The sun slipped behind the ice barrier, but the light was still bright in the land of magic. Whether this was due to some magical occurrence or the ice reflecting the sun in some strange angle, the humans could not say. All they knew is that when they came upon the elf city, the day was not yet over.

At first when the city came into view, they had not known what they were looking at. The ground rose steeply into a tall hill and the trees became vibrant colors of purple, blue and pink that the humans had never seen. Then a beautiful white stone seemed to sprout from the ground. It towered high into the air, scraping at the clouds. Many more towers joined the first, and the city took shape. The tall, thin structures looked like exaggerated mushrooms as elves poked their heads out of windows from various floors to see the newcomers.

Perhaps the most impressive feature was a large palace. Alvar mentioned that the elves had a king and queen, but Aurora had not given much thought to where they lived. She realized her error. The palace was extravagant. Though not nearly as big as her own palace, the elves' castle made up for it in elegance and design. Gorgeous curved roofs gave the effect that the palace would pierce the sky. The stonework shone like iridescent pearls. Although there were many separate towers, they were joined at the base by a large austere structure that seemed to be made of one solid piece. Windows cut out to look like candle flames dotted the walls, making the entire structure look like a white flickering fire. "It's amazing!" Aurora gasped.

"The king and queen will be happy that you approve. Come and allow us to provide you some elven hospitality. Perhaps some new clothes and a bath?" Alvar offered.

Aurora looked down at her torn skirt and bare feet. She was suddenly embarrassed by her appearance. Everyone in the city had seen her walk in looking tattered. At least the guardian's cloak hid some of her imperfections. Devrim was not much better. His sleeve was torn and his clothes were dirty.

"I would very much appreciate an opportunity to clean up." Aurora said graciously. "I would be happy to buy some clothing if the market is still open."

Alvar waved his hand. "No need. The king and queen are happy to provide anything you desire."

Devrim leaned close to Aurora, "I think they were expecting us."

"I agree. They knew we were coming," Aurora whispered back.

Alvar smiled mysteriously. "Please follow me." Alvar and Brinn, who had been remarkably quiet as they came close to the city, led the humans through the pristine streets. Elves swept out the bottoms of their towers as they passed, giving a gentle nod of recognition to the party. Children played games of tag in the street. A young girl ran straight into the arms of her waiting mother. If not for the elves' pointed ears and slightly golden skin, the whole scene could have been out in the streets of Valiant. Aurora sighed. She was suddenly homesick. Mairwen and Alaron. Chief Zan and Nanny. She missed all of them. Aurora blinked away tears.

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Devrim was having a different train of thought. He could not shake the feeling that although everything seemed perfect, something was off. The scene before them was too picturesque, too lovely. But maybe he was being paranoid. Perhaps magic made everything easier, and society benefited by being at peace. Finally he convinced himself that he was looking for trouble where there was none.

They came to the palace gate where two soldiers were stationed. The male and female elf stepped aside to allow the four to pass without question. "You must be someone important for the guards to let you through so easily," Devrim said to Alvar.

"Something like that," Alvar responded. He looked at Brinn who refused to meet his eye. In fact, she would not look at anyone.

"Are you alright?" Aurora asked Brinn.

The elf sniffed and frowned, "Yes, I just stink. I will clean up and meet you in the Lunar Courtyard. I assume that is where we are having the feast."

Alvar nodded, "I will leave you to it. I trust you can find your way?" Brinn stared daggers at the he-elf, which only made him chuckle. "I will see you soon," he said lovingly. Brinn turned and left without another word.

"That was awkward," Devrim uttered when Brinn was gone.

"Eh, I'm used to it. She loves me somewhere deep down," Alvar responded without a doubt.

'Must be very deep,' the boy thought to himself.

Alvar led them to two suites of rooms high in the southernmost tower. "The servants will attend you. The baths have already been drawn. Whenever you are ready, a servant will bring you to dinner."

"Thank you, Alvar," Aurora said with a royal air. The palace was already having an effect on her. Alvar bowed and departed. Aurora went left and Devrim went right. "I will see you soon," she said when Devrim looked anxious. He nodded, trusting her judgement.

The rooms to which Aurora was assigned were luxurious. The floor was lined with colorful fur and woven rugs. Her feet were delighted by the softness under them after a day of rough walking. "Would you like some fresh water?" A servant inside the room offered. Aurora's stomach grumbled. It wanted more than just a drink. 'One problem at a time,' the Empress thought.

"Thank you," Aurora graciously took the glass. Unlike the colored glasses at her palace, this was crystal clear and very smooth. The Empress almost forgot to drink as she marveled at the cup. The servant cleared her throat lightly.

"Your bath is ready, ma'am," she said.

Aurora was flustered. "Oh, of course." She could see steam wafting out from a doorway beyond the servant. They walked into a bathing room and the dark-haired woman quickly climbed in a large square pool in the ground. How could so much hot water be held so high above ground? And there was more water constantly running into the pool from a large rectangular hole in the wall, yet the pool never seemed to overflow. "How?" Aurora turned to the servant who was attending her for the bath.

The servant stared at the incoming water and raised her feathery eyebrows. "Ah, yes. That is done by magic. As is this!" The servant spoke a few words that the Empress did not understand. Suddenly the pool began to bubble. After a moment of concern, Aurora relaxed into the best bath she had ever had in her life. The servant brought soaps and creams, and before long, Aurora felt like a whole new person. When she got out of the bath more servants came to help her dress, do her hair, and apply her make-up. While the rest of her old clothing was removed from the room, Aurora made sure that her satchel and the Guardian's cloak remained with her. The servants easily complied.

"Do elves wear make-up? I mean you can shape-shift." Aurora asked as one servant put red coloring on her lips.

"We do, ma'am. Shapeshifting can get exhausting, and the he-elves can see right through it using magic if they want to anyway." The other servants giggled. This was a great debate among the young lady elves: magic or make-up.

"I see," Aurora said. She smiled. It was nice to be pampered after so much traveling. Finally, she had a moment to breathe. Time seemed to move differently here. There was still light coming from her window, but she felt like she had been preparing for dinner forever. Yet, she did not care. 'I hope Devrim is enjoying himself as much as I am.'

He wasn't.