Page 186 of Where Darkness Falls

“Do King Tiernan and Queen Treasa have any children, Papa?” Cahir asks excitedly.

“Indeed,” he replies. “They actually have a son that’s your age, Cahir. His name is Emyreus. He’s quite shy, so the two of you better not scare him.”

“Yes, Papa,” we say in unison.

After the short walk to the throne room, we each take our respective seats. I sit beside our mother, while Cahir sits next to our father. I squirm with excitement over the prospect of making a new friend, especially a friend that also understands what it’s like to be royal. “Sit still, Maevriana,” Mama coos.

“I’m just so excited to meet them,” I reply.

Mama chuckles, smiling softly. “I know you are, my love, but it isn’t proper for a princess to behave in such a way. You desire to make a good impression, don’t you?”she asks.

I shake my head quickly in response. “I’ll make the best impression, Mama,” I promise.

“I know you will,” she beams.

Then, a stunning family dressed in all black enters the throne room. Queen Treasa is an absolute beauty, with long sandy-blonde hair, high cheekbones, and a dazzling smile. King Tiernan is also quite handsome, with his coiffed ebony hair and amber eyes that are trained on his adoring wife. However, it’s the shy boy that clings to his mother that draws my attention. The boy has hair similar to his mother, but with the looks and golden eyes of his father. The boy’s piercing eyes instantly connect with mine.

I offer a smile, to which he hesitantly returns.

“Elias! Riona!” King Tiernan exclaims.

Papa grins widely. “Welcome, my old friends,” he says. “So glad to have you join us.”

“The pleasure is all ours, Elias,” Queen Treasa responds. Looking at Cahir and me, she smiles and waves jovially. “Are these your children that I’ve heard so much about?” she coos.

“Indeed,” Mama answers. “This is our son, Prince Cahir, and our daughter, Princess Maevriana.”

The King of Zulgalros dips his head, grinning kindly at us. “Hello to you both. This is our son, Prince Emyreus,” he says, motioning to the beautiful boy.

After receiving approval from Mama, I jump from the dais, running over to the boy. He flinches as I hold out my hand. “Hi Emyreus. You may call me Maeva,” I say.

The boy stares at my hand as if I were a leper, but I hold it out expectantly. Queen Tressa nudges the boy toward me. “Don’t be rude, Emyreus,” Queen Treasa remarks. Reluctantly, he takes my hand as a small smile quirks the side of his mouth.

“Hello, Maeva,” he whispers. “M-My friends call me Emyr.”

My face splits as an ear-to-ear grin forms on my lips. “Am I considered a friend, then?” I ask.

Emyr looks down, a pink hue coloring his cheeks. “Ifyou wish to be, then yes,” he replies.

“Then it’s settled,” I beam. “Consider us officially the best of friends.”

Fourteen Years Earlier…

Emyr gruntsas he stumbles into my back. “Rosey, we’re going to get caught,” he warns. I smile at the nickname he gave me. It originated a few years ago when I decided to plant roses for the first time. I marveled and beamed about my progress, and he believed the name to be fitting.

So much has changed since the first time I met Emyr.

The scrawny boy that I first met has long since disappeared. He’s grown quite tall over the past several years, already towering over me.

“Shhh,” I laugh. “Only if you aren’t quiet. Don’t you trust me?”

Emyr cuts a sideways glance in my direction. “Not after the last time you got us into trouble,” he teases.

I punch him in the arm, making him chuckle.

“Well, this time will be different,” I say. “I promise we won’t get caught… again.” As if overhearing my plan, two sentries come around the corner of the palace on their usual patrol. “Get down and be quiet.”

Emyr does as he’s told, though hiding behind the shrubbery at the Galrosan palace is much harder now that we’re older. We visit each other at least two to three times a year since becoming friends on his first visit to Malvoria. While Emyr and I get into mischief, Cahir prefers to learn politics under Papa or even train in the gardens with Emyr’s father. However, regardless of how we spend our time, it’s always a joy to be reunited with the other royal family.