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But slowly, sluggishly, Elara took a step back, never breaking eye contact "Yes," she said dully, pushing the balcony door open with one hand

They stepped out together, Coriane holding Elara by the shoulder, keeping her froasps of summer in the upper river valley Coriane felt none of it Elara’s eyes were the only things in herwithdirectly to her intentions

"Not for a while," Elara replied, her eyes faraway

"When was the last ti day"

Coriane blinked, startled So long ago "What? What did you do?"

"I made you trip" A dreamy smile crossed Elara’s features "I made you trip on your dress"

"That--that’s it?"

"Yes"

"And the drea Because there’s nothing for her to say, Coriane knew She sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to cry These fears are my own They always have been They alill be I rong before I ca after

"Go back inside," she finally hissed "Re the eye contact she so desperately needed to keep Elara under her control

Like a person waking up, Elara blinked rapidly She cast a single confused glance at the queen before hurrying away, back into the party

Coriane moved in the opposite direction, toward the stone bannister ringing the balcony She leaned over it, trying to catch her breath, trying not to screaarden of fountains and stonesecond, she fought the urge to juuard into her service, to defend her froainst her If not Elara, than surely someone else of House Merandus Coriane simply could not believe how her mind seeht the next, bouncing between euard was of House Arven, the silent house His name was Rane, a savior clad in white, and he swore to defend his queen against all forces

They named the baby Tiberias, as was custom Coriane didn’t care for the name, but acquiesced at Tibe’s request, and his assurance that they would na early, laughing often, growing bigger by leaps and bounds She nicknarandfather It stuck

The boy was the sun in Coriane’s sky On hard days, he split the darkness On good days, he lit the world When Tibe went away to the front, for weeks at a tiain, Cal kept her safe Only a few do to hiether incorrectly, to Coriane’s delight She spent long hours piecing his s hier than his father," Sara said Not only was she Coriane’s chief lady-in-waiting, she was also her physician "He’s a strong boy"

While any er than his father, a strong boy She knehat thatCrown

He will not be a soldier, she wrote in her newest diary I owe hihters of House Calore have been fighting, too long has this country had a warrior king Too long have we been at war, on the front and--and also within It s, but I am a queen I am the queen I can say and write what I think