Wings of Starlight

by Allison Saft

The Queen Nightmare. A dragon.

She was the Queen of Pixie Hollow. And this beast? It was a child’s fear, given shape and left to fester for far too long. In the harsh light of day, it was nothing at all.

“How did you know to come here?” she asked, unable to keep the wonder out of her voice. “You stole my owl,” he said, with a touch of amusement. “Who else but the queen would dare do such a thing? It wasn’t particularly difficult to figure out where you might have taken her.” Clarion flushed. “To be clear, she let me steal her.”

“Well, if I’m going to grant your second wish…I want you on my court. Not as the Warden of the Winter Woods—but as the Lord of Winter.”

“We have not had a Lord of Winter in a long time.” “And that is a shame.”

“It will be my first decree,” she said. “Never again will our two worlds be at odds with one another.” “Never again,” he agreed softly.

“I couldn’t have done that. This will be an adjustment, yes. But in Winter, scars like this are a sign of honor, and it isn’t as though I’ll never fly again. I have Noctua.”

She loved him.

Love opened you up to too much pain. Love divided your allegiances, your priorities. For most anyone in Pixie Hollow, it would be acceptable, but for the Lord of Winter…

“I would make every decision thinking of you. I would risk anything, everything, to protect you. Do you understand? I love you, Milori. It scares me too much.” “I love you, too,” he said miserably.

A love like theirs was ruinous. A broken wing was nothing compared to a broken heart. She could only hope that the pain of both would fade with time.

“Will I see you again?” he asked, so softly she almost did not hear him. “I’ve decided I want my coronation to take place where all my subjects can be in attendance, on the border. So if you’ll come…” “Of course,” he replied. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Even I cannot defy the stars. But you will be fine without me, Clarion. I feel very confident leaving Pixie Hollow in your capable hands.”

“It’s good to have a connection with Winter. Unifying the seasons is a very strong way to begin your reign. You will have to apologize to your Warden of the Winter Woods on my behalf.”

“The pain is manageable, and soon, they won’t have to stop me from escaping anymore.” “No escaping,” Clarion chided. “That is an order, by the way. You need to heal.”

“I believe in you,” Artemis said. “Your strength. Your kindness. Your vision. Protecting someone like you is a worthy use of my talent.”

“All rise,” cried a herald-talent, “for Her Royal Highness, Princess Clarion.”

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

“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.”

“Are you going to talk to him? He’s been looking moony all night.” “I should. I want to.”

He sounded absolutely wretched. “I have thought of little else but you since we parted.”

“You will have all your subjects to love you. And even if I am not beside you, you will still have me. There will never be a star brighter. I will always love you.”

“Remember to be free, Milori. No more haunting this border like a ghost.” He gave her the most heartbreaking smile she had ever seen. “You, too.”