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“This is Gulan the Peaceful.”

Gulan was a very small country that cultivated the art of living in peace, regardless of your race or origins. A welcoming land in close contact with nature and, according to Dovah, with the little people. It was here that his brother Paivrin had decided to live.

“But it’s so cold!” grumbled Luanda, clutching her cape tightly with her free hand.

The other held the reins of the mare she was riding.

“It’s normal,” I reassured her. “You are from Osacan, which is probably the hottest country in the world.”

Marione nodded in agreement.

“Back home in Muvaria, summers are harsh, but winters are even more difficult,” Massim intervened. “Gulan winters are much milder than our summer season.”

I noticed that the page was devouring Marione with his eyes. She was three years older than him, but that clearly didn’t bother him too much.

“Everything going well?”

It was Dovah. I gave him a shy smile. Ever since we’d been married at the Temple of the Dark Gods, one thought had haunted my mind: our upcoming wedding night.

This was going to be “the” night for us.

It was more than obvious that Dovah was looking forward to it, while I wasn’t sure whether the prospect excited or terrified me.

These two emotions invaded me alternately, so much so that I felt a knot in my stomach.

“Yes,” I assured him with a smile.

My eyelids fluttered. Holding his gaze was difficult because he seemed to read me like an open book. Right down to my apprehensions about this stage in our relationship.

“Are you sure?” he insisted, moving his horse closer to mine.

I didn’t feel like talking about it, so I chose to steer the conversation in another direction:

“You told me that Gulan was a bit of a home for the creatures of the little people and fairies. Do you think we’ll have the opportunity to see any?”

Strangely enough, my husband’s expression remained serious.

“Yes, Gulan is home to many elves, fairies, and mermaids. It is designated as a welcoming land for all races, not just men. In fact, Paivrin is a sort of spokesman and mediator between the various clans.”

“His magic, which interacts with nature, makes him the ideal representative,” Kynnen chimed in.

He placed his stallion to my right and smiled at me. Despite the long scar that crossed part of his face, he remained strikingly handsome. I wondered if Dovah’s other brother, the one named Tylbis, was also blessed with good looks.

I must have been staring a little too hard at Kynnen, for he tilted his head to one side, as if wondering about my thoughts. Dovah cleared his throat loudly.

“Is there a problem?”

I immediately turned to him and smiled.

“No, I was just thinking your brother was very handsome.”

If I’d thought, naively, that my husband was upset a moment before, the expression that now altered his features confirmed to me that it was only a mild preview. Kynnen let out a loud laugh, then slapped his hand on his thigh.

“I’m sorry?” whispered Dovah in a honeyed tone that boded ill for the future. “I must have misunderstood. You like my brother, is that it?”

I blushed to the roots of my hair.

“No, it’s not what you think. Not at all. I was just thinking that you were all very attractive, that it was probably a peculiarity among your siblings, and I was just wondering if your other brother, Tylbis, was also ... well, anyway. No importance.”

“Tylbis is also very handsome, Ashana,” Kynnen replied to me under the wrathful eye of his elder brother.

“In a different genre, of course, but it’s safe to say that he’s indeed handsome.

However, everyone agrees that, of the four of us, the one who is the unanimous favourite of the ladies—and a few gentlemen too, from what I’ve heard—is your husband. ”

Dovah gave an unconvinced grunt. This reaction triggered a new bout of hilarity in Kynnen.

“And humble too!” he laughed again.

The man many called the Black Demon, who was now my husband in the eyes of two religions, rolled his eyes, as if exasperated by the turn this conversation was taking.

“My brother told me you were an excellent archer, is this true?” continued Kynnen, flashing a friendly smile, while Dovah opted for a sullen silence.

“I wouldn’t go that far ...” I hesitated.

It wasn’t false modesty on my part; I just didn’t like drawing attention to myself.

It wasn’t something I was used to. I had been the one hidden for the benefit of her sisters.

I may have been the wife of Dovah, the hand of justice of King Elendur of Osacan, but I was still a victim of my old reflexes.

Kynnen leaned toward me and whispered:

“You know, my brother isn’t in the habit of extolling the merits of others. And just because you’re his wife, doesn’t mean you’re entitled to any special treatment. You genuinely impressed him with your archery skills.”

I glanced in Dovah’s direction and, just as I thought I was being discreet, his eyes immediately harpooned mine. He was still upset.

“Ah ...” I exhaled.

I was completely captivated by the dark power of the black irises of this man who was my husband.

Suddenly, there were flames in his eyes. As it only lasted a very brief moment, I wondered if my imagination had altered my perception ... It wasn’t the first time I’d seen such magic in my husband’s dark eyes. When would he tell me the truth about this?

“Oh!” exclaimed Marione.

Intrigued to know what could have caused such emotion in my young maid, I followed the direction of her gaze.

Then, I understood. In fact, we only had to look around to find out.

Gulan the Peaceful deserved its name. The vegetation was grandiose and so lush that it was a feast for the eyes and the soul.

The trees were nothing like those of Muvaria.

The latter rarely exceeded two metres, as the constant cold and lack of sunlight prevented them from reaching great heights.

Those of Gulan were ... gigantic, with huge trunks at least a hundred and twenty metres high!

And so wide! I had great difficulty estimating their circumference, but if I had to guess, I’d have said around thirty meters.

Their leaves weren’t really leaves at all, but rather little bunches of thorns, a bit like pine trees.

As for the grass, it was such a bright green you’d have thought it had been painted by an inspired artist.

“It’s magnificent!” I whispered, spellbound.

Dovah nodded in agreement. Still, I didn’t get the impression that the panorama that stretched out before us as far as the eye could see truly touched him.

“It’s easy to understand why Paivrin wanted to live here.”

Paivrin’s home resembled something you’d find in a fairy tale: a long house surrounded by giant trees, with exposed stone walls covered in climbing ivy. It also had a brown thatched roof, accentuating its cottage-like appearance for creatures of the little people.

“It’s such a adorable place,” I gushed.

Dovah let out a grunt in response. I turned to him and, after exchanging a long look, he sighed:

“I knew you’d like it, hence my choice. Paivrin built a small cottage behind the main house. I stay there every time I come to visit him. That’s where we’ll be staying for a few days. It’s more intimate than the owner’s home.”

With enormous effort, I managed not to blush at the thought that this implied a greater degree of intimacy with Dovah.

Suddenly, the door to Paivrin’s home flew open, and out stepped a huge white wolf. Paivrin also emerged, then rushed after the animal. It’s hard to imagine this man being blind, judging by his agility.

“Morgana is acting up again,” commented Kynnen soberly.

“It would seem so,” adds Dovah.

For the two brothers, this show was nothing out of the ordinary, which was not the case for us. We had wolves in Muvaria. Snow wolves: huge beasts that could wreak havoc in villages, but they much preferred the heights of the mountains where there was sufficient food.

“Don’t make me catch you!” shouted Paivrin.

To which the white wolf named Morgana growled fiercely, the hair on her back bristling. I leaned over to Dovah and whispered:

“Is your brother in danger?”

“Don’t worry. Morgana won’t attack him. It was Paivrin who took her in when she was just a young cub. Without him, she’d probably have died devoured by a predator. He is like a father to her.”

“Morgana!” shouted Kynnen.

The she-wolf immediately stopped making belligerent sounds and turned her mouth in our direction. Her ears perked up and she even wagged her tail when she saw us. Her change of attitude was incredible. As she trotted towards us, her gaze fixed on a single individual: Kynnen.

He dismounted from his horse with a smooth movement to crouch down and open the space with his arms, smiling.

“Naughty girl!”

The she-wolf jumped on him and showered him with affection. Paivrin joined us with an annoyed expression on his face.

“Right, then. Since you’re here, you’ll be responsible for bathing her,” he announced dryly.

Kynnen’s features fell.

“But ... But it’s a girl,” he stammered.

I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw him blush. Paivrin shrugged his shoulders in a casual gesture. He was very annoyed, that was obvious.

“She’s in her animal form,” he objected, before coming to meet me.

“But!” his youngest brother tried again, looking desperate.

He then gave Dovah an unhappy look, but Dovah ignored him superbly. In her animal form? I repeated to myself mentally.

“Lady Ashana,” our host greeted me warmly, taking my hands into his.

“Lord Paivrin,” I replied with a friendly smile.

Nevertheless, my attention remained drawn to the white she-wolf and poor Kynnen.

“I could take care of it,” I added.

Paivrin frowned, then turned his head for a moment towards his youngest brother, still wrestling with a very enthusiastic Morgana who was delighted to have him back.

“Are you talking about giving Morgana a bath?”

My smile deepened.

“I’m used to animals. They generally like me.”