accidentally yours | claude de alger obelia

second to a memory

suncrest had never seen so many people in one place.

the main square was filled from end to end, villagers standing shoulder to shoulder, flower stalls pushed back to make room for the raised wooden stage that had been hammered together just the day before. kids sat on rooftops, the old baker was crying for some reason, and a makeshift crystal transmitter hovered above the stage, humming softly with imperial magic.

evie stood behind the curtain of a patched tent that acted as their "backstage," trying not to fidget.

"stop adjusting your sleeve," mira said, swatting her hand away.

"i'm not," evie lied.

mira arched a brow and turned back to the cracked mirror they were sharing. her pink dress shimmered faintly in the light, and her curls bounced with every dramatic sigh. "i look amazing," she said proudly. "tell me i look amazing."

"you look amazing."

"i know."

evie, in contrast, wore red-simple but striking-and trimmed with gold thread near the cuffs, a quiet nod to the imperial crest. maerin had insisted on the gold. "for the princess," she'd said, adjusting the hem with a frown. "since she actually listens to you."

"you're sure it's not too much?" evie muttered now, tugging at the collar.

mira leaned over and poked her cheek. "you literally faced a wyvern and wore the emperor's coat. i think you can survive a little gold trim."

"you're never going to let that go, are you."

"not when i have this much material to work with," she grinned. "speaking of-are we gonna talk about how he basically confessed to you?"

"we're not."

"he did, though. 'you don't have to answer now'-ugh, it's so emperor-coded i could scream."

evie grabbed a cloth and threw it at her. "do not scream."

mira dodged it, still grinning. "you didn't say he was wrong, though."

evie didn't answer. but her ears felt warm.

outside, they could hear the gathering swell of voices. the sound of the crystal transmitter clicking on, the muffled voice of a village official stammering through the opening speech.

"we should go," evie said quietly.

"yep," mira replied. "come on, heroes."

they stepped out into the sun.

the stage wasn't fancy. just wood planks and a few paper streamers hung by excited children. but the air buzzed with something real, something bright. the village had never been this alive.

kael was already waiting at the foot of the stairs, dressed in his formal knight's uniform. maerin stood beside him, looking uncomfortable in her healer's coat, but proud in that quiet, immovable way of hers. elias was bouncing somewhere in the crowd, already bragging loudly about how his mom was about to be famous.

evie climbed up to join them.

the announcer cleared his throat. "by imperial decree, and with the recognition of the royal family, today we honor four members of suncrest for their courage, service, and contributions during the recent monster outbreak."

murmurs rippled through the crowd. heads craned to see. someone whistled-probably mira's cousin.

"mira solwyn," the announcer called, "for field coordination and strategic improvisation under pressure."

mira stepped forward with all the flair of someone who had been practicing her smile for hours. she gave a dramatic bow, blew a kiss into the crowd, and winked at the nearest crystal lens. the villagers ate it up.