The group was back in the judgment room of the Summer Court. Now that Dev’s title had been removed from him in an official capacity, they were in the final stretch of their legal proceedings. Lumi had woken up after a few hours of rest, but she did not have much to say about the duel. King Oberon was seated atop a giant blue lotus that spun around the room. He had chosen not to use the official seating, instead floating about on his lotus like a child in a small pool of water. 

“The terms of our duel have been met. You are absolved of your crime of beholding the death of a Summer Court resident.” Oberon bit the back edge of the wooden pen, then he signed a long scroll that held the details of the trial. The scroll rolled up on its own, then blinked off into negative space, heading to the vault to join a host of other official documents.

“This does throw the treaty into question,” Dev said, somewhat stating the obvious. It had been a question that was on all their minds after the results of the battle against the queen.

“The treaty. A curious little thing. Surprising that a piece of parchment could end a war that spilled rivers upon rivers of blood on either side.” Oberon clacked his long nails against the pen. “Curious indeed.”

“You were one of the most receptive to the treaty when it was declared,” Dev said. “Perhaps even the most open to it.” 

“I still am. Which is why I am going to ensure that it can still take effect.” He spoke those words with such a casual air, and so immediately, that he seemed to fully believe what he was saying. 

“But the terms stipulated that the sixth prince must marry the princess of House Ellewyn. There is no sixth prince any longer.” 

“Correct.” Oberon looked at Dev. “The sixth prince is no more, but Devesh still is. I had specified in the final talks that you must marry the princess. In fact, the treaty included your name in writing. Thus—title notwithstanding—you completing the journey to the tree with Princess Yara will solidify this truce without much incident.”

“Did you know this before you agreed to the duel?” Dev could not have sounded more incredulous.

“Yes. Whether you won or lost, the outcome would not impact the validity of the treaty. I would not sacrifice peace between realms for my personal motivations.” He smiled. “You may not think it, but I would not stoop so low, dear Devesh.”

A sour taste filled his mouth upon hearing Oberon calling him that. “You are truly a great king.” Dev bowed slowly. “I will complete the pilgrimage to the Elder Wyrd tree, along with Princess Yara—and my two escorts, necessary due to the murky circumstances as of late.” 

“It shall be allowed. After all, Lumi gave an impressive performance against the queen. She has earned her keep.” He smirked at Lumi, but her expression didn’t change. “Go off on your little quest. Do not die before you reach the tree, or we may face the coming of another Forever War.” 

“I know…” Dev said. “We will try our best. Since we will be outside of Lucinia for the duration of this quest, the bystander law does not apply. Any faerie that tries to interfere with the pilgrimage will be dealt with appropriately.” 

“Very good. I do not condone any actions conducted in bad faith outside of my jurisdiction, so please, clear any threats as you see fit.” Oberon waved, a faint smile on his face. “I trust you will protect the peace, Devesh.” 

~~~

An hour later, Yara, Dev, Jolan, and Lumi were situated  in a quaint cabin on the very edge of the sprawling Lucinian kingdom. 

“He’s unpredictable—the king,” Jolan said. “At times, he seems wholly against you, Prince—er, Devesh.” 

Dev sighed. “Call me whatever you want, Jolan. Don’t think too deeply about it.”

“Prince Devesh it is.” He wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead, leaning over a bowl of boiling hot stew. An impressive cook, Jolan could prepare the finest meals in the shortest notice. This time, he was making curried mutton in a delicious golden sauce.  “You will always be my lord.” 

“Mhm. And yes, I cannot read his next move, most times. Even when I think I have him cornered, I don’t.” 

“He must be smarter than he looks.” Jolan garnished the dish with fresh cilantro, then handed Dev a bowl. “Or he acts so foolishly that we cannot find a pattern.” 

“Either way, there is no point trying to fight him. He always manages to gain the upper hand.” Dev sighed again, running his fingers through his hair before taking the offering. “Nothing we can do about it.” 

“Nothing but keep our heads down and continue with our given mission.” 

“Exactly.” Dev hummed quietly and took a spoon to his mouth, his face scrunching in joy. “Perfect.” 

“Thank you, Prince Devesh.” Jolan prepared two more bowls, handing one to Yara and the other to Lumi. 

Yara did a short Elven prayer before digging in. They did not have any rice or bread to go with the dish as they were going to save those supplies for the main portion of the trip. This was a nice hearty meal in the comfort of the Lucinian lodgings before they would set out into the true heart of the woods. 

There had not been much fanfare as they left, most of the kingdom still processing the mind-boggling duel that had just occurred. Most folks could no longer place the hierarchy of power so neatly within their minds. The Summer Court was no longer the clear winner, because someone from the Winter Court—that too a refugee and not one of the strongest trained soldiers like others in Lumi’s court—had gone toe-to-toe with the great Queen Titania. The strongest and fastest of the Summer Court, Titania should have defeated Lumi as easily as the other previously recorded matchups between the queen and lesser fae. 

Chewing on her mutton thoughtfully, Yara was trying to make sense of it all herself. Social divisions mattered as much to the fae as it did to the elves, and both groups thought similarly more often than not when it came to basic topics. Hell, they even agreed that the tree was of paramount importance to their respective cultures. The fae used magic like the elves did—water to heal, other types of magic to harm. If she looked into it more, she could probably find fae uses of gnome magic, or even salamander magic. 

So similar, yet so much conflict between each other. Even if peace was achieved between both factions, would that stop fighting within groups? Would elves still rank other elves by magical ability, and would fae still rank other fae by their court? It was likely that old practices would continue. 

Her attention returned to her meal. Jolan was an incredible cook. His use of subtle complementary flavors was just amazing. She smiled happily, making sure to enjoy the—wait, this wasn’t poisoned, right? 

She glanced around at the rest of the party. They had all eaten from the same pot. It was fine. Silly Yara. There are no strangers around to poison your stew this time, she thought. Her sisters had always told her never to trust a fae. They had ways of sneaking their tendrils in your mind, manipulating you to see their way. None of her sisters had been spared in the war. None of her cousins. Not her mother. Everyone she had ever loved had been slowly taken away from her over the course of the last century. And yet, here she was. Alive, and in the company of not just one fae, but multiple. Having stew by the fire like old friends. 

Times really had a way of changing in ways she could have never seen coming, but she couldn’t bring herself to be completely comfortable just yet. Until they reached the tree and returned, the treaty would not be fully in effect. Her only goal was to make it to the Elder Wyrd tree and commune with it. Its guidance could save her—and everyone else. The tree was said to give visions, and a chance to connect with the world around her, as well as her ancestors. With that sort of knowledge, she could more easily tackle anything that came next. 

Thunk.

Thunk.

The muffled sound of an object striking something. 

Where was that coming from?

When was that coming from? 

That odd question popped in her mind, and she realized she had once again been sent back here—to the past. 

But that sound—it grew louder. Like the air had been sucked out of her, she was pulled back into her body, and she gasped.

The first thing she saw was her own blood on the ground, spilled across the exposed surface-level root of the Elder Wyrd tree.