It was the start of the annual gathering, and as per usual, the family from Calyda was running late.

How was the Pylar Forest hotter than the Tuuwa Desert?

Fidgeting, Bryony pressed her forehead against the carriage window. Six days of traveling, and she hated it. She almost wished it was her first time seeing the vast forest so she’d be astonished by how they almost brushed the sky, with trunks so thick only giants could wrap their arms around them, or how according to myth, they were planted by the four sister goddesses after their brother accidentally wiped the land of life.

But after seven years, she was unimpressed. And stuck in the carriage for hours until they reached Ionna Castle, the center of the seven realms.

Bryony hated this.

Sighing heavily to turn the glass white, Bryony drew a tiny sun only to watch it fade. To make this trip worse, she was bored. She couldn’t read like Bluebell; the rocking made the words swim, and her drawing supplies disappeared last night. And while Bryony knew her sisters were to blame, telling on them would help nothing.

And, the boredom made everything worse than usual.

She chanced a glance at her keeper; the nursemaid’s hands clasped on her stomach and eyes closed, the heat lulling her to sleep.

Bryony smiled in delight. Perfect.

Turning to the window, she unlatched it easily despite it not being opened in ages.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Glancing back, she saw Bluebell addressing her without looking up from her book. “You’ll get in trouble.”

“No I won’t,” replied Bryony, though she kept her voice low and glanced at the nursemaid. “Not unless she wakes up.” She looked hesitantly at her sister. “You won’t wake her, will you?”

“…I want no part of this,” Bluebell mumbled before returning to reading.

Grinning now, Bryony pushed the window open, the breeze such a relief in the stuffy carriage that both she and Bluebell sighed. Leaning out the window, she looked to the soldiers riding alongside them, all with dark uniforms that bore the sun symbol of Calyda on the front, and swords at their hips despite the chances of an attack being low. Most were royal guards, but several knights were hidden amongst them so enemies would be misled.

One near the rear caught her attention, carrying a knight’s sword despite being younger than the others. He smiled at the young boy sharing his ride, close in age to Bryony with cropped brown hair and warm–brown skin that looked very different from the blond knight, and his tense body showed how uncomfortable he seemed to be even while he shyly returned the smile.

Bryony stared at them, sure she hadn’t seen him earlier in the trip and wondering why he was there instead of the servant’s carriage – if he was indeed a servant. The boy certainly seemed awed by his surroundings, which Bryony dismissed now. Perhaps the knight was just being kind to him.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, the boy suddenly looked to Bryony, a flush of surprise filling his cheeks. Grinning, she waved at him, holding back a laugh as his blush grew darker. The boy said something, and the knight looked to Bryony, recognizing her instantly. Chuckling, he bowed his head in greeting and whispered to his companion, and after almost jumping out of the saddle, the boy bowed too.

“Young lady!”