Hated by her lineage, Iliya Dalaminai dwells in self isolation, awaiting the day her cousin marries so she might escape the Throne.
Feared by the Gods, Sorein Chakrine's crown is mainly a relic put on display at royal ceremonies to ward off evil.
Wh...
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Walking along the west side of Glacial River, Sorein found himself quietly admiring the twisting path leading away from his cityless residence.
He'd spent the last hour watching river spirits tease fish along the shoreline as their leisure pace continued. The apartment was a convenient fifteen minute walk from the outskirts of Chiori Faire, with quick access to Bentrii in the south.
He relished how easy shopping would be in the anonymous town of farmers. Though agriculture brought wealth, they were a community of soft spoken workers who seldom asked questions.
Questions were all his companions seemed to be full of these days.
"So many children," Jeremy muttered, bemused by a small boy brushing past.
Noah laughed. "It's not so bad."
"Says the extrovert."
Sorein exhaled and tossed a fleeting look around the crowded streets. Kids played with mythical toys and chased each other into candy shops.
A small Therian girl reminded him how different they could be. Despite her small stature, mature eyes scanned the parade for her friends. Their natural lifespans were twice that of the Fae and slow.
Many double the age of their appearance.
Before Sorein knew it, they entered the heart of Chiori Faire, where the festival was underway.
Loud music pounded through the cobblestone streets, drums rumbling the ground beneath them. Flutes filled the air with their melody, fits of laughter announcing a magical atmosphere.
His training allowed him to catch the concealed weapons arming supposed citizens, hidden guards dispersed among the floats.
A sharp pop gave way to millions of confetti strands falling from above, colors so vibrant they might've burned were the skies not clouded with looming rain.
Noah seemed mesmerized, mouth agape, as he watched the festival-goers. He was so distracted, he was almost run over by a girl dashing past.
"S-sorry," she blurted out, keeping her head down.
Sorein's gaze slid from the thousands of ribbons fluttering through the air, the bright blues, violets, and oranges giving way to a short, slender girl dressed in white weaving through the crowd.
A lengthy braid bounded against the girl's lower back, a flaming chestnut tail waggling after her.
"Isn't that Princess Dalaminai?" Jeremy murmured, as if he were trying to keep it a secret. "Rhydian told me she never leaves the palace grounds, not even for Solstice."
Sorein didn't need to have that conversation with the Therian Lord to know that Iliya Dalaminai never left her estate.
So to see her dashing through the brilliant colors and winding between stalls was astonishing to say the least, although she didn't stop long enough to make contact with another soul, gliding through the crowds as a ghost would through Azuris.
