by Sarah Noffke
“Don’t be mad. Give me that.” Gran pointed her wand at the bottle, and it flew through the air and landed in her hands. She smacked her lips, hungrily eyeing the wine. “Light Elves know how to make wine the right way.”
“As opposed to…?” Gillian asked, draining his glass.
“As opposed to gnomes who still stomp on the grapes to juice them,” Gran spat.
“That’s the best way to inject character into the wines,” Gillian joked, his cheeks red.
“That’s the grossest way to inject toenail fungus.” Gran handed the bottle to Reynolds.
“I’ll have the bottle opened and a glass for you in a moment, my sweet,” he promised, disappearing into the crowd.
“You’ve got him trained, don’t you, Gran?” Monet asked.
She eyed him disdainfully. “When are you leaving?”
His mouth popped open, and he turned to Azure, but she shook her head. “You just told me. When would I have had time to blab?”
“How did you know?” Monet asked Gran.
“Oh, come on, dear. I know everything that’s ever gone on in Virgo, and I knew damn well you weren’t Helga’s child,” Gran said, taking the glass of red wine from Reynolds when he returned. “Well, and I read the note from Mage Lenore when you were sleeping in the carriage.”
“You read the note before I did?” he asked, appalled.
“And if you ask me—”
“I didn’t ask you,” Monet nearly yelled, cutting her off.
“Monet, you watch your tone,” Gran said, her voice punishing.
“I think you mean ‘King Monet’.” He narrowed his eyes at her before swiftly turning around and stomping away.
“I think I missed something,” Ever whispered at Azure’s shoulder.
“No, nothing much,” Gran stated. “Monet has inherited a vast and wealthy empire, and will soon leave Virgo to rule over it.”
“Oh, wow,” Ever said, looking intently at Azure. “How are you feeling about all this?”
She shrugged, trying to arrange her face into a nonchalant expression. “I’m fine. My own brother is the emperor of the Land of Terran. We make it work. Speaking of, he’s over there.” She pointed to where her half-brother, long-lost father, and mother stood, a short distance away.
Frederick must have just arrived, by the looks of it.
It was strange to think that just a year ago, she’d been the princess of Virgo, with no idea what lay outside its borders. After such a short time, her life and awareness had grown so much.
“Pardon me,” she said, excusing herself and striding over to her family.
Frederick’s blue eyes lit up when he caught sight of her, and he folded her in an affectionate hug. “Hello, sister. I’m glad I could make the celebration. This is simply wonderful.”
“It’s good to see you,” Azure replied. “How is Terran?”
“The people miss father.” Frederick gave their father a thoughtful look.
Richard smiled and wrapped his arm around Azure’s mother’s shoulder, squeezing her in tight. “And although I miss my people, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. You’re the emperor now.”
Frederick ran his eyes over the land around them, which even in the twilight hours, exuded its trademark charm. “I can see why you like it here. The Land of Terran has a way to go, but one day, we hope our kingdom will be brimming with goodwill like Virgo.”
His eyes suddenly widened at the sight of something at Azure’s back. She turned to see a pack of wereanimals strolling arm in arm and singing. Among them was Laurel. She winked at Azure, a newfound freedom in the werecat’s eyes.
“You have wereanimals here?” Frederick asked in disbelief. “I heard about Lancothy, but never imagined that the wereanimals would want to live among people so soon.”
“The wereanimals want to live where they are accepted. That was their fear all along,” Azure stated.
“And isn’t that something we can all relate to? We hide who we truly are, afraid of being rejected,” Azure’s mother, Emeri, said, her usual wise tone resonating in her voice.
“Because we think we are separate, when, in actuality, we are all connected,” Richard said, finishing her thoughts.
Azure smiled at her parents. They made sense to her. And it made sense that she was their daughter. She stepped forward, taking her brother’s arm. “Come on. Let me give you a tour. I’ll even introduce you to a wereanimal or two.”
He cinched her in tight as they strolled. “I’d love that. Then I can tell them that there is room for them in Terran, if they would like.”
“Oh, and I have a pooka friend you must meet,” Azure said as they continued through the crowd.
“No,” Frederick exclaimed. “That’s impossible. Next you’ll tell me that you have unicorns grazing your lawns, too.”
“You’re in for a lot of surprises,” the queen said with a wink. “Virgo has a little bit of everything.”
“How is that possible?” the emperor asked.
“This is a safe place, and magic thrives in places full of love.”
Azure thought fondly of the Howling Willow seed, nestled safely in the damp silk that Finnegan had prepared for her. In a week, it would be ready to plant.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“So you see, there’s no way we can keep being bullied by the centaurs,” the wizard in orange robes stated.
He has no idea that tangerine isn’t his color, Monet thought, tapping his fingers on the surface of the table.
“And you’re proposing that we do what?” Monet asked through a yawn.
“We need an army. A force that’s ready to go when we’re threatened,” the man said.
Maybe he’d look better in a canary yellow robe, Monet thought, completely bored from listening to the endless reports from his council. This fellow, Ferdinand or Fuzzybutt or Fuckhead, or whatever his name was, had been gabbing for an hour about defense programs that deserved funding.
“Centaurs aren’t known for acting out unprovoked,” Monet stated, leaning back in his chair.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Fuckbutt asked, offended.
“I’m implying that someone has done something to them to warrant their behavior.”
“We gave them full warning before crossing through their section of the forest,” the dumb wizard argued.
Monet rolled his eyes. “Of course. A trespassing. Centaurs are known for being territorial.”
“Well, that’s their problem not ours.”
Monet shot up to a standing position. Everyone around the room rose, too, eyeing him with caution.
“Diplomacy is always our concern,” he reminded them. “Funding an army is not our chief priority if we haven’t made the effort to act civilly toward our neighbor. We do not build walls. Instead, we make amends.” He swept his eyes over the table, his gaze landing on a young witch. “Casey, I want you to send the centaurs a package filled with our finest exports, along with a note of apology.”
“We won’t apologize!” Fuckity exclaimed.
Monet’s eyes filled with heat, making everyone in the room freeze. “Would you rather let innocent people and centaurs die in a needless battle than stifle your ego long enough to offer a simple apology?”
“It’s not that, Your Majesty. It’s just—”
“We will be known for the battles we avoided rather than the ones we started,” Monet interrupted. “Leo burned to the ground one hundred years ago because violence was an option. That is not how we conduct ourselves anymore. War is a last resort. Yes, we will defend ourselves. But if we treat neighboring lands with the respect they deserve, we will find we never need to.”
“Yes, sir,” all said in unison, bowing to Monet as he swept from the room.
He’d been doing this for a week, and already he almost had the kingdom where he wanted it. These people didn’t know what they were doing, they hadn’t learned from their history. But they would, or they’d find themselves repeating it.
/> ~~~
Azure dipped her hand into the soil, enjoying the softness on her fingertips.
“How do you know this is the right spot?” Ever asked, sitting on the grass next to her.
“I just know,” she said, aware that her voice lacked its usual pep.
“It must be a Protector thing,” he said, his eyes pinned on her.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Azure swept her gaze over the horizon, where the sun was about to rise. The faint outline of the two moons in the Oriceran sky could barely be seen, as the blackness faded to blue. She’d chosen the plot of land right outside her bedroom window. The boundary spell she’d placed around the area was hopefully unnecessary, but Azure had fought enough battles to know that magic should always be protected, no matter if the threat seemed low.
“Gillian is on his way,” Finswick stated, rubbing along Azure’s side, his tail flicking her in the face.
She swatted the tickly tail out of the way, giggling a little. That had been Finswick’s goal; he’d been trying to cheer her up all week, but nothing seemed to work.
“Then I guess we’re ready to get started,” Ever said, rising to a standing position and offering a hand to Azure.
“Finnegan said the first hours of sunrise were the ideal time.” Azure brushed off her hands after rising.
“I’m coming!” Gillian called as he descended the back steps of the House of Enchanted. His short legs worked double-time as he ran in their direction.
“Don’t worry, we haven’t started yet,” Ever said.
“I can’t believe I get to see this.” Gillian took out his pad and pen when he halted next to the group.
“Yeah, it should be quite the sight. The first time in over a thousand years that a Howling Willow has been planted,” Azure said, her voice not sounding at all like her own. No matter what, she couldn’t make herself feel normal.
“Which is exactly why I couldn’t miss it,” a familiar voice said from behind them.
Azure tensed and pressed her eyes shut. She was imagining it, just as she had been all week long. Too many times, she’d found herself talking, thinking Monet was there, only to turn and find herself alone.
Just to appease her crazy mind, she turned, checking her back.
The hills bordering the house were empty, save for the morning fog. No one was out yet except the farmers and ranchers on the south end of the land. She turned back around and shook her head.
“When will the boundary spell kick in?” Gillian asked.
“Once I activate it,” Azure said, looking down into the hole she’d dug.
“And it will be up full-time?” Gillian questioned again.
“Kind of sounds like Shorty is a security threat,” the familiar voice sang in her head.
She smiled. She was hallucinating, but still, the fake version of Monet made her laugh.
“Yes, it will be up all the time, and only I will be able to take it down,” she answered the gnome.
Azure unwrapped the seed from the silk fabric. It had been smooth when she found it, but now a single seedling sprouted from its center. Gillian lifted up on his tiptoes to get a good look. The queen helped his cause by lowering her hand, showing him the seed before depositing it into the hole. With a heavy breath, she scooted the rich soil over the seed, burying it. Ever handed her the watering can, and she poured the spring water, which had been blessed by the unicorns, onto the soft patch of ground.
Azure stared down at the dirt, holding her breath. Both Gillian and Ever seemed to be bracing themselves for the big moment.
Nothing happened.
“Maybe it needs more water,” Ever suggested.
“Maybe it needs more time,” Gillian pondered.
Azure let out a weighty breath. “Or maybe it didn’t work.”
“Or maybe you need a bit of faith,” Monet said at her back.
Azure dropped her head, wishing the hallucinations would stop. They were torture.
Ever reached out, gripping her arm. “Azure?”
“What?” she said, biting on the word.
He simply pointed, hiding a slight smile.
She sighed heavily, wheeling around. Her heart stiffened at the sight in front of her. She gave Ever and Gillian curious looks.
They were staring at the vision of Monet, too.
That means…
“You’re here!” she exclaimed, bolting forward, but stopping just short of throwing her arms around him.
Monet nervously slid his hands into his robe pockets and shrugged. “Yeah.”
“It’s so soon for a visit. I wasn’t expecting you for ages,” Azure said.
“I didn’t come to visit,” Monet said, his tone sounding as off as Azure’s had been all week.
“Oh?” she asked, hope blossoming in her chest.
He brought his eyes up to meet hers. “Yeah. Turns out, I can’t keep myself away.”
“What about Leo?” Ever questioned.
“I set them up for success, and they elected a leader who was qualified,” Monet said, offering a roguish smile. “Democracy is a thing. Even the savages in New Egypt use it.”
“Yeah, maybe we should convert our system, and have the Virgoans vote for their leader,” Azure said, her insides buzzing with adrenaline.
Monet waved her off. “They’d only vote for you. It would be a landslide.”
Azure shook her head. “I don’t get it, though. I always thought you wanted power. What about your birthright? What about your people?”
Monet took a step forward, taking her hands in his. “You are my people.” He lifted his eyes and looked at Ever and then Gillian. “All Virgoans are my people. I thought that having power would bring me true happiness, but when it was given to me and I still didn’t feel right, I realized exactly what makes me happy. This is my home, and I want none other.”
“Then it appears my wish brought us both happiness,” Azure concluded.
Monet tugged her forward, hugging her tight.
“Uhhhh… guys,” Gillian said, his tone tentative. “Not to interrupt the friend moment, but…”
Azure pulled away, wiping tears from her eyes. She turned to the gnome, who was pointing at the patch of ground.
A seedling had popped through the soil, its green leaves shining in the sunlight.
“Aw, that’s sort of cute,” Monet joked. “You’re the protector of that little twig, Queeny.”
Azure slapped him on the arm. “Shush, or I’ll make you fertilize it.”
The ground under their feet trembled, throwing them off-balance. Azure reached out, holding onto Monet with one hand and Ever with the other. An explosion of dirt flew up into the air, blasting them in the face. The ground buckled, and all four of them were tossed backwards as the Howling Willow shot up, unfolding its branches. There was a long moment of whipping sounds and commotion, during which Azure stayed low with her head obscured. She knew what the Howling Willow was capable of. She knew it could be dangerous.
When all had fallen still, she pulled back her arm.
Where the seed had been planted moments ago, a tall, majestic tree now stood. Its trunk was a perfect wave, stretching high into the air. Long, sweeping branches draped from the trunk, hanging low enough to touch the ground. But the branches weren’t just covered in thick leaves; long, white crystals hung from the tree, making it shimmer. When the tree waved in the wind, the dangling crystals made a soft, melodic sound.
Azure pushed herself back up to a standing position, staring at the Howling Willow in awe. She approached the tree and felt her connection with it forge, like a mother meeting her child for the first time. Ironically, Azure didn’t know which one of them was the mother and which one the child, but she suspected that they were each a bit of both for the other.
When she got close, she bowed low to the Howling Willow. Hello, welcome to Virgo.
Hello, Queen Azure, the tree said in her head. Thank you for choosing to be my protector. I know you were worried about how
that role would affect your life.
Azure turned to look at the three men and the cat standing behind her. In the distance, morning sunlight kissed the hills of Virgo. Her home was once more at peace, and she was here to continue to protect it, and the tree.
Yes, I was worried about how being the protector of magic would change things for me, Azure admitted to the Howling Willow. But I don’t think that things could have turned out any better. I have everything that I could possibly want.
A cool wind swept through the tree’s branches, making its music more powerful. That’s the thing about magic, Queen Azure. If you do the right thing, have a bit of faith, and possess a pure heart, things turn out for the best.
Azure blew the tree a kiss. See you on the next full moon.
She strode away, rejoining her friends. Ever slipped his arm around her shoulder as they headed for the House of Enchanted. Azure caught Monet’s eyes and smiled at her oldest friend.
Magic had transformed Azure’s life with its incredible power. The Howling Willow, the largest source of magic on Oriceran, was now under her protection. But if she ever had to choose between magic or her friends, she’d always pick love.
Thankfully for Azure, she didn’t have to choose.
The End
Author Notes - Sarah Noffke
Written April 17, 2018
I remember the morning the plot for this series came to me. It was like an explosion of ideas. I had to stop what I was doing and write it all down before it was yanked from my mind. Before writing this series, I’d never written a novel outside of my own universe. It worried me. I wasn’t sure I could do this type of fantasy, since my solo novels tended to be more sci-fi based.
I’m happy to report that I feel very comfortable as a fantasy writer. It actually was empowering to write in a brand-new universe. When I first started, I could a smell the strange vegetation in the forest and would day dream of conversations with Azure and the gang. And the crew, well, they all kind of came to me. I knew that Monet, Gillian, Ever and Finwicks would be a huge part of the series. However, Blisters, Manx, Oak and many of the others just sort of happened. I still love the idea of the damn pooka, and I guess that makes sense because my mother’s favorite movie was Harvey.
