CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Old Friends, New Fears
"We should go to Coastal City."
The words left Orion's mouth before he'd fully thought them through. They had just crossed into the central provinces, still two weeks from the capital, when the road split—one branch continuing east toward his father's palace, the other curving south toward the sea.
Nera looked at him with surprise. "Coastal City? That's days out of our way."
"I know."
"We're already four months into this journey. Your father is waiting."
"I know that too." He stared at the southern road, feeling something pull at him. "But Vex and Denna are there. And I... I need to see them. Before I face my family, I need to see people who know me. The real me. Not Prince Orion, just... Orion."
Nera was quiet for a moment, studying his face. Then she smiled—that warm, understanding smile that always made him feel seen.
"Then we go south," she said. "A few more days won't matter. And I'd like to see them too."
"You would?"
"They're our friends. The first real friends we made together." She guided her horse toward the southern fork. "Besides, I never properly thanked Vex for warning us about Seraphel. A few extra days seems like small payment."
Orion followed her, feeling the knot in his chest loosen slightly. The capital could wait. His family could wait. Right now, he needed something simpler.
He needed to remember who he was before he became who he'd been.
* * *
Coastal City rose from the horizon like an old friend.
The salt smell hit them first, carried on winds that blew in from the endless sea. Then the sound—gulls crying, waves crashing, the distant bustle of the harbor district. And finally the sight: white walls gleaming in the afternoon sun, the seven districts climbing up from the water, the cliffs where they had once made their home.
"It's strange," Nera said quietly. "Being back here."
"Good strange or bad strange?"
"Just... strange." She was human-sized, as she had been throughout the journey, and she seemed to fit the city differently now. No longer hiding, no longer small enough to overlook. "We were different people when we lived here."
"Were we?"
"I think so. More afraid. More uncertain." She looked at him. "More alone, even though we had each other. We hadn't found our place yet."
"And now?"
"Now we have Thornhaven. Now we have roots." She smiled. "Now we're just visiting."
They entered through the Harbor Gate, and Orion felt memory wash over him like a wave. There was the market where they'd bought supplies. There was the street where Vex had first called out to them. There was the path that led up to the cliff district, to the house they'd abandoned in the night.
"We should go to the guild first," he said. "If Vex and Denna are on a quest—"
"ORION!"
The shout came from across the square—loud, joyful, and unmistakably Vex. Orion turned just in time to see his friend sprinting toward them, shoving through the crowd with complete disregard for anyone in his path.
"You absolute BASTARD!" Vex slammed into him with a hug that nearly knocked him off his feet. "Four months since the messenger passed through, and not a single letter? Not one word about when you'd arrive? I've been checking the gates every day!"
"Vex—"
"Four MONTHS!" But he was grinning as he pulled back, gripping Orion's shoulders. "Gods, it's good to see you. When the rumors started about a prince heading to Valdris, I hoped, but—" He stopped, his eyes finally moving to Nera. "You're... tall."
"I'm human-sized," Nera corrected. "There's a difference."
"There really isn't." But Vex was already pulling her into a hug too, lifting her off the ground despite her protests. "Look at you! All grown up! Or, well, all full-sized, anyway. Is this a permanent thing?"
"For now. It seemed appropriate for meeting royalty."
"Royalty." Vex set her down and turned back to Orion, his expression shifting to something between disbelief and accusation. "A PRINCE. You're a PRINCE. I called you a stubborn bastard to your face!"
"Several times."
"SEVERAL times! And you never thought to mention, 'Oh, by the way, Vex, I'm fourth in line to a throne'?"
"It never came up."
"It never—" Vex sputtered. "How does being ROYALTY not come up?"
"I was trying to leave that life behind. Being a prince wasn't who I wanted to be."
"Well, you're going to be a prince now, whether you want to or not." Vex shook his head slowly. "A prince. My adventuring partner was a prince. Denna is going to lose her mind."
"Where is Denna?"
"Guild. Finishing paperwork from our last quest. Come on—" He grabbed Orion's arm. "—you're buying drinks and explaining everything. And I mean everything."
* * *
The guild was exactly as Orion remembered—bustling, chaotic, filled with adventurers of every rank jostling for position at the quest board. But now there were whispers as they entered, eyes following them with curiosity and speculation.
"Word travels fast," Nera murmured.
"In this city? Like wildfire." Orion kept his expression neutral, refusing to acknowledge the attention.
Della spotted them first, her eyes widening behind the counter. "Well, well. The prodigal adventurers return." She leaned forward. "And apparently one of them is a prince. Funny how that detail never made it onto your registration forms."
"It wasn't relevant to my combat abilities."
"Mmm." But she was smiling. "Helena's going to want to see you. And—"
"Orion?"
Denna emerged from the back room, a stack of papers in her hands. She stopped when she saw them, her usual composed expression cracking into something raw and surprised.
"Denna." Orion felt his throat tighten. Of all his friends, Denna had always been the hardest to read—the most guarded, the most careful. Seeing emotion on her face now was startling.
"You came back." She set down her papers and crossed the room, stopping in front of him. "I thought... when you left, I thought we might never see you again."
"I'm sorry. We couldn't risk—"
"I know." She cut him off. "Vex explained. The assassins, the fairy realm, all of it. I understand why you ran." A pause. "I just wished you'd trusted us enough to say goodbye."
"We said goodbye. At the harbor, remember?"
"That wasn't a real goodbye. That was a 'we're leaving but we'll see you soon.'" Her voice was quiet but intense. "You could have died in the Frostmarch. We wouldn't have known. Wouldn't have been able to help. Wouldn't have been able to mourn."
Orion had no answer to that. She was right.
"I'm sorry," he said again. It felt inadequate.
"I know you are." Denna sighed, and then—surprising everyone, including herself—she hugged him. Briefly, fiercely. "Don't do it again. If you're going to run off to frozen cities and royal reunions, at least send regular letters."
"I will. I promise."
"Good." She stepped back, composing herself. "Now. I believe Vex said something about drinks and explanations. Let's hear about this prince business."
* * *
They found a quiet corner of a tavern—the same tavern where they'd celebrated the Tidefall Festival, lifetimes ago—and Orion told them everything.
The kingdom of Valdris. The family he'd fled. The arranged marriage that had been the final straw. His years as a wandering adventurer, the forest where he'd nearly died, and the fairy who had saved him.
"So let me understand this," Vex said slowly, working through it. "You're a prince. She's a fairy queen. You both ran away from your royal obligations. And you found each other by accident in a random forest."
"That's the summary, yes."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He paused. "And I've heard a lot of ridiculous things. I'm an adventurer."
"It does sound improbable," Nera admitted. "But improbable things happen. We're proof of that."
"You're proof that the universe has a sense of humor." Vex shook his head. "Two runaway royals, falling in love, building a life in a frozen city at the edge of nowhere. It's like something from a bard's worst fantasy."
"Or best," Denna said. "Depending on your perspective."
"And now you're going back," Vex continued. "To Valdris. To face the family you ran from."
"My father asked to meet Nera. I couldn't refuse."
"Couldn't, or wouldn't?"
Orion considered the question. "Both. He's old, Vex. The letter made that clear. If I don't go now, I might not get another chance."
"And the succession crisis? The siblings fighting over the throne?"
"Not my concern. I gave up my claim when I left."
"Did you? Officially?"
"...No."
"Then you're still a prince. Still in the line of succession. Still a piece on the board, whether you want to be or not." Vex's expression was serious now. "You know what that means. The moment you walk into that palace, you become a factor. Your siblings will see you as a threat or an opportunity."
"I know."
"And you're going anyway."
"I'm going anyway."
Vex was quiet for a long moment. Then he raised his mug. "To the stubbornest prince I've ever met. May his stubbornness be enough to survive his own family."
"That's not much of a toast," Denna observed.
"It's an honest one."
They drank.
* * *
Later, after the tavern had grown loud and crowded, Nera found herself alone with Denna on the balcony overlooking the harbor.
"Thank you," Nera said. "For the warning. The letter about Seraphel."
"Vex wrote that letter."
"But you helped. You always help, even when you don't want credit for it."
Denna was quiet for a moment, watching the ships in the harbor. "How did it end? With the fairy commander?"
"Better than expected. She chose not to force me back." Nera leaned against the railing. "She's still out there, somewhere. Making her own choices for the first time."
"That sounds complicated."
"Everything about my life is complicated." Nera laughed softly. "I was a fairy queen. Now I'm a human princess, apparently. Or about to be, once we reach Valdris."
"Does that bother you? Taking on another royal title?"
"It's different." Nera considered how to explain. "Being a fairy queen was... everything. The crown was my identity, my purpose, my entire existence. But being Orion's wife—being a princess of Valdris—that's just a label. It doesn't define me. It's something I'm wearing, not something I am."
"That's a healthy perspective."
"It took me a thousand years to develop it."
"Literally."
"Literally." Nera turned to face the other woman. "Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
"Something else, then." She hesitated. "How do you do it? Stay so composed all the time? Nothing seems to shake you."
Denna's expression flickered. "Plenty shakes me. I just don't show it."
"Why not?"
"Because showing weakness invites exploitation." Her voice was matter-of-fact. "I learned that young. In the places I came from, emotion was a liability."
"And now? In better places?"
"Old habits." Denna shrugged. "But I'm learning. Vex helps. He shows enough emotion for both of us."
Nera laughed. "That's true."
"Take care of Orion." Denna's tone shifted, becoming serious. "He pretends to be stoic, but he feels things deeply. This family reunion is going to be hard for him."
"I know. I'll be there."
"Good." A pause. "And take care of yourself too. Royal courts are dangerous, even when the danger doesn't come with swords."
"I've navigated courts before."
"Fairy courts. Human courts are different." Denna met her eyes. "More petty. Less formal. And far less predictable."
"Sounds delightful."
"It won't be. But you'll survive." The ghost of a smile crossed Denna's face. "You survived a thousand years as a queen. You'll survive being a princess."
* * *
They stayed in Coastal City for three days.
Three days of catching up, of shared meals and easy laughter, of being reminded what friendship felt like without the shadow of pursuit or fear. They visited the guild, thanked Helena for everything she'd done, and promised to send word once they reached Valdris.
"Gold rank," Vex noted, studying Orion's medallion with obvious envy. "You made Gold before me. That's not fair."
"Life isn't fair."
"Says the prince."
"The runaway prince with no title and no inheritance."
"Still a prince." But Vex was grinning. "Don't worry. I'll catch up. Denna and I are three quests away from our own promotion. Then we'll be Gold together."
"Together?"
"We're partners now. Officially." Vex glanced at Denna, something warm in his expression. "After you left, we kept working together. Made sense. We were already friends, already knew each other's abilities. And..." He trailed off.
"And?"
"And maybe something more," Denna finished. "Eventually. We're taking it slow."
Orion blinked. He looked at Vex. Looked at Denna. Looked back at Vex.
"I'm happy for you," he said, meaning it. "Both of you."
"Nothing's official yet," Vex said quickly.
"But it will be," Nera added with a smile. "I can tell."
"Fairy intuition?"
"Common sense. You look at each other the same way Orion looks at me."
Vex turned slightly red. Denna's expression remained composed, but there was a softness in her eyes that hadn't been there two years ago.
"Take care of each other," Orion said. "And write to us. Thornhaven's address is complicated, but mail eventually gets through."
"We will." Vex clasped his arm in the warrior's grip. "And you—give that royal family hell. Show them what their runaway prince has become."
"I'll try."
"Don't try. Do." He grinned. "That's what you taught me, remember?"
"Did I say that?"
"Probably. If not, you should have."
They left Coastal City the next morning, riding east toward the capital with the sea breeze at their backs. Behind them, Vex and Denna stood at the gate, watching until they disappeared from view.
* * *
"Are you ready?" Nera asked as the city faded behind them.
"More than I was." Orion felt steadier somehow. Seeing Vex and Denna, being reminded that he had people who knew him—really knew him—had settled something inside him. "They helped. More than they know."
"Friends usually do."
"I'm not used to having friends. Not like that. Not people who want nothing from me except my company."
"You have them now." She reached over to squeeze his hand. "Vex, Denna, the people in Thornhaven. Even Pip, watching from Silverbrook. You have a whole network of people who care about you."
"Strange feeling."
"Good strange or bad strange?"
He smiled. "Good strange. Definitely good."
"Then hold onto it. When things get difficult at the palace—and they will—remember this. Remember that you're not the isolated prince you used to be. You have people. You have me."
"Always you."
"Always me."
They rode on through the Valdris countryside, the capital growing closer with each passing mile. Orion's anxiety had faded to something manageable—still present, still real, but no longer overwhelming.
He had faced his friends and found them still with him.
Now he would face his family and see what remained.
— End of Chapter Twenty-Five —