The inner recesses of her mind felt like they had been cleared of the fog that had lingered. Only the word empty could describe all the air floating around in there. Whatever that plant had in it, it was making her realize things about herself that she had perhaps not thought about before. Her wants and needs were laid out so clear before her, and right now, she wanted to know more about Dev. 

“Confession,” Yara blurted out, her words coming out before she could even think about it. 

Dev cocked an eyebrow. “Hm?” 

“A confession. Tell me something about yourself that I don’t know. Preferably embarrassing.” 

“Easy—I barely had any friends growing up. I only became good at illusion-making because I needed people to talk to.”

“Imaginary friends, basically,” Yara said. “Kind of cute.” 

“Your turn. Embarrassing fact.”

“Elves are known for magic, right? My house is filled with exceptional spellcasters.” She chewed on her lip softly. “I, on the other hand, cannot even master basic spells.”

“That’s…unexpected. Magic doesn’t make you who you are, though.” 

“It does where I come from. The only reason I even still have a place in House Ellewyn is because I’m a princess. Everyone is ashamed of me, but they do not want to say it to my face..” 

“From my personal experience, magic is all about finding the right tune. Once you can align yourself with the proper frequency, it’ll become second-nature.”

“The right tune, huh?” Yara twirled her fingers in the air. 

“Also, what fits you best. Some types of magic will be more intuitive for you than others.” 

“That might be true…” Fire magic did not come to her well. Neither did water. Earth did not seem to resonate with her at all. “See, the problem is—none of the strains of magic work for me—fire, water, or earth.” 

“What about wind, then?” 

“Wind? That’s not an option.” 

“Cyrilla gave me a long lecture on elven magic once. I was forced to listen and repeat what I learned. She had said that it was important I knew the different types in case I got sent off to war like her.” 

Yara nodded. “And she told you that wind magic was something we practiced?”

“If I remember correctly—your magicks derive from elementals. Gnomes were earth, salamanders fire, something that sounded like underwater for water…”

“Undines?”

“Yes, that. For wind—what was it? Silks? I think that’s right. Wind powers are derived from silks.” 

“...Silks? Like…the fabric?” 

“Yes,” Dev said, sounding confident.

“How does one channel silk powers, then?” 

“I’m no elven magic expert.” Dev shrugged. “That’s all I have for you.”

“Understandable. Generally, we channel whatever force we believe in—” She closed her eyes, getting herself into the mindset for this hypothetical spell. “For example with silks, I would just try to focus on being airy and light. Empty my mind, then twist the air itself into the palm of my hand.” 

“Yara…” 

She opened one eye. “What is it?”

Dev pointed at her hand and she looked down. A wind current had formed above her palm, highlighted with subtly glowing green particles. 

“Silk magic…” 

Yara stared at the twisting and turning air. 

Footsteps sounded out from behind them, and Yara swung around. When she did that, she accidentally released the spell, which shot out in a thin, flat line, curved like a sickle. Jolan had just entered the pond, a rabbit slung over his shoulder. His eyes widened as the blade of wind traveled toward him, and he ducked just on time to avoid the attack. It grazed the top of his head, slicing off a few strands of hair, and kept continuing forward. The spell sliced through the tree behind him, the three foot wide trunk breaking in two—bark crumbled, and the branches and trunk hit the ground with a thundering crash. 

“What in the absolute—” Jolan said in total disbelief. “What are you two up to?”

“Yara seems to have discovered silk magic,” was all Dev had to say. 

“Silk…” Jolan sighed, like he tended to do. “Sylph magic, you mean?” 

“Yes. Silk magic. That’s what I said.” 

“Sylph magic. Like Undines, Gnomes, Salamanders, and Sylphs.” 

“Oh! That makes more sense.” Yara smiled. “I am sorry about what just happened, Jolan. I didn't mean to nearly take your head off.”

“I leave you two alone for just a little while, and I see you’ve eaten all the flowers in the pond and are now tossing out wild magicks.” Jolan shook his head. “You are meant for each other, I’m afraid.” 

Yara glanced at Dev. “About the flowers—eating them was a mistake. The effects are still lingering and I’m barely in the right mind.” 

“What effects?”

“I don’t know how to act like myself—it’s so strange. It feels like I’m observing my own body from the outside.”

“You are stranger than I thought, princess.” 

“Thanks!” Yara laughed, and Dev joined her.  

Jolan stood there, unable to figure out what to say. “Okay… I think I’ll stay here until Lumi returns. I can’t have you both getting into more trouble.” 

“Yes, sir. We will be on our best behavior.” Yara saluted him like she was a military cadet. 

Dev also gave him a salute. “Yes, sir.” In a puff of tinted smoke, a tiny bird made of violet light appeared in his hand. “Magic trick.” 

“Heh, magic trick,” Yara echoed, giggling. “Make bird fly.” 

“Why talk like this?” Dev asked, and the bird kicked its talons before taking off. It made it a few feet before it crashed to the ground and broke into pieces. “Oops.”

“You talk first like this. Magic trick,” Yara explained.

Dev seemed to understand immediately. “You correct.” 

Jolan sat on a fallen log, clicking his teeth. “Um. Yeah.” He opened his mouth to say something else, then decided against it. 

Over the course of the next few minutes, Dev made several animals and birds out of his illusion magic, twisting them into different shapes with a skilled hand—despite his current state. Yara stared at the creations with awe, but she kept trying to hold them, after which they fell apart. This made her pout every time, and Dev quickly made another one for her without a word. 

“You’re quite talented, Mr. Dev,” Yara said. 

“Thank you, miss Yara.” Dev let a little ant illusion climb up his sleeve. “Whenever you speak to me like that, I feel warm inside.”

“Hm?”

“Oh, nothing! You just say things while looking so pretty and every word that comes out of your mouth feels like poetry and—” Dev realized his internal thoughts had become external thoughts and he stopped. “Sorry.” 

“No—it’s fine. Is that how you really view me?” Yara looked at him, and she could feel her face burning. 

“Yes…I think I’m lucky to have even had the chance to be in your presence.” Dev’s illusionary creatures all turned to dust at once. “I’m not sure if it’s the dubious flower speaking, but I enjoy your company very much.” 

Yara smiled. “I enjoy yours too—dubious flower effects or not.” 

Whistling a jolly tune, Lumi strode in from the treeline. A rather large doe was slung over her shoulder. 

Jolan smiled wide. “We’ll have enough meat for the whole journey.” He closed his eyes, saying a few words of prayer quietly for the fallen animal. “I’ll make us some meals with some staying power.” 

Lumi dropped the deer down with a loud thud. “Get to it, little boy.” 

“You’re the little one here, Lumi. I—” Jolan paused the moment he caught Lumi’s gaze on him. “I mean—I’ll get started right away.” 

“I would like to watch you, Jolan. You’re truly a master of the culinary arts.” Yara patted Dev on the shoulder, and then stood. “Be back in a bit.”

He waved at her as she left. 

After the deer was taken away, Lumi came over and sat beside Dev. 

“Glad to see you speaking up more,” he said. 

“Outside of Lucinia, away from the House of Eglantine, I do not need to keep quiet,” Lumi said. She leaned back, letting herself fall to the grass. Staring up at the twisted branches above and the shapes they created as they intertwined, she finally had the chance to tell Dev what she had been wanting to say for all those years. “I am sorry, Lord Devesh.” 

“For what? You didn’t do anything…” he replied. 

“I am sorry for not being by your side like I had promised. While it was not my choice to leave, I wanted to let you know that I would follow you into the darkest corners of the world…because you are my light.” 

“Lumi…” Dev turned his head, looking at her face. Her eyes were brimming with tears. “Don’t cry. I know you would never break your promise.” He brought up a hand to wipe away her ceaseless tears. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” 

She nodded, closing her eyes. “Yes. I thank the stars for allowing me the opportunity to be alongside you.” 

“When we get back to Lucinia, I’ll be sure to resolve your situation. Whoever forced this distance between us will get a stern talking to.” He grinned. “I promise.” 

“Please, never make promises.” Lumi’s face was filled with worry. “I do not want you to get hurt because of them.” 

“Why would—”

“If someone forces you to break your promise, you will only end up in terrible pain. The effects could last for years—you could lose what you hold most dear.”

“I know the consequences of breaking a promise. I am aware of the risks, Lumi,” he said. “I will not fail you.” 

“I am not worried about whether you can get me out of my situation or not, prince.” She smiled. “I want to make sure that you prioritize your safety over others.”

“That’s funny, coming from you. You put nearly everyone else above yourself.” He rolled over onto his back, resuming his study of the trees above. “You should take your own advice.”

“I am fine the way I am. Thank you,” Lumi said. “Do as I say, not as I do.” 

“You always know some really good sayings. I don’t know how you do it.” 

“That one is fairly common, Dev. I thought you would know that one.”

“Oh. I-I do. Of course. It’s like to be or not to be, same vein.” 

“That’s not the same at all.” Lumi broke into a fit of laughter. 

Dev couldn’t help but grin. He hadn’t heard her laugh in so many years, that the sound was almost foreign to him. Whoever had taken away her joy, he would make sure that they faced the consequences of their actions. 

“How about when we all gather to eat…” He sat up, a slightly spicy scent entering his nostrils from Jolan’s cooking. “You tell us a story about the Winter Court? I bet the others would love to know more about where you came from.”

“Sure. Let me tell you about Arsenius of House Corianthus—who was a faerie that even Queen Titania would have struggled to defeat…if she even could.”