Alexia led Moonstrider up the hill Azureale, her hood up, eyes forward to hush the chatter of passersby on the road identifying her. Now that she was almost to Saphirhold all of her haste to arrive was gone. She was alone, scared of what she might find at the top of that hill, and doubting her ability to do what needed to be done.

Alexia glanced back into the city, toward where her Redeemed Men waited near the Carpenter's Guild. All her promises to them of clemency seemed foolish now that she neared the king. If anything was true about King Gideon Sapphire, it was that his was a reign of law and order. Could she stop that justice or divert him toward peace? These doubts and many others sent her back into her shy, self-conscious cocoon. The scared, dreaming girl was in control; Alexia knew she'd stutter and go silent as she always did before the king.

Even if she succeeded, it would cost her. King Gideon wanted Alexia tied to him, wanted her to bond his son. A pit grew in her chest when she reflected that the only way she might convince Gideon to make peace with Adameon was by giving herself to Halius. Her freedom for peace.

Many times, in the days of her return journey, she dwelt on daydreams of Zander galloping up Azureale on his silver steed, bursting through the doors into Saphirhold, demanding her hand. Alas, she knew what a tragedy that would be.

The more rational part of her mind clung to the hope that she could persuade Halius and Gideon to consider Sebreena Ruby. The crown princess of western Leveria was said to possess unmatched beauty and a kind heart. Alexia could sidestep her betrothal and seal peace in one move. She tried to hold onto that hope. But Alexia knew that Halius would never willingly let her go, nor had she ever found her ability to speak in front of King Gideon before. It was like being able to see a rainbow after a storm but knowing you'd never be able to fly high enough to reach it.

Alexia grasped Allison's doll. Even if she couldn't reach the rainbow, she needed to do what it took to allow the sun to shine again. Her life didn't belong to her. If bonding Halius was the price she paid for Leveria, for Allison, she would pay so that nobody else had to suffer the debt.

Resigned to fate, she forced herself up the hill and through the gates into Saphirhold. Excited gate operators spread word of her return through the castle. She settled Moonstrider into the stables, rushed through a series of awkward greetings, and bounded toward the courtyard, her eyes flashing toward the great acacia tree at its heart.

She saw exactly what she hoped, which made her question whether it was real.

"Alexia!" Azi called, rushing toward her.

"Azi!"

She ran toward her best friend, halting at the end.

Princess Azurianna Sapphire didn't slow down. She tackled Alexia, landing atop her, squeezing her tight with powerful arms, her voluptuous body pressing into Alexia, thick, long earth-brown hair blocking out the sky and enveloping them in their own private cocoon. Azi's sapphire-blue eyes were the jewels crested on her strong, smiling face.

Alexia had thought she might not feel this way about her, after meeting Zander, but all the old buried adoration surfaced. "I love you," Alexia confessed, knowing that she meant it in more ways than Azi could ever know.

Azi kissed her cheek. "I love you too, sister."

The Sapphire princess rolled off her. As if reading minds, they intertwined their pinky fingers, the long-agreed thing to do to seal the pact of their sisterhood.

Staring up at the canopy of the great acacia from their backs, Alexia's mind turned over Azi's final word, which reminded her why she had always kept the depths of her love hidden from Azi. It was no secret that Azi was into men, even if they hadn't expressed interest in her. Her friend could be brash and dominating, had a low-pitched, husky voice, and her build—outside of her endowment—was devalued as masculine. She had broad shoulders, a strong jaw, a well-muscled physique that boys their ages would kill to have, and grew higher off the ground than at least 999 out of a thousand men. King Maithus, the founder of Gideon's line, was more Gidiite than Leverian, but the bloodline was so diluted that rarely were Sapphires built like Gideon and Azurianna.

'Gideon with tits,' the court whispered when neither she nor the king could hear. The loudest whisperer being her own mother. Add to that the general fear everyone had of King Gideon, Queen Hellena's sway over the court, and Leverian practices of princesses being out-of-bounds, nobody flirted with let alone courted Azi. Despite being as bombastic as Alexia was shy, the princess had grown up just as alone, spending more time growing plants in her gardens than with peers she despised.

"I've missed you, Alexia," Azi said with the deep voice she inherited from her father, one suited for commanding rather than crooning. Even though the prince and queen mocked Azi's low voice, Alexia treasured it as highly as any other. It brought her peace, had helped her survive her shy, self-conscious solitude like finding a lovely cave behind a cascading waterfall.

Alexia rolled to her side. Azi wore a blue and silver summer dress that sparkled with tiny fragments of pearl and sapphire. Had she gotten even taller since Alexia had left for Ferrickton? More voluptuous? Azi knew how to grow plants better than anyone, being the youngest Master Herbology in the history of the Arcanium. Alas, she often joked that she was best at growing herself.

"I've kept things growing while you were gone," Azi said, catching Alexia's eyes straying.

Alexia blushed, feeling deep crimson heating her cheeks. With Azi, you couldn't retreat. She pressed on through her embarrassment. "Nice work, Sapphire."

"That's the only work I do, Bluerose."

Azi's smile was as magical as any spell Alexia knew. She couldn't comprehend how others didn't see her beauty. In too many lonely nights spent longing, Alexia had pondered why she was attracted to Azi when it didn't seem anyone else was. The best theory she arrived at was that as someone who loved both masculine and feminine bodies, Azi would personify the perfect balance of the two. But she also knew what was most attractive to her was a kind and loving heart. Azi's was pure in that regard.

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"Did you leave your tongue in Mirrevar?" Azi jested.

Tears coalesced around the edges of her eyes as she thought of all the times she had needed her closest friend in the past moon. "I have missed you so much."

Azi sat up, pulling Alexia into a gentle embrace, as if robust Celegana were embracing flowery Leverith and trying not to crush her.

Azi called to her Azureknight sworn shield. "Sir Gyan, send a message to the Arcanium. I shan't be lecturing today."

Sir Gyan, a bulky, bearded man in his middle years, moved at once to comply. His azure cloak whipped in the breeze.

Alexia grabbed Azi's hand, again interlocking their smallest finger. The greeting of sisterhood that they'd established as little girls never failed to make Alexia feel warm within.

"You managed to escape me last time," Azi said with a playful haughtiness, "I am not giving you a flight path this time, Bluerose. Your wings are mine and I am keeping them to myself." Alexia opened her mouth to object but Azi put the index finger of her unlocked hand over Alexia's lips. Alexia shivered at the touch that conjured memories of so many childhood fantasies. "I do not blame you for wanting to get away after our rockheaded fathers tried to bond you with the ogre. I wonder how much pipeweed and wizard's gin was required to concoct that idea."

"Halius isn't even the worst of it," Alexia said.

"Hold on," Azi said, interrupting. She ran her hand through Alexia's hair, gently scratching scalp. "No sign of rocks. Just a regular, if excessively pretty, head."

Alexia chortled, feeling herself beaming. Most of the time when people called her pretty it made her want to curl into a shell. When Azi, or Zander, did it, it opened her up like a flower in bloom.

"It makes me sick thinking of you saddled to Halius like some prized mare," Azi said in her forceful way. "I would be throwing my flipping feces at them if I were in your place!"

Alexia attempted her best deadpan expression. "Throwing your flipping feces? Just because you were made to take your brother to husband? Do you not think that a little melodramatic?"

"Ha ha."

Alexia's stone-faced expression was cracked by her best friend's growing smile. She glanced down at their locked fingers. "I know we never imagined it this way, but we would be sisters in a second way."

"I only need the one way," Azi said, her voice stern and unapproving. "Never has Meladon given anyone a better sister than you to me. I love you to the moon, Alexia, and I know you, the girl who dreams of her Elior, will not be happy bonded with my brother who obviously plays the role of Phyreon in your story."

"I met my Elior."

Azi's eyes went wide. She shrieked. "Alexia! I need details!"

Azi was the more talkative of the two best friends, but she listened to Alexia like few people ever had. With just one exception, Alexia told her everything. Everything but how she really felt about her. It was ironic and amazing how this loud person became quieter while the quiet person became louder, as if they could mirror each other. The words rushed out of Alexia as she shared everything that had happened since she left. Meeting Zander. Allison and Ferrickton. The ends of Maleon and Timmeck. The state of Mirrevar. Calden's Caravan and the Redeemed Men. The Celegans. And, at last, her current purpose in Sapphirica.

"You are my hero," Azi told her, when she finished, "and I will be a boulder standing in the path of anyone that would stop you. I will crack skulls for you, even my father's."

Alexia threw her arms around Azi. She didn't doubt a word. For the second time today, she felt this boundless gratitude toward the people that trusted in her, that would fight beside her until the end. Azi's best and worst characteristic was her stubbornness. She would never surrender. She was also King Gideon's favorite person. If Azi could be there when Alexia spoke to the king, maybe they had a chance.

Of course, Azi being Azi, she drifted the conversation back to boys. "Your Zander sounds dreamy. Does that friend of his perchance have a penchant for tall, fit, blue-eyed princesses?"

Alexia remembered the mule rider who traveled with Zander. She thought his name was Alfread, but her attention had been conquered by Zander. "His companion makes Halius actually look as pretty as a runty ogre."

Azi grinned sheepishly before she settled into a thoughtful solemnity. "I don't actually care what he looks like. Manly muscles and strapping smiles won't make my heart whole. As long as he cherishes me, I will be content."

Alexia pinched her cheek. "Who wouldn't cherish you?"

Azi snorted. "That line extends from Azureale all the way to Mirrevar, I'm afraid. I'm likely to be auctioned off to the highest bidder in exchange for a few iotas."

"I cherish you," Alexia said, hating when Azi talked about her future like this.

"You're special, Bluerose. You love everyone."

I love you the most, she thought, finding it was still true. She was allowed to love Zander and was reciprocated, but what they did in two brief encounters didn't outweigh years of the best friendship a girl could ever dream of. But Alexia couldn't say that. Not without exposing herself. Not without running the risk of rejection, of losing the best friendship a girl could ever dream of.

"I don't want to be like my parents," Azi said. "Hating each other even though my dad has Gidi's physique and my mom is beautiful. All that and I don't think they've shared a bed since I was conceived."

Alexia blushed. She didn't need that image. It was true though. Alexia had been awakened by their royal shouting matches many times even though she slept halfway across the castle. Everyone knew they loathed each other, and Azi usually got caught in their battles as her father tried to defend her from her vicious mother.

"Oh, don't get so rosy, Bluerosy," Azi said, pushing into her. "I want to be bountiful. I'll have five sons and six daughters, all named Alexia."

Alexia chuckled, raising Azi's lips. Leverith! Her smile was magic.

"I promise you, Azurianna Sapphire, there is somebody out there who will cherish your smile, laugh at your jokes, hang on to your every word, and," Alexia swallowed, her stomach suddenly stirring, "enjoy growing things with you."

"Inside of me, you mean," Azi said with a wink. "I've done the gardening part, Alexia Bluerose. When is it my turn to be the garden?"

Alexia averted her eyes. "I believe that you could find somebody like that. They might even be closer than you know. If anyone deserves to be loved, it is you, Azi."

"I agree!" Azi responded. They laughed, but Azi's mirth quickly fell back to earth. "But my study of history has told me that people rarely get what they deserve."

Alexia leaned into her best friend. "Well, being your hero, I say we can make our own history where you get what you deserve."

"I savior the sound of that," she said with a wink.

Alexia intertwined her little finger with Azi's.

"But making history will have to wait a moon or so," Azi said.

At first, Azi's news gave Alexia a complete and utter surge of relief, followed by guilt for feeling relieved, followed by desperation, and crowned with despair. King Gideon had left the city three days ago. Next moon he would return with an army, and that army was meant to be a hammer forged to break the Ruby in Mirrevar.

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