The she-bear slashed at Alexia with arms as long as Sunfire and easily ten times the girth. A mother enraged at being parted from her cubs, she fought with the raw fury of Zamael. Alexia didn’t have time to curse her luck or see any divine message in her misfortune. Her entire focus was locked on survival, every iota of energy devoted to fending off this hairy half ton of hatred.
But focus alone wasn’t enough. Alexia was losing ground, step by step, edging closer to the river’s steep drop. She feinted right, then pirouetted left, trying to outmaneuver the beast. The bear was quicker, cutting her off with a guttural growl. A voice nagged at the back of her mind: Use your magic. Her rapier skill alone wouldn’t be enough to win this.
She dodged another swipe, thrusting Sunfire toward the bear’s exposed belly, but the beast swatted the blade aside with effortless strength, sending it skidding toward the riverbank. For a brief moment, Alexia’s heart raced faster at the thought of losing her father’s sword than it did at the bear’s advance. That moment passed quickly.
The bear charged, and Alexia dove, narrowly avoiding its bulk as it thundered past, nearly tumbling into the river itself. Scrambling to her feet, she let out a curse her mother would have scolded her for. The bear now stood between her and Sunfire.
She had no choice. Alexia focused on the wind knowing it would be more subtle than other energies and better than being ripped apart. She was about the unleash a blast when a sound interrupted her—the unmistakable sound of hooves pounding the earth, followed by a voice, deep and resonant. It was a voice that could rival Balbaraq’s most sonorous thunder, a voice fit for a king, deeper than the sea, and yet as majestic as a great tidal wave. Its ebb and flow were enough to cull the mightiest into submission. “Away from the Sunrise!”
The bear turned, distracted by the rider. The beast let out a deafening roar as a dagger found its mark in its shoulder, though to the bear, it was little more than a pinprick.
Seeing her chance, Alexia sprinted for Sunfire. She grabbed the sword and, with a swift thrust, drove the blade between the bear’s shoulder blades. Sunfire blazed to life, igniting the creature from within. As its heart incinerated, the rider’s sword descended in a powerful arc, severing the she-bear’s head in a single stroke as if slicing through cake on Harvest.
The enormous body crumpled to the ground, a wave rippling through its coarse fur as it fell. Alexia exhaled, realizing she hadn’t taken a breath since the battle began. The world seemed sharper, brighter, as though she’d emerged from a long, suffocating darkness into the light. She smiled—a relieved, triumphant grin—as she cleaned Sunfire and sheathed it.
That smile was the last of an era, the ending of an epoch. On Leverith Waxing, Norali Moon, 213 3LE, a goddess answered two prayers, merging two paths like rivers converging beneath a great hill.
A large hand extended toward her. Alexia’s eyes traced the arm up to its owner, her heart freezing mid-beat. In that moment, it was as though she’d been plunged into icy waters, her breath caught in her chest. The wind, the rushing river, the world around her—all vanished. All that remained were the eyes of the man standing before her.
It was the moment the sun found the moon.
His eyes were majestic—a deep, enchanting blue that commanded her attention with an effortless power. They were more captivating than Dalis’s Wall, more vivid than the purest sapphire. Twin moons reflecting the sunrise, they pierced through her exterior as if she were made of glass, seeing not just her form but her very essence. No mask could ever hide her from those eyes.
Alexia’s heartbeat remained steady, peaceful even, when it should have been racing. Time didn’t freeze, but it felt as though the river of moments had slowed its currents, carrying her along as life resumed around her.
When her hand met his, the simple touch rippled through her like a shockwave, shaking her to her core. The ground could've split beneath her feet, and she wouldn’t have noticed, so overpowering was the sensation surging inside. The rapid bursts of intense emotion could have made the rapids of the Eagle River in flood feel weak and slow. Her body, outwardly still, was aflame with energy. Her nerves hummed as though Leverith herself played them like the strings of a harp, and her breath faltered, her chest tightening as if she were underwater.
His lips moved, forming words, but Alexia couldn’t hear. The only sound that reached her ears was the echo of a long-lost memory, a voice as distant and elusive as a dream. She felt like she knew this man—like she had always known him. This was no ordinary meeting, but a reunion long in the making.
Her eyes drifted across his features, locking them into memory with an almost obsessive urgency. His face was long and strong, as if chiseled from stone, more impressive than any statue of Gidi she had ever seen. His auburn hair and beard glowed like embers from a dying fire. He reminded her of the Phoenix, the mythical Volqori bird that rose from its own ashes, immortal and eternal.
He was the tallest man she’d ever seen—exceeding even King Gideon. His broad, muscular frame was sculpted with the grace and power of a warrior, not just a brute. The ogres she fought days ago seemed clumsy and soft in comparison. This man was built like Elior and already he’d proven a true protector. Alexia found herself feeling an undeniable attraction that made everything before pale in comparison. Logically, she didn’t believe in love at first sight, but staring into his eyes she felt Leverith threading their fate together in a grand tapestry of love.
Around his neck hung a silver locket, shaped like Leveria’s inverted heart. It seemed to pull toward her, as if it recognized something within her, something it was drawn to, something that longed to return home. Alexia yearned to welcome it.
Then, finally, his words broke through her trance and time flowed again as a steady stream. Alexia felt like he’d caught her in the rapids and pulled her safely to the shore. Her heart thundered in her chest as air filled her lungs once more. Amidst the chaos of her emotions, she grasped a single word, and it anchored her to the moment.
“...Sunrise?”
Alexia felt a wave of embarrassment for missing the beginning of his question. She worried she looked foolish—like a character from one of those clichés she despised, a damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued.
“What are you looking for, Sunrise?”
“What am I looking for?” she echoed, feeling light as air. For once, conversation didn’t feel like a burden. “I think what you find is often more important than what you’re looking for.”
He grinned, his deep voice smooth like velvet. “I agree wholeheartedly, Sunrise. Yet isn’t it wonderful when you find exactly what you’ve been searching for?"
Her blush deepened, but she didn’t look away. Rather than gazing at her feet, she leaned closer, eyes on his moon-blues. “I have to agree with that wholeheartedly, Moon.” Encouraged by his smile, she continued, “If I’m the rising sun, then you must be the moon, chasing me across the horizon.” She took his other hand, feeling his warmth. Leverith, she felt giddy!
“I wonder,” he said, “where I’d have to chase you to see that light in your eyes again.”
“My father and I are bound for Ferrickton,” she said, her voice cracking under the pressure of realizing that she had to part ways with him. The thought of leaving him now filled her with a longing she had never felt—not even with Azi. She gripped his hands tightly, afraid that if she let go, she’d lose this moment, this warmth, as if blown away by a cold breeze. The wind stirred around them, pulled by the chaos within her.
In a flash of panic, Alexia remembered Timmeck. Her eyes darted toward the scene. The second bear lay dead, arrows protruding from its back, while Timmeck spoke with a mule rider. Maleon hovered nearby, his hand creeping toward his wand as he glared at their rescuers.
"Ferrickton?" The Moon asked. “Are you taking your skills with the rapier to the Peacewatch at the mines?”
She noticed his fingers fidgeting with the silver locket around his neck, as if he wanted to remove it. “I doubt the Peacewatch would want my blade.”
He shook his head, smiling. “Then they’re fools. You move like a feather in flight, Sunrise. That she-bear didn’t stand a chance with you on the battlefield. I’d be honored to serve beside you.”
He held her hand with tenderness, and she wished the moment could last forever. “It was you who saved me, Moon. No distraction, no deathblow.”
His smile made her want to melt. “You’re far too modest,” he said, leaning closer until their noses nearly touched. Alexia’s stomach churned with excitement, and her breath caught in her throat. “You know it too,” he added, his voice full of quiet confidence.
Her wit sparked to life, something she wasn’t used to around men—or people in general. “Do you say that to all the women you rescue from she-bears on the roadside?”
He chuckled, lifted his free arm in mock surrender. “You caught me, Sunrise. I am guilty as charged.”
Her laughter bubbled up, light and free, unlike anything she had ever felt before. “And do you call all of us ‘Sunrise?’”
“That,” he said, touching a finger to her sternum, “is reserved for you, and only you, Sunrise.”
“Careful,” she teased, “or I might start to feel special.”
He winked. “You are what you feel, and you feel what you are.”
The words struck her—words she had read countless times in Queen Alexia Leveria’s writings as she explained the principles of sunny thinking. They were the foundation of Alexia’s own Theory of Reciprocal Love, something she now felt deeply. “What do you feel?” she asked, swaying slightly, holding on to his hands as if the wind might carry her away.
“A clever woman takes a man’s words and turns them against him,” he mused, sounding surprised.
She smiled wider, surprised by how easy this was. “A wise knight armors himself against his own weapons,” she quipped, “so he never cuts himself.”
He looked at her thoughtfully, fiddling with his locket. “I feel blessed,” he answered with quiet conviction. “Answered by Leverith.”
Her heart raced at the significance of his words. Leverians only claimed to be “answered by Leverith” when they believed they had met their life’s mate. It wasn’t a declaration to be made lightly. Following the stirrings of Leverith in her heart, Alexia replied, “Then you are blessed, Leverith’s answer.”
Her gaze fell to his lips, and she felt as though she were standing on the edge of a cliff, the most beautiful lagoon below. The drop was terrifying, but his hands held hers, giving her the courage to jump. She leaned in, eyes closing as she prepared to make the leap.
“We need to keep moving!” Maleon’s voice shattered the moment, jerking her eyes open.
Alexia clung to her Moon’s hands, not wanting the dream to slip away.
“We’re exactly where we’re meant to be,” he said, his big hands applying sweet pressure.
Her smile faltered, mournful that she couldn’t hear more of his words, each a song she longed to know by heart. “My father thinks we can find work at the iron mine.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked.
Alexia’s gaze went to the ground. She didn’t want him to see the tears forming fast in her eyes, like rainfall at sunrise.
“I’m joining the Peacewatch,” her Moon said. “I would love for you to come with me.”
Her heart screamed yes! She wanted him to take her away, to hear his soul’s song forever. For a moment, she forgot her mission. For a moment, she felt free. But the weight of reality settled back on her, heavy as iron. An eagle screeched above, a harsh reminder of her duty—she had no wings to fly where she pleased. She belonged to the people, not to him. She forced herself to say the words. “I’d love to, but my father needs me.”
His smile faltered, and she wished she could take back the words.
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“Come on, daughter,” Maleon called, frustration clear in his voice.
The Moon claimed her hand, frowning at Maleon. “I’ll escort you to Ferrickton.”
Alexia’s heart swelled, but Maleon disagreed. “That won’t be necessary. You can unhand my daughter now.”
The Moon didn’t let go. For the first time, he seemed vulnerable. His usual confidence cracked, revealing a longing as desperate as the moon searching the night sky for its lost love. “There’ve been too many bodies found on the roads lately. The world would be dead and dreary without the sunrise. Let me make sure you reach your destination safely.”
Alexia clutched his hand tighter, feeling an overwhelming urge to fall into his arms, to feel his locket on her chest, to tell him they’d never be apart again.
“My daughter is a ray of light in a dark world,” Maleon said. “But I am not as innocent as she is—or perhaps you are. You’ve only just met and don’t even know each other’s names. What you’re feeling isn’t the depths of true love, but the surface thrill of lust. We must go to Ferrickton, and I’ve heard from your companion that you need to be in Urzport on urgent business. If Leverith wills it, you’ll meet again.”
“I’m Zander of Mirrevar,” the Moon said, holding Alexia’s gaze and taking her other hand.
Alexia smiled up at him. “I’m Alexia.”
“Like the Love Queen!”
“I like a man who knows his history.” She winked.
“I’m no scholar, Sunrise, but I do have a keen interest in all things named Alexia.”
“Well,” she teased, fluttering her lashes, “I’ll now take an interest in all things named Zander. Any advice for a novice?”
He squeezed her hand. “Hands-on experience is always best.”
“Like this?” She ran her fingers up his arms, tracing the firm muscles to his shoulders. He placed his hands on her waist, and for a moment, they were dancing without music, in perfect harmony to a melody made from the song of their souls.
Even if Maleon was right, even if this was just a dizzying rush, it had to be an answer from Leverith. Even if she was spinning in rapid circles now, she was sure the slow dance of love was in their future. She gazed into Zander’s eyes, filled with love and peace, and knew deep in her soul that she belonged with him. She knew it.
The mule rider approached. “Zander, we need to report to the archlord.”
Zander didn’t break his gaze. “Wayn Bearbreaker has managed without us this long. One more night won’t hurt him, Alfread.”
Alexia glanced at Zander’s friend. Alfread, impeccably handsome and masculine, would have been a heartthrob in Sapphirica. His eyes lingered on her shifting hair and yellow-orange eyes, his smile charming enough to win over any girl—except her.
Alfread dismounted and spoke with measured diplomacy, the same tone her father used to sway King Gideon. “Zander, it’s not Bearbreaker’s patience I’m worried about, but Leveria’s fate. Wayn and King Adameon need to hear about the wolves. We don’t want to be locked out of Urzport tonight.”
“Wolves?” Alexia asked, her mind drifting to the ogre cave.
Alfread hesitated. Zander didn’t. “We killed a pack of wolves that acted with human intelligence and motives.”
Alfread elaborated and Alexia’s mind raced with the irrefutable proof of impending catastrophe. The Chimaera was active in both Ruby and Sapphire lands. The Gemstone War needed to end yesterday.
Zander tightened his grip on her hands. “When I faced the pack leader, I saw a vision—a shaded man with silver eyes, sitting on a throne of tree and earth, high above the sea.”
Alfread’s eyes widened. “Zander, that’s Celegana’s Spire. The man you saw was the Ezen!”
“I don’t know what that means,” Zander said.
“It means the Chimaera is coming for Leveria,” Alexia said. “Neither Ruby nor Sapphire will be safe. The Gemstone War must end now, or we will all be slaves of the Celegan Empire.”
Alfread nodded, impressed. “You know your history, Alexia. Few Leverians, and even fewer Kavovans, know of the Celegans.”
Alexia froze, fearful she’d revealed too much. While her skin had a slight summer tan, how he’d identified her Kavovan heritage so easily made her doubt whether the Peacewatch in Ferrickton wouldn’t immediately identify her.
Maleon stepped in. “Alexia took classes at Erudition and her mother was a Kavovan refugee. I’m afraid my daughter has an imagination too big for reality.”
“I didn’t imagine what I saw!” Zander insisted. “Have you ever seen a wolf with eyes like stars?”
Maleon grimaced but said nothing. It must have been the Celegan Ezen that tamed the silver-eyed ogre that had nearly killed him.
Timmeck snorted. “No king or archlord will take visions as proof of invasion.”
Alexia squeezed Zander’s hand. “We live in a land where everyone believes a goddess spoke to a man while he was sleeping under a magic tree. I believe you, Zander.”
His fierceness softened, his eyes moistening. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Alexia moved closer to him, wanting to protect him as he told his tale to Archlord Bearbreaker. She fantasized about running away with him, as Linus did as Sunil of the Steppe. Alas, Aixela of the River didn’t have the same flow to it, and there was no chance Leveria would fall for that again if some random boy from the roadside could decipher her heritage. Her purpose was to convince Gideon Sapphire that the war must end. Zander and Alfread would need to do the same for Adameon Ruby.
“Come on, girl,” Maleon called, his patience worn thin.
Alexia and Zander slowly unbound their fingers, the parting making her crave him more than she could bear. Her hand quickly closed around his, infused with Leverith’s spirit, as she realized it had been since they first touched. She gazed into his moon-blue eyes, hoping he would chase her across the sky.
Tears in his eyes, he lifted the locket from his neck, treating it with all the reverence a loving son would their aging mother. He pressed the inverted heart into her hand. “This belongs to you, Sunrise.”
As the silver touched her palm, a surge of divine energy flooded her. She felt her connection to the Divine Thirteen magnify, as though a door to the world had opened wide. Trembling, she placed the locket around her neck, feeling whole for the first time.
Alexia fell into Zander’s arms, gripping him tightly as the locket pressed between them. His embrace made her feel unstoppable, his strength shielding her in a cocoon of love and safety. This was peace.
“I’ve waited all my life for this,” Zander whispered.
“You’re a thief,” she whispered back. “Stealing my words.”
He grinned, his voice playful. “And my punishment?”
For once, she felt no concern whether the world watched her. “The punishment will match the crime—you took something from my lips, so I’ll deliver justice to yours.”
She kissed him, feeling the divine energy of Leverith envelop her, wrapping them both in a perfect embrace.
“Leverith!” Alfread exclaimed. “Alexia just awakened!”
She opened her eyes to find the blue of Leverith’s spirit energy swirling around them, emanating from the locket.
“I awakened?” she echoed, quickly grasping the story.
“By the Thirteen!” Timmeck gasped, less convincingly.
“Can you summon Leverith again?” Alfread asked.
Alexia pretended to try and shook her head, then smirked. “Perhaps if I kissed Zander again.”
Maleon groaned, but she ignored him.
“Careful,” Zander teased, running his fingers through her hair, “I’m afraid my kisses are magical, and I cannot guarantee this one won’t turn you into a toad.”
“Toad-aly worth it,” she laughed, pulling him in for another kiss.
As they kissed, Leverith’s spirit pulsed from the locket, swirling around them. Neither of them able to break off this intoxicating feeling, fueled by exponentially more of Leverith’s spirit than she’d ever held. Blue light streamed across the Bear River, up the road, into the forest, and toward the sky, overflowing the tremendous reservoir of the locket she wore. She could distantly hear the awe of sailors on morning boats, travelers on the road, and Maleon’s grumbles. Alexia just didn’t care, and that apathy to the anxieties that paralyzed her all her life was the most intoxicating thing of all.
When they needed to gasp for air, Zander chuckled. “Toad-aly my favorite moment in forever.”
They laughed together, fingers intertwined. Alfread broke the moment. “You need to go to the Leverian University. They will teach you how to channel Leverith, Norali, and Dalis. Maybe Zander can be your sworn shield.”
“We need to go to Ferrickton,” Maleon snapped. “We’ve just lost her mother, and we have family business to sort out.” He gripped her by her collar and pulled her from Zander. “Enough of this!”
Zander thundered toward Maleon, but Alexia stepped between them before Zamael’s Hells broke lose, wrapping him in a hug before it turned to blows.
“I will go with you to Rubinia,” Zander promised.
Alexia’s mind was a whirlwind, as Maleon shouted that he would be going nowhere near her. She had to make calculations that determined the course of her life, no, all of Leveria in an instant. Her hearted leaned one way, her mind the other. Alas, she carried the responsibility of every soul on this continent on her shoulders and her mind needed to prevail.
“My father is right. Go speak with Archlord Bearbreaker, my love. We will meet again soon.”
Zander looked crushed, but he nodded. “I look forward to that day, Sunrise.”
“Until next time, Leverith’s answer,” she said with a smile, tears filling her eyes.
“Now who’s the thief?”
She beamed, but Maleon cut in. “Enough!”
Ignoring the Stonebreaker, Zander kissed her hand. “Until next time, Sunrise.”
Watching Zander ride off atop his silvery-white warhorse, he looked majestic, more so than even Philladon Leveria could armored in ornamented meladonite with the Dreamer’s Crown. Alexia waved, a smile frozen on her face as he disappeared around a bend. One last glance back from him made her wish she could relive every moment.
She turned to Maleon, who scowled. “We should kill them.”
Alexia gasped. “What?”
“Lover boy is the size of a minotaur and severs bear heads like they’re pudding while dandy shoots arrows like Norali beams light. Men like them can turn the tide of battles. If we let them join the Peacewatch, they’ll slaughter Sapphires by the hundreds.”
Timmeck nodded in agreement. “As a boy, I saw Gideon singlehandedly take out entire outposts with a good suit of meladonite and an enchanted blade. If Bearbreaker arms your Zander well, we’ve just unleashed that upon our own people. Yet,” Timmeck sighed, “how accursed would we be to slay those who aided us?”
“Irrelevant,” Maleon said. “They must die.”
Alexia’s rage flared, drawing the summer heat into herself. “You want me to kill my life’s mate? Elianor was right about you. You don’t understand love—you only see enemies to crush.”
Maleon yanked out his wand and moved toward the horse. Alexia channeled Celegana, filtering massive torrents of divine energy through the locket, and shoved him to the ground.
Timmeck rushed to get between them. “Enough! Peacewatch could be on us at any moment and I’m sure Iceheart would love to display our heads over Urz’s End.”
Maleon struggled up, glaring at Alexia. “He is the enemy,” he snarled. “You’ll rue this day—the day you let your lust overcome your duty.” He spat at her feet, storming off down the road toward Ferrickton, channeling Seraxa’s heat.
His words gnawed at her. If Zander joined the Peacewatch, Sapphires would die by his hand. Every life lost would be on her. She felt unworthy of the love that the Sapphire common folk felt for her. How many of their sons and daughters had she just doomed? How many orphans had she just created? How many lovers would never touch again?
Tears streamed down her face as she followed Maleon and Timmeck in silence. She didn’t bother to hide her sorrow, even as other travelers passed by. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine a world where love mattered more than war, but the reality refused to bend to her dreams.
Gripping the locket tightly, she told herself to look forward. Her feelings spoke to her as though they were truths buried deep within. Zander wasn’t destined to bring death—he was meant to bring peace. Alexia felt it in his touch, his vision, his voice. He was Leverith’s answer to the evils of Zamael. His was the song of peace and it would play in perfect harmony with her loving song. Together, they would create a melody that could make even Zamael dream of peace.
And she would fight for that dream.
*************
Zander imagined Alexia was still beside him, her hands clasped in his. He could see her clearly in his mind, every detail vivid. Her face, an elegant oval, was framed by long, flowing hair—brown at first but flashing gold under the sun’s touch. Her eyes, a striking blend of yellow and orange like the sunrise, were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Her body was lithe and strong, a perfect harmony of curves and edges. She was crafted in the image of Leverith herself. But her true beauty went far beyond what his eyes could see.
Alexia wasn’t like a rose, lovely on the outside with hidden thorns beneath. She was more like the Citadel of Dreams from ancient tales, where every stone was perfectly laid, strong and pleasing to the eye. The citadel, with its towering arches and vast gardens, stood atop a hill overlooking verdant plains and crystal-clear streams. Travelers would cross the world to marvel at its splendor. But what made the citadel truly remarkable wasn't its grandeur, but the love and dreams it held within. Without that, even the most magnificent castle felt hollow. Zander felt the same about Alexia. Her outward beauty was captivating, but it was her spirit, the love and dreams behind those sunrise eyes, that made her truly extraordinary.
He loved the peace he felt in her presence, the way her touch grounded him. Even before she awakened as a witch, Zander sensed a connection between them—something deeper, as if their souls exchanged a quiet magic whenever they held hands. It felt as though he had loved her forever, and he knew with unwavering certainty that he always would. Alexia was Leverith’s answer. She was the Sunrise.
Zander longed to abandon everything and follow her to Rubinia. He envisioned them side by side, her powers growing as he protected her, both becoming a voice of peace that could help end the Gemstone War. He imagined facing the shaded man on the earthen throne with her at his side. He pictured them standing together in the Citadel of Dreams, the place of his birth, sharing a life of love and purpose. He wished she were still with him now, holding his hand, her lips teasing his, and surrounding him with Leverith’s spirit.
But all things have their time and there is a time for all things. This was only the beginning, the overture of their song. The first page had been written, and the climax was still ahead. The happy ending didn’t come before the climax. The chorus didn’t arrive before the verse. Why should love be any different?
Elior hadn’t won Pelianna’s hand the day he won her heart. Sir Evan didn’t sweep Mirielda away the moment they met, even though he knew she was his life’s mate. Zander wouldn’t be passive, but he could be patient.
Leverith had answered his prayer. Alexia, the Sunrise, wore his locket. The melody of their lives would unfold, where love and dreams would reign in a castle that was truly their own.