ONE DARK QUEEN ❖ (A Three Dark Crowns Tale)

CHAPTER TWELVE: ROLANTH

Of course. Vivianne is handling the political situation as usual, protecting Nalani's reputation so that she can get sufficient support. She loves Vivianne for it but she also feels a hint of resentment. She must always put on a good show, she can't afford mistakes, she can't afford to be normal. She is a queen of Fennbirn, for better or for worse.

"Good old Vivianne," Nalani muses, attempting a smile, "she is always protecting me."

"Of course she is, we all are, you're our hope, our future," Hestia says giving Nalani a warm hug, "not to mention you're my best friend, I will always care about your fate."

Nalani smiles genuinely at that, leaning on Hestia's shoulders, "You're one of the only ones I can believe on that front. And I love you for caring."

Hestia smiles again, a dazzling one that makes Nalani want to smile again as she clasps her best friend's hand.

"Wait what happened on the boat," Hestia asks suddenly as the thought pops into her head.

"Well I was asleep for quite a while and they tended to my minor wounds," Nalani explains, suddenly remembering that she even injured herself as she hadn't noticed the pain particularly, "and my rescuers were a delegation of war gifted, naturalists and one elemental, we're both familiar with the latter."

Hestia gasps, her hand flying to her mouth in shock as another smile forms on her face,
"Lain are you talking about who I think you are?" She says, barely containing her excitement.

Hestia's joy is infectious and it only reminds Nalani of what she felt when she saw Rowan so she becomes happier all over again.

"Yes Tia," Nalani says, "Rowan has returned."

"Ah," Hestia squeals and Nalani cringes slightly from the loudness, "my dear cousin Rowan, our best friend Lani."

Hestia's face then goes from excitement to worry as she sees how weary eyed Nalani has become.

"Are you not happy Lani?" She asks in bewilderment.

"Of course I'm happy," Nalani says, her tone accidentally a little too snappy, "I'm just on edge and exhausted."

Hestia smiles with understanding, "of course that's understandable ..."

Before she has a chance to finish however the door opens and Vivianne, matriarch of the Westwood family, waltzes in towards both girls. 

Nalani watches as she walks quickly, with a strong air of dignity about her. She has long curly fawn hair that is loose as it often is and proud sea green eyes which her brother and nephew share. She always looks effortlessly beautiful, even at this time of the night.

Vivianne stops and looks down at her daughter and Nalani, kissing both their cheeks before giving them both a small smile.

"Lani I am glad that you have returned and you are safe," Vivianne says, "even though we received word everyone was worried about their elemental queen."

Yes. Nalani thinks somewhat bitterly. Everyone was worried they'd lost their chance for the throne, for power. But Nalani can't fully blame them. It's been too five generations since an elemental queen sat on the throne. The last was Queen Felecite who Ascension ended in the tower.

Nalani knows her people are restless as elementals grow stronger under an elemental queen's reign and so on with all of the other gifts. 

The most famous elemental queen was Queen Shannon, who summoned thunderous powerful storms in an instant and killed her two sisters through a show of power. She even had a place named after her, Shannon's Blackway, which was a cliff too near the edge of Rolanth; Nalani sometimes likes to visit as it is one of her peaceful places. But Queen Elo, the fire breather; is her favourite elemental queen as both of them were born of fire and blood.