All the spoilers coming right up... A man can hear the girl and he runs toward her, through the sounds of battle. When he finally finds her, she has one of his legionnaires dead at her feet. She attacks the man, but he knocks her attack away, lunging at her. Talasyn is watching the wedding of Khaede (her best friend) and Sol, two of her fellow helmsmen. She’s not anywhere close to being married herself, but she’s a tiny bit jealous. She’d love to know what it felt like to belong to someone. She grew up as an orphan, raised by coarse men in the slums of Hornbill’s Head so she wouldn’t know. As soon as the wedding is over, she is told that the Amirante, the person in charge of all of Sardovia’s armed forces, needs to speak with her. General Bieshimma is already back from Nenavar where he has gone to hopefully gain an alliance with Nenavar and its dragons. Based on the short length of the trip, it did not go well. But Talasyn is jealous anyway. She desperately wants to go there. She feels a connection to Nenavar that she cannot explain and has never told anyone about. On her way to speak to the Amirante, Talasyn passes one of the Lance Corporals who had gone with Bieshimma as he tells others that Nenavar wouldn’t even let the Sardovians leave the harbor. Talasyn sees visions suddenly. Scales, and maybe a crown? They’re gone as quickly as they came. Just as Talasyn reaches the Amirante’s door, Kesath attacks. Talasyn runs for her ship. As a helmsman, she pilots a small coracle - nicknamed a wasp for its size, nimbleness, and painful sting. She sees Sol already in the sky and Khaede running to her own ship despite being two months pregnant. The ships use magic harnessed from other dimensions, called aether. Wind magic in the hull that keeps it aloft, called from the aetherplane called the Squallfast and stored in small spheres called aether hearts, plus an aetherwave that uses aether from the Tempestroad that they can use to communicate between ships. The plan is for the wasps to be defensive and keep the Night Empire (Kesath) away from the city walls until the residents can take shelter, since they are outnumbered ten to one. The Night Empire has coracles too, but theirs are nicknamed wolves because they’re armed to the teeth and travel in packs. Talasyn uses her superior agility to the best of her ability as she takes down enemy ships. At least the Night Empire didn’t bring a stormship, they wouldn’t have stood a chance against it. She watches as a large Night Empire ship called an ironclad looms over a mountain peak, met by two Sardovian frigates, when she feels the fire growing within her. Her fingers burn like embers, but she pushes the feeling away. She promised the Amirante that no one would know about this. She looks up to see that she has been surrounded by wolves while distracted, the enemy shoots her down. Talasyn dreams of the day that Hornbill’s Head was destroyed. She was running up the steppes and away from the city watchman who pursued her. That’s where she was when the stormship came. Dream mixes with memory, in real life she had run to try to get to a shelter but in her dream, she stands and watches the stormship. Now, she wakes up and is able to get out of her wrecked wasp. She must have been unconscious for some time, Sardovian air units are no longer flying, meaning the armies have switched to land battle. Soldiers and citizens run across the frozen lake she landed near, Talasyn needs to get across the lake and back to the fight. If this town falls to Kesath, so will the rest of the Highlands. She begins to run across the ice but is stopped when the shadows begin to form rings. The Shadowforged Legion is here; the rings are a weapon of theirs used to catch and detain soldiers. She hears someone tell the legionnaires to pick off stragglers and Talasyn feels the spark within her again. The Amirante has said that Talasyn isn’t ready yet and so she’s been training in secret, but this spark is the only reason that she survived the attack on Hornbill’s Head when she was fifteen, and it is how she is going to survive today. Aether is the prime element that binds all the dimensions together. There are people in the world, aethermancers, who can use the aether’s path in specific ways. Like Rainsingers or Shadowforged. Nineteen years ago, in what is now called the Cataclysm, Sunstead and Kesath went to war. The King of Kesath, Ozalus Ossinast, was killed and his son Gaheris took the throne, adopted the name of the Night Emperor, took control of Sunstead, and broke away from the rest of the Sardovian Allfold. He killed all the Lightweavers and destroyed their shrines. But he must’ve missed Talasyn somehow. As a legionnaire approaches her with his Shadowforged sword, Talasyn lets her magic unfurl from within her and summons her own Lightweave dagger. She kills the legionnaire but is quickly attacked by another. This one wears a fur trimmed hood and a mask covering the bottom half of hood face, decorated with a snarling wolf design. Not just any legionnaire then, Alaric of House Ossinast and the Night Emperor’s only son and heir. He fights with a Shadowforge scythe, he has more training than Talasyn, and he’s huge, but she surprises him. He didn’t think there were any more Lightweavers. Using his surprise, she’s able to head butt him (hard) and stab him in the shoulder before running into the trees. Talasyn hears the signal to retreat and changes her course from the city to the port, making it to one of the ships before it sets sail. Khaede made it aboard as well, but she’s holding Sol’s dead body. She and Sol had both crashed their wasps but made it to port. Khaede was getting on the ship with Sol right behind her when he was shot with a crossbow bolt. Talasyn tells Khaede she needs to ask Vela, the Amirante, to take her off active duty but Khaede plans to fight until she can’t fight any longer. Later, Talasyn is brought to a meeting with Vela and Coxswain Darius. The two used to be in the Kesathese army, defecting together with several other officers and bringing eight stormships to the Allfold with them. They have fought against the Night Emperor’s cruel reign for the last decade and the Allfold only has five of those stormships left. If only Nenavar would have agreed to help. But that’s a mistake Nenavar won’t make again. The last time they sent one of their flotillas to help, it was to aid Sunstead, and they’d been decimated by a stormship before they even reached the shore. Now that Alaric knows that Talasyn exists, playtime is over and she needs to start training for real. General Bieshimma comes in and unrolls a crude map of Nenavar that he made. He explains that while his group was not allowed to leave Nenavar’s harbor, he broke away on his own to try to make it to see their Zahiya-lachis, Queen Urduja. He wasn’t allowed to approach the palace, he palace guards nearly killed him and he high-tailed it back to the harbor, but not before he saw a Light Sever. A tear in the world where the Lightweave comes through to this dimension without needing to be summoned. Talasyn could use it to amplify and refine her magic, like the Legion does with their many Shadow Severs. Vela wants Talasyn to take her wasp and infiltrate Nenavar by herself to commune with the Light Sever. Then get out of Nenavar without being spotted. She will leave for Nenavar in two weeks, that will give them time for Talasyn to train more extensively than she has been and for Bieshimma to draw her a better map. This is a dream come true for Talasyn, getting to go to Nenavar. Before she leaves for the night, Vela gives her a warning. Alaric is the most powerful Shadowforged in centuries, and he’s going to be pissed that she got away from him once. Talasyn starts training in earnest, and no longer in secret, since the Night Empire now knows about her. She can’t stop thinking and reliving the fight with Alaric. She wonders how she didn’t die, was he holding back? When she saw him, she felt the strangest mix of emotions. It wasn’t just fear. Talasyn sits with Khaede the day before she is set to leave, watching an Enchanter who sits next to a Wind Sever and waits patiently for it to discharge so he can fill empty aether hearts. Enchanters cannot call a dimension directly, but they are highly valued because they are the only aethermancers who can manipulate several dimensions: those of wind, fire, water, and lightning. The hearts are how the magic is utilized outside of my an aethermancer. For example, aether hearts filled with wind magic and placed in the hulls of the wasps to allow them to fly. Aether hearts are a big reason the Night Emperor continues to expand his domain. Kesath’s aether hearts mines are neatly depleted and the Sardovian Allfold refused to trade them, so he chose to take their hearts by force. Khaede tells Talasyn to be careful, she can’t lose somebody else. She tells Talasyn a story, a legend on the Coast where she is from. About once a millennia, an amethyst light glows on the horizon of the Eversea, foretelling months of rough waters and bad fishing. Those that believe in the glow say it comes from Nenavar. Talasyn meets with the Amirante after dinner. The Amirante as a Shadowforged has tried to teach Talasyn as much as she can, but there is only so much she can teach Talasyn, since they don’t command the same dimension. That is why Talasyn must go. Darius is coming to see Vela as Talasyn leaves. After taking Frostplum, the King on the Mountain bowed to the Night Emperor and gave him command of the Highlands. They cut off his head anyway. Of the five states that had comprised the Sardovian Allfold, the Great Steppe, the Hinterland, and the Highlands have all been taken. That leaves the Coast and the Heartland still. The Sardovians have now set up their base at Wildermarch at the beginning of the Heartland. Darius is losing hope; he’s starting to believe that the Night Empire will win and kill them all. Talasyn’s mission just got that much more important. Talasyn leaves for Nenavar first thing in the morning. She departs in her wasp and is intent on making it to the coast and over the Eversea before the sun is completely up. Hopefully that way Kesathese patrols will not see her. Alaric keeps thinking about the Lightweaver girl as he and his team destroy a Light Sever near the Hinterlands. Thankfully the Allfold never found out about this one, the girl was powerful enough without using a Light Sever. She may be unstoppable with one. He, Sevraim, and the twins Nisene and Ileis work to destroy the Sever. This is his core group. They have spent most of their lives together fighting in the Hurricane Wars and he trusts them more than anyone else, though they are often intolerable. A messenger bird comes to Alaric. Not the skua of the Kesathese or the raven of House Ossinast, but a pigeon from the Allfold. Alaric reads the missive and immediately destroys it, telling the others to finish up with the Sever and meet his father. He will not be at the meeting; he has business he needs to attend urgently. He leaves in his wolf coracle. The message Alaric received was from a Sardovian officer looking to jump ship. It says that the Lightweaver is heading to Nenavar to a Light Sever. Alaric can’t let that happen. He should have killed her when they fought before, but she got away and now everything that Kesath aims to accomplish is at risk. Though Alaric was given ample punishment for letting the girl escape. He hadn’t been able to stand for days after his father was done with him. The Allfold stood aside while Sunstead attacked Kesath, after they learned of the stormship Kesath was building. They killed thousands of people in their attack. If it weren’t for the Lightweavers of Sunstead, Ozalus may not have died and Gaheris may not have become what he is today. Alaric’s mother may not have fled Kesath. Alaric can’t let the Lightweavers resurface. He must kill the girl, who the traitor says is named Talasyn. Talasyn flies over the ocean for several hours but as she gets close to Nenavar, she sees a Sever discharge, but with purple magic. This must be the amethyst light Khaede referred to, although what Talasyn is seeing wouldn’t be strong enough to be seen from the Coast of the Continent. To be seen that far away, several Severs would need to discharge at the same time - which is why the light is so rare. But stranger still, it is not a magic that Talasyn recognizes. Not the green of Squallfast dimension, blue of Rainspring, red of Firewarren, or the white of Tempestroad. It is more reticent of pure energy like the Shadowgate or Lightweave, but those are black and gold respectively. Does Nenavar have a type of aethermancer that Talasyn hasn’t heard of? She finds a cave to hide her wasp in and starts to hike through the humid rainforest towards where the Light Sever should be. She climbs to the top of a tree to get the lay of the land and has another vision - of a woman holding her face, saying they will meet again. Of a city of gold. It makes her cry. Talasyn hasn’t cried in more than a decade, but this vision moves her to tears. She climbs down eventually and keeps moving. She rests for a time in another tree and has weird dreams. Dreams of her childhood at the orphanage layered over her time as a soldier and training, layered over a woman who calls her an unfamiliar name. When Talasyn wakes up, she can’t remember her name from the dream, and she isn’t sure if it was said with the same voice from her vision. But one thing is sure, Nenavar has woken something in her. As Talasyn gets closer to the Light Sever, she can feel it pulling her closer - as if magnetized. She finds a Lightweaver temple, in ruins and being reclaimed by the jungle. She picks her way through the ruins carefully to get closer to the Sever, but Alaric is waiting for her there. He attacks her. She asks how he knew where she would be. He reveals that there’s a traitor in the Allfold, though he doesn’t tell her who it is. That he tells her anything at all indicates that he doesn’t intend to let her leave here alive. They’re rolling on the ground, fighting for the upper hand, when Talasyn feels the Lightweave leave her body. Suddenly, she just feels emptiness. The same thing happens to Alaric’s Shadowforge powers. Dozens of people stream from the ruins to surround Talasyn and Alaric while holding small handheld tubes that look like small cannons. The soldier in charge sees Talasyn and his eyes flare in what she swears could be recognition. But then she and Alaric are shot with purple magic from the cannons and she passes out. Talasyn wakes up to find Alaric in the same cell as her and already awake. After noting that his lips are “pouty”, she again asks who the Allfold traitor is and they get in a bit of an argument. She insults his independence and brings up his father a couple times, and the argument turns into a scuffle before the Nenavar Kaptan, Rapat, breaks them up and takes Talasyn for questioning. He’s terrible at interrogating people and instead gives Talasyn information, such as their current location. Some of the soldiers carry weird birdcage looking things that nullifies magic, called a sariman cage. The cannon looking things are muskets, both make use of the Voidfell dimension. The muskets can stun like they did to Talasyn and Alaric today, but they can also kill. All aethermancers were forced to leave Nenavar except for enchanters, because channeling the aether is a threat to the ruling house. The Voidfell does not have any direct channelers. Rapat tells Talasyn that he’s asked Prince Elagbi to join them, and he asks how she’s related to Hanan Ivralis. Talasyn explains that she was left at Hornbill’s Head at about one year old, she doesn’t know who her parents are. When Elagbi arrives, he’s told that Talasyn is a Lightweaver. Elagbi is stunned, she looks just like Hanan and Hanan was also a Lightweaver. Talasyn must be Hanan’s daughter, meaning she is Elagbi’s daughter as well since Hanan was his wife. After asking Rapat to leave, Elagbi explains what happened. Civil war broke out in Nenavar. Only women can inherit the dragon throne, and Talasyn was the queen’s heir. Her real name is Alunsina. As heir, Talasyn would have been killed if Elagbi’s brother had gotten ahold of her. Both Talasyn and the queen were evacuated from Nenavar on different ships. Talasyn was supposed to go to the Dawn Isles where her mother was born, Elagbi has no idea how she ended up in the Allfold. But when he killed his brother and the civil war was tamped down, the Zahiya-Lachis, Queen Urduja, returned to Nenavar, but Talasyn did not. Elagbi hadn’t been able to find her. Her mother had already died from a quick illness shortly before the war broke out. Elagbi is about to tell Talasyn more about why the civil war broke out when soldiers come in to say that Alaric has somehow escaped. Talasyn grabs her things (which Rapat had brought in with him) and runs out of the room. The Lightweave returns to her when she gets far enough away from the sariman cages and she’s able to catch up to Alaric as he prepares to steal a Nenavar coracle. Rapat, Elagbi, and some soldiers circle behind them. The soldiers have muskets, and one of them shoots before Prince Elagbi can order them to stand down. Alaric is able to shield himself with the Shadowforge, but Talasyn can’t call a shield yet - she’s never managed it. She tries to break the violet void aether with her Lightweave dagger and the dagger grazes Alaric’s shield. It’s like the two forces merge together, forming a large circular barrier over both of them. When the barrier dissipates and they separate again, Alaric wastes no time wondering what just happened. He jumps into a coracle and tries to get out of Nenavar as soon as he can. Talasyn follows as the others stare in stupefaction. Alaric avoids Talasyn’s assaults as best as he can before making a beeline for Kesath and leaving his own ship behind on Nenavar. He’s going to be in for a world of hurt for botching this mission so badly and leaving Talasyn alive (again). The least he can do is bring back a Nenavarene ship and knowledge of their technology. And about the birds in the cages that nullify powers. At least he didn’t see any dragons (no one knows if they’re real or legend). Talasyn exchanges the ship she stole for her own wasp before heading back to Sardovia, promising herself that she will come back to Nenavar one day and solve the mystery of her past. She arrives at the Allfold base and is taken by Khaede to the Amirante right away. She tells Vela everything that she has learned, leaving nothing out. She learns that Darius has gone missing (he’s probably the traitor) and that Kesath is amassing their forces for something big. Talasyn suggests maybe they could get help from other Lightweavers like the ones on Dawn Isle, but the isle too far away to get help. They’re on their own for whatever is coming. A month later, and the war is practically lost. In two weeks, Kesathese ships had laid waste to the Coast, moving to the Heartland to do the same in the two weeks after - no longer concerned about saving whatever resources there are in the region. Kesath is currently attacking the Allfold capital of Lasthaven and Vela is badly injured. She is being propped up by a young cadet as Talasyn tries to get them all to a rendezvous point where healers can meet them and get them somewhere safe. Or somewhere safer. Over the last month, Vela and Talasyn have tried to recreate the barrier that Talasyn made with Alaric but have had no success. When Talasyn hears Legionnaires behind her, she sends Vela and the cadet ahead without her. She faces the twins Ileis and Nisene (one of which took Vela’s eye last year) and Sevraim by herself, just trying to stay alive long enough for Vela to get to the rendezvous point. She hears a fourth Shadowforged approach, but this one blocks Sevraim’s attack. It’s Alaric and he has a score to settle with Talasyn, he sends the others on their way. Alaric and Talasyn fight their way through the capital, neither holding back but neither making much headway either. He tells Talasyn that the war is over, and she asks if he will give her a quick death. The Legion loves to make that promise to her. They continue to fight but Alaric’s heart isn’t really in it after hearing that. When a broken column falls toward them, they stop fighting long enough for both of them to throw an aether made weapon toward it, recreating the barrier. Alaric tells Talasyn that she could yield. Allfold has lost, she could come with him and investigate what this new ability means, but she retorts that his father would never allow that. He knows she’s right. He walks away from her, letting Talasyn live. The war is over - she has already lost. It’s a waste of energy for him to kill her now. Talasyn makes it to a retreating ship. This retreat is so messy that the Allfold’s remaining ships are scattered. Bieshimma is currently in charge as Vela recovers, and Talasyn hasn’t heard from Khaede - whose pregnancy was finally discovered and was ordered to help evacuate citizens, not fly her wasp. The ships fly aimlessly. There is nowhere to retreat to, Kesath has taken the continent completely and all other nations refused to help Sardovia before, they won’t offer refuge now. Then Talasyn has an idea and they set their path for Nenavar. Once there, they send a pigeon requesting an audience with the Zahiya-Lachis. Nenavar is a matrilineal country, and the crown will pass from the Zahiya-Lachis to her eldest daughter. If the queen only has sons, it will pass to her eldest daughter-in-law. So, if one of her daughters-in-law is dead and the other is the wife of a traitor, who does it pass to then? When Talasyn was in Nenavar before, Prince Elagbi had been called from a succession meeting. Maybe they can give Nenavar a solution - Talasyn. Nenavar does not answer the Sardovian’s message for hours and when they do, it is to give coordinates for a few unarmed people to visit the Zahiya-Lachis’ flagship. Talasyn makes her way toward the Zahiya-Lachis and sees that the flagship is really a floating castle. It’s huge! Behind it, she sees a dragon come out of the mist and another rise from the ocean. They aren’t legends after all. Talasyn and Vela go to the flagship alone, leaving Bieshimma behind after his antics the last time he was in Nenavar (he went with his wasp to the castle, trying to force the Zahiya-Lachis to see him). When Talasyn and Vela arrive, they are greeted by Prince Elagbi and his royal guards, the Lachis-dalo. They are escorted to see Queen Urduja. After Urduja does not respond favorably to Vela’s speech about helping Sardovia, Talasyn says that she is Elagbi’s daughter and is apparently supposed to be Urduja’s heir. The least Urduja could do is hear them out. But Talasyn hadn’t gotten the whole story from Elagbi before she ran away. It wasn’t Sintan that started the civil war. It was Hanan, who refused to be named heir and then sent a contingent of Nenavar’s ships to help Sunstead, simply because they were Lightweavers like Hanan’s people. Not one person from those ships returned after meeting Kesath’s stormship. Sintan only used what Hanan did to his own advantage and nearly brought the islands of the Nenavar Dominion to ruin. Why should Urduja trust Talasyn when she is Hanan’s daughter. Besides, Urduja has already made her decision. There’s a group of islands called Sigwad that the Sardovians can use to regroup and heal. It is in a strait and surrounded by strong winds since the Nenavar Tempest Sever discharges there frequently. The Allfold has two weeks to get their ships there, any ships spotted in the strait after that time will be shot down. And Talasyn will stay in the capital as Urduja’s heir. The Sardovian’s really have no choice but to say yes. Meanwhile, Alaric has been looking for any sign of the Sardovian ships but has seen nothing. He should not have allowed Talasyn to live, he’s not sure why he did… or why he offered to let her come with him. Or why he can’t stop thinking about her. The land looks like a wasteland. There hasn’t been this much destruction since Kesath took the Hinterlands, which caused Vela to defect and the Hurricane Wars to start. Alaric is called to see his father Gaheris, who looks much older than he is due to his experiments with the Shadowgate. Gaheris won’t allow Alaric to go to Nenavar to look for the Sardovian ships yet. He has plans for Nenavar, and he’s not ready to start that yet. He tells Alaric the real work starts now; he hopes Alaric won’t be as much of a disappointment going forward. Four months later, Talasyn is living on the biggest of the Nenavar islands and partaking in copious lessons to teach her how to be the next Dragon Queen. She has not been allowed to visit the Light Sever and has been told to stop seeing the Sardovian refugees on Sigwad, so she decides she will have to sneak to those places instead of asking for permission. She’s not close to her grandmother but she does respect her, and she has become close to her father. The two of them often watch reels of Talasyn’s mother with Talasyn as a baby. She has learned that Elagbi was second son and traveled a lot in his youth, back when he still had few responsibilities. He crashed on an island that he later discovered was the Dawn Isle and was nearly killed by Hanan. But he convinced Hanan that he and his people were not there for nefarious reasons, and she took him to her mother - the leader of their clan. Elagbi and his men were able to rest and fix their ship. Elagbi and Hanan fell in love. A month later, when Elagbi and his men left, Hanan went with them, and they were quickly married once they returned to Nenavar. Hanan was not easily welcomed as an outsider, but she and Elagbi loved each other fiercely - even through her refusing to become heir and everything that happened after. Elagbi joins Talasyn and Urduja at tea that afternoon and announces that a fleet of Kesathese ships have been spotted. Alaric’s father is still alive but stepped down after the Allfold was conquered. Alaric is the new Emperor of the Night Kingdom while Gaheris serves as regent. Talasyn does not believe Alaric is stupid enough to attack Nenavar with so few ships, but their arrival is worrisome either way. Especially with the Sardovian army in hiding, which almost no one knows about. Talasyn is told by her lady in waiting Jie that the Kesathese are getting close to port so after her morning lessons, Talasyn scales the hills with her spyglass to watch them. She sees that the Emperor’s flagship is with the fleet. Alaric is here. A green dragon makes its way down the mountainside to investigate what’s going on. It’s either curious or protective of Nenavar, but it is not under Nenavar’s control. The Night Empire shoots the dragon through the wing with their cannon - which is using void aether. They must’ve figured out how to channel it into the aether hearts after Alaric stole Nenavar’s moth coracle. Talasyn hears an announcement from the Night Empire, spoken by Commodore Mathire. The didn’t want to shoot the dragon, but now at least everyone knows they also have void weapons. They’ve come to take Nenavar. Either submit or the Night Empire will attack. Alaric waits on his flagship. He is not happy about attacking the dragon but now is not the time to argue with his commanders. They are still loyal to his father, not to mention that Mathire is a hero of the Cataclysm. Alaric doesn’t have too long to wait for Nenavar’s response, they send someone to speak with Alaric directly. The Daya of Catanduc, Niamha Langsoune, acts as envoy. She brings Alaric an offer from Urduja. Not war - but marriage to Nenavar’s heir. If Alaric were to try to take Nenavar by force, or if Urduja gave in to the Night Empire, the Nenavarene would not bow to him. They would burn their cities, salt their earth, and kill their dragons before they allowed themselves to be ruled by an outsider. However, their Lachis’ka was returned to them recently and she is eligible to be married. Alaric takes the marriage offer to his father, who is not with the Kesathese fleet, but who has discovered a pocket in the Shadowgate that allows Alaric to speak to him directly and privately. Gaheris tells Alaric to take the offer. He will come to have his new wife’s resources at his disposal - after some wooing on his part - or he will suffer the consequences. Talasyn, on the other hand, screams at her grandmother that she can’t, she won’t be forced into marriage. Elagbi backs Talasyn up for a moment but won’t really go against his mother and queen. The Zahiya-Lachis is basically a goddess to the Nenavarene people. Urduja explains that this is the only way to protect both Nenavar and Sardovia. Talasyn will retain sovereignty over the archipelago but will have more control over where the Night Empire goes and what they do. Urduja thought that Kesath might come eventually and had been planning accordingly. That is what a leader does. And Talasyn knows that she really doesn’t have much choice. As her grandmother points out, who better to reign in a Shadowforged than a Lightweaver. Alaric prepares to meet with the Dragon Queen and her advisors on the specifics of the marriage agreement. He brings Sevraim and Mathire with him, but he can’t help but think of Talasyn as he prepares to negotiate his marriage. He’s not heard anything about her whereabouts since their last battle and he’s beginning to think she may be dead. The thought of never seeing her again makes him feel unsettled in a way he doesn’t understand. When he makes it to the Roof of Heaven (the castle) and is escorted in by Elagbi, he sees the Zahiya-Lachis on her throne. To her left is an empty throne for Elagbi and to her right is a throne that is hidden by screens. After some pleasantries (Nenavar wants everyone to be civil and come with good intentions, Alaric seconds that - his country is tired of war and wants to avoid it) Alaric is allowed to see the Lachis’ka. She’s beautiful and heavily made up with makeup and jewels and fancy clothes, but she reminds him of Talasyn. The irony - that the woman he will be forced to marry reminds him of the one he can’t stop thinking of and who is his sworn enemy. But then he realizes that under that makeup, the Lachis’ka doesn’t just remind him of Talasyn. She is Talasyn. Alaric is relieved at first that Talasyn is not dead, but then thinks this whole thing is some sort of trick of the Sardovians. His contingency thinks so too. They are not convinced even after it is explained that Talasyn discovered her progeny when she and Alaric were caught in Nenavar, then found her way back to Nenavar when Kesath defeated Sardovia. But the negotiations proceed with Lueve Ramsey, Daya of Cenderwas, as chief negotiator (she’s one of Urduja’s biggest allies). Niamha is also there, as well as the Rajan of Katau, Kai Gitab, who is not in favor of the match. First off, Urduja says that when the Nenavar flotilla flew to Sunstead’s aid, it was without her knowledge or approval, and the person who lead the charge is no longer a concern. Alaric notices that both Talasyn and Elagbi look strained when Urduja says this. Negotiations start poorly when Mathire makes a misstep, saying the Night Empire has more to offer than just allowing Nenavar to exist, and they degrade even further when Elagbi gives Nenavar’s two non-negotiables. That Nenavar remain in charge of the archipelago and that Talasyn be treated well in her marriage. Alaric retorts that she will be treated how she behaves, spurring Talasyn to ask if she’s supposed to be the docile wife and expected to always obey her husband. She and Alaric bicker until Urduja calls a pause in the negotiations. They can pick them back up tomorrow; the Night Empire contingency may stay in the palace until negotiations are over. Alaric is taken to his rooms, which open to a courtyard where he speaks to Mathire and Sevraim. Sevraim seems to think that Alaric and Talasyn have some sort of chemistry, while Mathire is still convinced this is a trap and wants to search the whole Dominion for the Sardovian ships. Alaric says they can request to do that after negotiations are completed. He will be fulfilling his duty to Kesath and coming to some sort of favorable marriage terms with Nenavar, even though he’s not sure Gaheris would still be in favor of the idea if he knew who the Lachis’ka was. Meanwhile, Sevraim is not the only one that notices something between Alaric and Talasyn, Niamha and Lueve did as well. Talasyn seems to get under Alaric’s skin, and hatred is so close to passion. Either way, Urduja tells Talasyn that she needs to start acting smarter and not let her temper get the best of her. Of course, the garden that Alaric’s room opens up to is also Talasyn’s garden, and the two of them meet in it that evening. They bicker; they take jibes at each other. They stand too close and touch in ways that could be considered hostile but also makes them feel something else. They walk away from each other believing that the other person hates them, and that this marriage will be for nothing but politics, and that there’s nothing they can do to stop it. The negotiations go on for five days. By then most of the defense and trade agreements are hammered out. But then Alaric explains what the Night Empire really wants. Aether hearts, which they would be willing to pay for (Urduja agrees that a price can be agreed upon), and access the Void Sever. Talasyn is very against that. Kesath has made terrible weapons without access to the Voidfell, what could they make with it!? But Kesath isn’t the only party with hidden motives, Urduja tells them what Nenavar really wants. The Nenavarene have not been accessing the Void Sever for several months because it has been acting volatile. She explains that the Void Sever is, according to legend, the first Sever that opened in Nenavar and it is important to their culture. But there’s a high price to pay for having it. She looks at Talasyn, who has asked questions about the Void Sever and been brushed off until now. Every thousand years when all seven moons are all eclipsed, the Void Sever erupts and rages across the land. It kills everything in its wake. Crops, animals, coral, people – nothing it touches is left alive. In Nenavar, they call it the Dead Season. Talasyn realizes that this is the Fisherman’s Warning and the purple glow that Khaede told her about. The people of Nenavar have learned to deal with the Dead Season by evacuating with samples of crops and animals in order to return and to rebuild once the Sever calms down, but Urduja may have a better solution now. The barrier that Talasyn and Alaric can create together. Urduja concedes that The Night Empire could go elsewhere for what they need, the Nenavar Dominion will be out of commission for some time after the Void Sever erupts and of no concern to Kesath. But, according to historical data, the area that the Voidfell touches continues to expand with each release. Last time it reached the Coast. This time, they believe it will encompass all of the Continent, which now belongs entirely to the Night Empire. Everything Kesath has fought so hard for could be wiped out four months from now, when the seven moons will eclipse again. Alaric looks at Talasyn, who had this information kept from her on purpose. She’s angry, but that quickly burns away to leave embarrassment and shame - which Alaric knows all about from his father’s often public punishments. He is eager to take the focus from Talasyn and agrees to Nenavar’s terms. He and Talasyn can start practicing with the barrier right away. But they must agree that there will be no more secrets between the two realms. Urduja agrees right away. The next day, when Alaric and Talasyn meet to practice the barrier with Ishan Vaikar, the Daya of Ahimsa, things do not go as plan. Their magic is returned to them for their practice, and a musket is shot directly at them. The two of them conjure aether daggers and throw them together but no shield forms this time. The musket fires directly at them with no barrier to protect them. Alaric throws himself at Talasyn, knocking her to the ground and protecting her from the musket fire. She’s flustered by his nearness and pushes him off of her. She’s not sure why the barrier didn’t form, but Alaric has an idea. The last two times they created the barrier, it was at night and at least one of the moons was eclipsed. That makes sense to Ishan, aethermancy often responds to the natural world. The next eclipse is in two weeks. They’ll try to create the barrier again at that time. Ishan also recommends that they combine shields instead of daggers, since they want to create a protection, but Talasyn can’t create a shield. Or anything even remotely shield-like. She was taught only the basics of aethermancy by a Shadowforge defector who had no real training herself. Alaric in the other hand, has been trained extensively, and he offers to teach Talasyn. Alaric and Talasyn create a routine. They will attend marriage negotiations in the mornings and train in their garden in the evenings, they’ll have the sariman cages removed from the garden since they need their magic to practice. But when Alaric arrives in the garden tonight, the first thing he does is tell Talasyn that the knowledge of the Voidfell should not have been kept from her by her grandmother. She’s flustered by his support of her and that makes her defensive, so he moves on. He gets into a meditative pose and asks her about her training. Vela was too busy to really train her, but she was also the only one who could train in her. Talasyn learned how to conjure weapons easily. He says that is normal. At least for the Shadowforged, weapons are usually the first skill to be learned. Lightweavers are probably not that different. Alaric knows from Darius that Talasyn’s powers did not show themselves until she was fifteen, which is late. For example, Alaric was three when his first showed up. She says that she was too busy trying to survive for her powers to emerge, but he is confused. He thought she’d grown up in an orphanage. She did. But the orphanage was cruel and she ran away at ten years old to live on the streets, which were an improvement. He shocks her again by apologizing. He didn’t consider something like that when he wondered why her aethermancy didn’t show up earlier, and he’s sorry for that. She tells him that she thinks the aether may have hidden itself, to protect her from the Nenavarene. That could also be true. There’s a lot they still don’t understand about the aether. When the Shadowforged commune with their Severs, they often unlock memories from their pasts that help to refine their abilities. Memories that are more vivid and go back further than most other people can remember. Alaric asks why she has not communed with the Light Sever yet, but she only says that she has other responsibilities now. And Urduja won’t let them train at the Sever because she wants to keep an eye on Alaric. She asks what he can remember from his childhood and he shuts down completely. What he doesn’t tell Talasyn is that he can remember when the Lightweavers attacked the palace, as his mother protected him while his people screamed outside their bolted door and Sunstead everyone down. How Gaheris changed after his own father’s death that night, slowly becoming crueler over the years until Sancia, Alaric’s mother, fled Kesath. She tried to take Alaric with her, but he would not go - believing that his father only did what needed to be done and his mother was too weak to deal with it. Alaric tries to explain to Talasyn how to conjure a shield, but she does not manage it, withdrawing in on herself and becoming small from shame. But instead of cruelty, Alaric is patient and uses a gentle voice to tell Talasyn that they can try again. She tells him the first weapon she created was a dagger that looked like the one she stole from the orphanage when she left. She needed something to defend herself with on the streets. She doesn’t want his pity, but she lashes out at him prematurely since the only way people have reacted to this information in the past is pity, but Alaric only feels anger that she was forced to live like that. She was failed by her city and by the Allfold. She’s shocked again. She recognizes that what he said is true but to admit it feels like betraying Sardovia, so she responds by saying that Kesath isn’t any better. At the marriage negotiations the next day, the issue of where to have the ceremony comes up with both countries insisting that the marriage take place in their land. The thought of going to Kesath, or to anywhere on the continent that used to be Sardovia, is too much for Talasyn. But she is reminded that this is for her people, for all of her people, and to prevent any more death. It is decided that the ceremony will happen in Nenavar and then Talasyn will be coronated in Kesath. At shield training, Alaric and Talasyn get into an argument before the training even starts. Alaric insists that Sunstead attacked Kesath unprovoked after trying to steal the plans for their stormship, but Talasyn says that Kesath was warned that the attack would be coming, that Sunstead sent missives and attacked to stop the stormship from being made at all. They both believe they’re right and Talasyn storms back to her rooms. Alaric asks Sevraim for advice, since Sevraim can charm anyone. Sevraim gives Alaric some advice but also reminds Alaric that both he and Talasyn are doing this to protect their people. She’s anxious and that causes her to lash out. Don’t take her bait. At the next day’s marriage negotiations, the wording of the contract is discussed. In Nenavar, which goes down the matrilineal line, you record three generations of female ancestors in the contract. But that won’t work for Kesath. Alaric’s mother is a traitor; he won’t have her listed on the contract as both he and his father have completely cut her out of their lives. They decide that just the names and the titles of the participants will be listed. At aether training, they decide to focus and try to get along. Talasyn tells Alaric the details of her own mother before asking about his own. His mother left at thirteen and has not contacted him since. He assumes she went back to her people in Valisa. He does wonder if she thinks about him though, Talasyn used to wonder the same thing. Alaric trains her in the basics of meditation and helps her with her stance, she stands up just as he tries to correct her posture and they stand flush against each other - her back to his front. He almost kisses her when she looks back at him over her shoulder, but Sevraim tells them it’s time to get ready for the banquet celebrating their betrothal. After Jie helps Talasyn get ready, Eligba and Urduja come to speak to her. She hasn’t been talking to them since the truth of the Voidfell has come out, and they want to clear the air. Talasyn has already guessed at most of the reason why Urduja did not tell her about the Void Sever - she needed Talasyn to be in Nenavar since she assumed that the Night Empire would come and the barrier made by Talasyn and Alaric was Nenavar’s best chance at survival - but there’s another. Alaric doesn’t trust Talasyn. Keeping her in the dark put them on more even footing. Now Alaric does not believe Talasyn is a conniving member of Urduja’s court. He’s more willing to trust her. At the doors to the banquet, Alaric waits for Talasyn since they’re supposed to walk in together, and he is swept away by how beautiful she looks. They have a decent feast with no terrible mishaps, and he is dazzled by hearing Talasyn laugh for the first time, but then someone new enters the hall. Lueve’s nephew Surakwel Mantea who has been traveling. He hates the Night Empire. This is not good. Surakwel marches directly up to the Zahiya-Lachis and makes his displeasure known. He has often argued in favor of aiding the Allfold, at least whenever he’s actually in Nenavar - which is not often. He demands that the Night Empire be removed from Nenavar and the Lachis’ka rescued from this prison of a marriage. Surakwel is told that the feast is not the time to discuss this, but he won’t listen. His aunt Lueve and his childhood friend Niamha try to stop him, but he challenges Alaric to a duel. On Alaric’s side, both Mathire and Sevraim try to talk Alaric out of accepting the duel, but he doesn’t listen either. He only asks if they’re to duel right there in the hall (they are). Talasyn is worried and she realizes that something between her and Alaric has changed. She doesn’t want him to be hurt. He stands and the duel starts, both men have swords, no bounds called. There are sariman cages in the hall, so Alaric cannot use his Shadowforged powers. Surakwel wants the Night Empire to leave Nenavar immediately and give up the marriage to Talasyn if he wins. All Alaric asks for is that Surakwel treat the Night Empire with respect and mind his own business. He does not ask for Surakwel to be executed, which he would be within his rights to do, but Arlaric knows would make a martyr of Surakwel. Alaric draws first blood, then is sliced across his thigh. Soon, Alaric starts pressuring Surakwel into giving up ground, bearing down on Surakwel and disarming the man. Surakwel grabs his small crossbow from the ground, which he had worn into the hall and discarded when he approached Urduja. He fires the crossbow at Alaric, who manages to deflect the bolt with his sword. The bolt hits the sariman cage nearest to Alaric, restoring Alaric’s tether with the Shadowgate. Alaric is high on adrenaline and Talasyn can see that he isn’t thinking clearly. He throws his sword away, calling a aether spear to him instead. Talasyn steps closer to Alaric and is able to use the Lightweave to stop Alaric’s attack - saving Surakwel and what would happen if Alaric killed him. Alaric changes the swing of his spear and does not fully hit Talasyn, just grazing her arm - but she starts to bleed. He comes back to himself and the hall goes silent. He whispers at Talasyn to see a healer right away, but he makes louder demands of Urduja. He arrived in Nenavar peacefully (that’s up for debate), but his delegation has been treated with nothing but disdain. In addition, he has agreed to work with Talasyn to protect Nenavar, but Talasyn has been purposefully kept from her Sever and is still unable to call forth an aether shield. From this point on, the Kesathese contingent will not be told where to go or not to go. He will take Talasyn to the Light Sever personally, and his Shadowforged will no longer be kept from the Shadow Sever either. And the sariman cages will no longer be used to contain them. And finally, they will finish the marriage negotiations completely the next day, or he will consider them at war and will leave Nenavar, and he will not offer his help when the Voidfell rises. Urduja agrees to his terms. After the Kesathese leaves, the hall erupts. Talasyn’s arm gets seen to. Surakwel is fine but is about to be told off by Niamha, and Urduja is beset by courtiers wondering how she allowed their negotiations to be put in so precarious a position tonight. Some are upset about Talasyn being offered up like Surakwel believes she was. Talasyn knows that part of this reaction is because of how she has treated Alaric during the negotiations, with a snide and contemptuous attitude. Why would the Nenavarene believe that she was not being forced into this marriage when she’s been acting like that. Talasyn steps up and announces that she is accepting Alaric’s hand of her own free will. Then she goes to check on Alaric, which is what she really wanted to do the whole time. She knocks on his garden door, and he pulls her into his room quickly, worried about more attacks. He wants to know what she was doing stepping in front of his attack. She says she was trying to prevent an international incident; she doesn’t say that she didn’t want him hurt. She didn’t want him hated by her people. He calls her a beautiful idiot, which irritates her a bit. They get very close for a moment and Talasyn’s breath comes quick and shallow, but Alaric believes that she has come to his room only as an envoy for Nenavar and her grandmother. She doesn’t tell him that she’s there because she was worried about him, that she’s there for herself and no one ordered her to come. She doesn’t ask if he was worried about her when she got hurt, which she thinks he might have been. She realizes that she doesn’t want to leave his room. But she has no reason to stay, and he sternly requests that she leave. It’s only once she’s in the garden again, with his door closed and his room dark, that she realizes he called her beautiful. Alaric has also realized that things have changed between him and Talasyn, but he doesn’t have time to think about it. With the sariman cages removed, he’s soon called to meet his father. His father is outraged by how Alaric has been dealing with the Dominion and his failure to alert Gaheris to the Lachis’ka’s identity, not to mention that fact that Talasyn is alive at all. He is outraged by Alaric’s infatuation with her. Gaheris tells Alaric that he will be punished accordingly when he returns to Kesath. For now, they must discuss how to handle Nenavar and Sardovia. Because if Talasyn really doesn’t know where the Sardovians are, they will surely come looking for her at some point. She’s too valuable to them. The next morning during the final negotiations, Alaric acts cold toward the Nenavarene, but especially toward Talasyn. He signs the contract and passes the pen to Talasyn, flinching away when she accidentally brushes his hand with hers. She asks when they will go to the Light Sever, they will go in four days. That will allow the sweep to be completed before leaving. What sweep? He tells the room that Kesath will be looking for evidence of Sardovians on Nenavarene property. Since Surakwel announced his sympathies toward the Allfold, the loyalty of everyone is now in question. Especially since the Lachis’ka herself fought for Sardovia. Kesath will be looking for evidence of Sardovian ships from the air, for stormships in particular, and will only search on the ground when aerial footage is not adequate. Until the sweeps are completed, Talasyn’s training will be postponed. Talasyn quietly panics and is called to her grandmother’s chambers that evening after nightfall, where she sees Niamha and Ishan. They tell her they have been experimenting for some time with sariman birds and water from the Rainspring and have created a way to nullify athermancy in an area - with the exception of specific aethermancers. They’ve done the same with spectrals, little monkeys that vanish when startled. The spectrals retreat to a different aether plane (similar to the pocket where Alaric speaks to his father) and the Nenavarene are able to replicate what the spectrals do. With the turning of some dials, Niamha vanishes from sight. The Sardovian fleet has already been spoken to and preparations started. The Kesathese were given old maps that do not show Sigwad, which is not visible from the majority of Nenavar’s islands. But in the off chance that Kesath does find Sigwad, the Sardovian Enchanters can use this technology to hide the ships completely. Three days later, Kesath has found no sign of the Sardovian fleet, but Gaheris’ words still ring in Alaric’s mind. Talasyn will never feel the same about him as Alaric feels about her, and if she learns of Alaric’s feelings, she will find a way to use them against him. Alaric prepares to take his own stormship around the islands on a final sweep, in which Talasyn, Elagbi, and their Lachis-dalo will join him. When she arrives, Talasyn is wearing a dress that Alaric can’t keep his eyes off of. She looks incredible. He invites her to have a glass of wine, and they take a private moment with her father. Elagbi wants to talk to them about something. After the wedding, which will take place in two weeks, they will be expected to spend the night together in Talasyn’s rooms for the consummation. This shocks them both and they begin to argue as soon as Elagbi leaves them alone. They both say nasty things and they’re both hurt by the other’s comments, but Alaric hides it behind a cold facade. He doesn’t understand why Talasyn looks hurt too, she doesn’t care what he thinks about her. She never has. After storming out of the room, Alaric speaks to Sevraim. It doesn’t seem that the Sardovians are in Nenavar, which means the Kesathese have no other idea of where to find them, but also means that Talasyn wasn’t lying to them. Alaric is a bit ashamed of how he’s been treating Talasyn (when he isn’t being chastised by the memory of his father). Sevraim points out that he saw Alaric and Talasyn training in the garden when Alaric almost kissed Talasyn. Alaric will need an heir one day, just like Talasyn will. Talasyn is restless and decides she needs to see Vela; she sneaks out of her room and directly into Alaric - who is waiting in the courtyard. She tells Alaric she was heading to the night market to get something to eat and what luck, he’s also hungry, so they can go together. They sneak to the market and eat; she overhears a group of men talking about saving her by killing the Kesathese. They are speaking Nenavarene so Alaric can’t understand them and Talasyn enjoys listening to their plans that grow more and more outlandish, but their talk eventually turns to Talasyn also being a foreigner, both by blood and by where she was raised, and she’s no longer having any fun listening to them. It’s too much, she walks away from Alaric and rappels to the top of a six-story building and nearly cries before Alaric is able to catch up to her. She has wanted a family for her whole life and now her grandmother uses her as a trading piece, her father won’t protect her if it means going against his queen, Vela is not within reach, Khaede is missing and possibly dead, and she is going to marry a man who hates her - and who she will betray one day if she gets the chance. But when Alaric asks her what’s wrong, Talasyn asks him a question of her own. Why didn’t he kill her the first time they fought? In fact, she’s thought about that fight several times, and she’s pretty sure he protected her as she fled. He admits that he did. He thinks he was curious about her. He’d never met a Lightweaver before. Now a question for her. Why does she have so much loyalty to the Allfold when it didn’t take care of her? He plans to make sure the whole continent lives like Nenavar, with plenty of food and security. He can be angry on her behalf about how she grew up and still be loyal to Kesath. He can want things to be better for everyone on the continent. She appreciates his anger, but Alaric will never be able to convince her that Kesath’s quest for vengeance was acceptable. She will work with him, but she won’t forget that the world he wants to build will be built by bloodshed. After that, Talasyn needs even more to see the Sardovians, but the garden is not safe to sneak out from. During the day when Alaric is busy, Talasyn runs into Niamha and Surakwel whispering in the hallway. Talasyn speaks to Surakwel alone, who has been told to absent himself until the wedding and is leaving Nenavar again. He owes Talasyn for saving his life and she’s about to call in the favor in two parts. 1. Don’t tell anyone what he’s about to learn. 2. She needs him to take her on his boat to where the Allfold is hiding. He does just that and she’s able to speak to Vela, who is not nearly as upset about Talasyn’s impending wedding as Talasyn expected her to be. Vela reminds Talasyn that Urduja will be deposed without an heir, she needs Talasyn just as much as Talasyn needs her. In addition, when Talasyn is Night Empress, she and her grandmother will be nearly equal in power. Talasyn needs to use that power. And as Alaric’s bride, Talasyn will be in the position to spy on Kesath and find out how they made their void cannons. She will be able to lead them right to Gaheris. Now that the sweeps of the archipelago are finished, Alaric and Talasyn head to the Light Sever. They take their guards only as far as Rapat’s garrison, continuing the rest of the way alone and on foot. At one point, Alaric falls into a mud pit and angers a water buffalo, forcing them to run for their lives. It allows Talasyn to see exactly how good Alaric is with his aether, and it also breaks the tension between them after their last two fights. They both agree to be civil to one another, both revealing that they say mean things when they’re angry. Their senses of humor come out, and they both definitely notice that the humidity is making clothes stick to the other person’s body. The next morning, Alaric wakes Talasyn up to start training. They slept close to the Sever near the ruined temple, so she could commune if the Sever discharged. They start training with meditation, which Talasyn is not excited about. Alaric tells her it should put her body and mind and magic all in line together as a cohesive whole, which should make it easier to conjure a shield. When he first started training, he would spend weeks doing nothing but meditating. His power manifested early, around three, and his grandfather was so proud that he would carve out time to train Alaric. The meditation exercises go really well, it’s the best Talasyn has ever felt with her magic, but Talasyn still cannot make a shield. Alaric is patient and walks her through the process again and then, there it is. Not a real shield, but the beginnings of one. Alaric looks so proud of her. She’s so excited that she throws herself on Alaric for a hug. Realizing what she’s doing, she backs away but Alaric holds her in place. He tucks his head into the crook of her shoulder and she hugs him tighter. Neither of them wants to let go. After a long time, they separate and get weird. Neither has been hugged by anyone. Maybe ever. And they didn’t realize until now what they were missing. That night they lay on heir bedrolls and Talasyn tells Alaric the legend of Bakun. He was the first dragon to make his home on this planet, falling in love with the first Zahiya-Lachis named Iyaram. When Iyaram died, Bakun’s grief turned to anger, and he swallowed one of the moons (in this legend, there used to be eight). Bakun would have eaten them all, but Iyaram’s people waged war against him and sent him back into the aetherspace where he had come from. Every time there is an eclipse, they say it is Bakun returning to eat another moon, but the spirits of the ancestors who fought him return to fight again. But every thousand years he nearly wins the war, in the Moonless Dark, the eclipse of all seven moons, the Night of the World-Eater. Alaric doesn’t like the thought of losing someone who was as loved as Iyaram was. That night, Gaheris tries to contact Alaric, but Alaric ignores him. He can’t risk Talasyn waking to find him gone, disappeared into the In-Between where he can speak to his father. Alaric doubts his father will understand why Alaric ignored him, Alaric will be punished. The next morning, Talasyn’s shields still lack solidity and she gets frustrated as Alaric explores the ruins and the markings on the walls. He finds an amphitheater and invites her to spar with him. She’s nervous, she hasn’t sparred since Sardovia fell, but she does well. He realizes that she’s been fighting her whole life, hitting first before life could hit her. It’s why she can’t conjure a shield. He realizes that they’re both hungry to prove themselves. They are the same. They continue to fight until she ends up close to his body with a knife at his neck and his sword at her chin, he looks down at her and says it’s her move. But they move at the same time, coming in for a kiss. They kiss and kiss, and neither of them is good at it - it’s hard to practice kissing when you’re in the middle of a war - but they get better at it and, more importantly, they both really enjoy it. Then the Light Sever erupts. Talasyn leaves Alaric and walks toward the Sever, looking back at him just before she enters and he assures her it will be okay. Inside, she does connect with pieces of her past like Alaric told her she might - so many of the memories are bad. She also realizes what a mistake she just made kissing Alaric. Enjoying Alaric’s kiss. It feels like she is betraying Sardovia. She will fight with Sardovia again one day and all of her shared moments with Alaric will not matter at all. When the Light Sever quiets, she stands there holding an aether shield. Alaric has a hard time understanding how the Lightweavers that killed his grandfather and attacked his people could be the same Lightweavers that made this beautiful temple. The same Lightweavers as Talasyn is. Talasyn approaches him but they don’t talk about the kiss. Instead, she talks about the shield she made and decides to try to conjure another. He spends the afternoon trying to distract himself from her as she practices. That evening, he reminds her of a question she asked him once. If he could remember his childhood. What he remembers is being lonely. Constantly training, even the friends he had were kept apart from him by who his family was. His mother was unhappy and Alaric reminded her of the ties she had to his father and to their marriage. Talasyn was lonely too. She kept waiting for her family to return to her, but they never did. She only ever had one friend and that was Khaede, who she now thinks died in the last battle. Alaric wants to say something, but she stops him. They should just stay quiet for the night. He disagrees, he thinks that they should talk about their kiss, but she says she just got swept away in the moment. He snaps back that it was the same for him and she goes to sleep, thinking about how that thought upsets her. He wakes up and wonders why he opened himself up to her like that. She will never be able to separate him from the Hurricane Wars. He will never be more to her than a villain. She packs up their things so they can leave and go back to the city. They barely speak on the way back to Eskaya, and once they arrive, they don’t see each again other until the night of the eclipse. When they meet again to practice their barrier, they meet Ishan in the courtyard again. Today, the Daya has brought a contraption designed to amplify their barrier. Alaric and Talasyn stand together and when they are given the signal, they combine their aether and form the barrier. The Daya uses her amplifier, and the barrier expands to cover the whole courtyard. Muskets are shot at them, but nothing gets through their barrier. Alaric is amazed. So, this is what Enchanters can come up with if they aren’t busy constantly waging war. Talasyn sees his face and knows exactly what he’s thinking. She feels the same way. They are able to hold the barrier for eight minutes. Ishan is delighted. Of course, the Voidfell will last for an hour, and this is only a fraction of the area they will need to protect, but this is a great start and they have months to practice. After their success with the barrier, most of their energy goes to preparations for the upcoming wedding. The ceremony site is made ready, as well as the palace that will become Talasyn and Alaric’s permanent Nenavar home until Talasyn ascends. The night after the ceremony is discussed again briefly, reminding them both of their kiss and making them supremely uncomfortable. Most of the Kesathese ships left during the marriage negotiations, only leaving Mathire and Alaric’s fleets in Nenavar, but now several Kesathese officers arrive to witness the marriage. While walking in the hallway of the palace, Talasyn sees Kai Gitab. He is staring at a portrait of Urduja’s mother, the Queen of Thorns. Urduja will be the last of her name to rule. When Talasyn ascends, it will be with her mother’s last name: Ivralis. Talasyn asks if that bothers him, but is doesn’t really. He had no problem with Hanan. He may have his differences with Urduja, but he is loyal to Nenavar and wants what is best for the country - which is preventing the Dead Season. But afterward, Kai will be there for Talasyn. Whatever she needs. Elagbi had told Talasyn that Gitab is known for his strong ideals and his incorruptible nature. She sees the same look in his face as in Surakwel’s. She tells him she will keep that in mind. As the wedding guests wait in the Starlight Tower for the sunset wedding to start, Talasyn has a panic attack in her room. Jie assures her is just cold feet. It’s normal to feel this way. When she’s ready and Elagbi is done tearing up over his daughter, they proceed to the tower. Alaric is already there waiting alone, and his thoughts turn to his mother. Will she hear about his wedding, wherever she is - if she’s even still alive. She once told Alaric that to propose in Valisa, you take the person you love somewhere private and meaningful, with a view, and tell them, “the stars guide me home to your heart.” Her own proposal from his father was not so romantic. Alaric is told that Talasyn has arrived and he takes his place at the front of the crowd. He hears murmurs and sees the looks of the guests, but as soon as Talasyn walks in all of that melts away. All Alaric sees is her. All Talasyn can see is Alaric’s stoic face and unwavering coldness. She reaches the end of the aisle, and they bow to each other as a form of respect before she takes his arm to climb the steps. They sign the marriage contracts; they set one of the contracts on fire to alert the ancestors of their marriage. Then they face each other and hold hands. He is not wearing his gloves. He almost always is, his father told him to always wear them to prevent the distractions of the physical world, but he was told it would be considered disrespectful to the marriage binding. When she grabs his hands, she can feel his shadow temper her light. Calming her like a cool drop of water while also making her skin feel charged. He makes her feel anchored and her light reaches for him. She has to remind herself that this wedding is not real, driven home by the fact that he is completely unaffected by her. But when she looks at him, she remembers their fights and their kiss, and how alive she feels when she’s with him. She can almost see those memories reflected in his eyes too. Their wrists are bound with red cord while their vows are given. The officiant says that the hands they hold are the ones that will love them for years to come, comfort them in sorrow, work with them to build an empire. Hold their children. But Alaric thinks that his hands are incapable of any of that since they are stained in blood. Not to mention, the only marriage he has as an example is his parents’ and that’s not exactly something to aim for. As Alaric holds Talasyn’s hands, he feels her light warm all the cold, shadowy places in him. It fulfills his need to be touched. He says his vows quickly and then it’s her turn to speak, and he can’t look away from her eyes. She pledges to love Alaric completely, and he only wishes that it were for real. The cord is removed from their wrists and rings are slipped on their fingers. Talasyn kisses him and Alaric leans forward, wrapping her waist with his arm and pulling her into him. When she leans back to settle her feet on the ground, he follows her, refusing to end their kiss. When they finally part, they’re both a little dazed. And fully married. They make their way to the reception. Talasyn believes that Alaric thinks she looks silly in her huge dress, which couldn’t be further from the truth, but he doesn’t correct her. They greet Urduja but Talasyn does not bow, she is Night Empress now. Or close enough. Elagbi hugs his daughter. He would never have believed she would marry the man she was imprisoned with when he found out she was still alive! This catches Alaric’s attention, but there’s no time to think about it – it’s time for their first dance. After a brief argument about who leads, they melt together and dance beautifully. After all their sparring, they understand each other’s bodies, and it shows. Then there’s dinner, where Alaric finally gets to ask his question. If Talasyn knew that she was Elagbi’s daughter, why did she go back to Sardovia? Why didn’t she ask for leave to return to Nenavar? Talasyn said she had commitments, as if staying in Nenavar hadn’t even occurred to her at the time. Then it’s time for Alaric and Talasyn to leave for the evening for the consummation night. Talasyn is horrified when Jie helps her get out of her wedding dress and into the nearly transparent negligée that was chosen for the night. Even if she and Alaric already agreed they would do nothing more than sleep, it’s still embarrassing. Alaric is speechless when he sees her. She explains that he can’t sleep on the floor, people will wake them in the morning, and they don’t want anyone to have anything bad to gossip about. So, she makes room for him on the bed. He can’t help but antagonize her to stop himself from thinking about their kiss while she’s wearing something so provocative, and they get into another argument. He accuses her of doing whatever her grandmother says. Actually, scratch that. Of doing whatever she’s told to do. She wouldn’t even ask for time to reconnect with her long-lost family. She needs someone to tell her what to do. That’s ironic coming from him, she wonders aloud if he’s really in charge or just a puppet for his father. That hits too close to home and Alaric gets angry. Then he kisses her. And she kisses him back. And they’re all alone with nothing to interrupt them this time, so they go further than they ever have before. Afterwards, Talasyn realizes that she fully intends to betray Alaric one day. She tells him he will have to sleep on the floor after all. He doesn’t argue. She wakes him up the next morning so he can climb back into bed with her before whoever is knocking at the door comes in. Alaric will leave for Kesath today, Talasyn will join him in Kesath in two weeks for her coronation. He can’t believe he took such advantage of her last night. And he can’t stop thinking about it. In the two weeks they spend apart, they will both have the chance to get ahold of themselves. They’ll never be able to regain the two weeks apart, or the level of intimacy they have right now. It will be like a cold shower. He can’t decide if he’s pleased or disappointed by the thought. Talasyn is called before her grandmother, who says that Talasyn must not see the Sardovians anymore at all - at least not for the time being. Not until the Dark Night is over. Talasyn needs to stay close to Alaric until then but try not to fall for his pretty face. After the Voidfell erupts, Urduja will speak to Vela about Sardovia’s next steps. Urduja will give the Sardovians a year to take back the continent, or she will stop sheltering them. Talasyn realizes again that she really has been a pawn for Urduja this entire time. Alaric was not wrong about that. But she also remembers what Vela told her. She has more power than she knows. She tells her grandmother that because of her, Urduja’s succession has been solidified. She is the Night Empress now, and Nenavar will have more power than it’s ever known before, the chance to become a world power, and Nenavar needs her to stop the Dark Night. In return for all that, Talasyn wants free rein of Nenavar. She will be able to go where she wants - although she does agree not to go to Sigwad. She wants to know about the experiments being conducted by Nenavar’s Enchanters. She wants unfettered access to the Light Sever. Urduja agrees to Talasyn’s demands. Talasyn says goodbye to Alaric as he prepares to depart for Kesath. Gaheris would say that she seduced him the night before, but Alaric doesn’t think she did. He’s beginning to think maybe he is being manipulated by his father. Talasyn brings up their passionate night and Alaric cuts her off. He knows she doesn’t feel that way about him, she doesn’t need to tell him. They both agree that it can’t happen again. But before Alaric gets on his ship, he tells Talasyn that he will look for Khaede. If Khaede is imprisoned in Kesath, he will make sure Talasyn gets to see her. Talasyn says that if Khaede is in Kesath, she wants Khaede to return with her to Nenavar. Alaric knows he cannot release a Sardovian prisoner, but he finds himself agreeing to see what he can do. It smacks of treason. As his ship flies away, Talasyn remembers agreeing that their intimacy the night before could not happen again. But what if she wants it to. Not an hour after reaching Kesath, Alaric is summoned before his father. But to his surprise, he is not punished for his many recent transgressions. In fact, Gaheris seem more like his father of old – back when he was just king and not yet emperor. He seems like he’s in a good mood. Then Alaric notices that his father’s magic seems off, and in one corner of the room, there are no shadows at all. Gaheris always keeps his rooms swathed in shadows. Gaheris tells Alaric to go to the corner and look at the gift Mathire brought him. Alaric finds a little sariman bird in a cage. The thing is terrified, and so far from home. Alaric asks why Gaheris has it. Several reasons: Kesath needs to learn about Nenavar’s abilities and surpass them. And they need to have a way to cut Talasyn off from her magic for good. Because they are going to take Nenavar. They’re going to take it all.