When we approached the dais, the crystal flashed. Tristan's glowing eyes grew brighter as the Great Mother walked her way to the base of the dais and, with a long, slow breath, settled her belly down onto the wooden floor and laid her head on her hands. When she lazily closed her eyes, Fluffy ran down her head, galloped across the chamber, and skidded to a stop at my feet.

  "Ri ri!" He yipped.

  "Hey, little buddy." I reached down and scratched under his chin.

  "Roo..." He pressed his cheek into my fingers the way cats did.

  I couldn't help but smile down at him. He was so damn cute.

  "Now, let us sit and talk." Tristan's face shifted, and it was clear that Ura-Elathiel was in control once more. With a gentle wave of her hand, five elegant chairs formed from the bark beside each of us.

  Before sitting, I walked over and helped her sit, then did the same for Vral before sitting down myself. The instant I was settled in my chair, Fluffy leaped into my lap and curled into a ball. Mindlessly, I reached down and scratched the top of his head.

  "P-r-ooo..." The little dragon cooed.

  Once everyone was settled, Ura-Elathiel smiled and said, "While we don't have nearly enough time together, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have before..." She hesitated. "So, ask away, my dear loved ones."

  Na-Ya's eyes found hers. "So you really are our grandma, then?"

  "She is." Based on the sound of her voice, that was Tristan. Tristan nodded and added, "I am."

  Na-Ya's face darkened a little. "Mom... mom said you told both her and Auntie that you'd come back to the grove one day. But you never did. What happened to you?"

  Ura-Elathiel frowned. "I..." She took a breath. "I died."

  Na-Ya's hands balled into fists. "How?"

  "Tristan's" eyes grew sad. "To simplify a very long and sad tale, I will say that, after the... Scion's War, I believe you call it, I searched to find a way to return Caer-Elath-Sylnareth to its former glory. Traveling far and wide, I looked for methods to use the Great Mother's dragonvein to fuel a magic strong enough to break Avara's curse. At the same time, my goal was to release the souls Zylla had prevented from returning to the Goddess." Her eyes drifted to the crystal hovering above the dais. "While I did end up finding that magic, I was foolish and arrogant. I never should have attempted it on my own."

  Together, the rest of us looked upward.

  Taking the object in for a time, I realized what it might be. "Is that you up there?" I asked. "Or your body?"

  Without looking, Ura-Elathiel said, "Yes."

  "Then your magic failed..." Na-Ya whispered.

  "Yes and no." Ura-Elathiel's eyes fell. "The dragonvein stores the mana of this land within it. Likewise, it converts the black essence from below into light. I had thought enough energy had been accumulated the day that I cast my spell, but I was wrong. Without the requisite mana to fuel the spell, my body was consumed. However, watching me fade away, the Great Mother used her power to seal me away in that crystal. That allowed part of me to survive, and it allowed my spell to linger, uncast but ready to be triggered."

  "What does that mean for you now?" Ro asked. "What are you exactly?"

  Tristan's eyes settled on him. "It would not be untrue to say that I became the spirit of this city that day."

  Na-Ya, who'd gotten progressively more emotional as her grandmother spoke, wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Grandma."

  "Don't be, my precious granddaughter." Ura-Elathiel reached out and squeezed Na-Ya's hand. "My sacrifice was for the greater good. And I've had the pleasure of meeting you. I have no regrets."

  Na-Ya's throat caught. "Will you... can you stay with us?"

  Ura-Elathiel shook her head. "I can't."

  Slowly, Na-Ya nodded. "May I ask what happened to our grandfather?"

  Shaking her head, the spirit said, "I don't know. When I last saw him, he was hidden deep within Fael-Na, holding our two beautiful daughters in his arms."

  "I see." Na-Ya sighed. "I wish I knew what happened to him."

  "As do I," Ura-Elathiel agreed. "I pray that his end was peaceful, even if I fear it was not."

  Some questions popped into my mind. Questions I'd had since I studied with Arden years ago. "The histories say that you were abducted by High King Hendry at the beginning of the Fifth Era. Is that true?"

  Her lips quirked upward. "Is that what Elauthin told everyone?" She laughed. "No. I left Nolei many years before I met my beloved Hendry."

  Emperor Elauthin of Nolei had been her husband. "And why did you leave Nolei?"

  Ura-Elathiel's eyes grew distant. "He and I had known one another since we were children. When it was discovered that I was one of the Goddess's voices, the arrangements were made for us to wed."

  "Goddess's voices?" I asked.

  "It is not unlike being one of the Goddess's chosen, like you are. Her power and will flow through us more strongly than others, and it is our role to find and guide those who would shape the world." She looked at each of us.

  "Us?" I asked.

  She nodded. "Tristan is also a voice of the Goddess. That is how I'm able to speak with you now."

  "I knew it..." Swallowing, Na-Ya continued, "She's always been so talented..."

  I exhaled. "That makes sense." Tristan could always do things that others couldn't. Like when she'd used that powerful spell against the rat king down in Copperhold and cleansed most of the dungeon. She was something else.

  Ura-Elathiel rested her hands in her lap. "While handsome and shrewd, Elauthin was also cruel, and he only truly loved himself. When we married, I hoped to quell his worst impulses, but I was unsuccessful. For a century, I lived as a ghost in my own home, neither seen nor wanted. Then, after a particularly awful row, I left our castle, intending never to return. Marching east, I entered a waypoint and willed myself to be anywhere but there. In a blink, I was on the other side of Reial, alone. And free." She smiled.

  Na-Ya looked at Ro and whispered, "I love you."

  He smiled softly and took her hand.

  "I'd kick your ass if you treated me like that." Vral smacked my leg. "You'd get straightened out real quick."

  Tristan's face shifted, and she looked like herself again. "He wouldn't stand a chance against us."

  "Damn right, he wouldn't." Vral grinned at Tristan. "We'll keep his ass on the straight and narrow."

  Laughing, I looked at Tristan and said, "I'm more likely to be the one getting bullied, thank you very much."

  With a laugh, Tristan said, "Yeah? Well, you deserve it," Before her face shifted, and she was Ura-Elathiel again.

  Doing my best to reestablish some decorum, I said, "Thank you for telling us your story, ma'am. I know someone who'll really appreciate it." I couldn't wait to tell Arden what I'd learned. He was going to be so excited about having the real details.

  "As a spirit, have you watched over this city?" Na-Ya asked.

  "Unfortunately, no. I've been in a deep sleep ever since the day I cast [The Great Reclamation]. It was Tristan who, by using her magic in this place, reached out and roused my spirit, and with it, my magic. Without her efforts, I would still be asleep within the crystal above."

  Something didn't make sense. "Ushai told us that, after you left, you never returned. If you returned to cast that spell and your body's up in that crystal, wouldn't she have remembered you returning?" I asked.

  She shook her head. "I believe that Avara's curse had two effects." She counted with her fingers. "It prevented the world from remembering this city, and it forced anyone who lingered here to forget the world beyond."

  Huh. So, Avara's curse prevented anyone from ever trying to find help. How tragic.

  "Is the curse gone now?" Ro asked.

  Nodding, she said, "I developed [The Great Reclamation] to cleanse the curse and restore the city, but it will take time. As the dragonvein gathers more energy, more and more lingering souls will return to life."

  "So I really didn't do anything then," I said matter-of-factly. "It was just a coincidence that your magic and mine happened at the same time."

  "You're wrong."

  "How so?"

  "I'd worked with a powerful mage for over a decade to develop a spell, but it was no use. While we both learned much about the nature of bodies and spirits, I had little aptitude for that kind of magic, and neither of us could find a way to do what needed to be done. Thus, instead, I had planned to break the curse and welcome people to the ruins, hoping that one day, I or someone else would find a way to call their souls from the edge of the abyss." Reaching out, she took and squeezed my hand. "I never imagined it would be my granddaughter's future husband who would end up doing it."

  I shook my head. A powerful mage? "It didn't really feel like I did anything."

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "It was your vow that roused their spirits from their slumber. That was enough."

  So that feeling I had when I'd made it, that there was something left to say. Had my gut been right? "Well, uh, I'm happy I could help."

  Ro shook his head. "And to think you got that power from the Dark Lord."

  I chuckled. "Who would've thought, huh?"

  Ura-Elathiel held a hand up. "Do not heed His words, Alex. [Sovereign] is not of the Dark Lord."

  "Come again? How could that be?"

  With a firm gaze, she said, "The power of [Sovereign] is ancient. It dates back to the first era, when the first of the elven kings walked this world. It has always been given to those the Goddess deems worthy of rule." She smiled. "My Hendry had it, and now, my grandson does, too."

  Don't call me that yet, Grandma! "But I only got it after he spoke to me. And the text is all glitchy the way that it always is when he's involved." I sighed. "And it feels dark when I use it."

  "The Old One might have said he gifted it, but it doesn't come from Him." She frowned and was quiet for a time, clearly thinking. Eventually, she said, "If I had to take a guess, I believe that He inserted himself between you and the Goddess."

  "Why would he do that?" Na-Ya asked.

  Her grandma chewed her lip. "I think that, by holding [Sovereign] back, he was able to masquerade as Alex's benefactor. Then, when he could no longer keep it from him, the Dark Lord allowed the talent to flow, then lied so that Alex would believe it was from Him. I'm certain that He believed it would make Alex more compliant to do so. "She looked at me. "I'm glad it didn't work."

  I felt my cheeks grow hot from the praise. "But the text is all..." I drew in the air with my fingers. "Scratchy."

  Reaching out and taking my hand in hers, Ura-Elathiel whispered under her breath, causing her hands to glow with white light.

  [Divine Cleansing]

  When her spell washed over me, words appeared in my mind:

  Your talent [S?o?v?e?r?e?i?g?n?] becomes the talent [Sovereign].

  "There." Ura-Elathiel squeezed my hand before letting go. "I've fixed it for you."

  It was like a weight had been lifted from my chest. One that I hadn't known was even there. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and allowed the relief to wash over me. "Thank you, grandmother."

  If he'd been holding that talent back, for how long? And was that why he always sent me dreams about ruling? Had he known since the beginning?

  A sinking feeling filled my stomach.

  What if... what if my hard landing in Reial had been because of him? What if he'd steered me off course of... wherever I was supposed to go, and he'd been trying to trick me into helping him ever since? If Tristan hadn't found me, what would have happened? Also, had something similar happened to Devon? Was that why she became the way she'd become? I had so many questions!

  "So... future husband?" Na-Ya leaned forward and eyed me up and down. "Have you two... you know? Done the thing?"

  "Huh?" I asked.

  "They do the thing all the damn time." Vral crossed her arms. "You damn prude."

  "Gross," Ro murmured.

  "No!" Na-Ya scowled at the goblin. "I meant, have you all had the talk?"

  Shaking my thoughts out of my head, I said, "Yeah. We've talked about it."

  Tristan's face shifted. "A few times, actually." She looked at both of us. "With both of them."

  "It's all so complicated!" Vral threw her hands up. "What's there to even talk about? I say we just grab our weapons and fight him until he beats us down or he dies." She eyed me up and down. "It's only proper."

  "That's more your thing, Vral." Tristan smiled. "But still, I support it. It's about time you two buried that hatchet."

  Vral blushed. "It is? I didn't want to get in the way or anything... You were here first...""

  "You have my blessing," Tristan replied.

  "O-okay..." Vral shuffled in her chair.

  Tristan continued, "But as for me, I want the whole elven experience." She turned back to Na-Ya. "We were planning on going home to the grove after our next quest." She hesitated. "Um... you two should come with us. I want you there, and, uh, maybe it's time for you two as well."

  Na-Ya looked at Ro, who inclined his head. Her cheeks turned a little red as she broke out in a wide grin. "I think we might just do that."

  "It's time, I think," Ro added.

  Tristan beamed. "I'm so glad."

  Her face shifted, and Ura-Elathiel spoke. "Know that my love will be with you."

  Na-Ya immediately teared up. "Thank you, Grandma."

  "Of course, child." As she spoke, the crystal above flared. Frowning, Ura-Elathiel said, "My dear children, I wish that we had more time, but we will not be granted that blessing this day. As such, I have words for each of you." She turned to me. "Starting with you, Alex."

  "Yes?" I whispered.

  She reached and pressed her palm to mine. There was a flash of light where our hands met, and something was in my hand. She let go of my hand, revealing a small, round amulet resting in my palm. "As the one who bears [Sovereign] in this era, I ask that you make a vow."

  Turning the amulet over in my hand, I saw that it had a tree embossed onto one side and the sword and shield of Istaera on the other. Nodding, I said, "Sure. I'll do anything."

  Smiling, she said, "Promise that you will become the king Istaera deserves."

  "K-King?" I stammered. I was no king! "I can't possibly—"

  "You can, and you must." She closed my hand around the token. "For the good of Istaera."

  You receive the quest [The King's Contest]

  I felt my chest tighten. Could I really...? "I'll... try my best."

  "I know you will," Her eyes rested on me.

  I slipped the amulet around my neck and felt a whole new weight settle over me.

  "What?!" Vral sputtered. "I'm the arm candy of a king?!"

  "A future one," I corrected. "Maybe."

  Ro laughed. "I've always known he was special. Didn't you, Vral?"

  Holding her hands up, she said, "I mean, yeah, but... It's not that!" She blushed. "It's just... you know... he's going to be a... a king." Her ears turned red. "That's hot."

  After barking out a laugh, his face split into a grin. "Yeah, I guess it would be."

  Vral bit her lip. "Oh, it is."

  With a soft laugh, Ura-Elathiel turned to Ro. "My grandson," she reached forward and took Ro's hand. "I have not forgotten you." There was another flash of light where their hands touched. "If Alex is to become a king, he will need a trusted friend at his side. One who will always be there for him." She let go, revealing another amulet, this one set on a thick chain. "That amulet is the one worn by the High Chancellor of Istaera. Wear it well."

  Ro turned it over in his hand, looked at me, then slipped the chain around his neck. It looked like it had been made for him. "I'm honored, grandmother."

  Nodding, she turned to Na-Ya. "And this," There was another flash of light before she handed a signet ring to Na-Ya. "Is for the ruler of Caer-Elath-Sylnareth."

  Na-Ya turned the ring over. "Should I give it to mom, or...?"

  Her grandmother shook her head. "No. My daughters have their duties in Fael-Na. I give that ring to you, my granddaughter."

  Na-Ya's eyes widened. "Me?"

  Ura-Elathiel nodded. "Through Tristan's memories, I have seen the woman that you've become, and I choose you to take my place."

  Once again, Na-Ya's eyes grew wet. "O-okay. I will!"

  "But isn't Alex going to be king?" Vral asked. "What's Na-Ya got to do with it?"

  Ura-Elathiel looked at her granddaughter. "While the High King may rule Istaera, none but one of my blood may ever rule this city." She side-eyed me and grinned. "Also, I'm pretty sure that he'll listen to Na-Ya more than anyone if he ever decides to get too full of himself."

  I sighed. That was definitely Tristan.

  Na-Ya slipped the ring onto her finger. "I'll do my best."

  "I am certain you will." Ura-Elathiel rose and turned toward the dais. "Now. To finish what I started long, long ago." With a wave of her hand, the crystal above it pulsed, and the wood began to shift. The top of the dais expanded outward, reshaping itself with a slow, groaning sound, followed by the rest of the pillar. After a few moments of shuddering and shifting, three distinct tiers formed in the living wood.

  On the highest tier, two seats had formed side by side. They were elegant but practical, their backs carved with intertwining branches and leaves that met in the space between the chairs.

  "For the ruler of this city and the chancellor of Istaera," Ura-Elathiel said, gesturing to Na-Ya and Ro. "Na-Ya of my blood, and Ro-Saleh of your heart. Caer-Elath-Sylnareth is yours to guide."

  Both Ro and Na-Ya watched, mouths ajar.

  Na-Ya slowly nodded. "I... I will do my best, grandmother."

  Ro inclined his head. "As will I, grandmother."

  "Next, for you both, Vral and Tristan, as well as the one who must come." Ura-Elathiel pointed at the second tier that had formed below the first, where three seats stood with their backs pressed together, and was connected to the other through the same branch and leaf stylings as the upper two, but in those branches and leaves were signifiers associated with the three duchies of Istaera. Likewise, the three seats faced east, west, and north. "For the Duchesses of Istaera, who must shoulder the burdens of the people and help their king carry his own."

  Vral blinked. "Duchesses?"

  Ura-Elathiel smiled. "Indeed."

  "Huh?" Vral scratched her head, then, with all the sass, she whispered, "I wonder who those skanks are?"

  I had a feeling I knew the answer to that, but I decided to keep it to myself.

  "The future is rarely as simple as we expect," was all the spirit said before pointing to the lowest tier. It was just barely visible over the Great Mother's back and was larger than the others, but far simpler. Still, its design was unmistakably authoritative. "And this," she said quietly, looking at me, "is where the High King will sit."

  My stomach clenched.

  "Why's he sitting at the bottom?!" Vral snapped. "He should be at the top, towering over every one of us normies!"

  "No, he shouldn't." The spirit pointed at the throne. "The High King's throne is at the bottom, for it is his duty to shoulder the burdens of all while remaining tireless and humble." She looked at the others one by one. "While his advisors and court may keep a more distant view of the land and its people, the king must always be closest to them both." She put a hand on my shoulder. "You must always remember your place."

  The weight of that settled heavily in my chest. "I will."

  "What about us?" Vral asked. "Where do a high king's hot-ass women sleep? And I still want to know about these Duchesses. Who are these bitches?" She bit her thumbnail. "Wait, are they going to be our competition? Am I gonna have to choke a bitch or three?"

  Ura-Elathiel laughed. "Do you know why there are three duchies in Istaera?"

  "Because... uh..." Vral slowly turned to look at me. "Alex, you read. Do you know why?"

  I shook my head. "I only know that the first high king founded Istaera at the end of the Third Era. Supposedly, he came with three friends. Those friends were the first dukes of Istaera, but records from before the Fourth Era are spotty, so that's all I know."

  "Not quite," Ura-Elathiel said. "Yes, the first high king came at the end of the third era, but he didn't come with three friends. He came with his three wives. And it was those wives who became the first three dukes of Istaera."

  Vral's face fell. "Wait... What?"

  Na-Ya and Ro both looked at her.

  "Are you saying...?" Vral's lips worked. "I'm... gonna be a duchess?"

  Ura-Elathiel's hands flashed. Then, she reached out and pressed something into Vral's hand. "For the future duchess of Velmire."

  Vral opened her hand, revealing a signet ring. "W-w-what? A d-duchess?" Her voice was shaking. "Me? But I'm..." Her head dropped as she pointed at herself. "This."

  Placing a hand on Vral's shoulder, Ura-Elathiel said, "A new kind of duchess for a new era."

  Her face twisted, and, in Tristan's voice, she slipped a ring of her own onto her slender finger and said, "We can do it together." Etched into the signet ring was the symbol of Tharoven.

  Vral's head trailed upward. "We can?"

  Tristan wrapped her in a hug. "Of course."

  For a few moments, the two embraced before disentangling themselves. Vral wiped her cheeks and, with a bratty tone, said, "Does that mean we have to live in different places? Because nah, I'm not doing that."

  I laughed. "We could make it work."

  "We could not, and you fucking know it!" Vral put her hands on her hips. "You'd miss the shit out of us!"

  Tristan's face shifted again. "I agree with Vral. I'm not about to sleep without you two nearby."

  Her face shifted again, and she was Ura-Elathiel again. "You won't have to."

  I scratched at my chin. "Why is that?"

  Ura-Elathiel ran her hands through her hair. "It would be easier to show you." Once again, she waved her hand, and three archways grew from the ground. Covered in vines and arcane writing, the interiors of each archway shimmered with some kind of magic. "After the high king's castle was destroyed in the Scion's War, I always intended for this city to become the next capital. A place where all could come and find peace and prosperity." As the archways finished growing, she whispered, "Finally, I'm able to make that dream a reality."

  "What are they?" Na-Ya asked.

  "These portals connect to Calvareth, Velmire, and Tharoven. With the rod given to each duchess when she ascends her throne, you will be able to open the portal and come here whenever you wish to come home." She looked at me. "And when you become High King, it will be your duty to remove the current rulers of this land and choose new ones, as all High Kings have done before you."

  That word again.

  When.

  Not if.

  "I... I'll do it," I whispered.

  With a final nod, the light in Tristan's eyes flickered slightly. Her face darkened, and she exhaled slowly. "It is time."

  Na-Ya stepped forward. "Grandmother..."

  Ura-Elathiel smiled at her. "Be well, my dear loved ones. Care for one another. And... when you return to Fael-Na..." Her voice trembled slightly for the first time. "Tell my daughters that I love them."

  The warmth in the air began to fade, and the glow in Tristan's eyes dimmed even further.

  "And I love you all as well." The spirit smiled a final time before the glow vanished entirely. Light poured from Tristan's skin and floated up to sink into the crystal floating above.

  When the last of the light left her, Tristan fell forward.

  Rushing to her, I caught her before she hit the ground.

  "T-thanks..." She said, her voice hollow.

  "Of course."

  Looking up at the crystal hovering above the dais, she whispered, "Thank you, Grandma."

  I looked up, too, and said a soft prayer.