I

“Wow!” she said, unable to control herself. Celine had been this way for days now. As the carriage bumped along the Safe Road, everything—every new sight was a wonder to her. And the questions they brought. “Do you think they go on like that for very far?” she asked in reference to the green hills and the flower patches.

“I don’t know,” Yoreno said. “And for the hundredth time—will you sit and remain still?”

Occasionally patches of tall trees obscured her view of the bright blue sea. But she didn’t mind. The sun was hot, and the shade over the carriage was a welcome relief. But every time she saw those sparkling blue waters and the sound of the sea birds.

Even now she could smell the salt. It was so… so new.

She did as her brother asked and sat back into the comfortable carriage cushion. Mother was reading a book, oblivious to her and Yoreno for the time being, but she too had slowly become irritated at Celine’s constant surprise—her constant questions they had no idea how to answer.

The only reason her mother and brother did not become cross with her was probably due to their own excitement and curiosity.

“Not far,” the driver called from atop the carriage.

“Did you hear?” Celine exclaimed. “We’re almost there.”

“I know,” Yoreno said and rolled his eyes.

“The high walls—the gleaming towers. I can almost see them now. The blue pinions waving in the scented breeze.”

“Gods…”

“I can’t wait!”

“I know.”

“The castle most of all—it’s one of the old towers, you know?”

“I know.”

She stretched out her pale arm and opened the slider a little more. Smelling the air, she smiled. “Do you smell them. The flowers I mean?”

“I do. I have.”

“We’ve never been outside of Haven! Until now,” she said, slightly reprimanding. She couldn’t understand their lack of excitement. “Aren’t you looking forward to this?”

“Of course he is,” her mother said. She smiled, not looking up from her book. “As am I. But calm yourself Celine, or you’ll die of overexcitement before we even reach the city.”

“Oh!” Celine exclaimed, feeling her heart flutter. “The Kingdom of Aevalin. I’ve dreamed about it my entire life.”

“You know that’s where the Schuarists enacted their ritual that brought about the age of dark magic and monsters, yes?”

“Oh hush,” Celine commanded with a brush of her hand. “Don’t ruin my mood, Yoreno.”

“Some say they’re still out there—servants of the dark wizard in league with their immortal master, even after all this time. They wait and plot another of their rituals.”

“Hmm,” their mother mused, glancing up from her book at Celine. “Fairytales.”

“Have you not seen the age-old ruins, mother? They’re everywhere,” he said firmly. “The Age of Darkness was real—the Grand Bastard. Real.”

“Yes, we know,” Celina said. “But the Schuarists are all gone. Why else would we be able to leave the cities?”

He didn’t answer, only said, “I’m not so sure,” in reference to her comment about them all being gone.

Celine smoothed her pleated dress. “Mother is right. There’s no other reason king Branlin would decree the new Age of Readventure—hmm? Mother. Show him again.”

Their mother flipped some of the pages in her leather-bound book and revealed the letter she had tucked there, of which she had read to them earlier. She slipped out the parchment and handed it to Yoreno.

He looked at it skeptically, his dark brows knitting. “Do we even know this is real?”

“Your father sent it to me. He got it from the official castle bulletin.”

“So of course it’s real,” Celine said, taking the sheet from him. “The Age of Readventure,” she read. “I, king Branlin of Aevalin do herby decree that the Age of Readventure I’ve so written off in previous letters, is and shall herby be upon us, and so by this decree, I command that guild houses be erected for the due employ of errant knights and lawful adventurers to seek out the old lands and to explore the world anew so that a new golden age of prosperity and—“

“Yes, yes. We’ve read it. Age of Readventure, reclaiming the world, blah, blah. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“They opened the roads for general travel,” Celine said in an attempt to rebut her brother’s skepticism. “Things are changing now. Even the common folk can venture out of the cities. People aren’t afraid of the demihumans like they used to be, either.”

“They don’t belong in our midst.”

Huffing, Celine decided not to get drawn into that argument again. She glanced out the carriage window. There were a lot of knights and soldiers stationed along the road. Of course, it was to keep it protected. The world was still a dangerous place after all. But it wasn’t the fault of the demihumans.

“It’s still dangerous,” their mother added, as if she read Celine’s mind.

“All the more reason for king Branlin’s decree—to make the world safe again. We need adventurers far and wide.”

“Perhaps.”

Yoreno scoffed as he looked out of the window on his side of the carriage, his chin propped up by his thumb and forefinger.

He was thinking about it. Celine knew he was. He always liked to disagree, but it just took him longer to sort out the logic in his head before he came to his own conclusion—even though it was the truth!

She would have so many letters to write to her friends after they arrived. But whenever would she find the time?

The carriage, though very comfortable with red plush-leather seating and beautiful silken wallpapers, was becoming uncomfortable. The journey was beginning to make Celine feel quite cramped. Her excitement made the long ride—three days!—seem particularly unending. But when the carriage began to slow, her heart jumped. They had arrived, had they not?

She leaned toward the window to get a look toward the front of the carriage. She saw something. In the golden light of late morning.

The wall.

“Stop! Stop! Stop!”

“Oh hush,” her mother said, a huge smile on her face as she too leaned toward the window, trying to get the same view as Celine, but she was on the opposite side of the coach and was unable to bend her neck that far.

The wheels had not barely stopped before the young lady opened the door and rushed out. The step down to the cobbled Safe Road nearly made her trip and fall on her face.

“Be careful!” her mother exclaimed. “Wait for the coachman!” But Celine barely heard her mother as she peered along the lantern-lined road, which perfectly framed the great city of Aevalin.

She let out a heavy breath.

There was the wall, white brick, with the great arched gate, and behind it, the city with the spire castle in the middle, like a beacon of light and hope reaching for the heavens with all its turrets and blue-tiled roofs.

To the east was the sea—oh the beautiful sea. Ships—there were ships!

She couldn’t believe father was already here. Celine could hardly believe it—could hardly breathe at the beauty of it all. The majesty.

“Oh!” her mother exclaimed behind her. “Gods it’s—it’s—“

“Beautiful,” Celine said for her.

“It’s a city,” Yoreno said, “not your prince charming. No need to be so breathlessly in love.”

Surely he was pretending to not be impressed.

“Oh come, Yoreno!” Celine rebuked. “Even you should think this the most amazing place you’ve ever seen!”

She didn’t even turn to look at him or the other carriage with a six-horse team trundling past them on the road.

“It is a beautiful city, my lord and ladies,” the coachman said. He smiled when Celine looked at him. She probably had a huge grin, but she didn’t care. “How much longer?”

“Oh, not long. You’ll be in the heart of the city a stone’s throw from the castle herself in no time at all.

Celine breathed hard, put a hand to her chest to steady herself. The coachman chuckled. “Just wait,” he said, nodding. “It’s a sight to behold.”

She glanced behind the carriage toward her father’s house guard that had accompanied them. Why couldn’t they have knights? Knights were so beautiful and brave and honorable. Father’s guard was an eyesore in light of the kingdom of Aevelin just beyond!”

A thought came to her. An ugly one. How could the stories be true? How could the Grand Bastard have destroyed the world—killed all those people, when there was such beauty everywhere?

Only a truly evil soul would ever do such a thing, and people like that were only in the stories!

Forgetting about the Grand Bastard, Celine locked her eyes on the castle. Many letters to write indeed! Father’s letters didn’t do the city justice. Not at all. Celine almost jumped with the excitement.

“Come,” her mother called.

Caline frowned.

“Oh stop it,” she commanded. “You have nothing to frown about. We’ll be in the city in moments. Everything will be different.”

She couldn’t help but smile again with a quick glance back. Mother was right. Everything would be different.

Better.

The Age of Readventure was here!