unreadable and unyielding. She extended a hand, and a slender vine curled downward like a question.

“What would you do to make amends, little one?” The queen asked.

Sonder hesitated, her fingers trembling as they brushed the vine. “I would bring it all back,” she promised. “I would spend every day replanting, healing each part I hurt.”

At her touch, the vine recoiled, and the queen shook her head. “Celadon’s roots have turned from you, child.”

The words hung over Sonder.

She glanced up at the queen, her shoulders sinking, yet determined to make this right.

She wanted to speak, but the queen raised a hand once more, and a thick wall of thorned vines rose between them and Celadon’s heart.

“I know that I do not have the power to remove you, but can you honor my kingdom’s ways?” The queen asked, her voice gentler but edged with finality. “Though the Black Wizard may not, will his apprentice?”

Sonder felt the queen’s words sink deeply, her question hitting with the weight of a vow.

The weight of the queen’s question settled upon Sonder, binding her like a vow.

Her eyes went to Vell, whose expression was a mask, offering neither encouragement nor judgment. This was her choice.

And no matter how beautiful Celadon was, she knew what was the right thing to do.

With a resolute nod, she swallowed and said, “I will.”

The queen’s lips pressed into a hard line. With a single, slight nod, she sank back down to earth, her towering form folding into the forest floor until her gown settled once more against the ground. The shadows eased, branches releasing the tension of her command, though the barrier of roots and thorns remained impenetrable.

“Go now,” she commanded. “Leave my realm and remember your words.”

Without another word, Vell turned, guiding Sonder down a narrow path that opened up just behind them.