Chapter 21: song

ASTRID

The Magic Fair was a dream come true, a show of light and color that seemed to have stepped out of the stories I used to imagine as a child.

The air was filled with sweet floral fragrances and the sparkling essence of magic. Torches floated in the sky like dancing fireflies, lighting golden dirt paths where the most extraordinary creatures moved with impossible grace.

There were blue fire phoenixes fluttering among the clouds, leaving sparkling trails like stardust, and crystal fairies with iridescent wings that gave off a soft tinkling, like a chorus of enchanted bells.

Silken tents of every color waved with the rhythm of the night breeze, and in the distance, Earth Court creatures danced with living roots that sprouted from the ground, forming fleeting patterns in the air. Everything was vibrant, beautiful, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was part of something so wonderful.

I was moving with Sienna in the center of the dance floor, spinning to the rhythm of the music, feeling the ground vibrate with the beat of the ethereal drums. She laughed with shining eyes, a laugh I hadn’t heard in so long that it made my heart ache with joy. Her emerald green dress swayed around her like leaves in the wind, and for the first time in ages, I saw her enjoying herself.

But then, in the blink of an eye, Sienna was no longer by my side.

The dancing crowd had swallowed her up, her silhouette fading between glowing lights and shifting shadows. My chest tightened with a pang of worry, a part of me wanted to go after her, to make sure she was still okay, but the rhythm of the music held me back, dragging me without mercy.

It was a spell, an irresistible current.

I gave in to the dance, to the feeling of freedom, allowing myself to enjoy the moment. And then, as if fate had arranged it, a warm presence slid behind me. A deep, enveloping whisper caressed my ear before I even saw him.

—You look beautiful when you dance.

My skin bristled before I turned and met Bastián’s intense gaze.

His presence was an anchor amid the whirlwind of the fair. I don’t know when he crossed the floor, but suddenly he was here, too close. His scent was damp earth after the rain, burnt wood, and something deeper, more primal. He surrounded me, consumed me.

My breath caught. My heart raced.

—You’re not so bad at dancing yourself —I replied with a shaky smile.

I felt his smile against my skin. He spun me gently and, for a moment, we were alone in a world where only our ragged breaths and the tension tangled in the air between us existed. His hands were firm, confident. He held me so effortlessly that I felt small, protected. No one had ever made me feel like that.

The music continued, but I no longer heard it. I only heard his low voice, caressing my soul with every word. I lost myself in the sensation of whispers in my ear, the casual brush of his hand against mine, the way he looked at me as if I were something precious, something worthy of admiration. I felt appreciated, and it left me breathless.

But then, as the night wore on and the wine warmed my skin, Bastián cupped my face in his hands with a gentleness that disarmed me.

—You’re drunk —he said, his voice tinged with amusement and something else… something I couldn’t decipher.

—I’m not —I protested, but the world tilted slightly around me.

—I’m taking you to rest.

I had no strength to argue.

The fair faded behind us as we moved between the merchants’ tents. He held me effortlessly, as if carrying me in his arms was nothing but a sigh. His tent was warm, lit by floating lanterns that gave off a soft glow. The bed was covered in fluffy cushions, an oasis of comfort that invited me to lose myself in rest. He laid me down carefully and knelt beside me, watching me in silence.

With a sigh, he took off my shoes, his fingers brushing my skin with the tenderness of someone handling something precious. I adjusted myself a bit, still feeling the heat of the wine in my cheeks, and then whispered:

—Help me take off the dress.

Bastián swallowed hard. I felt it in the way his breath grew heavier.

—Astrid… I don’t know if I should…

I looked up at him and smiled, tender, trusting. I simply turned, giving him my back, silently inviting him. He exhaled slowly and, after a few seconds of hesitation, his fingers found the ties of my dress.

He undid it slowly, with torturous patience. Each brush of his knuckles against my bare skin sent a shiver down my spine. My breathing slowed, my heart pounded, and the tension in the air was thick, palpable.

When the dress finally slid off my shoulders, I took a silk robe and slipped it on with slow movements. I lay back, letting the mattress embrace me. Bastián, still kneeling beside the bed, gently slid his fingers across my face, as if memorizing every contour. Then, in a low voice, he broke the silence.

—Sometimes I wish I could choose —he whispered, his voice more serious now, as if each word was a secret torn from his soul.

My eyelids were heavy, but his tone kept me awake.

—Choose what? —my voice was a whisper, a plea.

Bastián ignored my question. His gaze, heavy with a weight I couldn’t fully understand, got lost in the shadows of the tent.

—As heir, my fate isn’t mine —he continued, his tone a murmur between resignation and nostalgia—. My duty is to my people, to the history that was written long before you and I were born.

My breath hitched.

—Bastián…

His eyes returned to mine, and in them was something devastating: a battle between what he wanted and what he would never be allowed to have.

—Times are changing, Astrid —his deep, low voice slid over my skin like an intangible touch—. The Four Courts won’t last forever. Something new is rising. A storm that will sweep away everything we know. And when that happens…