On that first night in her city, Eliza enjoyed herself more than she thought she could. While Julian was certainly outwardly charming and fun, she found a sese of curiosity and comfort when it came to Rowan. Instead of showing her the most important things about Outer Holn, he would point out little details she never would have noticed.

One house had a crack in the window that looked like a sunflower.

One lady wore a cloak with a rim that shined like moonlight.

Someone had drawn an incredible scenery on a wall.

A small white and violet flower fell from a blacony into her hair...

Or maybe he put it there, she wasn't sure. But his quiet, fascinated attention to detial only made her want to listen to every little thing he had to say.

It was early in the morning when Eliza returned home and snuck back into her room, her mind spinning in wonder from the evening she had just spent.

And while she had promised herself that she wouldn't go back to the Outer city, it called her, night after night, until a week later, she snuck out again, meeting Julian and Rowan where they said she could find them.

A second visit couldn't hurt, right?

Yet, Julian was feeling ill that night. Or so he said he was, she noticed his little grin as Rowan said he would accompany her.

"It's such a shame I can't join you tonight, of all nights. Woe is me!" Julian coughed and winked at Rowan.

"Feel better soon" Rowan muttered, before leading Eliza out of the alley they had met in.

"Why 'tonight of all nights'?" She asked him. "Is something happening? Or is he just a thief and a liar?"

Rowan chuckled. "A thief and a liar? Yeah that's him. He's a good guy though, I promise. I would not have followed him if he wasn't."

"Followed him?"

"He wasn't always a thief. He was actually quite brilliant in class. He just... chose the wrong path. I have a home, a family, as does he. He just chooses not to, and I decided to make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"You two are close... are you- I mean-"

Rowan laughed then. "No, no we're not together. We messed around once, drunk, but that's something we immediately realized was too odd to let happen again. He's more like... my brother, I guess. Neither of us have siblings. Yet... I will defend him and say he didn't entirely lie to us earlier."

"What do you mean?"

Rowan put a hand on Eliza's back as they turned a corner. The main street of the Outer City was blindingly bright with all sorts of lights - magical floating lanters, strings of fairy lights, colorful fires, children running with sticks that sparkled. There was so much to look at, everything was- she didn't have the words for it.

"Well... the light festival might be my favorite event of the year."

Eliza turned back to Rowan, unable to help herself from smiling. She stepped closer to him and took his hand in hers.

"Let's go explore, then?"

For a second, he stood there, frozen in surprise. For another, he blushed, breaking out into an awkward little smile.

"I- yeah. Yeah let's go. Come on, I have something I want to show you."

Never letting go of her hand, Rowan got Eliza some of the rolls covered in honey she saw on her first day in the Outer City, claiming they were his favorite. They got some of the sparkling sticks and a spell cast on them that made them each have a tiny ball of light float around them. They watched fire dancers and spellcasters and eventually made their way up to a rooftop where they could see the city glow from a distance.

"We don't have festivities like this in Upper Holn" Eliza told him, looking down at people laughing. "Sure, we have Winter and Summerfest, we have the Day of Spirits, and the Year's End. But just days like this, where people just... enjoy themselves just for the sake of being together... I've never seen aything like it. It feels like what you read in fairytales."

"Because Upper Holn isn't all good times and gold? That's all we ever hear from it."

Eliza picked a stone off of the roof they were on. "That's the problem. It is all gilded and gold. We aren't supposed to show anything that goes wrong. We're all showing good times because we're meant to be examples, but all that repesent the arts but... I had no idea the Outer City was nearly this alive. They keep telling us not to go here, that we could get hurt, that it's full of disease and distrust. I feel like that part in the stories, where the girl walks into another world where everything is different. Sure, that world is not all perfect, but she starts to see what else her own world could be."

Rowan looked out to his city. "You're right. It's not all perfect. A lot of us live in poverty, theft is everywhere, we never have quite enough healers. And when people from Middle Holn cross into Outer... I mean I'm human sure but half elves like Julian or even other people - tieflings, drow, elves, the like - they get insulted with words nobody should ever hear about themselves. It's so, so far from perfect. But I'll admit, we have each other's backs, and try not to let the difficulties get in the way of days like today. It's events like the light festival that bring us all together on our best of days."

Eliza looked at Rowan then, and leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat together in silence, looking at the city, listening to its music, as the palace of the Regis towered over it in the distance.

Later, they lit the sparkling sticks they got, tracing shapes in the air with their light.

Later, they exchanged questions, getting to know each other better.

Later, they noticed the festivities quiet down to something more quiet and comfortable.

"I should go." Eliza whispered. "The night won't last much longer."

"I wish it could." 

Eliza whipped to her head to the side to look at Rowan, who seemed surprised by his own word and whose cheeks were a deep red.

"I'm sorry- I'm so sorry that was out of line, that just- I didn't mean to say that out loud, I- spirits of the skies, I-"

Eliza chuckled and leaned in close, kissing his cheek.

"I wish I could stay too, make the fairytale moment last..."

Rowan's light eyes caught hers, wide in surprise. "I-..." he exhaled heavily. "Winds guide me" he muttered, leaning forward, holding her face with his hands, pressing his lips to hers, ever so carefully.

Eliza had never been kissed before, but immediatly understood why it was written about in stories and song. And yet, it was too short, too hesitant.

"I'm not going to break, Rowan," she teased, her heart swelling as he chuckled and leaned in again, kissing her more confidently. His hands found their way to her hair, her own around his chest, as they moved closer, enjoying the moment and the dizzying taste of honey and wine.

Later, he helped her off the roof.

Later, he walked her to the gate to Upper Holn.

Later, Rowan kissed Eliza good night.

"I guess I'll come back next week" she promised him as she left to go back to her house, not quite understanding why fairytales always ended after the first kiss, when the aftermath felt like a wonderful tale of its own.