Chapter 208: Unexpected Appearance

Elara:

With February drawing to a close, winter was finally beginning to loosen its icy grip on Starfall.

The snow-covered forests surrounding the Royal Palace had started showing the first subtle signs of change, and it was only a matter of weeks before the endless white landscapes transformed into breathtaking views of spring.

The thought alone was enough to put me in a good mood. Spring was my second-favorite season, right after autumn, and after months of snow, freezing temperatures, and a palace that somehow managed to make even breathing feel like a royal responsibility, I was more than ready for the change.

The morning sunlight felt surprisingly warm against my cold skin as I continued my run through the woods behind the palace, my steady footsteps crunching over patches of snow while the occasional breeze carried the scent of pine and damp earth.

Today was the final day of my holiday at royal palace, and tomorrow I would return to Moonveil Academy, with the new term beginning the day after. And strangely enough, I was actually looking forward to it.

I had spent the last several months complaining about the academy, its ridiculous rules, its arrogant heirs, its endless practical examinations, and the fact that merely existing there seemed to invite trouble into my life. Yet somehow, three weeks away had been enough to make me miss the very place that had repeatedly tested my patience, my sanity, and occasionally my ability to resist punching someone in the face.

Apparently, there was such a thing as Stockholm syndrome for educational institutions. Either that, or the academy was simply less exhausting than spending every waking hour at the Royal Palace, where every conversation carried political undertones and every invitation came with an invisible list of expectations.

At least at Moonveil, when someone tried to ruin my day, I could usually identify the culprit without first checking which noble family they belonged to.

I increased my pace, allowing the familiar rhythm of running to clear my head as the trees blurred slightly around me.

There was something wonderfully uncomplicated about these early mornings, when the world was quiet and I could pretend, even briefly, that I was just an ordinary twenty-year-old woman enjoying a run rather than the last surviving Argentis heir with an approaching coronation, an unpredictable collection of magical abilities, and enough political and personal enemies to make a sensible person consider moving to another continent.

Unfortunately, ordinary life had apparently never been an option for me. Even my dreams had recently decided to become more mysterious, with that strange snowfield, the fading cage, and the silver-eyed creature whose voice had called my name in a way that continued to linger in my mind long after I woke.

I had tried to convince myself that it was merely another manifestation of the magic awakening inside me, but the memory of that ancient, powerful feminine voice had made the explanation considerably less comforting. Still, I had more immediate problems to worry about.

My return to the academy meant facing Reign, Alaric, Esme, Kairo, and Lorien again, all of whom had developed an unfortunate talent for complicating my life in their own distinctive ways. Then there were Liliana and her group of infuriating noble women.

I wondered how long it would take before someone tested my patience. Five minutes? Ten? Perhaps I would get lucky and make it through the first morning without making a scene.

It was a beautiful thought, really. Almost enough to make me believe in miracles. Unfortunately, the universe had apparently been listening to my thoughts and decided to punish me for my optimism.

I was so thoroughly lost in my own musings that I failed to notice the man standing ahead of me until the distance between us had already narrowed considerably. But then something familiar brushed against my senses, prompting me to lift my gaze just as I was about to run straight past him.

I stopped so abruptly that my shoes slid slightly over the snow, and there he was, leaning against the trunk of a thick, old tree as though he had been personally commissioned to make the forest look more attractive.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, an expensive outfit that looked suspiciously appropriate for a fashion campaign, and an expression of amusement that immediately made me regret leaving my bedroom that morning.

Reign Valemont watched me with the relaxed confidence of someone who had never once questioned whether the world would accommodate his presence.

For several seconds, I simply stared at him, trying to understand what I was looking at. Then I glanced around, checking the trees and the snowy path behind me to make certain I hadn’t somehow wandered beyond the Royal Palace’s territory and into Valemont land.

I knew the Valemont estate was a considerable distance away, and unless someone had secretly built a teleportation portal beside this particular tree, his presence made absolutely no sense.

Once I was satisfied that I hadn’t accidentally crossed into hostile territory, I returned my attention to him and narrowed my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Reign shrugged as though my question concerned the weather rather than the rather suspicious appearance of a man whose family estate was approximately forty minutes away by car. "Going for a run."

I stared at him. He stared back. Somewhere above us, a bird chirped, apparently more comfortable with the conversation than I was.

"A run," I repeated slowly, allowing the words to settle between us while my gaze traveled pointedly from his perfectly styled hair to his immaculate clothes and finally to the shoes that looked as though they had never encountered a single muddy patch in their expensive existence. "Of course. Because when I think of people who enjoy spontaneous morning runs through freezing forests, I naturally picture men dressed for a luxury fashion photoshoot."

His mouth curved into a smile. "Jealous, Trouble? I can recommend a good stylist."

"And I can recommend a good therapist, but I don’t see either of us taking the other’s advice." His smile widened, and I immediately decided I had wasted enough of my morning on him. Whatever his real reason for being here, I was in no mood to investigate it.

I had survived three weeks of royal dinners, political conversations, and being reminded that I would soon have a crown attached to my identity. I refused to let a certain blonde menace ruin my final morning of freedom.

So I straightened, gave him a dismissive glance, and resumed my run, choosing to treat his existence as an unfortunate but ultimately irrelevant detail in my otherwise peaceful day.