"We Won't Be Outdone by Anyone Else!"
Starshadow Castle
It was early afternoon when Sonja received the handwritten invitation from Chrystianna. It was addressed to her but also invited her family to attend the banquet and spend the night. Sonja alone, however, was invited to the wedding ceremony the morning before the banquet.
Sonja tapped the invitation. She already knew from Roark and Troi that Elias was back. It didn't surprise her that Chrystianna would take the time to marry him. They already had two grown children. It only made sense.
She tapped on the call stone on her desk. "Zane," she said. Soon Zane's voice came from the stone.
"You grace," he said evenly.
"Prepare to go to Silvermoon in two days. We'll be spending the night," she instructed.
"Yes," Zane said simply and cut contact.
Sonja tapped the invitation again. She then set it aside to do more work. She'd tell the children over dinner. No hurry.
--
Sunfyre Palace
The Sunfyres were having lunch with some friends when Elektra's invitation arrived. The invitation was delivered by Drake. She thanked the Drake and tipped him. She opened the letter and read it. She smiled.
"What is it?" Nico asked. No one at the table was a stranger, so he felt comfortable asking.
"It's an invitation to a banquet in Silvermoon," Elle answered.
"We were expecting that," Nico said, not thinking much about it. He was curious about Chrystianna's missing children, but if you've been to one banquet, you've been to them all.
Elle grinned mischievously. "That's not all. We're going to spend the night because the morning before the banquet, Chrystianna is getting married!" she exclaimed.
Vangie was surprised. "Married to whom? The children's father? Who is he?" she asked.
Elle giggled. "It's Elias Morningstar," she said as if revealing a big mystery.
Declan snorted. "Is that supposed to be surprising?" he asked. He was old enough to remember the existence of Elias Morningstar.
"Is he the one who's supposed to be the protectorate of Silvermoon? Wasn't he sent off-world? How did he..." Mila trailed off.
"Elias is a Voidrifter. He probably Voidjumped. That's impressive, given his age," Declan answered. He guessed it probably wasn't as simple as that, given everything that's been happening. They would find out when they went to Silvermoon. "I'll assemble an escort," he said.
Elektra nodded. "Okay. We'll leave the day after tomorrow," she instructed. She sighed. "It's romantic, don't you think? Childhood sweethearts crossing the barriers of time and space," she said dreamily.
Nico shook his head. "Sounds sad to me," he admitted.
"Me, too," Vangie agreed.
"Don't listen to them, Elle. None of them have a sense of drama. I also think it's romantic," Mila said.
Elle sighed. "No, they're right. It's also sad. But who said romance was all sunshine and rainbows?" she said with a shrug.
Declan furrowed his brow but didn't add to the conversation. He was already thinking about the logistics of escorting Elektra and Nicodemus to Silvermoon.
--
Treestar Garden, Treestar Court, Vedanta
It was already far in the evening when Avalon Treestar received the handwritten invitation from Chrystianna. She was preparing for bed when the Drake suddenly appeared and delivered the letter.
Avalon was the Marchioness of Treestar and one of the Dracosenati. She was an Emerald Dragon. She had mellow green eyes, pointed ears, long flowing chestnut hair, and skin like polished walnut. She wore only a pale green nightgown. She slipped on her night robe. She sat on a chair near her fireplace. In early spring, Vedanta still had a slight coolness at night, so there was a cozy fire going.
She opened the invitation and read it. She already heard that Chrystianna had reclaimed her children, but the sudden wedding announcement surprised her. "Elias came back?" she wondered aloud.
"Mina," she called out.
An adjoining door opened to her room and a woman came in. Her hair shone like copper, and her skin had a warm bronze undertone. She had coppery eyes and pointed ears. She too wore a nightgown, but held a staff in her hand, looking around vigilantly. "Ava?" she asked curiously. "I heard a Drake. Is it important?" she asked curiously as she approached.
Mina Ironclaw was a Bronze Dragon. She was also Avalon's head lady-in-Waiting. Treestar's Ladies-in-Waiting were actually bodyguards. They were an all-female group of warriors called the Viragatri. Mina was their leader. She was also one of Avalon's oldest friends.
"Chrystianna finally set a date for her banquet. We'll be going a day ahead. She'll be getting married the morning before the banquet," Avalon explained. Avalon had a calm serenity about her person. Her voice was very soothing to listen to.
Mina raised an eyebrow. She didn't ask who, why or how. She could guess. She also wasn't much of a gossip. Avalon's younger sister, Chloe, however, would be curious and chirping like a magpie when she learned that part. "I'll arrange three more Ladies. Pierce can handle the rest of the arrangements," Mina said.
"Have Sorcha come. Sigrunn will probably be invited to the banquet as well," Avalon said.
Mina nodded. That made sense. Sigrunn and Sorcha Stillheart were Bronze Dragons, two of a set of triplets. The older sister, Sigrunn, was in the Conclave of Scales. Sorcha was one of Mina's oldest Viragatri. The third triplet was a brother who utilized his Forgecrafting skill and ran their family business.
Avalon let out a yawn. She quickly hid it behind her palm. "Sorry. I'll tell Chloe in the morning. If I tell her tonight, she'll never sleep," she said with a doting smile.
"Do you want me to inform Pierce?" Mina asked. Pierce Bronzewing was also a Bronze Dragon. He was the head of the protectorate family of Treestar. He was honestly the only one left in his direct line.
"If you don't mind," Avalon said.
Mina nodded. She and Pierce were two parts of the same whole. They both worked to protect the Marchioness and her family. "I'll go see him now. Sorcha will be next door for a while," she said.
Avalon smiled. "Thank you," she said gently.
Mina shook her head. She left the room and closed the door behind her. Avalon stood. She set the invitation on the nightstand and removed her robe. She climbed into bed. She sighed. She talked badly about her sister, but she had to admit, she might also be too excited to sleep immediately. She laughed at herself and snuggled down in an attempt to sleep.
--
Wyntercrest Spires, Isaz
In the northern continent lay Wyntercrest. In Wyntercrest was the Wyntercrest Spires. It was similar to a castle or a keep but had many tall spires. They almost looked like they were made of cloudy ice. Cold, crystalline, and sparkling in the sunset.
Isolde Wyntercrest was the Marchioness of Wyntercrest. She was a Sapphire Dragon. She was tall, ivory skinned, blue eyed, and blond haired. She had pointy ears, but she wasn't delicate. She was quite hardy. Isolde was different from the other members of the Dracosenati. She was the child of a side branch of the Wyntercrest family. She never once expected to be a Marchioness. However, the Hunter Wars changed the trajectory of her life when the Plague hit.
She and her younger brother, Thayer, lost their parents and older siblings, and were suddenly ushered into the Spires by the family's attendants. She was born Thalia, but every Marchioness Wyntercrest took the name Isolde. So did she.
She wasn't unhappy in her role. She's honored, and she's done a fairly good job of it, even if it was unexpectant.
Isolde was standing on the balcony of her room watching the sunset over the snowy landscape of Wyntercrest. She was wrapped in a blue fur-lined cloak to block the chill. They'd finished dinner and she and her wife retired to their room.
"Izzy. There's a Drake."
Her wife's voice drifted to her ears, bringing Isolde back from her reverie. She walked into the room. The Drake wouldn't deliver the letter to her wife, only Isolde. She gave him a coin and took the letter.
Marytza Icebridge watched her open the letter. Marytza was the younger sister of Ulrik Icebridge, the First General of Wyntercrest. The Icebridge family was the protectorate family of Wyntercrest. Marytza had a long brown braid, piercing blue eyes, striking features, and pointed ears. She wore pants, boots, a white shirt and a fur lined coat. She'd been appointed as Chancellor not long after they married. "Is that the much-anticipated invite to meet Chrystianna's children?" she asked curiously.
Isolde read the letter and raised her brows in surprise. "Yes, but it's also a wedding invitation," she answered.
"Wedding? Who's getting married?" Marytza was confused.
"Chrystianna and Elias Morningstar," Isolde answered. Isolde had never met Elias Morningstar. He was already gone before she was made a Marchioness.
Marytza wasn't familiar with him either. She was too young. But they both knew he was supposed to be off-world. "Hmm. Well, good for her," she said and circled Isolde's waist and put her head on her shoulder. "I, for one, highly recommend the matrimonial state," she said teasingly.
Isolde laughed and swatted her with the letter. "Come on. We'd better let your brother and my brother know. He has to leave the day after tomorrow," she said.
Marytza pouted playfully. She then kissed Isolde's cheek and let her go. They set off together to find her brother. There was no other place he'd be than his office in the military spire. He was a workaholic. Ulrik looked like a taller, more masculine version of his sister with shorter hair.
Thayer also worked in the military spire. He was First Knight of Wyntercrest, in charge of the royal guards. When he saw them, he came out to greet them. He was also nearly identical to his older sister, but a little softer than her. He tagged along when he heard about the invitation. He'd be coordinating with Ulrik after all.
Ulrik's focus wasn't on the wedding or even the banquet itself. "Will there be a meeting? Will you finally find out why Sonja sent for a Truthcaller and then immediately sent him back?" he asked. It was strange. The timing was strange.
Isolde nodded. "I'm sure we'll have the meeting after the ceremony," she agreed. She wasn't as curious about that as him. She'd know what she needed to know, when she needed to know it. "Anyway. We'll leave the day after tomorrow," she said.
Ulrik nodded. "I'll see to the arrangements," he said.
Marytza hooked an arm around Isolde's. "We'll go start packing. Don't trust either of you to dress yourselves decently," she said and waved her free hand behind her as she walked out with Isolde giggling at her. Ulrik and Thayer were left wondering if they should be offended or concede their point.
--
Icestorme Hall, Ice Storm Dome, Thale
Thale was a continent at the bottom of the world. A long-ago catastrophe had broken it into hundreds, maybe thousands of small islands. Although it was cold, it wasn't necessarily completely covered in ice in snow. The south pole was pure ice, but surrounding that, most of the islands were arid, frigid deserts. Only the outer islands were snowy.
Life in Thale took place mainly under magical domes that regulated the climate within them. Some domes were dedicated solely to agriculture. Most species native to Thale were adapted to life in sub-zero temperatures, such as Ice Elementals, Snow Sprites, Yetis, Frost Giants, and the like. Even the Platinum Dragons that ruled over Thale were able to lower their body temperatures to hyperthermic to survive outside the Domes.
The Domes were mostly for agriculture and to make day-to-day living easier for species and races that weren't made for the cold but were needed to make society function.
In the waters outside Thale were infested with enemies. The former Viscountess of Icestorme chose to withdraw from the world when the Plague began to circulate, but alas it still hit them, leaving the current Viscountess Morganna Icestorme in charge. Enemies from the depths of the frozen ocean chose Thale's weakest moment to launch attacks, and they have been under siege ever since.
Before the Dragon Gates were shut down, they were still able to travel, but when the decision to shut them down was made, Thale was effectively cut off. They could only communicate via call stones. Occasionally, Morganna could send a representative out on her behalf. Astaria Rainsong was an Aquamarine Dragon who could use water as a medium for teleportation, thus enabling her to leave Thale and return, getting around the Siege. Kahlan Rockwood was another trusted person who could use underground tunnels known only to Topaz Dragons to come and go as needed.
As for the Siege, it wasn't that the other nations didn't want to help. Very few had effective navies, and they were still recovering from the Hunter Wars. For now, Thale could self-sustain, but one day they'd be able to break the Siege with the help of their allies.
Morganna Icestorme had lost people to the Siege, as had others. When the Bloodfins attacked, she lost her husband. The Bloodfins were a brutal, bloodthirsty race of shark-like beings. They rarely take to land, and when they do, it's always bloody carnage. Less than five years before, they began attacking fishing villages.
Terrance Stormebringer was the leader of the protectorate family of Thale, head of the military and her husband. He personally led the army to fight back but lost his life in the process. The Bloodfin lost a lot of lives as well. They may have been dormant on land, but they still led the Siege, attacking any ship that attempted to approach Thale.
As for flying, to their aid, it was even harder. Flight capable, antagonistic races would swarm any Dragon or airship that tried to come closer. It would take a concentrated multi-national attack of sea and air, and the world just wasn't there yet.
Morganna was in her study in Icestorme Hall when a Drake arrived. Drakes were also an exception to being able to break the Siege. She was somewhat surprised. She tipped the Drake and opened the letter.
Morganna was a not overly tall woman with wide icy turquoise eyes, long black hair adorned with beads and chains, sun kissed medium beige skin and wore light and flowing clothing. She also sported a delicate pair of iridescent, semi-transparent insect-like wings. Designs were drawn on her hands and she wore shimmery jewelry.
Some of her jewelry clinked as she opened the letter. It was from Chrystianna expressing her regret that she couldn't come to the banquet, news of her marriage, and a message of hope that travel between Thale and the rest of the world can be re-established soon. She explained the ins-and-outs of the matter of the witchborn, and the transfer spell that was being researched.
Morri's heart fluttered and so did her wings. She sincerely hoped that would be possible. Although Thale could self-sustain, there were still things they needed from other places. The only access they had in recent years was the occasional Topaz merchant looking to make money by bringing foreign commodities into the Domes.
She tapped her fingers, then wrote Chrystianna a letter in return. She thanked her for thinking of her, congratulated her on her good fortunes, and expressed her hope that travel could be re-established soon. She added a few more platitudes. She entrusted her assistant to send the letter then tapped a call stone. "Astaria Rainsong," she said.
"Yes, your ladyship? Is there something?" the serene voice of the woman on the other end came through.
"Chrystianna is having a banquet. Would you be able to go in my stead?" she asked.
"When is it?" Astaria asked.
"Three days. Seven evening Silvermoon time," she answered.
"I can attend. Are there any instructions?" she asked.
Morri thought about it. "No. Just express my gratitude and congratulations and deliver a gift," she answered.
"Yes, my lady," Astaria answered.
Morri tapped the call stone again and stood up. Tapped the stone several times. She had three sons. The oldest was over thirty, and the youngest only ten. She decided she would go out shopping with them to personally pick out presents to send to Silvermoon with Astaria. "Marius, Mason, Maddox Icestorme," she said as she walked out of her study.
After a moment she heard three male voices. "Mom," they greeted.
"Go shopping with Mom. I got some good news today. We'll eat at the Vedantan restaurant you all like so much," she said cheerfully.
There was a surprised silence, before the three agreed. "Great. Meet me at the Hall entrance. We'll walk along main street while I fill you in," she said and disconnected the communication. She stepped into a porter with a lot of hope and a little sadness.
--
Eveningstar, Silubra
Seamus Eveningstar was in his study one evening when his wife wafted in. Seamus was the magistrate of Eveningstar, his ancestral home. He was already in an unhappy mood. They lost a useful pawn in Starshadow and Chrystianna brought her children back. He didn't really feel like dealing with his wife, but she was the little princess of her family, so he sucked it up and smiled at her.
He was a handsome man, and his smile made his cold features a little warmer. "What's got you in such a good mood?" he asked.
"I just talked to my sister. Yesterday she received an invitation from the Grand Duchess to attend a banquet. Aya. Sometimes I wished we lived in Silvermoon. How lovely would a banquet the Grand Duchess throws be?" she sighed.
Seamus chuckled. "Would you like to have a banquet?" he asked. He didn't think his banquet would be any less grand. He just didn't have a keep. His manor was very grand, however.
Arwen Mysticmoon waved a hand. "No need. No need. Competing with the Grand Duchess is just tacky," she said. "But that's not the best part. Belana is going to perform a marriage ceremony for the Grand Duchess," she said in a gossipy tone, blue eyes shining.
Arwen was a beautiful woman, with a pale pinkish complexion, and long flaxen blonde hair and was quite shapely. "Marriage?" he asked.
Arwen nodded. "Hmm. Apparently, Elias Morningstar managed to come back. And get this, he's the father of her children! Can you imagine? Wild, right?" she asked.
Elias Morningstar? Seamus pondered this. It made a certain kind of sense. Although they planned to kidnap the children, they didn't know who the father was. Elias Morningstar was a Voidrifter. He could have possibly made the jump. However, now the children are grown.
He'd have to devise new plans.
He did indeed have the plan to replace Chrystianna. Not with Sonja Starshadow. But the vapid gossip was currently prattling in his ear. There were many reasons he married her. She had a pure Silver bloodline, she was beautiful, her family was closely tied to the Temples of the Sisters of the Moons, and they were the next in line to become the Grand Duchess if anything happened to the current family. She and her older sister's father had been a Silvermoon. Specifically, Chrystianna's granduncle.
"Send the Grand Duchess a congratulatory gift. Two happy events in one week. She's truly blessed," he said evenly.
Arwen brightened. "Yes! Even if we can't go, we should still send an extravagant gift. We won't be outdone by anyone else!" she declared. She kissed his cheek and wafted out in a cloud of perfume.
Seamus leaned back in his chair. He didn't bother to contact the others in his organization. There wasn't anything they'd be able to do at the banquet. Security would be through the roof, especially with Ysandar, Zane Darkwynde, Declan Brightstar, Pierce Bronzewing, and Ulrik Icebridge teamed up to work together. They'd learn about the marriage soon enough. It wasn't a big enough deal to call a meeting.
Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd need to keep a close eye on their activities and seize his moment from here on out.