Page 92 of Wings of Starlight

She and Elvina passed through the aisles and alighted on the bridge, settling beneath an intricate arch that spanned the gap between the seasons. Of all the details her ministers had organized, this was perhaps her favorite. Winter’s half of the arch was composed of birchwood, crowned with snow and delicate frost. Spring’s half—woven from the moss-covered branches of a sapling—met it in the middle, where their branches twined together like interlocked fingers. Flowers from every season were woven through the structure, bursting with texture and color.

The liminal space of the border comforted her. The chill of Winter brushed against her tenderly, like the touch of an old friend. A few stray snowflakes caught in her hair before melting. There was nowhere else she would rather be crowned: here, where she’d learned to believe in herself. Here, where she’d met the one who had both mended and broken her heart.

Unconsciously, she scanned the crowds for him. But she did not find him before Elvina began to unfurl the scroll she carried. “Princess Clarion,” she said, her voice ringing in the silence, “are you willing to swear your royal oath?”

Her voice did not shake when she said, “I am.”

“Do you promise to protect Pixie Hollow with your life?”

“I do.”

“Will you rule these fairies gathered before you with fairness and mercy?”

“I will.”

“Do you swear to ensure the changing of the seasons faithfully and efficiently?”

“I do.”

Elvina nodded, and two helper-talents materialized. One carried the royal scepter; the other, a crown nestled into a cushion. Elvina took the crown first, an elegant diadem of beaten copper that Clarion immediately recognized as Petra’s handiwork. Somehow, through all of this, she’d found the time to make something beautiful for her.

Carefully, Elvina nestled it into Clarion’s hair. Next, she pressed the scepter into her hands. Elvina adjusted the crown once more, and for one moment, Clarion could have sworn she spotted tears in her eyes—there and gone before she could blink. When Elvina was satisfied, she turned back to the crowd.

“Then all hail the new Queen of Pixie Hollow, Queen Clarion!”

Cheers and whoops echoed through the clearing. Clarion felt her heart lift to meet them. The fairies reached into sachets and tossed pixie dust into the air. A group of fast-flyers swooped from the branches, kicking up a joyful breeze. Gold glittered and swirled through the air. Clarion could only stare out at them with emotion lodged in her throat. She loved them all so fiercely.

That love would be enough to sustain her.

When the commotion died down, she drew in a breath and projected her voice. “If I may, I would like to address you for the first time as your queen.”

Immediately, the crowds fell silent. Would she ever grow used to that effect? Would it ever feel natural, filling the space they yielded to her?

“Many of you may not know me well. I have stayed apart from you since I arrived, something I regret deeply. But I would like to change that, starting today. So…allow me to officially introduce myself. I’m Clarion.

“I hope to get to know each and every one of you over the course of my reign. Your safety and happiness are my top priorities, so I hope to lead with wisdom…and a sense of humor.” She smiled tentatively. “Please feel free to come to me with any issues or ideas you have. And don’t hesitate to say hello. I cherish any opportunity to speak with you.”

She dared to glance over at Elvina, who dipped her chin.

Go on,she seemed to say.

“Over the past month, I have learned a lot about myself and our world. Chief among the things I have learned about are our neighbors, the winter fairies.” Clarion glanced over to them, nodding in acknowledgment. “I understand that for many years, they have been thought…unapproachable, even untrustworthy. But I have had the pleasure of meeting them. They are a vibrant bunch, with a great deal to teach us. They have welcomed me with more generosity and warmth than I could have hoped for. From them, I have learned how to hold steadfastly to hope, even on the darkest and coldest of nights. I look forward to seeing what else we might achieve together.”

Cheers floated up from Winter’s side of the border. She waited for them to fade before she continued.

“Without the Warden of the Winter Woods, we would not be here today.” Clarion swallowed through the knot of emotion in her throat. “I say this with confidence. I would not have been able to defeat the Nightmares. Many more of us would be under the Nightmares’ spell. In time, they might have taken all of us. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to him.”

At least,shedid. She would never be able to repay him for what he’d done for her.

“And so, my first decree is to unite our realms.” Purpose warmed her from within, burning as steadily as a flame. “We will provide them aid, lending them our tinkers to make improvements to their processes. Additionally, the Warden of the Winter Woods will henceforth be known as the Lord of Winter. He has governed over the Winter Woods as my proxy and should be recognized for it. He will formally serve on my council.”

She paused, uncertain how the decree would be received. But slowly, applause filled the silence she had left behind. The joy—and sheer relief—she felt buoyed her. It would carry her through her next announcement.

“However,” she continued, “as all of you know, their world, though beautiful, is not safe for warm-season fairies, just as ours is not safe for them. And so, today, I am officially forbidding any fairy from crossing the border. Even if we must remain physically apart, know that we are united in spirit and purpose.

“With our partnership, I want to welcome in a new era of a unified Pixie Hollow. One of hope. I will do my best. I know I will make mistakes. But I swear I will give everything I have to you.”

The final words of her speech dissipated into the warm spring air. And then, she heard Milori’s voice: “All hail Queen Clarion!”