RHETORIC

13

Luka could have made it to Legion Academy faster than Evelyn, but he slowed his flight to keep her in his sights as she ran below him in the event they came across any rogue groups of fae wishing to test out the newly opened borders. Not that he minded the slower pace with the way his muscles groaned.

She was known for her stealth, but gods, she was fast, too. He had always admired her speed, her agility. There was almost nothing Evelyn couldn't do and do well. It was part of what made her an incredible second in command. When he was gone, he knew he could rely on her to keep things running smoothly. But tonight, he had wanted her by his side. Just in case things went south.

He certainly hadn't expected to invite Aria and her friend back to the Academy, and he was sure he would hear about it from Evelyn. But he had been pleasantly surprised by Aria's candor, and what he'd said remained true—they were wasting valuable time traveling back and forth, and they'd be much more productive if they could all strategize together. Not to mention, train together. If they were going to fight side-by-side, they would need to be familiar with each other's battle tactics .

As the two shifters neared the Academy gates, Luka slowed further and drifted toward the ground. Just as his claws touched the soil, he let out a pained grunt as Evelyn tackled him from behind, still in her panther form. They rolled across the grass a few times before she landed on top of him. The fact she could take him down at all was a testament to her strength.

When they finally came to a stop, they had both shifted back into their mortal bodies. "You traitor," she spat into his face, pinning his shoulders to the ground as she straddled his legs, keeping him from pushing himself up. "How could you invite them here? Into our home?"

"I knew you would be upset," he rasped against her hold, "can you at least let me explain myself before you attack me?" She didn't budge. "Don't make me pull the Captain card, Evelyn," he said calmly. "Get off of me and we can talk this through like adults."

Her eyes narrowed as she hoisted herself up, grabbing his hand to help him up behind her. A good sign.

She crossed her arms. "Why, Luka?"

"I know you heard what I told them. I wasn't lying. I'm sick of flying out there. And at the end of the day, we need to work together. If we can't stand to train together in the close quarters of the Academy, we don't stand a chance on the battlefield." Evelyn remained unmoving, those gold eyes glittering with betrayal. "And for some reason I don't understand," his head shook with disbelief, "I believe Aria. I don't like her or her family, but I trust that she doesn't mean us any harm. You don't have to like her, either. In fact, I'm sure you won't. But at least be professional, okay? We need their help as much as they need ours." His eyes flickered back and forth between Evelyn's. "I'm not asking you to trust them, but can you at least trust me? "

"Fine," she said. "But I'm not helping with their rooms. And I want to be the one that watches them. The fewer people we involve, the better."

"I agree. No need to put a target on them or ourselves. I'll alert the captains to keep their squads in line, and to let us handle it."

Evelyn nodded. "I'll let our squad know in the morning."

"Thank you for trusting me," he said sincerely.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Always."

***

Aria hated night shifts. She would normally have time to at least take a short nap before her morning military strategy class with Professor Embris, but this morning she'd had to take a detour to her parents' chambers and wake them up just after dawn to explain her plan with Luka.

Like her, they weren't immediately convinced it was a good idea to send their daughter into a hub of shifters. But after mentioning Luka's comment about her being safer from Vera there, they'd agreed, only on the condition that Taren accompanied her. After a mild stress-induced tantrum from her father, they'd also agreed to meet with the Legion Council again, and asked Aria to send word once she had a time and location.

Aria then bathed and threw on a comfortable tunic and pants before rushing to make it to class on time. She took one of the last seats left in the back of the room, just getting settled before the professor entered.

"Good morning, class," Professor Embris greeted them with her usual monotony before launching into her military sermon.

Rather than learning about strategy, Aria battled her own eyelids the entire class, jolting herself awake every time her head dropped. If Jil noticed her inattentiveness, she made no acknowledgment of it, unlike some of the other professors at the Institute who took great joy in calling students out.

The two-hour class seemed to stretch the entire day. Today's topic was defense, something about how to protect against wind causing a dragon's flames to grow if not aimed carefully. It was nothing Aria hadn't learned before, and she was too tired to care. By the time Professor Embris dismissed them, Aria's stomach was audibly growling.

She made her way to the Institute dining hall and picked up a sliced meat sandwich and apple and refilled her water canteen before grabbing a seat at an empty table along the wall that looked out to the combat training yard. Just as she was taking her first monstrous bite of the sandwich, Nyvia approached her table.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

"Please," Aria mumbled around her mouthful of food, but it sounded more like phlerse and she realized she would have been better off just gesturing for Nyvia to sit. She finished chewing and apologized.

"I have a talent for picking the worst times to approach people," Nyvia laughed, her flawless light brown skin and dark eyes glowing with her smile.

Like Aria, Nyvia was on the smaller side of the fae and had joined the Institute in her twenties. It was part of what had initially sparked the bond between them. Plus, Nyvia was objectively beautiful, so that didn't hurt. Nyvia was also Zephyrian but grew up on the west side of the region and hadn't recognized Aria as royalty the first time they'd met. It had made their interactions all the more genuine, something else Aria had appreciated about their time together. She took another bite, forcing herself to ignore the pang in her chest .

"I was going to come over and tell you how impressed I was by the way you deescalated the protest situation the other night, but you left before I could get away from my table," Nyvia looked up from her soup expectantly.

"Oh, thanks," Aria started, swallowing hard as she picked at her apple stem. "We had to travel to the Sanctum the next day so I didn't want to stay out too late. I've learned the hard way that I don't fly well when I'm tired."

"Ah, yes, I seem to remember an injury or two after an early morning flight from my dorm," Nyvia gave her a knowing grin. It sparked something low in Aria's abdomen. "Crazy about the border wall, right? Sounds like they're doubling the number of everyone's shifts."

"Yeah, crazy." You don't know the half of it , she thought. "We'll be fine though. The shifters won't bother us." She sounded more certain than she felt. And she didn't trust herself not to say more than she should. Time to change the subject. "How are you doing? How's your second year been?"

"Oh, it's fine," Nyvia took the cue without missing a beat. She always did like to talk about herself. "Honestly, kind of boring. I may see if I can get into some third-year courses next semester, I don't really feel challenged."

Aria nodded, not surprised by the eager fae's ability to excel. She was like Aria in that sense, too. "You should," she encouraged. "I just came from a fifth-year strategy class. Professor Embris approved me to move up early because of my performance last year, I'm sure she'd pull some strings for you."

Their conversation continued to flow easily as they finished their meals, as if nothing had changed between them. It felt nice to escape back into a time where their mortality was not at risk—something, she reminded herself, Nyvia was still ignorant about .

"Well, I ought to be going. Taren's going to kick my ass if I'm late for combat again," Nyvia laughed and grabbed Aria's tray to clear it for her. The two exchanged a soft look of longing. "Look, I know you don't want anything serious. But if you ever want to let off a little steam…" she brushed her fingers down the length of Aria's forearm, exposed by the short sleeves of her tunic. The touch sent familiar shivers down her spine. Despite the indifference Aria projected to Taren, she did miss Nyvia's body warming her bed. Often. "I'll be around," Nyvia finished.

Aria offered a small smile in return and watched Nyvia until she disappeared out the door. Well, I won't be , she thought, suddenly regretting her decision to go to Denover.

***

As she stood on her balcony, Aria soaked in the sun and the view of the sea, her hair rustling in the wind. Even from this far away, she felt its mysterious and calming presence ease her worries just a little. She padded back into her room and spotted the pile of books on her desk that she must have overlooked on her way in from lunch.

To be fair, she had been a bit distracted by Nyvia's offer.

With her head starting to clear thanks to the salty air, she scooted her chair into the desk and sifted through the books, likely deposited by the librarians that morning.

A few of them she had already read, but she stopped on one without a title. It was thinner than a textbook, the pages errant within its crinkled leather binding. Flipping to the first page, she realized it wasn't a book, but a journal. Tucked behind the cover was a note from the lead librarian .

I'm not sure how or when this came to be in our possession. I found it buried among our uncatalogued collections. I learned a thing or two from it, and figured you might, too. I'll keep it to myself unless you say otherwise. Perhaps return it to Professor Embris when you're done.

— Lemira

Aria turned to the next page. The first entry was dated nearly fifty years prior. The day of the battle at the border, she realized.

This day was full of loss. My heart breaks. Jil suggested I write down my feelings to get them out of my body, but I do not see what good it will do. The pain is too great.

The next page held only a little more.

I awoke next to Jil this morning, the only bright spot in the bleakness that has consumed my every thought. When she asked me to be by her side yesterday as her personal guard, I expected to be able to watch from afar. But instead, I was put face-to-face with carnage.

More than that, I am abhorred by our people. This could have been prevented. What I witnessed is far beyond my understanding. Jil assures me I am mistaken, that death would have come regardless. I don't think I believe her, and that is maybe the hardest part of all.

Aria's head spun, trying desperately to put the pieces together before continuing on. There was a break of almost a week before the next entry began, this one much longer .

Whoever is reading this, my name is Amyr Embris. I need to make peace with myself if I am to carry on, and I will make my confession here if I am not allowed to come forward publicly.

That invisible wall may have stopped the physical fighting between our kingdom and Denover for now, but the discourse continues verbally, even amongst ourselves. The Royal Guard has been sworn to secrecy about what took place at the border, but I must get it off my chest even if I must burn this afterward.

Whatever may appear in our censored history books will not tell the full story. So, I will tell you what really happened that terrible day.

There were rumors of Denover wanting to approach the king and queen to talk about a peace agreement. But King Zephyr worried it was a ruse, a chance to blindside them and take the Zephyr castle after years of planning, and rising tensions, following the Joining. The king ordered the guards to ready themselves to defend our kingdom. He said they would begin with negotiations, and if there was any sort of threatening move made against us, we were to await orders, but we would be expected to protect our people.

You must know, I have never been violent. Growing up as a girl in a small village outside of the Zephyr citadel, I wished to heal, not hurt. I joined the Guard late in life for medical training, to act as a combat healer in times of trouble, which is where I met Jil .

I had a bad feeling about this confrontation, but she asked me to join her, and I had sworn the oath. So, I agreed.

When one of the border post alarms sounded, we readied our troops and made our way to the river. The Royal Assembly and their personal guards, myself included, lead the way. As we approached, we saw General Fulgara waiting on our side of the river in his mortal form. On the other side of the river was a group of shifters—panther, wolf, and dragon—that more closely resembled the size of a training class. Not the full army we had expected.

The Royal Assembly—the king, queen, Jil, and their head guards—decided to approach, leaving the rest of the troops further back, waiting. And what the General said surprised me.

He sought a truce, he said. He recognized the history between our two realms was less than ideal, and he hoped to change that. Raising a young son had put things in perspective, and his people grew tired of the fear and uncertainty that came with our dueling realms. He wished to raise his son not in war, but in peace.

More than that, he wished for help from the powerful Erdanean fae to clear a pass through the Mere Mountains to open the Dragon Province to visitors from both Denover and Allar. Their land had forever been secluded, and they wished to invite others to share in the beauty of their land and make it easier for all to cross their border .

To add to my shock, the Assembly listened to him. Though I was a few yards behind them and couldn't hear perfectly, Jil confirmed later that they agreed with him. We, too, were tired of fighting. The queen was especially sympathetic, considering they are currently trying and failing to have a child of their own.

The king and queen agreed to converse with some of the most powerful of the Erdanean fae to confirm their support, and the queen offered to participate herself in assisting with opening the pass. After shaking hands, the two groups of leaders agreed to meet more formally, perhaps convening at the Solstice Sanctum for an official treaty and a path forward.

But that did not happen.

General Fulgara backed away and shifted into his dragon form, I assume to cross back to his supporting troops and let them know the meeting was successful. That the two realms may actually resolve their longstanding conflict.

Instead, as General Fulgara took to the sky, I heard "Fire!" called behind me. One of the guards had mistaken the dragon's shifting as a threat, and a sharpened spike of earth found its way into the General's soft underbelly, followed quickly by a volley of arrows laced with poison.

The General's body landed in a heap on the other side of the river, sliding to a halt against the trees .

The shifter troops took this as an act of war, which it certainly was, even if unfounded. It was as if the dark realm had opened up and unleashed its fury. Both sides erupted into battle.

Myself and the other members of the Guard pulled the Assembly to safety, out of the way of both fae and shifters. I heard the king and queen calling for a ceasefire, but they were too late and too quiet. No one could hear them over the roaring of the shifters and the shouting of the fae. Bodies were torn apart, wings shredded, tails sliced off. I've never seen anything like the rage released that day, both in the air and on land.

The last thing I remember is an invisible force slicing through the center of the river, splicing bodies mid-flight and separating the two groups. A deep, ethereal voice surrounded us. I will remember the words until my dying breath.

"My children of Wren, you shall no longer cross into each other's lands in the name of conflict. Any who try shall meet their end. Until you can make peace with one another, this wall will stand."

Jil believes it was Mallium himself, and I can find no other explanation. I have not prayed to him in a long while, but I have prayed nearly every hour since to thank him for putting an end to the terrible injustice.

I had hoped the king and queen would explain what happened and punish the guards who acted without command, who had assumed the worst and acted of their own accord. Unfortunately, they doubled down, refusing to seem weak.

It confirmed what I know to be true: the smallest people among us often hold the most power.

I will always be proud of Jil for being appointed to the Royal Assembly, but I can no longer support the actions of her colleagues and will be turning in my resignation from the Guard tomorrow.

I hope my account will make it to the right people and encourage them to tell the truth. To continue to seek peace among all the people of Wren, no matter their heritage or nobility.

Aria's jaw hung slack as she read and reread the entry. Gods above was the only thought rampaging through her mind.

When Aria was young, she'd asked her mother why Professor Embris always attended the royal parties alone. Joyen had explained it to her in simple terms. "Jil lost her love in battle," she'd said. Now Aria had a name to put with the story.

Amyr. This journal belonged to Jil's late wife. And Jil had kept her from sharing it. But Amyr never mentioned being hurt, did she?

By the time Aria finished reading the letter for the third time, she was convinced. Everything she had been told, been taught in textbooks, was a lie. A complete fucking lie, she thought, made up by her parents to cover their own mistakes. They could have made peace with the shifters, once and for all. They could have put the centuries of tension to rest, but because they couldn't control their own troops, they failed. And decided to collude against the shifters in the process, perpetuating the fae's prejudices and outright hatred against the people who sought to reconcile.

All in the name of pride.

Aria kept reading. The entries grew further apart, the handwriting more frantic.

I bathed today. Jil said she was proud of me for getting out of bed. I have not gathered the courage to share my letter. I'm not even sure who I would give it to.

I am sitting in the sunshine as I write this, something I have not done for weeks. It is nice to hear the birds again. Perhaps it will get better.

The next came about two months after the previous, with the ragged edges of torn pages sandwiched between them.

Jil told me the guards have settled back into routine, no one the wiser about what truly happened. The people of Allar are angry at the shifters and seek revenge, though they know not what for. Jil has told me to keep my journal hidden.

But the truth is eating me alive. I wish to be free of it.

Wished to be free of what? Her letter? The reality of what happened? Both? Aria turned to the last entry, dated nearly four months later.

I cannot go on knowing I had a hand in the death of the innocent.

Let it not be in vain.

I love you, Jil. Forever .

Aria turned the pages hurriedly, looking for more, hoping that wasn't the end. But she was met only with blank pages. It came to Aria, then, why Jil never mentioned Amyr. It had been too painful.

Amyr hadn't lost her life to battle, not explicitly. But she had clearly been suffering, and with only Jil to comfort her, it seemed she had taken her own life less than a year after the battle. Aria's tears dotted the journal pages as they fell. She quickly wiped them away, hoping they wouldn't damage the woman's writing.

How had Amyr's journal made it into the library's collections? Had Amyr taken it there before she passed? Was this Jil's way of cementing her partner's experience into history, without taking responsibility? Or had it fallen into a stack of books by mistake?

Aria decided to hold onto it for the time being and perhaps meet with the professor privately to talk to her about it. Once the pages dried, she closed the journal and pushed it away.

First Vera, and now this. Her head swam.

The king and queen had raised her to be honest and fair. But behind closed doors, they had been ruling Allar with fear and lies. The dissonance between the two truths was jarring.

On one hand, everything she learned in school and in training seemed real. No one had given her any reason to think anything other than what she was taught from birth—that the shifters had lured the Royal Assembly to the water under the false pretense of peace, then attacked the unsuspecting group, and the fae were simply defending their kingdom.

But Amyr's account stated the opposite—that the Royal Assembly had prepared for the worst, and delivered the worst, despite agreeing to General Fulgara's terms.

If the shifters had wanted to harm the Allarian leaders, wouldn't they have gone after the king and queen immediately? Luka's father alone was plenty strong, plenty skilled enough, to have done damage to her parents before anyone would have been able to react. If the shifters had attacked first, her parents would likely not be alive to tell the tale. Instead, it was Luka's father who had received the first, and fatal, blow.

Luka , she thought with panic. Aria's vision blurred as she rubbed the heels of her palms against her eyes. No wonder he held such a grudge against Aria and her family. Luka must have known the shifter forces traveled to Allar in hopes of a truce, seeking their help. Instead, his father never came home.

In Luka's eyes, Aria's family murdered his father in cold blood. Maybe not literally, but they had condoned it.

How was she supposed to atone for that?

She couldn't.

She had to find a way to tell him that she hadn't known, that she couldn't have known, because her parents had hidden it from her. From their entire kingdom. But would revealing her parents' secrecy make him and the shifters more apprehensive to work with them? She didn't know.

This was all too much to grapple with, and she still had to pack to leave for the Legion Academy tomorrow. Gods , she was so exhausted.

Aria decided to write a note back to Lemira, encouraging her to keep this knowledge to herself until Aria could figure out how to move forward with this information. She sealed it, addressed it to the librarian, and stuck it outside her door before ringing the staff bell.

She would think about this later, she told herself, once she'd gotten to rest.

She hardly finished the thought before dressing in nightclothes and climbing into bed, succumbing to the fatigue that dragged her under.