Aydra acknowledged the people she knew, stopping to speak with a few for only a few moments. It was three miles down to the beach from the square they were on. Belwark guards on horses walked by every now and then, none of them in armor, only in their scarlet peplum gambesons to mark their place in the kingdom. Dreamers passed by, their always beautiful faces illuminated by the striking sun well over the horizon now. They were the Second Sun gift’s children: born of the tree in the south, Somniarb.
“Your Majesty,” said a petite blonde woman upon reaching Aydra in the street. Aydra paused, recognizing one of the seamstresses, Maye, coming up to her, a child in her arms. Aydra felt her gaze soften immediately.
“Maye—Sweet Arbina, you were given a child?” she asked, wrapping an arm around Maye’s shoulders. “I knew I hadn’t seen you in a while.”
Maye smiled widely at her. “The Orel found us three weeks ago. Wouldn’t leave us alone so we knew it was time. Packed up immediately and made for the Village.”
Aydra stroked the sleeping child’s cheek, her finger tracing up to its tiny pointed ears. “She’s beautiful. How many were born on the crescents?”
“Three,” Maye replied. “We were the only from Magnice. One went to the Village, the others to Scindo.”
Aydra pulled back and reached out for Maye’s cheek. “I can think of no greater two than to have received one of this cycle’s children.”
Maye’s jaw clenched as though she were tearing up. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Aydra and Lex continued through the streets a few moments later, continuing to greet and speak with Dreamers coming up to Aydra. Lex mostly stood back as she usually did, saying little to add to conversation, but staying supportive of the Queen’s conversations and patient with the people nonetheless.
“The birth of you Sun tree children always amazes me,” Lex said over Aydra’s shoulder. “Born beneath a great tree’s roots as infants. An eagle Orel deciding who is becoming parents of such children.”
“That only applies to Dreamers,” Aydra said. “The Dreamers’ giver, Somniarb, is in the Village of Dreams. Infants are given year round from her roots, not just in a cycle of ten years like Promised children. Promised children like myself are born in Arbina’s waters and raised by the previous kings and queens before us. They are the ones who determine what we learn and do not learn.”
“Nevertheless, infants are bewildering,” Lex said. “To be born without being able to take care of yourself is… not very smart on the Lesser Ones’ parts.”
“So says the one born fully corporeal beneath this great cliff and made of earth,” Aydra smarted.
“Exactly. Grown. Spat from the earth beneath this kingdom a fully grown person with the instinct of an assassin,” Lex mused proudly. “Insides of fire and ash like our land, none of this blood nonsense.”
“And all the urges of us Architect children,” laughed Aydra.
“Mm… and what great urges they are—” Lex plucked an apple from a cart and tossed a virt coin to the farmer with a nod. Her teeth bit into the flesh of it and she made a pleasing noise from her throat “—I love fruit.”
Aydra chuckled under her breath and shook her head. The breeze of the sea filled her nostrils, intermingling with the smell of fire and ash as they passed the row of smithing shops. Aydra’s gaze caught on a table of jewelry. Lex laughed upon Aydra stopping to look at it.
“You never wear any of the jewels you have now,” Lex mused.
Aydra’s gaze landed on a crude unpolished gold ring, three raw black stones sitting on the melted band. She picked it up between her fingers and allowed the sun the spark off the raw edges.
“Tourmaline,” came a voice from inside the shop.
Aydra’s eyes met those of a tall slender man, long white blonde hair pulled halfway up on his head above his pointed ears. His pepper spiced beard sat long on his angular jaw. He stepped slowly out of the shadows and wiped his large hands of the soot on them.
“Your Majesty,” he acknowledged with a short bow, “to what do we owe the pleasure of your company through the smithing street?”
“Where did you get this stone?” she asked, holding up the ring.
“Traders from the south,” he answered. He reached out and took the ring from her palm, then turned her hand over and slowly pressed it onto her ring finger. “If you’re being attracted to such a stone, you’re in need of optimism, relief of stress—”
“Sounds like it was made for her,” Lex muttered under her breath.
Aydra cut her eyes at her friend and then turned back to the handsome man standing in front of her. His wide grey eyes danced deliberately over her figure.
“It’s beautiful…” she paused, unsure of if he’d given her a name.
“Many call me Grey, Your Majesty,” he informed her with a smile.
“Grey. It has been a pleasure to meet you, Grey. Your work is beautiful.” She pulled the ring off her finger, but he closed her fist around it.
“Keep it,” he said. “It calls to you.”
Aydra and Lex continued walking down the streets upon leaving the smithing shops. They paused only a moment for Lex to look at the decorative braces and helmets made by another shop owner. Lex treated herself to new armor pads for her shoulders that looked like sharp wings.
“Fearsome,” Aydra had told her. Lex grinned and paid the man, and then they continued on. They were treated to small chats with a few more Dreamer families on the next level. The families spoke with her about the Infi creature, how they were scared now that there had been two of the wretched men to walk among them after years of their being rid of such filth. Aydra assured them of their safety, on her life.
They stopped in to see the woman who they
